Number 222 - 25th September 2004
Wayne
Dobson chose The British Ring's 68th Convention (currently on in
Eastbourne, ends Sunday afternoon) to release the first of his new three
volume multi-region DVD set "Dobson's Choice - TV Stuff." Volume
1
features eight actual TV performances taken from the hit TV series
Wayne Dobson - A Kind of Magic, interspersed with newly recorded
footage of Wayne in which he offers an insight into the make up and
presentation of each routine. Volume 1 also includes bonus footage:
Silhouettes and the now classic "Frank and Harry" Royal Variety
Show clip. What really stands out though is the quality of each and
every routine and Wayne's performance and timing. Highly recommended.
Priced £17.99 each plus £1.00 p&p. Email
dtrik@waynedobson.co.uk for ordering information or head off to
Eastbourne to pick up a copy for yourself. Convention details
Click Here. 25.9.04
Paul Daniels and Debbie McGee
step into the unknown (so to speak) down on
The Farm on Sunday evening at 10pm on Five. Paul Daniels said "I don't
normally like reality style shows because the contestants rarely have
anything to do, and I would find that immensely boring. When they
approached me about The Farm I talked at length with Debbie about it, and
we decided that it would be an interesting opportunity, so we have been
mentally preparing for what the producers might throw at us!
Interestingly, the press have said all sorts of things about the show, but
the truth is they don't know anything about it other than the obvious. We
have not been allowed to say anything about it until a few days ago." Best
of luck to them both. 25.9.04
Comedy
illusion act TrickStars have been added to the Saturday night gala
show bill at Seaside Sorcery 13th-14th November 2004.
www.blackpoolmagic.com. TrickStars are currently enjoying a
seven month summer season appearing in the production show Viva Las
Vegas touring east coast venues for Haven and British Holidays. The
act is highly visual featuring comedy and illusion in a fast moving
choreographed presentation.
www.trickstars.co.uk. 25.9.04
Raising
Houdini - Illusionists make an old trick new hat by Anna Maria
Basquez. "California illusionists Charlotte and Jonathan Pendragon have
mastered the famed magician's 'Metamorphosis' trick and taken it to
another level. This summer, they landed in the Guinness Book of World
Records 2005 50th Anniversary edition book for being the fastest
performers in the history of magic to perform it." To read the full story
in the online Coloradoan
Click Here. The
Pendragons will be in the UK next Summer for The Magic Circle's Centenary
Celebration Convention. 25.9.04
Richard
McDougall and Steve Faulkner (photo) have just completed a week of
performances in Coimbra, Portugal as part of the seventh Encontros Magicos
Festival. Their street acts were greeted with the largest crowds ever and,
as part of the Festival's philosophy of taking magic into new places, they
performed in other venues including a prison and drugs rehabilitation
centre. Such was the response that both artists received that they have
already been booked for the Zamora Festival (Spain) in 2005. Also
appearing in the Festival were The Great Tomsoni and Co, Stan Allen, Mike
Caveney, Tina Lennert, Armando, Jan and Guus, Juan Mayoral and Marcel &
Peggy. 25.9.04
Michael
Pearse lectures at The Mystic Ring in Bedfordshire at 7.45pm on
Thursday 7th of October. Anyone who has seen Michael Pearse perform will
know what a highly entertaining lecture this is likely to be. His lecture
will cover what he is best at... comedy, magic and juggling. Visiting
magicians £4.00. For further details contact
themysticring@hotmail.com.
The Mystic Ring, Dunstable Conservative Club, High Street North,
Dunstable, Bedfordshire. 25.9.04
Tony
Griffith will be presenting his Creative Magic lecture for the Chester
Guild of Magicians on Monday 11th October. This is the lecture that Tony
has presented worldwide. "Emphasis is upon subtlety, routining and
entertainment rather than pure sleight of hand. Areas covered will be
trade shows, after dinner speaking, Close-up Magic and other areas of the
corporate field. There will be items for all tastes." Details from David
Brandwood, telephone: 01928 718496. 25.9.04
Clive
Barker's horror flick Lord of Illusions is being repeated at
12 midnight on Saturday 25th on FX. The movie, although ultimately not
very good, features a number of 'illusion' sequences that are interesting
from the point of view of seeing how a horror writer and film director
interpret 'magic and illusion.'
"During a routine case in LA, NY private investigator Harry D'Amour (Scott
Bakula) stumbles over members of a fanatic cult, who are waiting for the
resurrection of their leader Nix (Daniel von Bargen). 13 years ago Nix was
calmed down by his best trainee Swann (Kevin J O'Connor). In the meantime,
Swann has advanced to become a popular illusionist like David Copperfield
and is married to the charming Dorothea (Golden Eye Bond girl Famke
Janssen), who hires D'Amour to protect Swann against the evil cult
members. Soon after, Swann is killed by one of his own tricks." 25.9.04
Richard
Wiseman is in the new ad for Volvo, performing an interesting (and
very clever) version of Out of This World. The ad is for TV
and film and can be seen at
www.volvocars.co.uk (click on the main photo and then 'interview 4'
parts 1 and 2). 25.9.04
"Illusionist
Derren Brown faked a séance. Speaking with a long-departed loved one
may be the result of fear or suggestion rather than genuine spirit
contact, research suggests. UK psychologist Professor
Richard Wiseman looked at controlled 'séance' experiments."
Click Here to read the full story from the BBC. Derren Brown, video
clips from Channel 4,
Click Here. 25.9.04
TV
magic man predicts the news. "These days a good magician has got to
offer more than just pulling a rabbit out of a top hat and the occasional
card trick. But while magic men David Blaine and Derren Brown raise the
stakes with outrageous and often death defying stunts, Elstree magician
Nicholas Einhorn is capturing the public's attention with his own brand of
trickery. On Monday, the award-winning magician of 10 years visited the
offices of the Borehamwood and Elstree Times and amazed us with a
selection of his best magic tricks." To read the full story by Louise
Compton in This is Hertfordshire
Click Here.
www.einhorn.co.uk. 25.9.04
Luke
Jermay lectures for International Magic at the
the
Cittie of Yorke
Pub, 22 High Holborn, London WC1. (See
Map)
on Saturday 2nd October. Starts at 4.30pm; tickets are £10.00 from the
shop.
www.internationalmagic.com. 25.9.04
"Magician Matt wows with mind-reading act. A young Shropshire magician is through to the final of a national magic competition after wowing judges in London on Saturday with his amazing mind-reading act. Matt Beech, from Cressage, near Shrewsbury, beat off competition from 14 other competitors to become one of just six to go on to the final of the Young Magic Circle Junior Day Stage competition. If he wins on October 24, Matt will appear on the BBC television programme Exchange before jetting off to America to perform his act in front of some of the country's top magicians." Read the full story in the Shropshire Star Click Here. 25.9.04
The
Creative Magician's Handbook: A Guide to Tricks, Illusions and
Performance by Marvin Kaye is currently available from Amazon.co.uk. An
excellent book, 320 pages, £10.00, what a bargain!
Click Here to order •
Happy Birthday to
www.thelittlemagicshop.co.uk - one year old this week • I zipped down
to Eastbourne on Friday and managed to see the Stage Competition which was
of a higher standard than in previous years I thought. For me Safire's
stunning clear sub trunk and the manipulation act of Japan's Kohei
Kobayashi stood out. Thanks to everyone who's sent in news recently, it's always welcomed. That's it
for this week, see you next week, Duncan. 25.9.04