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Bristol Society of Magic Mel Moore Memorial lecture – Will Houstoun
November 2015
Reviewed by Chris Payne, Treasurer
Bristol Society of Magic
Thursday
29th October was a very special evening in the Bristol Society of Magic
clubroom, in honour of the late Mel Moore, a member for over 45 years, Past
President and key organiser of the Bristol Day of Magic. The evening was
suggested by his widow Lynn, who generously sponsored the event. Barrie Savage
welcomed members and guests to the full clubroom, read a short message from
Lynn, paid tribute to Mel and introduced the special lecturer for the evening -
Will Houstoun.
Will is the current Magic Circle Close-up Magician of the Year, edits The Magic
Circular and recently completed a PhD on Professor Hoffman. The Society had
chosen Will because of his unique blend of thinking, performing skill and
knowledge of the history of magic. It proved to be a superb lecture.
Opening with some entertaining quotes from the past, including a description of
how to impress the natives with a flaming ball of fire coming down from the
heavens and setting fire to their houses, followed by a cautionary tale of death
from poor preparation.
A superb “2 fly” opened the magic proper, with just 2 coins travelling
individually 3 times from hand to hand. Each transpo was exceptionally clean,
including an extraordinary move where a coin was tossed across and caught but
the coins immediately reverted to their original positions. Explanations
throughout the lecture were exceptionally clear and full.
A gentle application of heat from a lighter allowed a written prediction to
visibly change to a second card, combined with the disappearance of the
spectator’s signature, making a clever multiphase revelation using little known
properties of the friction pen. Intriguing methods aside the explanation
included a very well scripted use of Equivoque, applicable to other routines.
To close the first half Will performed a show stopping version of Total
Coincidence, a deck is genuinely shuffled by the spectator and yet shown to
match exactly an unopened deck guarded by the spectator. This was a masterclass
in attention control and presentation.
After a break Will gave an insight to his research of a handwritten book on card
tricks held in The Magic Circle Library. Published in the late eighteenth
century, by an anonymous, but clearly discerning, magician, it includes
descriptions of techniques that had previously been credited to Hofzinser and
even Marlo. Will demonstrated a card transpo from the book, particularly
highlighting the subtlety of handling of the double card and subsequent change.
Will’s take on the true nature of the Charlier Pass followed, turning a simple
flourish into a highly practical card control. A neat 4 ace revelation from a
shuffled deck made use of an extremely subtle stripper principle that can be
applied in moments to any deck and is impervious to orientation of the cards.
The lecture closed with a demonstration of his marketed effect Freak where the
performer’s little finger is taken through a series of horribly distorted
positions with no apparent ill effect.
Several attendees commented afterwards how much they had enjoyed the breadth of
the topics, the strength of magic and the unusually clear and full explanations.
Mel Moore would have loved it.
© Chris Payne, Treasurer Bristol Society of Magic, November 2015