Number 163 - 9th August 2003
British magic hit an all-time low on Saturday night (August 2nd) with the transmission of Secrets of Magic. I had to have a good think before deciding to go ahead and review the show as I know all the magicians involved, both in front of and behind the camera. Most are really good friends, some I've known for 20 years. Between them they have been responsible for some of the finest televised magic I've ever seen and MagicWeek has supported their work and will no doubt support future projects too. But I thought Secrets of Magic was so bad. In my article/review I've tried to explain why I believe magic is so very special and why it should be treasured. Secrets of Magic: Click Here. 9.8.03
Edinburgh Reviews
and listings:
• Peter Lamont's Confessions of a Psychic (left) Click Here
• Mark Salem's Out of His Mind Click Here
• An Audience with Paul Daniels and The Magic of Max Malini Click Here
• Keith Fields, Not Another Kid's Show? and M@gic.Comedy Click Here
• Magic @ Café Royal Click Here
• Bertie Pearce: All Aboard - The comedy of cruising Click Here
• Steve Rawlings' Circus and Magic School Click Here 9.8.03
David Copperfield
makes a guest appearance on Scrubs on Channel 4 on Friday at
9.30pm. "JD is
riding high after correcting a misdiagnosis by Dr. Cox, but is soon jerked
back to reality. Meanwhile Elliot is struggling personally and
professionally as she is forced to relinquish all of the luxuries that her
father had been financing. And Carla learns that sometimes it's better to
keep her opinions to herself."
9.8.03
Breaking
the Magician's Code: Magic's Biggest Secrets Finally Revealed
can be seen yet again on Sunday 10th, with another in the series on the
following Saturday, and Secrets of Street Magicians Finally Revealed
is repeated on Sunday 17th... and so it goes on...
9.8.03
Rob
James has just completed filming some card shuffling/manipulation
sequences for a new one-off television show. Born Different is a
sixty minute documentary being produced by Tigress Productions to be shown
on Channel 5, and worldwide on Animal Planet. The card work is being used
to illustrate the process of natural selection.
9.8.03
SherwoodMagic.com
are now advertising with MagicWeek. The Brett Sherwood Cups
come with an endorsement from The Dai Vernon Estate and have instantly
been recognised as being the world's finest cups. The initial feedback
from customers has been incredible (see "Testimonials" on the website).
For full information and to see the cups in all their glory visit:
www.sherwoodmagic.com - to see a close-up photo right now
Click Here.
9.8.03
Wayne
Dobson lectures at The Magic Club of Great Britain on Thursday,
August 21st and visiting magicians are welcome. The lecture will be held
at Centrecom, 602 North Row, Secklow Gate West, Central Milton Keynes MK9
3BJ and starts at 7pm (ending around 8.30pm) Tickets are £12 each and
include refreshments. For more information contact Eugene Matthias on Free
Phone: 0800 298 5884.
9.8.03
Alakazam.co.uk
are suffering from "Summer Madness" at the moment: "Here in the store the
air conditioning has broken down and the heat has sent us a bit daft!! So
for a limited time only all orders over £50 will receive a free mystery
trick!!" See
www.alakazam.co.uk for details, and while you are there make sure you
checkout Matt
Ellison's
Triple Impact - we've
heard great things about this one!
9.8.03
Following
on from the success of his Creative Magic Lecture/Teach In (review)
Tony Griffith is holding a second day, on Sunday 16th November, at his
home in Bristol. The material presented in this Lecture/Teach In
day places the emphasis on subtlety, routining and entertainment. Areas
covered include Close-up Magic, After Dinner Speaking, Trade Shows,
Promotion, Publicity and Organisation. The cost is £40 (which includes
morning coffee, buffet lunch and afternoon tea) Register before 30th
September for £30. Seating is strictly limited. "House Full" notices went
out well before the last day in July. Contact Tony for more information:
www.tonygriffith.co.uk
tony@tonygriffith.co.uk Telephone: 01275 837017.
9.8.03
Dante
Memorial Fund Update. (See MagicWeek number
153) In the first 64 days of
fundraising, the Dante Memorial Fund has received over $6,000 in
donations. To further enhance the fundraising activities magic
collectibles have been offered via
www.ebay.com with new
listings posted on Sunday evenings. Donations from $1 - $500 have been
received from magic enthusiasts everywhere, all wanting to participate in
honouring the "Last of the Great Masters" from the world of magic, through
this project. You can play a part in this historical event by sending
whatever amount you can to The Dante Memorial Fund, c/o WestAmerica Bank,
P.O. Box 47, Novato, CA 94948.
9.8.03
Ian
Kendall (video
clip) will be performing a one off show at the Cafe Royal in Edinburgh
today (Saturday 9th), filling in for Tim Saiet who has had to return to
London. The show starts at 5pm and costs £5 to sit in air conditioned
coolness for an hour. Ian is a veteran of the Fringe with over 200 shows
over ten years. On Sunday Rob Cox and Mandy Davis (photo) take over for
the week. For booking information:
Click Here.
"Brother
John Hamman was one of the most ingenious and influential card
magicians in modern times. There have been books and videos featuring his
magic. But now, thanks to Geno Munari, we are about to be treated to the
ultimate Hamman collection in a fabulous new multiple DVD set." Over 10
hours of footage and 98 routines on six discs for £35.00 plus p&p -
howzat! In stock and available now from
www.abracadabra.co.uk.
9.8.03
Paul
Daniels, currently presenting two different shows in Edinburgh,
describes himself as a "happy bunny" in an article on News BBC
Click Here. Meanwhile back home Paul has come up with a perfect once
and for all solution to his house flooding problems: "When we were flooded
again in January, I decided to tear everything down and start again. We're
going to rebuild it all on pillars, one and a half metres higher than
before." To read the full story in The Telegraph
Click Here.
9.8.03
Pollock's
Packs a Punch. Pollock's Toy Museum, 1 Scala Street, London W1 are
holding an exhibition featuring puppets and memorabilia from the
collection of Prof. John Styles, including booths used in the 1960's cult
television series The Avengers and the Monty Python inspired film Time
Bandits, plus puppets and artifacts that are over 100 years old. Also
on display, for the first time in public, a unique collection of Punch &
Judy prints dating from the late 18th and 19th centuries from the
collection of Mr George Speaight, the distinguished historian of the
popular theatre and authority on Punch and the Toy Theatre. Punch & Judy
shows will be performed every Saturday in August. More information from
the Museum telephone: 020 7636 3452 or visit the website:
Click Here.
9.8.03
Jus' Like That! closed on August 2nd after a very successful run at the Garrick Theatre in London's West End • That's it for this week, your magic news is always welcomed. See you next week, Duncan. 9.8.03