Music, film, art, and of course, magic, all have the power to transcend cultural boundaries and barriers. The fact that I can’t speak a lick of Filipino doesn’t take away from my appreciation of 11-year-old George’s comedy magic routine, performed recently on Little Big Shots Philippines.

George appeared on the Philippine adaptation of the US version of Little Big Shots created by Ellen Degeneres and hosted by Steve Harvey. According to Phillipine network ABS-CBN, George performs magic in order to earn money to search for his father in the States, and his journey brought him all the way to prime-time television. Performing a variety of close up tricks and a switcheroo with a series of overly large playing cards, George’s magical ability and comic timing are surprisingly adept for a child as young as he is.