Number
1024 - 8th February 2020
Roy
Walton. 11th April 1932 – 3rd February 2020.
Very upset to hear that my friend and hero Roy Walton has died. The greatest card magician and the most exemplary human being I ever knew. Real giants move quietly among us and this one managed Tam Shepherd's Joke Shop in Glasgow for fifty years. Devastated.
Jerry Sadowitz, Tuesday, February 4th, 2020 (first published on Twitter, used with permission).
Earlier today, I received the sad news that Roy Walton had passed away. The tributes from the magic world have been incredible. Touching, heartfelt and some wonderful memories.
To countless Glaswegians over the last 50 years, Roy was “The Man Behind The Counter” of Tam Shepherd’s Joke Shop in Queen Street (some even called him Tam, not knowing that the original Tam Shepherd passed away many years ago). To me and many other magicians, he was a hero, a mentor and a friend.
To those in the muggle world who may not have met Roy or knew how revered he was in the magic world, saying Roy was a “great magician” is like saying Lionel Messi can kick a football or that Lennon and McCartney could write a song or two. He was a walking, talking living legend. When it came to people, he was the nicest. When it came to magicians, he was the greatest. I feel safe in saying that if I had one hundredth of his ability and his knowledge, I’d be a better magician. More importantly, if I had one hundredth of his humility, I’d be a much better person.
To Jean, Sarah, Julia and the rest of his family I send my heartfelt condolences. I hope that the tributes, messages and outpouring of love for Roy is a comfort to you all. Make sure you all remember the happy times you had with him. Even more importantly, make sure you remember with a smile all the times he made you think “you numpty!” Rest well Roy. Thank you for everything.
Peter McLanachan, Tuesday, February 4th, 2020 (first published on Facebook, used with permission).
"Much loved owner of Tam Shepherds Trick Shop Roy Walton passes away aged 87" www.glasgowlive.co.uk
"Comedy legend Jerry Sadowitz pays tribute to Roy Walton who owned Scotland's most famous joke shop" www.dailyrecord.co.uk
"'Exemplary Human' Jerry Sadowitz pays tribute to Glasgow’s Tam Shepherds Trick Shop owner Roy Walton after death" www.thescottishsun.co.uk
Wikipedia entry: www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Walton. 8.2.20
Blackpool
Magic Convention 2020. From the organisers: Blackpool Magic
Convention 2020 online registrations are available until midnight,
Sunday 9th February. The Registration Desk opens at the Winter Gardens
at 9am on Thursday 13th February. Already we are at record numbers! Book
now at
www.blackpoolmagic.com.
8.2.20
Bristol’s
Magic in the City Convention, 17th May. From the organisers:
Bristol’s Magic in the City May 17th features Pit Hartling. The Bristol
Society of Magic presents the second Magic in the City convention
featuring Pit Hartling, one of magic's top creators, authors and
performers of card magic. Pit Hartling looks quite innocent, but that is
actually his first trick! His studies in psychology at Frankfurt
University meant this qualified him for nothing in the real world so
magic seemed the only option. Psychology has however given him an
advantage with his performance and creation of miraculous card magic. He
has become known for methods that even stun magicians. He has a ton of
material that is great for working in the trenches, but also has
material that is perfect for more formal shows and is now one of
Germany’s most requested magic-entertainers. Magic in the City is on
Sunday May 17th at the Double Tree by Hilton Bristol. Book here:
www.bristolmagic.co.uk/magicinthecity.
8.2.20
Eddie
McColl shares card handling work with new series of downloads: "Glasgow's Eddie
McColl has a global reputation for
some of the world's softest card handling. Having dedicated 30 years of
his life to mastering card controls, techniques and subtleties, as well
as developing a strong performing presence with excellent pacing,
design, and execution of effects, Eddie is now sharing this work with
students around the world. In 2019 he released downloads on table false
shuffles, table false cuts, passes, controls and several effects in his
video lecture, with 2020 bringing the release of downloads on palming,
riffle stacking, controls and more! 'A man recognized as one of the
greatest exponents of the genre' Jack Carpenter. 'Eddie’s techniques are
flawless' Tom Gagnon. 'Eddie is a real pro and we are lucky that he has
chosen to share his thoughts and methods with the magic community. You
should take advantage of his generosity.' Gary Plants. Expert Card
Handling Downloads - available now from
www.eddiemccoll.co.uk."
8.2.20
4MG:
The Boyband of Magic - Live! Britain’s Got Talent 2019 Finalists.
From the promoters: Reaching the final of Britain’s Got Talent 2019
catapulted 4MG: The Boyband of Magic into the public eye. Since then,
thanks to the overwhelming support of their fans and the British public
they continue to wow audiences with their innovative performances.
Each member of 4MG have their own unique style of magic, separately they
are amazing and together they are utterly mind-blowing. Harry (The
Influencer) specialises in magic of the mind. He can appear to predict
the future, control your actions and tell you what you are thinking;
Theo (The Cardshark) handles a simple deck of 52 cards with balletic
precision; and Dean (The Manipulator) appears to make objects vanish,
switch, float and transform right before your eyes.
In a unique twist it is you, the audience, who complete the line-up. You
are the fourth member of the group as the boys ask for plucky audience
members to get involved in the magic on stage. No group like this exists
in the world of magic and on this, their debut UK tour, you are
guaranteed a show that is fast-paced, fresh and lots of fun.
Friday, 10th April, The Lowry, Lowry Pier 8, The Quays, Salford M50 3AZ
(Map)
www.thelowry.com
Friday, 31st July, Malthouse Theatre, Malthouse Road, Canterbury CT2 7JA
(Map)
www.malthousetheatre.co.uk.
8.2.20
Altered
Perceptions is a new magic YouTube channel which was launched on 1st
February 2020, releasing a new video every day. The concept of the
channel is to have a conversation between magician and spectator, to
identify and develop a unique perception of magic. The channel is
currently reacting and reviewing performances from Penn & Teller:
Fool Us. Over time, different playlists will be created, offering
insights into human behaviour for both performers and laymen. Follow the
videos at:
YouTube and subscribe.
8.2.20
Marvin's
Magic and Rubik's Cube partnership: The world’s most popular puzzle
– the Rubik’s Cube – is celebrating its 40th anniversary. In
celebration, Rubik has partnered with the number one magic brand,
Marvin’s Magic, to create a truly innovative magic set; Rubik’s Box of
Magic Tricks. This superb magic collection, available Autumn 2020, is
presented in a giant cube and contains exclusive tricks and illusions
that are guaranteed to amaze, baffle and entertain. With unique Rubik’s
themed magic props and instructions for 40 tricks, you will be able to
mysteriously predict which colours a spectator will choose, shrink and
transform the special cubes and even magically perform an ‘instant
solve’ in world record time!
At Nuremberg Toy Fair last week the inventor of Rubik’s Cube, Erno Rubik
and the creator of Marvin’s Magic, Marvin Berglas celebrated their
collaboration. Says Marvin "We are delighted and honoured to be
partnering with Rubik. I’m proud that Marvin’s Magic has been chosen to
combine its rich magical heritage with Rubik’s innovative puzzle to
create this very special magic set. I was thrilled to meet up and
perform our original Rubik’s magic personally to the elusive and
brilliant man himself, Erno Rubik. He even signed the first edition
which we will treasure. The reactions to our specially devised Rubik’s
Box of Magic Tricks have been truly amazing and are capturing people’s
imagination from all around the world!"
8.2.20
A
Night of Magic, King's Park Conference Centre, Northampton. From the
organisers: Featuring Scott Humston and Mark Shortland, two of the best
international magicians from the USA and the UK join us for a family show
of magic and illusion at King's Park Conference Centre, Kings Park Road,
Northampton NN3 6LL (Map).
Doors 7.30pm, Show 8pm on Wednesday, 19th February. Book via
www.christianmagicians.org. Organised by Christian Magicians UK.
8.2.20
Neo Magic Online Shop – Vinny Sagoo, the founder of Neo Magic,
established the company in 2018 with a view to creating easy, simple and
powerful magic. Since then, he has lectured all over the UK showcasing
some of his amazing effects like Colourful Kings, Bucket List and
Mystify, which has been seen on TV and is considered by many as one of
the best book tests ever created! Vinny’s philosophy is simple, create
great magic at affordable prices with free shipping worldwide. Check
it out for yourself: www.neomagic.co.uk.
8.2.20
The
MagicWeek Video Archive. A new magic clip or show every week! This week
Hans Moretti in a guest spot on The Paul Daniels Magic Show from 3rd January
1987. See
The MagicWeek Video Archive. To catch up with more from The MagicWeek Video
Archive
Click Here.
8.2.20
Rune
Carlsen gets the Golden Buzzer... again! Last Saturday, Norwegian
magician Rune Carlsen appeared on Sweden’s Got Talent and ended up
getting the Golden Buzzer from a magic-hating, Rubik's Cube-hating,
judge!
YouTube. Rune is now through to the final, but what makes this even
more amazing is that just a year ago he also got the Golden Buzzer when
he entered Norway's Got Talent!
YouTube.
8.2.20
Chris
Wardle’s ‘Crafty Conjuring’ Lecture – Leicester Magic Circle, 17th
February. This is a lecture of ‘crafty’ magic covering close-up,
children’s magic, impromptu items and mentalism, with the emphasis on
cunning, streamlined methods. Chris will also be discussing the creative
process and sharing tips and ideas for devising your own effects and
making what you already do unique. An evening of practical material you
can use, with something for everyone. His ideas have appeared in books,
magazines and have been used on TV, radio and on the stage. Chris has
regular columns in both the IBM British Ring’s and The Magic Circle’s
magazines, and he is an award-winning Member of the Inner Magic Circle
with Gold Star. There is a charge of £10 for visiting magicians. 7.30pm
on Monday 17th February at Braunstone Civic Centre, Leicester LE3 2PP.
Contact Secretary Barry Martin for details:
barry@theleicestermagiccircle.co.uk.
8.2.20
The
Mark Leveridge February 2020 Podcast. If you are off to the
Blackpool Convention this coming week, why not download Mark's latest
podcast for the journey? For February: Reflections on the Session
2020 and anticipating the Blackpool Convention. How to avoid spectators
challenging you when you perform. Are you guilty of using redundant
phrases, words or patter in your act? A discussion on crediting ideas
properly and thoughts on Andi Gladwin’s ‘open source’ concept applied to
magic. Magicseen sets off on its 16th year of publication and goes from
strength to strength. Taking a step back to evaluate your act or
technique can be very beneficial. You can get access to this podcast
as well as many of the back issues either from
www.markleveridge.co.uk/podcast-archive or
www.markleveridge.podbean.com from where you can also sign up to be
a follower.
8.2.20
Talking
Tricks podcast with Kane & Abel. From the producers: West End Weekly
Magic with Tony Middleton. Tony Middleton joins us to discuss his journey
producing and performing two weekly West End shows in London and launching magic
bar 'Maskelyne & Cooke' in the capital. He tells us how stopping for a coffee in
a hotel in St Pancras led to gaining a gig as the resident magician, producing
shows for David Stone, Chris Dugdale and Mahdi Gilbert and the London Festival
of Close-up Magic.
He also chats about his Secret Cellar project, TV aspirations and much more. Listen via
Podbean,
iTunes and
acast.
8.2.20
Magicseen
Lite Issue 5 February 2020. From the publishers: The latest free
Magicseen Lite digital issue is now out and available to download. Based
on the contents of issue 90 for January 2020, this taster copy has
feature articles on cover star Mark Elsdon, one of the UK's most
creative performers, and Roddy McPhie, who brings a quirky charm to his
performances. We offer a helpful article on how to calculate and set
realistic show fees, the Masterclass features a mental effect from Mark
Elsdon, and Emily Kinney (the Walking Dead) is surprised (and probably a
little puzzled!) to receive a call from the editor In The Phonebox.
Finally, there is a selection of our acclaimed honest product reviews to
help you make sensible purchasing decisions. You can download Magicseen
Lite #5 either from
www.magicseen.com, or Vanishing Inc, PropDog, Black Artefacts,
Mission Magic, Discount Magic or Card Shark, all of whom also distribute
the free publication.
8.2.20
Marc
Dominic can be seen on BBC One's 'A Question of Sport' on Monday
10th February in a segment featuring Marc performing magic to an
obscured, mystery, celebrity sports guest. Shot on location at Barnsley
College Theatre. See TV Magic for
details. Also on iPlayer.
8.2.20
Mel
Mellers' Magical Mentalism Tour. Mel Mellers' brand new book will be
published by Magicseen Publications this Friday (14th February) at the
Blackpool Convention, so make your way to the Magicseen stand to get
your copy of a book that is full of direct, comedy mental magic for
working performers. The book is still on pre-publication offer until 12
noon on Tuesday 11th February, which means that you can elect to save
yourself the p&p and order the book to be collected at the convention if
you place your order before the cut off date and time. Everyone who
pre-orders the book can also purchase Mel's first book, The Travelling
Trickster, as an e-book at half price. So even if you need the new book
to be posted to you, ordering before Tuesday will still entitle you to
get the original digital book at the special price. Graham Hey and Phil
Shaw will be manning the Magicseen stand at Blackpool and will have all
sorts of offers and goodies for you, as well as the latest issue of
Magicseen (#91 March 2020) and a range of back issues and other
publications. They look forward to seeing you next weekend. For advance
orders of the Magical Mentalism Tour go to
www.magicseen.com.
8.2.20
Magic
Al, Redditch Place Studio, Saturday 8th February. From the
organisers: A look into the magical mind of a magical performer who has
worked all over the UK performing his comedy magic. Magic Al’s show is
full of non-stop fun, and one not to be missed! A member of The Magic
Circle. Saturday 8th February at 7.45pm. Redditch Place Studio, Alcester
Street, Redditch, Worcestershire B98 8AE (Map)
Tickets £10. For more info and to book visit
www.redditchpalacetheatre.co.uk.
8.2.20
Modern
Mystic League News.
Modern Mystic League Concert Secretary Brian Lead writes: After 33 years
in its previous venue, the MML (the UK’s fifth oldest magic society) has
now settled into a new HQ: St Francis Church Hall, St Francis Road,
Blackburn, Lancashire BB2 2TZ (Map). All local magicians are invited to come
along this Sunday, 9th February, at 2pm, as we greet Andrew
Normansell for a Dealer Dem. Andrew now specialises in bizarre magic
with promises of ‘a plethora of unearthly delights, unique in the real
world of alternative entertainment’. Andrew will be showcasing all the
items which he manufactures, not only from his bizarre range but also
his highly commercial card and close-up magic, as well as manuscripts
and stand-up material.
www.memel.org.uk.
8.2.20
Olmac Lecture – The Zodiac Magical Society, Ealing, West London.
Simon Rudd writes: The
Zodiac Magical Society will be hosting Olmac starting at 8pm on
Wednesday 12th February; there are 6 places available for visitors. If
you would like to book a place, or would like further information then
please email membership@zodiacmagicalsociety.co.uk.
The cost to attend
is £10. If you wish to join us please ensure you book in advance, as
anyone turning up on the night without booking will be politely turned
away.
8.2.20
Deception with Keith Barry - Cops and Robbers. Series 1, episode 1. The illusionist uses his powers of deception on the streets of Hollywood, where he performs feats including wiping a man's memory and revealing a stranger's PIN number. Repeat. Friday 14th February on Discovery History. See TV Magic for details. 8.2.20
News
deadline next week 12 noon Thursday, many thanks, DT.
8.2.20
"Dynamo:
How Crohn's made me '150% better at magic'"
Click Here • "Magician Ben Hart to bring illusion, trickery and
conjuring to Dundee and Arbroath"
Click Here • "Britain's Got Talent magician Ben Hart to create
mind-blowing new magic for Edinburgh Fringe"
Click Here • "Spalding magician overcomes Tourettes to perform
Bourne magic show"
Click Here • "Mute magician reveals his secrets in Bread & Circus
festival performance"
Click Here • "Ghost Stories – Waterside Theatre, Aylesbury"
Click Here • "David Blaine Sews Mouth Shut For Card Trick With Paris
Hilton"
Click Here • And finally, "In Praise of Al Pacino's Luxury-Magician
Awards Season Style"
Click Here • That's it for another week, many thanks for all your news -
always welcomed, see you next week, Duncan.
8.2.20