Number 198 - 10th April 2004
The
Secret's Out... Tommy Wonder is flying over to the UK in June to make
a one-off appearance at Gary Young's 8th
Top Secret
Magic Day in Milton Keynes (Sunday, June 6th). Tommy will present his
award winning act and also his 90 minute lecture which is one of the
finest magic lectures you will ever see... really. With cabaret from
CoSMIK, Mark Shortland, Luke Jermay, Viva, Terry Seabrooke and Tommy
Wonder, 18 magic dealers, lectures from Martin Cox, Luke Jermay, Mark
Shortland and, as just mentioned, Tommy Wonder, this year's event will
sell out - so hurry! Registration numbers are limited and tickets will
be sold on a strict first come - first served basis. Full details on the
website:
www.topsecretmagicday.co.uk 10.4.04
Derren
Brown's Trick of the Mind, the new six-part series, starts on
Friday, 23rd April, on Channel 4. Here we go behind the scenes with
producer Debbie Young and Director Stefan Stuckert:
What's different about this series?
Debbie: Well, this series has a slower pace than past specials.
Routines are given more time to breathe and develop, so are longer in
length, allowing the viewer to get more involved in the build up and final
effect.
Do you try and shoot it all in a specific style?
Stefan: Derren’s style has changed significantly since the last
series. The next series comes with a new look, an ultra cool title
sequence and a remix of the original title music, all very much influenced
by the culture of the 1960s - the era of 'The Avengers', 'The Prisoner',
the first James Bond films, split screens, bright colours and
easy-listening music.
Derren looks more elegant. He has exchanged the black 'magician' suit he
used to wear in previous programmes for a variety of sharp looking suits
in a sophisticated colour palette, sometimes supplemented by quirky
accessories like a John Steed type umbrella for example. It's all very
retro, has a slick 60s feel in style / graphic / title sequence. Also
there's an emphasis on filming in London, using some very iconic London
landmarks as a backdrop. Each episode will comprise four or five effects
and will be a visual feast of stylization, slick graphics and mesmerising
montages.
What else can viewers look forward to in the new series?
Debbie: Derren demonstrating and explaining how to draw against or
beat Chess Grandmasters; how to unnerve an undertaker deep in a catacomb;
plus he puts a psychiatrist on the couch. He tries some retail therapy on
a retail psychologist, recreates the invisible man for a film student,
studies the relationship between a striker and goalie - plus he hops in
for a ride with some of London's black cabbies.
Stefan: We filmed a hilarious sequence in which Derren could make a
student drunk without the passing of a single drop of alcohol. We filmed
him throughout the day with hidden cameras and Derren could make him
'drunk' via a text message. It was not only unbelievable to watch, but
hugely hilarious, as he stumbled round drunk in his quiet university
library, eventually collapsing on the floor!
Programme One
Derren amazes magic fan Stephen Fry with one of his favourite tricks and
appears to erase the 'knowledge' of a London cabbie. He also
simultaneously plays chess with nine of Britain's leading chess masters
and shares his mind reading skills with the public for 10p.
Programme Two
In this week's show Derren puts hard man Martin Kemp under his influence
and predicts where QPR striker Marc Bircham will place his penalties.
England footballers are advised to watch…
Programme Three
Prepare for the seemingly impossible as Derren manipulates an entire
orchestra into 'playing to his tune'. Also, in a spooky homage to The
Invisible Man, Derren convinces a film student that he has become
invisible.
Programme Four
Witness what Derren can do with a nine-inch nail and what a group of
school children get up to when a teacher succumbs to Derren’s mind
control. Also, a young woman experiences what it’s like to be struck dumb
in Epping Forest.
Programme Five
This week Derren conjures up some tasty magic for Michel Roux Jnr and
baffles a butcher, a baker and candlestick maker. Plus more mental street
action.
Programme Six
In the last show of the series, Derren turns the tables on a supermarket
layout designer and puts an eminent psychiatrist on the couch. He also
invests a member of the public with the power to alter human behaviour.
Trick of the Mind, the new six-part series, starts on Friday, 23rd April, on Channel 4.
Derren Brown - Inside Your Mind on DVD from Amazon.co.uk (includes bonus material and an interview with Derren) Click Here.
Derren Brown Live! - Tonight, Saturday 10th, at the Pavilion, Worthing. Box Office 01903 206206. 10.4.04
As
a special attraction for the Hull Magicians' Circle 70th Annual Dinner
on April 23rd Jon Marshall has recreated an old side show illusion that
was last seen in the early 1960s – Cleo - The Girl in the Goldfish Bowl.
The original flash (the show fronts with the notice 'Admission 6d'), the
original recorded outdoor spiel and the original Goldfish Bowl will all be
used, but a new bikini clad girl has been recruited! It was originally the
creation of Jon Gresham, fire-eater, magician and showman who was Hull
Magicians' Circle secretary for twenty-eight years. Sadly Jon died in 1995
but with the permission and assistance of Pat Gresham, Jon's widow, Cleo,
the five-inch girl, is to come to life in a Goldfish Bowl once again. Pat
and Jon Marshall are presently planning a publication featuring Jon's
illusion sideshows. They would be delighted to hear from magical friends
that have any memories of Jon's shows. Email Jon Marshall
jon@magiccarpettheatre.com
Website:
www.magiccarpettheatre.com. Performing at the dinner this year: John
Archer, Fluke, Roy Davenport and Martyn James and Company (great line-up).
Guests: Magic Circle President Alan Shaxon and British Ring President
Cynthia Neptune. Dinner Tickets £25 - contact David Hand 01724 850818. 10.4.04
John
Archer is Tim Vine's special guest on the following shows: April 16th
Bradford Alhambra
Click Here, April 24th The Waterfront Belfast, May 22nd The Broadway
Theatre Catford, May 29th Y Theatre Leicester. 10.4.04
Die-hard
Copperfield fans will be pleased to learn that
Terror Train is about to be released on DVD. Produced in 1980 it stars
a young David Copperfield (acting and performing some magic) alongside
Jamie Lee Curtis "It's New Year's Eve and the college boys of Sigma Phi
fraternity have invited friends to a masquerade ball aboard a chartered
train. But while they provide the food, booze and music, a knife-wielding
psycho, intent on revenge for a sick joke four years earlier, provides the
deadly entertainment..." Pre-order from
Amazon.co.uk (includes a 20% discount). 10.4.04
Since
magic-consulting for Sky One's Max Magic came to an end in
February Scott Penrose has been working on a number of new projects. He
has just finished adding some magic to the Matthew Herbert Big Band
live show, which this week embarks on a three month world tour (including
dates at the
Barbican). Scott's also just finished work on the English language
production of Rossini's classic opera The Barber of Seville, which
is on at the
Savoy Theatre in London from April 7th to June 19th. The challenge was
to produce a knife throwing sequence without there being any real danger
to the cast - wisely the producers opted to call in the talents of
magician Scott rather than risk the real thing!
www.stagemagician.com. 10.4.04
Jez
Rose is off to Walt Disney World again in July performing in the
private members club, Club 33, for eight nights. Club 33,
open only to members and their guests, has been a part of 'New Orleans
Square' since 1967. Originally intended as a private facility where Walt
Disney could entertain park sponsors and lessees, Club 33 did not
open until several months after Disney's death. The club's facilities were
made available to the public through limited memberships, and Club 33
has operated unobtrusively in Disneyland's New Orleans Square ever since.
Jez can be seen every Saturday morning at 10am on BBC1's new series The
Mysti Show - he's the resident mentalist and will be reading the minds
of celebrities and creating psychological chaos on the streets of England.
www.jezrose.co.uk 10.4.04
Safire
appear on the new Warners TV commercial. Safire were asked to perform
some of their illusions for the new Warner's Holiday 2004 television
advertising campaign. Filmed in November at Thoresby Hall near Nottingham
the commercial will be seen over the next five months on most channels in
its 15 and 30 second formats.
www.magic-of-safire.co.uk 10.4.04
MagicTricks.co.uk
have just upgraded their website which now offers more features, including
additional demonstration videos, order tracking and improved search
facilities. They're also offering a £2 credit to all customers who
register on the new site, to be used against their next order. Further
details can be found at
www.magictricks.co.uk. 10.4.04
Doctor
Bondini invites you to join him for a very special evening of
entertainment for all the family. "You will experience magic and grand
illusion from exotic locations around the world, magic of the past,
present and future. There will be moments of great beauty, great drama and
of course, great hilarity. This is a show for all the family, a rare
opportunity to see one of the few remaining touring illusion shows – a
unique show which combines modern entertainment with a hint of tradition."
For dates see What's On or for more
information visit:
www.bondini.co.uk. 10.4.04
International
News The 3rd Moscow International Youth Festival Contest in Circus
Arts is to be held in Nikulin Moscow Circus on Tsvetnoy Boulevard from
September 3rd - 7th 2004. The Organizing Committee offer support for
applicants including: Invitations to the Russian Federation, booking
train/flight tickets, Hotel reservations, tickets to all Festival events,
invitations to special Festival events, entertaining programme and
sightseeing, guide and interpreter. Please send all requests and
applications to
info@circusfestival.ru Website:
www.circusfestival.ru News submitted by: Boris Fedotov, Vice President
of the Festival Organizing Committee. 10.4.04
Paul
Gordon has some special Easter Offers including a Bumper Magic
Bundle which offers £70 worth of magic for just £40.
Click Here for full details. 10.4.04
Children's
Entertainer Sam 'X' has just launched his new Children's show and will
be adding a silver, blue eyed, lop eared doe rabbit in just a couple of
weeks. Any magical names for the new member of the team would be most
welcomed. Email name suggestions to:
sam@crosses.fsnet.co.uk. 10.4.04
James
Fortune (www.magicklive.com),
left, has changed his name to Jay Fortune to avoid confusion with
magician James Fortune of Surrey (www.magicfun.co.uk)
and has asked us to let readers know, to hopefully avoid any future
confusion. 10.4.04
The Ulster Society of Magicians held a successful press launch for their Irish Ring Convention (1st and 2nd May) last Monday when the Deputy Mayor reversed roles by levitating convention organiser James Hobart! Cheap flights are available from www.flybe.com going to Belfast City Airport from most UK regional airports • Please note: Merlins of Wakefield have changed their email address to merlins@btconnect.com • Graham Keal meets Derren Brown, the man with the power to amaze and amuse Click Here • "Untrained magician to get all fired up for stunt" Click Here • "Cabaret show is first for Suffolk pier" Click Here • "Magicians conjure record attempt" Click Here • That's it for this week, see you next week, Duncan. 10.4.04