Number 541 - 6th November 2010

 

Carl-Einar Häckner: Big in Sweden. Delightfully shambolic comedy, magic, music and illusion. A mega-star in the land of the midnight sun, Carl-Einar Häckner is living proof that Swedes can offer more to showbiz than bell-bottomed jumpsuits and 70s pop anthems. Apparently clueless, yet full of brilliantly executed routines, this masterful fool - a star of La Clique at the Roundhouse last year - has wowed audiences worldwide with his unique brand of comedy, magic, music and illusion. "This blonde-locked buffoon is a brilliantly silly Ikea Tommy Cooper, pulling endless magic shop tricks out of his tatty bag." Evening Standard. 2nd - 22nd December at 8pm (no shows Sundays). Tickets: £12.50, £10 concessions and groups 8+ (groups by phone/in person only). Venue: Roundhouse Studio Theatre, Chalk Farm Road, London NW1 8EH (Map). Book online via www.roundhouse.org.uk. 6.11.10

 

Conjuring at the Court – Thursday 25th November. "We do our best to offer you a great line-up but this month it’s really something special with the very funny John Archer, psychological illusionist Luke Jermay, magic from India with Bharat Patel, comedy from zany Wes Zaharuk (photo), and hosted by mighty sorceror Neil Henry. Our regular venue is being refurbished, so this is our second and last show at the Inn on the Green, 3-5 Thorpe Close, Ladbroke Grove W10 5XL. The pub is a 5 minute walk from Ladbroke Grove station, and there’s free on-street parking from 6.30pm. Thorpe Close runs between Ladbroke Grove and Portobello Road. It’s under the Westway flyover, and the pub is above the Portobello Green Fitness Club. Doors open at 7.30pm, the show starts at 8pm and continues to around 10pm. Tickets £10 from www.conjuringatthecourt.com or by email tickets@conjuringatthecourt.com. With this line-up tickets will go quickly this month: don’t miss out!" Russell Levinson. 6.11.10

 

Magic Night at Christmas. Friday, 3rd December, London. "Magic Night does Xmas with a mentalist, a superfast yoyo man, a smashed egg and multiple personalities! Mind reader Luke Jermay unearths your past and predicts your future as he strolls through your mind – is he psychic? We don’t know just keep your minds blank. Aaron Sparks meanwhile cuts the air and shakes your eyes with his superfine yoyo in a routine that is part breakdance, part illusion and definitely record breaking. Lee Hathaway, the tall Paul Daniels, smashes his way into objects to recover your goods and physical chameleon Anil Desai becomes every celebrity you have ever known in a breathtaking comedy routine. All expertly presided over by mighty sorceror Neil Henry." Doors open 6.30pm, Show starts at 7.45pm. Tickets £12 including after show club. Show ticket plus dinner and club entry: £37. Tickets via www.ticketweb.co.uk or call 08444 77 1000. Madame JoJo’s, 8-10 Brewer Street, London W1F 0SP (Map). Tube: Piccadilly Circus. 020 7734 3040 - More info: www.magicnight.co.uk. 6.11.10

 

Physical Amusements and Diverting Experiments. Bonhams Auction, 23rd November, London. Giusepe Pinetti (1750-?1800) was one of the leading magicians of the last quarter of the eighteenth century. Physical Amusements, published in the same year as the first edition printed in Paris, describes his most celebrated illusions, including: "Curious method of restoring life, in two minutes, a fly that has been drowned even twenty-four hours", "To change a colour of a rose", "How to shoot a swallow flying... and after, to find means to bring it to life again", "A curious secret to make a card pass from one hand to the other" (and four other card tricks), "To extinguish a wax candle at eight or a hundred paces distance, by firing a gun loaded with ball...", "To pull off any person's shirt, without undressing him". www.bonhams.com. 6.11.10

 

The Impressions Show with Culshaw and Stephenson. 10.25pm on Sunday 14th November on BBC 1. Jon Culshaw and Debra Stephenson return with a new series of their sketch show, featuring a host of new characters alongside returning favourites like Davina McCall. Jon and Debra take on Katie Price, Steven Gerrard, Derren Brown and Lady Gaga, plus Pat from EastEnders and Ken from Coronation Street as you've never imagined them before. See TV Magic for listings. 6.11.10

 

Nick Einhorn MIMC will present a new lecture for The Ilford Magical Society at The Parkside Community Centre, 176 Goodmayes Lane, Goodmays, Ilford IG3 9PP (Map) on Wednesday 10th November at 8pm. Visitors very welcome, £10 on the door. 6.11.10

 

The London Society of Magicians present The Fleetwood Notes. A mentalism lecture by Marc Paul. All of the effects taught in this lecture have been performed by Marc at some point. Most of them he still uses on a regular basis. You'll find that each effect has a very direct plot and usually a simple method behind that plot. In many cases one simple piece of deception is used to create multiple results." Friday 26th November, non members welcome, tickets £10.00 from Bob Pamplin bob@lsmmagic.co.uk 020 8504 0979. Venue: Davenports Magic Studio, Charing Cross Underground Arcade, The Strand, London WC2N 4HZ (Map) www.lsmmagic.co.uk. 6.11.10

 

Jay Scott Berry will be joining David Williamson at the forthcoming Shenanigans Convention in Dublin, Ireland, next year. "Shenanigans is a small intimate convention typically averaging 120 registrants. Like many conventions of our size we endeavour to book acts and presentations to cater to a broad spectrum of magical interest. Our acts usually stay in the headquarters hotel for the entire weekend giving you the opportunity to hang out and session with them till your hearts content." Shenanigans, The Irish Magic Convention, in association with IBM Ring 85 and hosted by The Society of Irish Magicians runs from 29th April to 1st May 2011 at the four star Crowne Plaza Blanchardstown, Dublin. To find out more visit www.irishmagicconvention.com. 6.11.10

 

Dreamflight Ball, Windsor - Magicians Wanted. Matthew Stokes emails: "I have just returned from a trip with the charity Dreamflight, taking 192 seriously sick children for a once in a lifetime trip to Florida. It was an amazing trip, and the kids had a fantastic time. It’s such a great charity, doing really great work for some very brave children with hundreds of volunteers ensuring the best trip ever. For the last 24 years the charity has organized the same trip, funded purely from donations and fund raising. Each trip costs over £800,000, and the main source for fundraising are Balls held up and down the UK organized by Dreamflight volunteers. One of the largest is held each year in Windsor, and this year’s promises to be even bigger and better. A couple of magicians have agreed to provide their services throughout the evening performing close up magic, but a few more are needed. If you are a close up magician, and able to offer your services on 27th November, please get in touch with one of the organisers, Neil Parsons, on 01608 684068 or email parsons.neil@yahoo.co.uk" www.dreamflightball.co.uk. 6.11.10

 

Law and Order: Criminal Intent - Vanishing Act, 10pm on Wednesday 17th November on Five. "A magician disappears during a live-burial trick and is later found dead miles away from the location of his performance. Goren and Eames' investigation takes them deep into the mysterious world of magic as they try to unravel the conjuror's final act to identify the murderer. Starring: Vincent D'Onofrio, Kathryn Erbe, Eric Bogosian, Leslie Hendrix, Christopher Lloyd." 10pm on Wednesday 17th November on Five. See TV Magic. 6.11.10

 

Happy Birthday Blackpool. Saturday 13th November marks the second anniversary of the opening of the prestigious headquarters of Blackpool Magicians’ Club. Several hundred people attended the official opening by Britain’s top comedian Ken Dodd OBE in 2008. Since then the headquarters has been the venue for lectures from some of the world’s leading magicians as well as other events. Members and Associates have use of the library, can purchase items from the shop, admire the displays of magic props and chat with friends at the bar. There is also a close-up room and a well appointed theatre. Few people in Blackpool, not even taxi drivers, know the location of the headquarters for it is in an almost secret location, hidden behind a building in Sherbourne Road - the actual address being Rear of No.1, Sherbourne Road, North Shore, Blackpool FY1 2PW, England. Associate membership, which costs only £25 a year, is open to magicians world-wide, and provides access to the clubroom for up to twelve visits a year to enjoy the fabulous line up of star lecturers, as well all the other facilities the headquarters has to offer. Visit www.blackpoolmagic.com for more details and to download an application form. 6.11.10

 

Tales From the Darker Side. Exploring Leicester's Darker Side Psychological investigator Dr Nicolas Grimoire is conducting his unusual experiments at Leicester's ancient Guildhall this coming Friday (November 12th) and looking forward to entertaining a slightly smaller audience than he worked with over the Halloween weekend. "English Heritage asked me to perform ten separate shows over two very spooky night's at Bolsover Castle. We calculated that something like eight hundred people watched the twenty minute performances over the course of those two nights. Exhausting, of course, but great fun to do," the doctor reported. The Leicester audience can expect the full length Gothic magic show of around 90 minutes in length. Tickets are available directly from the venue by calling 0116 2532569. 6.11.10

 

Magicseen, November 2010. Editor Mark Leveridge writes: Magicseen Issue 35 for November 2010 is out and about now and is full of magical goodies to brighten your day. Jon Allen, international performer and award winner, graces our cover and is one of five interviews in this issue. For the others we talk to Fabrini, one half of the famous Vik and Fabrini act, to Kennedy, the young northern mentalist, to Jack Curtis, who even manages to pass on some presentation tips for close uppers and mentalists, and to Andrew Melia, who recently won The Next Uri Geller TV show in Holland. As well as personalities issue 35 also gives you advice. Want to learn how to succeed at entertaining in restaurants? Let Matthew Dowden, Iain Moran, Jayne Corrigan, Shaun McCree, David Willmott and Harry Robson tell you how. We also explain how to put together a magazine advertising campaign, we set you magical moral dilemmas designed to make you think, and in our Masterclass we offer a funny stand up routine and a close up effect. All this plus a round up of reviews of the magic acts at the Edinburgh Fringe, a report on Michael Ammar's lecture from his recent tour, news of what went on at the first LADs convention and as usual several pages of product reviews too. All this and more can be yours as an instant download, or as a single printed copy or as part of a 1 or 2 year sub right now from www.magicseen.co.uk. 6.11.10

 

Ed Hilsum is already known as a very successful stage artist with his award winning dove and manipulation act. Despite being in his first year at University, he still found time to put together a series of magical items to take on Roberto Forzoni in the Bexley Magic Society’s Challenge Medal Competition last Wednesday. As the challenger, he was allowed to select five categories of magic . As the holder, Roberto was not allowed to use any effects he had used previously. Ed settled on Production, Close-up, Rope, Vanish and Transposition. Roberto, performing first, produced a glass of water from the empty sleeve of a borrowed jacket. He moved on to cups and balls and then performed the Nick Einhorn ring and rope routine with Nicks Pro Flite thrown in for good measure. He then vanished a borrowed ring which ended up in a nest of boxes to close. Ed followed with a silk production at fingertips, three fly, borrowed ring to toy dog collar. He performed a version of unequal ropes and concluded with Extreme Burn. It proved to be enough in a close run competition. Ed (pictured with his medal) is now open to challenges from other club members in the coming months. Well done to both contestants for providing a very entertaining evening. Congratulations to Ed for proving he is an all round magical performer. Reported by Roy Marsh, www.bexleymagic.org.uk. 6.11.10

 

David Blaine - Drowned Alive will be repeated next Saturday evening (November 13th) on E4 "David Blaine returns with another mind-blowing feat of physical and mental endurance. In Drowned Alive, David puts his life on the line as he attempts to live in an eight-foot Acrylic sphere filled with water for seven days and nights in front of New York's Lincoln Centre. In addition to his underwater drama, the special will feature new illusions as Blaine performs his signature street magic." See TV Magic. 6.11.10

 

The Chris Cross Carny Cabaret Show at Madame JoJo’s. "The Chris Cross Carny Cabaret is an old school variety show with pure rock ’n’ roll spice sprinkled on top. Three half hour shows separated by half hour intervals come packed with thrills and delights: come and be shocked by the man who plays with his life in a game of Russian Roulette using electric powerdrills, look on as the dazzling girl from the giant glittery strawberry shoots sparks from her body, laugh at some of the finest comedians in London, witness the girl who burns her body for fun and who eats fire for giggles, gasp at the most entertaining contortionist & escapologist in the world – to name but a few of the stimulating and exhilarating experiences that await you in the world of the Carny Cabaret!" For full details visit www.madamejojos.com. The Chris Cross Carny Cabaret Show, launching on Thursday 25th November. Doors 7.30pm, Show 8.45pm, Tickets £12 in advance, general admission (early birds get the best seats) £15 cash on the door. Tickets: www.ticketweb.co.uk. www.chris-cross.co.uk. 6.11.10

 

Charity fund raiser for Children's Meningitis fund. Saturday November 20th from 7pm to 12 midnight at the Beechfield Hotel, Blackpool. Tickets are £7 each and are on sale now (available from the hotel). Featuring a "full line up of local talent including magic man Chubbz, Disco Inferno, Connie (Britain's Got Talent), Ann Marie Scott and compère Rich Davy. Buffet, raffle and prizes. 6.11.10

 

Comedian Of The Week: Ali Cook. "Forget what you think you know about comedy magicians - Ali Cook is edgy, intelligent, self-referential, caustically hilarious and one of the most sought-after illusionists on the planet. Most famous for his Channel 4 series Dirty Tricks, Cook has just returned from a month-long run in Edinburgh where his sell-out show Pieces of Strange was one of the best reviewed shows of the festival..." To read the full article in GQ.com Click Here. 6.11.10

 

Roy Currie. Karl Bartoni emails: I have heard from Roy Currie's sister that sadly Roy has died. He was found on Friday 22nd October but no one knows when he might have died. He did not receive many phone calls but his answer machine was full! He lived on his own in Manchester and will be greatly missed. Those of you who have attended past Edinburgh Gatherings will surely remember Roy and I know he has other personal friends who are members here . He was a very knowledgeable and likeable person who simply loved magic. In his youth he performed close up magic and mixed with some of the top names in magic over here. He also attended virtually every British magic convention going (and some overseas) from his youth onwards. From 1997 he had actively supported every bizarre magic gathering in Britain. He had recently booked to travel to Paris for the French Annual Magic Convention and was really looking forward to this. Roy had battled against health problems for a number of years and had got much worse this year, especially with fluid retention and circulation in his legs. He cancelled attending the IBM convention in Eastbourne this year which was not like him but he had a new toy to play with at the time, a computer which he was trying to learn how to use with my help. He was a very long time close friend and I will miss his two hour long telephone chats. (The cremation took place on Friday 5th November at Blakely Crematorium on the outskirts of Heaton Park, Manchester) 6.11.10

 

Michael Vincent's recent lecture for ACES, in East Sussex is reviewed by Nicky Lewis this week, Click Here • "Asia’s Celebrity Magic Duo to Attempt a Mega Illusion in the Air" Click Here • "Video: Take a look at this!" Click Here • "Wizardry of Harry Houdini on display at NYC's Jewish Museum" Click Here • "Show Review: Criss Angel: 'Believe' Reworked show now better suits Angel's 'Mindfreak' image" Click Here • "Solihull magician seeks help for web experiment" Click Here • "Comedian Jason Alexander talks about magic, acting, gambling" Click Here • "Pete Firman: on touring. Comic magician Pete Firman on how he knows who to pick on in the audience." Click Here • That's it - another week gone, where do they go? No one knows (really), see you next week, Dunccan. 6.11.10

 

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