Number 69 - 20th
October 2001
Congratulations to
Jon Allen, Magic Circle Close-up Magician of the Year 2001. Ten
performers went into battle at The Magic Circle's London headquarters on
Monday evening. The competition was held in the intimate surroundings of
the Devant room in front of a small lay audience in an effort to create
genuine 'close-up' conditions. Magic Circle members then watched the
proceedings via a live video feed on the
big-screen in the theatre. Second place went to Andrew Murray, and third
to Anthony McDaniel. 20.10.01
The Southern
Sorcerers presented an Evening of Magic and Illusion in aid of Thanet
Hospital's children's ward last week. Current Magic Circle Young Magician
of the Year Obleo and Reading Junior Day Young Magician of the Year Alex
Lodge both appeared in the show which raised over £700.
20.10.01
Simon Drake's
House of Magic, London, presents a Halloween Party Night on Wednesday
October 31st. The doors open 7.30pm, with drinks in the garden, haunted
cellar tours and the whispering chair. From 8.15pm to 9.45pm there's a
complimentary two course dinner followed at 10.00pm by 'Showtime.' Then to
round the evening off, from 11pm, dancing in the auditorium or drinks in
the drawing room upstairs. Also available, tarot readings (book
separately). Prepaid ticket prices are £75 + VAT for a seat at a premier
table including a fabulous buffet dinner, and £65 + VAT for standing
during the show only including dinner (there are usually plenty of places
to sit for your dinner including the drawing room upstairs). All tickets
must be pre-paid. Box Office: 020 7735 3434 - book early to avoid
disappointment. 20.10.01
The Ilford Magical
Society are staging a Magic and Illusion show in aid of The British Heart
Foundation at the Queens Theatre, Billet Lane, Hornchurch, Essex on
October 28th at 8pm. Starring Kevin Bird, Alfonso Rios, Mark Shortland,
Paul Zerdin (photo),
Alan Shaxon, Tommy Baker (the basketball juggler from the Nike TV
commercials), Rousseau and Scott Penrose & Joanne. That's quite a line-up!
Tickets are going fast (this is the fourth year that they have put on a
show) and are £8.00 for adults and £7.00 for concessions. The box office
telephone number is 01708 443333.
20.10.01
The Royal Shakespeare
Company musical production of
Alice In Wonderland opens at The Barbican on October 26th and runs
through to November 24th before transferring to the Royal Shakespeare
Theatre, Stratford Upon Avon where it will run until March. Paul Kieve
acted as magic advisor, and there will be a couple of magical sequences.
Paul has also been working on a new production of Holiday On Ice,
Celebration, which opens in Geneva on November 7th, choreographed and
directed by Robin Cousins. It will be touring internationally for three
years, and is expected in the UK in 2003.
20.10.01
Wayne Dobson
managed to make his entire act vanish, and then reappear hundreds of
miles away, last Sunday at Heinz Minten's Magic Convention in
Holland. Wayne keeps his act in a laptop computer case, which was
sitting on the back seat of his car outside his hotel on the morning
of the convention. No doubt the thieves who broke in and stole the
case were a little disappointed to find that it contained no more
than a dodgy wallet, a few dodgy playing cards, and a dodgy hanky!
Magicians rallied around throughout the day to help Wayne re-build
his act. "Bjorn's mother made a new hanky for me and I managed to
borrow a wallet from Guido Claffen so that I could perform my act
that night." Back in England, and on Tuesday morning there was a
knock at the door from DHL with a special delivery: Wayne's case,
complete with contents, back in one piece. "Apparently it had turned
up outside a bakers shop - guess they were looking for some dough!"
said Wayne. Wayne Dobson presents his new lecture at the
Medway
Magical Society on Tuesday 23rd October
2001 at 8pm - Guest magicians welcome - £8 on the evening. Venue: Rochester Visitor's Information Centre, 95 High
Street, Rochester, Kent. More information:
marc.lemezma@btinternet.com Map:
Click Here
20.10.01
Marvin Berglas
and Justin Monehan will be presenting a wide selection of tricks
from the Marvin's Magic range to celebrate
8 years of Marvin's
Magic on QVC. They'll also be fielding live on-air
phone calls, and it all happens today, Saturday 20th, at 11am and 7pm on QVC (two live
one-hour shows)
www.marvinsmagic.com
20.10.01
Michael Vincent
appears at the Magic Castle for two weeks. He'll be in the Close-up
Gallery each evening from October 29th to November 4th, and then in the
Theatre alongside street magician Gazzo
from November 5th - 11th. Michaels close-up work is superb, as is Gazzo's
street act (photo),
making quite a double bill from the UK.
20.10.01
The Magic
Circle Dealers' Day takes place on Saturday November 3rd. Last year I
guess that there were around fifty dealers including a number of
MagicWeek advertisers. Doors open at 10am and the day winds-up at
around 4pm. Entrance is free to members of The Magic Circle, or just a few
pounds to non-members. Venue: Royal National Hotel, Russell Square, London
WC1
20.10.01
The Quick
Trick Show (ITV weekdays) has been nominated for a BAFTA - many
congratulatiuons to the whole team • A new DVD David Blaine -
Showman should be out on November 12th
Click Here to order in advance from Amazon.co.uk and
Click Here to order Star Wars-The Phantom Menace on DVD - feel
the force all over again! • Equity recently sent through an
instruction to members: "Do not accept any new contracts for UK cinema
films which would mean working on or after 1 December 2001" - now I know
that they are trying it to improve contracts so that artistes will receive
compensation for video and DVD sales but it always makes me smile... you
pay your heafty subscription every year for 20+ years and all you get
in return is a 'free' diary and the occasional instruction telling you
"not to work"... it's a funny old world! • MagicWeek is now read
by over 2,000 magicians every week, making it the UK's largest magic
news source, online or off - let MagicWeek know your news, see you next week, Duncan.
20.10.01