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The 39th International Magic Convention
26-28 November 2010, London
Reported by Matthew Field, Editor of The Magic Circular
Photos by Arto Airaksinen,
Mandy Davis and Duncan Trillo
Magicians
from the world over gathered at the Mermaid Theatre complex, quite near St.
Paul’s cathedral and overlooking the Thames, to attend three days packed with
great magic – the 39th International Magic Convention, known to most as Ron’s
Day after its founder, the late Ron MacMillan. Ron’s children, Martin and
Georgina, and his widow, Teresa, now run the event, as well as the International
Magic shop in Clerkenwell, and there is an intimacy and warmth about this
convention which I dearly love.
The acts are booked by Noel Britten, who also comperes the two performances of
the Gala Magic Show which are open to the public as well as the
magician-attendees. One of Noel’s great strengths is tracking down and booking
people who are out of the ordinary at magic conventions, and this year we were
treated to The Flicking Fingers of Germany, Canada’s David Ben, Ponta the Smith
from Japan and a tribute to the late Jim Cellini, ‘King of the Street
Magicians’.
Friday
Events began on early Friday evening with a 90-minute performance by the
Flicking Fingers. This very busy troupe of ten skilled and very funny performers
(I actually counted nine in attendance) put on a show filled with high-concept
effects which rely on the individual members’ interactions and ability to hold
the stage on their own. Members include Pit Hartling (whose character Super
Heinz is hilarious), Thomas Fraps, Jorg Willich, Jorg Alexander, Manuel Muerte
[photo 1], Gaston (also knows as Gisbert), Helge Thun, Ben Profane and Nicolai
Friedrich. It’s impossible to describe the performance, except to say that
things opened with the group dispersed throughout the theatre aisles dressed
like airline stewards who proceeded to give a ‘safety announcement’ regarding a
cut and restored rope trick, which they performed simultaneously.
The final event of the evening was billed as “A Session with David Ben” [photo
2]. I had the pleasure of interviewing this former student of Ross Bertram.
David is one of the finest sleight-of-hand artistes in magic, and he has
authored the biography of Dai Vernon (the first of two volumes has thus far
appeared); Revelation, the recently-published revised version of Vernon’s
annotation of Erdnase’s classic Expert at the Card Table; Zarrow, the collected
effects of the inventor of the legendary false shuffle; Tricks; and Advantage
Play. He is the Editor of Magicol, the magazine of the Magic Collectors
Association of which he is Artistic Director, and the Executive Director of
Magicana, a non-profit Canadian organisation dedicated to the exploration and
advancement of magic as a performing art.
David performed and explained tricks and moves from the gentlemen named in the
above paragraph, and finished with an extraordinary Cups and Balls performance
based on the work of Charles Bertram, who was known as the Court Conjuror.
Saturday
Aside from having a wonderful theatre, the Mermaid Complex has several bars and
hot food available, and provides three dealer rooms. 26 dealers from around the
world gathered to separate magicians from their money and enable them to bring
home the very latest miracles.
The day began with the Close-up Competition, with a dozen competitors vying for
the cash prizes and Kevin Reay trophy, named for the first winner of the
contest. Reay, who died at the early age of 45, was a gentle and highly skilled
performer, and the audience were treated to a video of him performing his
award-winning Cups and Balls routine as a preamble to the contemporary
performers. Will Gray (UK) was up first with some fine card work and funny
patter; Rene Jensen (Denmark) performed with thimbles and cards; Andost (USA)
performed with cards which changed colour. Julien Bachelet (France) performed
Triumph and Jennings’ Visitor with, you guessed it, cards; Kim Min Hyung (Korea)
showed us a bottle of water which changed colour, an Ace production and a finalé
in which the mixed deck reassembled in order – a very funny act. Not so funny
was Kasrani (UK, although billed as from Iraq) who rambled on for more than the
12-miniute maximum without performing a single trick and was as close to a train
wreck on stage as I have ever seen.
Compere for the event was James Freedman, and between acts we were shown visual
riddles we were encouraged to guess the answers to (example: picture of a ham
hock, &, Dracula = Hamman Count). The riddle contest was won by Rodney Piper,
and the prize was a full registration to next year’s convention. The second half
of the competition began with Jason Ladayne (USA) doing Darwin Ortiz’s Dream
Card (sounding just like Ortiz!), Card in Key Case and All Backs; Matthew Wright
(UK) had a hilarious act with a 3-Fly in which the “coin which passes visibly”
actually floated from one hand to the other, plus a card on forehead, and a
Mullica Wallet presentation [photo 3]. Paul Sommersguter (Austria) showed us a
thought-card prediction, in-the-hands Triumph and signed card to sealed deck.
The young Alexander Hansford (UK), the winner of the British Ring close-up
shield, performed a flawless card act using a maths theme, including an
Assembly, Spectator Cuts the Aces, and Reset. Simon Si (Poland) performed a
silent act doing coin manipulations, a glass and bottle production, and liquid
production from a card box. Javier Sanchez (Spain) did coin productions, a
Flurry, a ball production and Cups and Balls. The audience saw lots of card
tricks, but this is, after all, a close-up competition. The results would be
announced the following day.
After a chance for attendees to visit the dealers’ rooms, David Ben took the
stage for a lecture which featured his discussion of what magic is supposed to
accomplish. His PowerPoint visuals helped him explain that magic presents a
problem and a resolution, but that the experience is less than useful to the
audience if there is no knowledge imparted. He also showed that one of magic’s
basic rules, ‘Never Repeat a Trick’, is often broken and with good cause. David
finished by bringing a youngster on stage to assist him in his fabulous Egg Bag
routine, adapted from that of his mentor, Ross Bertram, using a Sterling bag
(the one with the gimmick on the outside).
Next we had a lecture by two of the Flicking Fingers, Jorg Willich and Jorg
Alexander who alternated showing us effects and analytical theory, all
appreciatively received by the audience.
The last event prior to the first performance of the evening Gala (which I shall
report in the Sunday section of this saga, since that’s when I saw it) was a
salute to the late Jim Cellini. Cellini was a student of Slydini and was the
ultimate street performer. His influence on a far ranging group of magicians,
especially those who work the streets, can not be overstated. Richard McDougall
was the gentle host who introduced some of Cellini’s best friends to perform and
share their memories. Those participating were Gazzo, Michael Vincent, Chris
Lynam, Johnny Fox and Ben Whiting. In the audience were Cellini’s widow,
Marianne Heller, and his U.S.-resident son.
Sunday
Things got under way at 10 AM with the dealers dealing. James Freedman
introduced the winners and David Ben made the presentations. The winners of the
Close-up Competition were announced. Winning Awards of Merit were Paul
Sommersguter (Austria), Rene Jensen (Denmark) and Andost (USA). Third Prize went
to Alexander Hansford (UK), Second Prize was awarded to Kim Min Hyung (Korea)
and First Prize and the Kevin Reay Trophy was won by Matthew Wright (UK).
Judging the contest were Gerrit Brengman (Chairman, Belgium), Domenico Dante
(Italy), Hank Moorehouse (USA), Joan Caesar (Canada), Tonny van Rhee (Belgium),
Gay Ljundberg (Sweden), Chris Power (England), Jackie McClements (Scotland), and
Obie O'Brien (USA).
Then the very funny and relaxed John Lenahan compered the International Close-up
Gala, and gala it was. We were treated to excellent performances by the manic
Canadian card expert Tyler Wilson who climbed a ladder to get a card off the
ceiling; Ricky Smith, the young and talented card expert with an Andy
Kaufman-like delivery; Derek Hughes, a US magician with the delivery of a
stand-up comedian but with excellent chops; Manuel Muerte, the Flicking Finger,
and Thomas Fraps, another Finger; Ponta the Smith with some coin work; and Pit
Hartling.
Next was the second Flicking Fingers lecture, with Pit Hartling and Manuel
Muerte. Pit is an absolute master with the memorised deck, and he taught an
exceptional routine using this powerful tool. Manuel Muerte taught his Card in
... (cigarette, fruit, most anything).
Ponta the Smith is the intriguing name used by the great Japanese coin expert,
although he demonstrated magic with a lot more than coins. With an excellent
English translation by Keiko Trillo (wife of MagicWeek’s own Duncan!) we were
treated to an amazing Matrix and lots more representing expert sleight-of-hand
of the very highest order.
At 5 PM the audience reassembled for the eagerly awaited presentation of the
David Berglas International Award [photo 4]. In past years the award has gone to
the MacMillan family, Uri Geller and David Copperfield (via Skype from Las
Vegas) so there is always great anticipation of who the recipient will be. After
a suitable build-up, David presented, again via Skype and on the big screen,
Juan Tamariz, perhaps the most influential magician in the world, and a
favourite of everyone in magic. But after a few minutes in to the question and
answer session with the theatre audience the picture on the screen faltered, the
audio became choppy, and finally the picture froze. Disaster! But the
unflappable Mr. Berglas carried on and with a magical gesture produced, from
behind the curtain, Juan Tamariz in the flesh. The audience was beside
themselves and David Berglas had managed, in his inimitable style, to fool 500
magicians at one go.
Sr. Tamariz was his usual upbeat self and answered all questions before doing a
few card tricks, including his own version of what we call the Berglas Effect,
Card at Any Number, Tamariz’s tribute to his friend and award presenter. This
hour was a highlight that will long live in my memory.
I grabbed a quick dinner and returned to the theatre for the Gala Show, which
was preceded by close-up magicians entertaining the public prior to the big
show.
The compere was Noel Britten, who was hilariously funny, threatening to endanger
(plastic) goldfish if the audience didn’t laugh at his jokes, then spooning
water from their bowl and pretending to go after them with a fishing pole [photo
5]. The performers included Paul Dabek with a silent production act; Nikolai
Friedrich with mentalism; Derek Hughes doing card effects with very funny patter
and, closing the first half, Tom Noddy, “the Bubble Guy” who kept the audience
entranced by blowing a square bubble, smoke-filled bubbles within bubbles, and
bubbles that became volcanoes [photo 6].
The second half led off with Romany, Diva of Magic looking stunning and
producing birdcages galore. Then “Gunther” (actually Gaston) performed an act in
which a down-and-out magician was visiting a meeting of Magicians Anonymous, a
12-step program to kick the magic habit, which Gunther had real bad. Kim Hyun
Joon from Korea produced what looked to be thousands of cards in a magnificent
manipulation act [photo 7]. Johnny Fox from the USA performed a sword-swallowing
act, and closing the show was Paul Dabek, back this time with some shadowgraphy.
The Mermaid Theatre is a big, professional venue with a large stage and
excellent lighting. The stage crew, mostly MacMillan’s International Magic
employees and friends, did a great job with everything, the sound is excellent
and the sight lines among the best I have every seen in a theatre.
Congratulations must go to Noel Britten for choosing the acts and holding
everything stage-side together; to the MacMillan family, Martin, Georgina and
Teresa, for bringing us this gem of a convention each year; and to the
supportive audiences who return year after year for what they know will be a
great time.
Next year will mark the 40th anniversary of Ron’s Day, and Noel hinted at big
things afoot. The convention will start a week earlier than usual, Friday the
18th to Sunday the 20th November, and will be preceded by a week of special
magic performances and events in London. You can get information at
www.InternationalMagic.com as it becomes available.
I can hardly wait!
© Matthew Field, December 2010