Number 486 - 17th October 2009
David
Nixon Entertainer with the Magic Touch by Edwin A. Dawes and Stephen
Short will be published on October 30th by Jeremy Mills Publishing
Ltd. For anyone that grew up watching David Nixon on television the
memories will come flooding back as you delve into this beautifully
produced lavish volume. David Nixon's magic had a delightful charm all
of its own and this book has captured that charm. Edwin A. Dawes and
Stephen Short interviewed David's many friends and loved ones to present
a full portrait of his life. It is illustrated throughout with family
photographs, magazine pages, show bills, magic photos and numerous
television stills. I've only had a brief look, but this really is a
wonderful book. Available for pre-order from the publishers. Hardback,
276 x 210mm, 288 pages, price £35.00
www.jeremymillspublishing.co.uk. (I used to watch David Nixon after
school, write down all the tricks, try and work them out, and then mark
the guest act points out of 10! A full listing of David Nixon's Theatre
and TV shows is included in the appendix).
17.10.09
Dara
O'Briain, Sean Lock, Lee Mack, Dave Spikey, Bob Wooding and Paul Zenon in Last Stop
the Palladium! A benefit for The Wonderbus – “Getting the show on
the road for older folks” Sunday 25th October at 7.30pm. This
electrifying evening of entertainment, staged at the legendary home of
Variety, the London Palladium, is a one-off night not to be missed.
Hosted by top trickster Paul Zenon (Street Magic, Countdown), this
unique performance features the cream of the comedy crop: Dara O'Briain
(Mock the Week, Three Men in a Boat), Sean Lock (8 out of 10 Cats,
Fifteen Storeys High), Lee Mack (Not Going Out, Would I Lie to You?) and
Dave Spikey (Phoenix Nights, 8 out of 10 Cats)... and is manned by an
all-star crew including The Bar Wizards (Britain's Got Talent Finalists)
and The Magnets (the UK's top a cappella group). Net proceeds from the
evening will go to
The Wonderbus, a Registered Charity founded by Paul Zenon to give
older people from homes and sheltered housing a good, old-fashioned day
out to remember. Front-of-house performers include Sav, Arbie the Robot
and Vic Ellis. Box Office: 0871 297 0746
www.seetickets.com.
17.10.09
Free
- Las Vegas Magic! News from the Blackpool Magicians' Club:
"Everyone who registers for a VIP or Gold Card for next February’s
Blackpool Magic Convention before 1st January 2010 will receive a
complimentary copy of ‘Las Vegas Magic’, a book currently valued at £25.
However, no-one will find the time to read it until they get home for
there is always too much to see and do at Blackpool, the biggest and
best magic convention in the world. A VIP card, of which only 500 are
issued, costs just £90 (£55 for Juniors) and entitles the holder to all
the benefits of Gold Card Reservation plus access to the VIP Lounge,
special events and meetings with the stars of the Convention. A Gold
Card at £70 (£35 for Juniors) represents amazing value for money for it
allows the holder entrance to all the Convention events (except the
After Gala Party) - all lectures, shows, dealers, all close-up sessions,
all competitions and reserved seats for the Saturday and Sunday theatre
shows." Registration forms can be downloaded from
www.blackpoolmagic.com.
17.10.09
Another
great surprise event is planned for the International Magic
Convention next month (November 27th-29th at The Mermaid Theatre). Last
year's mystery guest was Uri Geller, and before Uri, Derren Brown... who
will be the mystery guest this year to spend time answering questions
from the conventioneers? Convention Coordinator Noel Britten is as
cautious as ever not to give any clues away: "He/she/they/it is/are
going to be another great event at the Convention this year. I always
said that it has to be something really special for us to give it the
'secret' element. Secrecy always heightens the expectations, but I am
very confident that any magic connoisseurs will be very happy when they
find out what this year's event will be. Many people missed out on a
fascinating Q&A with Uri Geller last year, who gave a tour de force
performance in an hours session, that many people said was the best
thing they'd ever witnessed at a Magic Convention. This year will not be
an anti climax! The only thing I'll say is that it will be happening on
the Sunday of the whole magic-packed weekend." To be there for this 'not
to be repeated' moment register for the Convention via
www.internationalmagic.com.
17.10.09
Ipswich
Magical Society Convention – next Sunday! The Denis Lowe Theatre
Company Dancers have just been added to the gala show line up to add a
little showbiz pizazz to the evening (not that it was really needed with
John Archer on the bill). The highlight of the day is still expected to
be the 'Audience with Wayne Dobson', and Michael J. Fitch tells me that
he has rustled up a few special surprises that not even Wayne is aware
of (yet). Starring alongside Wayne during the day is Dan ‘Sponge Banana’
Garrett, John ‘Ukulele’ Archer and of course Marc ‘FISM Winner’ Oberon,
who will be performing his award winning Midas Close-up routine,
presenting his first class lecture, and, in the evening gala, performing
both his award winning magic act and his UV act. Other artists in the
evening include, Alec ‘speed camera’ Powell, Michael ‘International
Children’s Entertainer of the Year’ Fitch and Graham ‘I won a silver
star swimming badge aged 8’ Jolley. Visit
www.ipswichmagicalsociety.co.uk for more info and to book. Sunday
October 25th, Spa Pavilion, Felixstowe.
17.10.09
Steve
Dela's Fantasmagoria, London. Fresh from his IBM close-up
competition win at Southport, rising star of magic Steve Dela launches
his own monthly show at the King's Head Theatre in London on Monday 26th
October. Steve Dela's Fantasmagoria, is being billed as an
evening of classical conjuring and illusion and promises to be one of
the best places in London to see live cabaret magic. Each month's show
will be hosted by Steve featuring the cream of UK magical talent. The
opening show includes Lee Warren, Fay Presto and Magic Circle Stage
Magician of The Year, John Archer. Tickets are £12.50 (£10.00
concessions) and are selling fast. To book a seat contact the Box Office
on 0844 209 0326 or visit
www.kingsheadtheatre.org.
17.10.09
Now
You See It... A Short History of Magic and Conjuring Draoidheachd
agus geasan:Eachdraidh Ghoirid. An exhibition giving a fascinating
glimpse into the history of stage magic opens at Inverness Museum & Art
Gallery on 14th November and runs until 19th December. The exhibition
pays homage to the close-up conjuror, whose illusions can include
anything from sleight-of-hand card tricks to the swallowing of razor
blades, and charts the history of the magician from the early days of
the street entertainer - or pickpocket - through to the exotic world of
the music hall, up to the present day. On display is a variety of
theatre apparatus, old and new, used in the performance of illusions,
including a Zig Zag Lady and a copy of an elusive Robert Harbin book to
keep it company. These pieces are complimented by a choice collection of
old and rare magic books. In an incredible stroke of good fortune
there is to be a first edition of ‘Scots Discoverie of Witchcraft’ dated
1584 on show. This book and the Harbin are kindly lent by Gordon Bruce.
Bringing the exhibition into the 21st century is a film piece produced
especially for the show by artists Graeme Roger and Kevin Reid who take
a more contemporary view. Edinburgh based artist Sharon Whyte is also
showing 15 screenprints entitled “A sage of the stage, not a beast in a
cage”. These works are based around the theme of learned animals. During
the show’s five- week run there will be public talks about the history
of magic and globally-travelled magician Matthew Fraser will entertain
at the Private View. Many of the pieces on show, which span over a
century of conjuring memorabilia, are selections from the private
collections of Adrian Harris and Inverness magician John Haydock. This
exhibition is a visual dip into what magic and magicians have given us,
including some of the illusions which have over the years proved to be
classics and which are still being performed today all over the world.
Exhibition Tour Dates: Swanson Gallery, Thurso Library 19th September –
31st October 2009, Inverness Museum & Art Gallery 14th November – 19th
December 2009, St Fergus Gallery, Wick Library 19th January - 20th
February 2010.
17.10.09
And
the winners are... We had a truly fantastic response to last week's lucky
draw to win a copy of John Fisher's new book 'The Tommy Cooper Joke Book'.
Thank you for all your entries. The lucky winners are: Phil Smith (Manchester), Andrew Woodhouse
(Coventry), Ulf Peter Winter (Weinheim, Germany), Terry Hickman (Burton
on Trent) and John Rush (Devon) - your books are on their way to you! To order
The Tommy Cooper Joke Book from Amazon.co.uk
Click Here.
17.10.09
The
Sorcerer's Apprentice - 9am, Sunday, BBC 2. It's back, and this time
The Sorcerer's Apprentice has more magic, more pupils and more amazing
guests than ever before. Ortis Deley guides us through the tears,
tantrums and trickery as 14 Sorcerees battle it out for the ultimate
prize - to be the next Sorcerer's Apprentice. Under the watchful eye of
teachers Miss Evans (Sophie Evans) and Mr Knight (Tariq Knight) the
hopefuls hit the ground running as they're introduced to their first
magical genre, escapology. Of course, the sorcerees aren't the only ones
competing, Miss Evans and Mr Knight are also locked in fierce battle in
a new round of 'Teacher Challenge' - a series of crazy, chaotic and
often messy head to heads. See
TV Magic. Also
available on BBC iPlayer.
17.10.09
Tenyo
Elite. News from Tenyo Elite: "In early 2008, after nearly a year of
negotiation and work, magicians Jason Palter, Peter Loughran and Steve
Brooks (JPS Magic Studios Ltd.) met in New York to sign an historic
agreement with representatives of Japan’s legendary Tenyo Company. JPS
Magic is now the only organization to be officially and exclusively
licensed worldwide to create, manufacture and sell a line of high-end
renditions of Tenyo's original magic tricks—Tenyo Elite! By combining
the brilliance and cleverness of the original Tenyo items with the
ultimate in durability, top-quality materials and service, JPS has
created a product line of magic tricks that discriminating professional,
performing, amateur and collecting magicians demand worldwide. JPS has
skilled and committed professionals whose energy and initiative is
constantly focused on delivering the utmost satisfaction to the magic
customer. What the magic world has dreamed about for half a century is
now a reality! We are proud to say that our first two
Tenyo Elite
releases (Fortune Sticks and Moonspinner) are officially in production
and being manufactured as you read this! Our other two products (Blue
Crystal and Soft Coins) will follow in a couple of months." Visit
www.tenyoelite.com
for more info and to order.
Fortune Sticks and Moonspinner will be shipping from November 1st: "These sold out in Japan and quantities are extremely limited. For more information see our official website at www.tenyoelite.com. We want to thank everyone for their incredible enthusiasm and for their patience and understanding during the past few months. We will continue to keep you up-to-date here on our official site, on our Facebook page, our Twitter page, our MySpace page, YouTube, the Magic Café, and on other various forums online. In addition we will be sending news and updates through emails to those of you on our mailing list. And by the way, if you haven't joined our mailing list yet but are interested in being amongst the first to know about updates and product information, please go and join right now!" 17.10.09
James
Brown: Professional Opportunist. Russ Stevens of RSVPMagic is just
about to release a brand new twin DVD set by James Brown, featuring a
mixture of magic, pseudo hypnosis and pickpocketing. Called
"Professional Opportunist", this two disc set runs for nearly three and
half hours and features twelve new routines from James' working act. "As
usual we shot everything in a live environment, this time using
Illusions Magic Bar in Bristol, so that people can see just what great
reactions the magic gets. Just watch the trailers to see just how good
these routines are!" said Russ. To watch the two trailers, each with
complete effects, visit
www.rsvpmagic.com
(These discs capture James at his very best, featuring some brilliant
technique and routines. DT).
17.10.09
James
Brown lectures at the Scottish Conjurers' Association on Wednesday
28th October. Entry is £5.00 for visiting magicians on the door. Venue:
Scottish Mask and Puppet Centre, 10 Balcarres Avenue, Kelvindale,
Glasgow G12 0QF (Map)
www.scottishconjurersassociation.org.uk.
17.10.09
Aldo
and Rachel Colombini 2010 lecture tour - now booking. Aldo and
Rachel Colombini will be touring the UK in 2010 from 23rd April to 18th
May, if you are interested in booking them for a lecture at your magical
society you are invited to contact Barry J Martin in the first instance
barry@leicestermagiccircle.co.uk for more details. The lecture is a
very original one and includes magic, comedy and anecdotes. The routines
presented cover a variety of topics such as card magic, close-up, rope,
stage, children's magic and more, with something for everyone of all
skill levels. Aldo Colombini moved to the United States from Italy in
1993 and has taken the country by storm! He has performed in over 60
countries including every European country, the United States, Canada,
Japan, Australia, South Africa, China and South America.
17.10.09
Buy
1 - get 2 Free! Before Wayne tells us this is a typo rush over to
www.waynedobson.co.uk and order a copy of Ping & Pong,
Echo or Second Chance, and get the other two routines free!
Simply place an order for any one of these three publications, and
they'll send you the other two as well! Visit
www.waynedobson.co.uk today!
17.10.09
Magic
with a Capital E. Award winning magician and FFFF’s attendee Will
Gray started his new lecture tour (Magic with a Capital E) with rave
reviews from the BMS and the Order of the Magi. “Will's lecture really
does contain something for everyone - a good mix of cards, coins,
mentalism, Monopoly pieces and even goldfish! Since Will is a full-time
professional, the magic is very sharp, snappy and practical to do.
Will's laid-back manner makes things very easy to understand. I
thoroughly enjoyed it!”. Iain Moran. For details on booking Will
for your society call 07989 258319 or email
magic@willgray.co.uk.
17.10.09
Ian
Souch: Reality Vaccine.
Ian Souch
will present his one-hour mentalism cabaret at the Etcetera Theatre in
Camden on Saturday the 24th of October at 9.30pm. "The surreal Mentalist
Dr Ian Souch is about to commit surgery on your mind." Details can be
found on:
www.etceteratheatre.com (click on 'what's on' and then 'Reality
Vaccine'). Tickets are £7.50 and can be booked via the website.
17.10.09
The
Card Collection are proud to present, for the first time, the
release of a new deck from USPCC, the Bicycle Lefty Poker Deck.
Especially printed for left-handed persons, all the symbols are on the
right hand corner instead of the usual left hand corner. Fan the deck
from left to right and it looks like a blank deck! Red back only! Only
£6.00 per deck from
www.cards4magic.co.uk.
17.10.09
David Blaine: Street Magic
is being repeated this evening at 10pm on E4. First seen over 11 years
ago, this original show stands up very well against the ravages of time,
and has deservedly been selected as a 'Choice of the Day' in Radio
Times. See TV Magic.
17.10.09
Mel
Mellers - Free show! You and your friends are invited to attend a
free Mel Mellers show at 7.30pm (sharp) on Wednesday 4th November at The
Allsebrook Lecture Theatre, Bournemouth University, Talbot Campus,
Bournemouth BH12 5BB (Map).
Mel Mellers is filming clips for his new DVD - it's going to be a fun
evening! (No children under 14). Email
melvynmellers@aol.com.
17.10.09
Manchester
Circle of Magicians - Jumbo Auction. A Jumbo Auction is being held
on Wednesday 21st October by Manchester Circle of Magicians. The venue
is Salford Masonic Hall, Hemsley House, 41 The Crescent, Salford near
Manchester commencing at 6.30pm with viewing from 6pm. Star Auctioneers
Mike Shepherd and Derek Lever are your hosts. It promises to be a long
night as many items including a Robert Harbin Chair Levitation, a
Floating Table, Guillotine, books and DVDs have been submitted. Members
are admitted free, non-members pay £3.00. Further details from Derek
Lever. Phone: 01253 810113 or email:
d.lever1@sky.com.
17.10.09
British
magician Andrew Green jetted off to the majestic city of Rome last
week to perform at a rooftop pool-side party in a luxury hotel attended
by over 85 top international airline executives at their annual
conference. The delegation, made up of over 25 different nationalities,
were enthralled by Andrew’s sleight of hand wizardry, proving that magic
knows no boundaries.
www.modernmysteries.co.uk.
17.10.09
Mark
Elsdon's Whacked! From MagicTao.co.uk: "Designed for the serious
working performer, ‘Whacked!’ is a 10 minute mind-reading routine which
revolves around Dave Gorman’s best-selling comedy book
Googlewhack Adventure. This Second Limited Edition manuscript gives
full details of Mark’s script and psychological approach – which is one
of the things that lifts ‘Whacked!’ head and shoulders above so many
other book-tests. The presentation has been honed over many, many
performances for a wide variety of audiences, which ensures that the
routine plays as well for a group of top professionals at a business
lunch, as it does for a crowd of college students at a birthday party.
The presentation is funny, sophisticated and guaranteed to deliver a
great audience reaction every time it is performed." Visit
www.magictao.co.uk
to find out more!
17.10.09
Steve
Faulkner won the National Street Performing Championship held over
the summer in Milton Keynes. To listen to Steve in a recent radio
interview,
Click
Here.
www.stevefaulkner.com.
17.10.09
An
Evening of Magic. Bryan Atherton reports. On Saturday, 10th October,
John Milner, owner of House of Magic in Stourbridge, arranged 'An
Evening of Magic' at the Theatre on the Steps, a converted Baptist
Chapel half way up the hill between the High and Low Towns of
Bridgnorth. This difficult location, only reached on foot, created
logistical problems, particularly in getting popular illusions into
place. Such problems were overcome by Saxon Tylney who sensibly kept his
props to the minimum and entertained the full house with his versions of
Howard de Courcy's Canary through the Mirror; Roy Johnson's Chewing Gum
Card reveal; Harbin's Card in Whisky bottle and Martin Lewis'
Cardographic. The show was enhanced by a troupe of local dancers; John
was assisted by his son, James and a very comedic magician, Al Rudge
with lots of throw-away gags and props, made a lot of new friends. It
was good to see this small and unique theatre giving the locals an
entertaining evening out away from the X-factor and Strictly Come
Dancing. See, magic lives on in the provinces!
17.10.09
Psychic
Hangman is a new mind game where you correctly call out the letters
and tell them where they go. A game you will win every time! "I like
this. The Hangman Game is something everyone can relate to. There aren't
many good hooks to present a booktest with and this combines a great
presentation with a multi layered method that leaves the audience
without a chance or a clue." Nathan Kranzo. Keith Fields emails
"I have already used this both in close-up and on stage, and it works
even better than I thought it would! A joy to perform and easy too! And
the fact that the book is pocket sized means that I can slip it in a
jacket pocket. A book test designed for close-up, yet suitable for the
largest stage. Ask the guys at the IBM Grand Blanc, it got a great
response when I showed it there at a lecture a few days ago. The plot is
a simple one (so simple that I can’t believe it hasn’t been done
before!) A word is chosen and you play a game of psychic hangman – which
means you pick the letters and tell them where they go and get it right
– And no-one gets hung! Nothing to memorize or learn as it is self
contained and the clever script virtually eliminates any fishing or ‘no’
answers. This routine quickly moves away from the book and becomes more
of a word test than a book test and gives you plenty of scope for
jazzing as well. The normal price for psychic Hangman will be $125, but
right now there is a special price for MagicWeek readers of just $75
(plus shipping $5 USA $10 rest of world) – This price won’t last long so
you know what you have to do. Get back to me now! Payment can be made
via paypal.com to
keith@keithfields.com." There are a limited number of copies
available at this price. Don’t be disappointed... order now.
17.10.09
Evans
plus Evans perform their stylish and mesmerizing show Beyond
Coincidence? - a fast paced journey into the baffling world of
magic, mind reading, telepathy, illusion, and fun at Upstairs at the
Gatehouse Theatre, Highgate Village, London N6, on Monday, 9th November.
This dynamic husband and wife couple, Mike and Julie Evans, have been
amazing audiences all over the world and have just finished a busy and
successful 6 months summer season in Cyprus. Tickets cost only £10 with
all profits going towards CLIC Sargent (Caring for Children with
Cancer). Ticket Hotline: 0208 340 8054
www.magicV.co.uk.
17.10.09
The
Levett & Lee Balloon Roadshow. A full day hands-on lecture/workshop
in Banstead, Surrey, from 10am to 5pm on Wednesday 21st October. "Thelma
and Graham will go through everything you ever wanted to know about
balloon modelling but were afraid to ask. From explaining all the
fifteen different twists, and what to use them for, to quick, easy and
impressive models to use every day. The day is designed to help everyone
and will include a section on how to come up with and improve your own
designs." For more details and to book visit
www.balloonchat.co.uk.
17.10.09
Leamington
Magic Society Annual Dinner. The Leamington & Warwick Magic Society
are holding their annual dinner on Friday 13th November, 7pm for 7.45pm,
and have a few tickets still available. Four course menu and cabaret
from Vizage and John Archer, compered by Peter Greenwood with table
magic from the members. Tickets are £35 available through Mick McCreath
on 07747 052878. Venue: Honiley Court Hotel & Conference Centre, Meer
End Road, Honiley, Nr Warwick, Warwickshire CV8 1NP (Map).
17.10.09
The School of Busking 3 DVD set, featuring Gazzo and Mario Morris has just been released. "This 3 DVD multi pack is packed with the theory of busking. Gazzo and Mario Morris don't hold back, but give priceless tips. Over 3 hours of Marteral. Disc 1 Mario Morris Lecture, Disc 2 Mario Morris Lecture, Disc 3 Gazzo crowd drawing plus Bonus Martial." Visit the shop page on www.schoolofbusking.com for more information and to order (or email enquiries to Mario Morris mario.morris@hotmail.co.uk). Don Driver reviews the discs, Click Here. "Busking school for streetwise acts" Click Here. 17.10.09
John Carey is now taking lecture bookings for 2010. His lecture 'Spotlight on Carey' includes a wide range of card and coin material with something for all skill levels. The lecture features material from John's DVD and eBook. For more information email johncareymagic@googlemail.com. 17.10.09
"EK magician picked out by psychic" Click Here • Mark Leveridge's Dealer Night in Newbury on 12th October is reviewed by Andy Stone this week, Click Here • "Magician Paul Daniels to perform at Napton village hall" Click Here • "Criss Angel taking a break from ‘Believe’" Click Here • Your UK magic news is always welcomed - see you next week, Duncan. 17.10.09