Chris North
37
years in magic and my mum still wonders when I am going to get a proper
job! So where did it all begin - when I was 17 years old I worked as a
photographer at Pontins and had the pleasure of meeting and watching a
magic and illusion act from Wales called Al & Dorothy Roberts and I
thought I would like to do that (not realising at the time how long it
would take to actually achieve anything!). So off I went into the big wide
world with a Sub Trunk under one arm and a Totem Pole under the other and
worked the clubs from South Wales to Scotland.
Many people were influential and extremely supportive in my early years
including Jack Hughes, Bernard Hughes, Derek Lever and in recent years my
good friend Wayne Dobson. My TV career kicked off in 1977 with New Faces
and over the next few years there followed many TV appearances and winning
the Club Act of the Year Award, in fact if you are an avid viewer of
satellite channels I still turn up periodically with a shock of
embarrassingly blonde hair and equally embarrassing sequined cat suits!!
My introduction to cruising was sad in a way, as Robert Harbin was
appearing on a World Cruise and was taken ill and flown home and I was
flown out to replace him and there began almost 17 years of constant
cruising on various liners around the world which is great experience for
expanding your repertoire, I once did 10 different shows on a long cruise
and only repeated one effect!
Along with my partner Belinda we still present illusion shows for
corporate events and functions but our main source of work is with our
Mind Show which was originally developed while cruising and has now been
designed to satisfy the demands of today's audiences.
Top
Trick?
"Probably the Zig Zag Lady and its various clones - Robert Harbin created
a masterpiece of simplicity with a new principal that has stood the test
of time and baffled audiences for many years. It is only in the last few
years with the advent of 'reveal' shows that this type of illusion has
lost some of its cred."
Top Book?
"For me it has to be the Harbin Book - in the days when it was hard to
find any illusion plans along came the plans and presentations of one of
magic's greatest innovators."
Top Magician?
"I think I am going to have to be greedy and name THREE firstly Richiardi
Jnr whose style and presentation made a huge impact and impression on my
early career, next comes David Nixon, a real gentleman with a television
charisma that led you to believe that he was speaking to you personally (I
am lucky enough to have the Dizzy Limit used to vanish Anita Harris on his
TV Show and entrusted into my care by John Palfreyman) and lastly Jeff
McBride whose unique and spectacular style of presentation is second to
none and his audience participation skills a joy to behold."
Top
Magic Quote?
"Something that was once written about me 'Chris North doesn't do magic,
he presents tricks' this was probably meant as a derogatory statement but
how true it was as the success of any act is in the presentation in other
words it's not what you do, it's how you do it."
Top Magic Moment?
"Seeing Richiardi Jnr in Greenwich Village, New York and actually meeting
my hero and witnessing the performance of his infamous Buzz Saw by then
banned in many countries throughout the world."
www.chrisnorth.co.uk
© MagicWeek 2003