One is a rising comedy star and actor whose solo hour Flat Shoes in the Club is a whirlwind account of getting ready for a Saturday night out. The other is a dynamic magician who mixes illusions and sleight of hand with lightning break-dancing. Both shows are fun, personal and high energy so perhaps it’s no surprise that Eme Essien and Magical Bones are siblings. It’s just a shame, says Essien, that they’re not able to see each other’s fringe shows every day. She ends her set at Bristo Square’s Underbelly just as her older brother takes the stage a stone’s throw away at Assembly Checkpoint. Despite this unfortunate timing, they’re “rooting for each other” she says and they had already planned to see each other’s show in dress rehearsals anyway. Happily, their bond is strong enough to survive any constructive criticism that one might have for the other. “People have actually said that we tend to act more like twins,” says Essien. “Even as kids, we were really close,” adds Bones, whose real name is Richard (he got his nickname from his body-popping dance style). “We’re both really good at seeing each other’s work critically,” adds his sister. “I trust my brother’s opinion more than most because I know that he won’t just be kind.” Essien was at the fringe in 2016 with an early incarnation of her current show. “It’s about a girl finding herself, and she wants the audience to help her along the way,” she says. Bones made his Edinburgh debut in 2019 and the following year reached the finals of Britain’s Got Talent. “Getting the approval of Simon Cowell in front of the world is quite something,” he laughs. “I like my work to reflect my culture,” he says of his new show, Soulful Magic. “I have a background as a hip-hop dancer, I love soul music and this is a real celebration of everything that is me.” Growing up in south London, the pair initially saw their love for performing as escapism, while their parents encouraged a more academic focus. “We’re from a very typical Nigerian background,” says Essien. “I always dreamed of being a performer but entertainment wasn’t a career that was seen as typical.” Both siblings continued to develop their talents while studying at university. “I was bought my first magic set as a random present from my parents – they never expected it to give me the bug,” says Bones, who completed a maths degree at Queen Mary University of London. “I used to come to London every weekend for drama classes and my parents had no idea,” Essien joins in, remembering her time studying English at the University of Essex. “The first time I performed in front of an audience was at secondary school,” she continues. She made her debut as a dancer in back-to-back productions of Little Shop of Horrors and Bugsy Malone on the same evening. “It was the most magical night,” she says. Bones went to a boys’ school twinned with his sister’s school. He was nine when he first had the confidence to stand up in front of a crowd. “He got up on a big stage, moonwalked like Michael Jackson and flung his legs around while both schools sat watching,” Essien says. “I was known as a dancer from then on,” adds Bones, who talks proudly about his sister’s achievements too. “She is the most talented person I know – and I’m not just saying that!” Though they’re both confident in each other’s talents, the pair seem less self-assured when I ask them to have a go at each other’s art form. Essien begins by teaching Bones the basics of the Meisner acting technique with a repetition exercise. “It basically teaches that acting is all about reacting,” she says. “It is very easy.” Standing still and facing each other, they take turns to say out loud things they notice about the other person. “You blinked,” Bones begins, then points out his sibling’s movements. “You’re smiling,” he says, trying not to grin. “That’s not an observation, that’s an assumption,” his sister teases. It is in his own masterclass in magic, though, that Bones really comes alive. “I learned this trick when I was a little kid,” he says, whizzing a card around his fingers as he demonstrates a back palm trick. “This is a classic,” Essien says, nodding in approval. She is a good student as she successfully follows his step-by-step instructions – until the final moment. “It’s not easy,” she giggles as she drops the card. “Go on, try again,” Bones encourages, catching the card. “It requires a lot of patience,” she says, completing the trick at a significantly slower pace. “You’re almost there Emz, you’ve got it,” he cheers. “Maybe I should have picked something easier!” So can we expect the duo to make a show together? “Well, never say never,” laughs Bones. “I wouldn’t rule anything out,” Essien agrees. Although, “we used to live together,” she tells me, remembering when they shared a flat. “But never again!” Eme Essien: Flat Shoes in the Club is at Underbelly, Bristo Square, until 28 August. Magical Bones: Soulful Magic is at Assembly Checkpoint until 28 August.