Number 268 - 13th August 2005
The
Blackpool Magicians Convention (24th, 25th, 26th February, 2006)
release their full line up of talent next week... but here's a teaser, already booked: Billy McComb, Joe Pasquale, Ken Dodd, Mick Miller
and Johnny Casson (ensuring that there will be lots of laughter in the
Opera House) together with Martin A. Nash who will pay his first visit to
Blackpool, and sensational mentalist and FISM award winner Aaron Crow
(photo). Over
600 registrations have already been sold via the Priority Registration
Form which is available on the website:
www.blackpoolmagic.com. 13.8.05
Ducktastic
opens in three weeks. From the team that brought you The Play What
I Wrote (Sean Foley and Hamish McColl, aka The Right Size) comes the
World premiere of their new comedy - the magic spectacular Ducktastic.
"As always with their work, the plot is not straightforward, but it is
inspired by the Las Vegas illusionists Siegfried and Roy, only on a more
modest scale, using ducks instead of Siberian tigers. In Ducktastic, world
famous illusionist Christopher Ursula Sassoon teams up with Roy de La Rue,
a pet shop proprietor from Portsmouth, to form Sassoon and Roy and put on
a new West End show. Directed by Kenneth Branagh, produced by David Pugh,
magic team headed by Simon Drake, illusions by Paul Cooke's ESW Ltd.
"Illusions include some standards as well as some completely new original
material. Most of our work at ESW is for television (Monkey Magic, Magick,
Top 10 Magic Tricks, etc.), so this theatre based project has been hugely
challenging and fun" said Paul. Theatre Royal, Newcastle, 2nd - 17th
September, Box Office: 0870 905 5060. Albery Theatre, London, 17th October
onwards, Box Office: (opens September 12th) 0870 950 0920 13.8.05
Peter
Lamont will be speaking at the
Edinburgh International Book Festival to mark the publication of his
latest book The First Psychic: The Peculiar Mystery of a Notorious
Victorian Wizard. The book was featured in the Daily Mail this week.
Dr Lamont's talk, on the controversial life and unexplained miracles of
the world's first and greatest psychic, will take place on the 18th August
at 8.30pm. Synopsis: He was simply the greatest psychic of all time. He
was also the first - before him, the word 'psychic' did not even exist.
The feats he performed were so extraordinary that Victorian scientists had
to invent the term in order to explain them. The man who became the
world's first psychic was Daniel Dunglas Home. Now almost entirely
forgotten, Home was a household name in Victorian Britain, a man of
inexplicable ability who divided opinion wherever he went. Hated by
Dickens and defended by Thackeray, denounced by Faraday yet mysterious to
Darwin, insulted by Tolstoy but patronised by the Emperor of France and
the Csar of Russia. The astonishing feats he performed, and the bizarre
personal life that attracted so much controversy, are little known today
outside the esoteric world of psychical research. He rarely appears in the
biographies of the many great Victorians who knew him as few could openly
admit to such a controversial acquaintance. This book will finally
introduce one of the most remarkable and enigmatic figures in history, and
the strange and seemingly inexplicable events that occurred in his
presence. To order The First Psychic from Amazon.co.uk
Click Here. 13.8.05
Movie
Magic. Recently John Derris, James Fortune and Peter Scarlett
presented close-up magic for an audience attending a special screening at
The National Film Theatre in London of The Escape Artist made by
Francis Ford Coppola in 1982. Judged by organiser John Fisher to be one of
the most interesting magic themed films ever made, it was presented as
part of The Magic Circle Centenary Celebrations and portrayed a young boys
attempt to avenge the death of his father - The World's Greatest Escape
Artist. The programme also included archive clips of magical performances
from the past including Channing Pollock, Chan Canasta, Fred Kaps, Robert
Harbin, Steve Martin (as The Great Flydini), David Nixon, Paul Daniels,
Hans Moretti and others, plus the levitation sequence by Woody Allen
featuring Goldie Hawn from
Everyone Says I Love You. 13.8.05
The
Mogul, the Magician, and the Island... "Chicago investor and real
estate developer John Melk is sparring with magician David Copperfield
over a private island in the Bahamas, in a protracted dispute that has
entangled rock star Lenny Kravitz, among others. Mr. Melk, an early backer
of Waste Management Inc. and Blockbuster Inc., claims Mr. Copperfield
pulled one of his famous disappearing acts, setting up a shell company and
secretly bankrolling its $45.5-million purchase of Mr. Melk's Musha Cay
after Mr. Melk refused to sell it to him. Mr. Copperfield says Mr. Melk is
suffering from seller's remorse after giving up Musha's undeveloped sister
island, Rudder Cut Cay, as part of the sale. The magician asserts in court
pleadings that Mr. Melk, 67, was desperate for cash after several business
reversals and a divorce, and that he is attempting to keep the islands and
$10 million in cash that was part of the deal." To read the full story by
Kate Ryan in Chicago Business
Click Here. 13.8.05
Mallorcan
Magic. Andy Charlton and Jean Jackson were thrilled to be included in
a Central TV feature about Mallorca. They were filmed performing magic and
reading Tarot cards in Hooties, the bar that they own and run in
Palma Nova. For information about this magical bar visit
www.andyandjeansbigadventure.com. (Photo: Andy and Jean, with Central
TV reporters Neil Bradford and Tom Parmenter.) 13.8.05
Registrations
for Kidology UK 2005, the weekday convention for children's
entertainers, are already approaching 200. Last year, registrations had to
be capped at 200, but, this year, because of larger premises, considerably
more registrations can be taken. The convention takes place on Monday, 5th
September in Wolverhampton. The cost is £30.00 (inclusive of buffet lunch)
and this year's headline lecturer is Patrick Page. Full details from
Albion Magic 0121 532 4509 or from their website:
www.albionmagiccompany.co.uk. 13.8.05
Graham
Lee has three more Balloon Jam/Workshop days lined up, sponsored by
Qualatex. For details see What's On
or email
grahamleesmagic@blueyonder.co.uk. 13.8.05
Secrets of Street Magicians Finally Revealed
is being repeated today.
"A masked magician reveals how street performers create tricks and
illusions without the use of elaborate sets. Tricks featured include
passing a cigarette through a quarter, the Three Card Monty, and making hands on a wristwatch move without
touching it." 1.30pm on Five, see TV
Magic. 13.8.05
Simon
Lovell can be heard on Monday's Radio Magic at 8pm, and
previous programmes can now be heard on the station's website
www.radiomagic.co.uk
via the "Listen Again" links at the bottom of the page. 13.8.05
Next
week we'll be reviewing Making Money From Magic by Drew McAdam
(available exclusively from
www.ianrowland.com)
• We've heard good things about Doug Segal's
show, currently on at The Magic
Cavern, London. See
What's On for details • Tony Curtis has a magical UK car number plate
for sale, email
tonycurtismagic@aol.com for details • Congratulations to Malcolm and
Sarah Norton (Top Secret Magic) on the arrival of baby Phoebe Rose Norton
on Sunday August 7th • Surrey Society of Magicians documentary in the pipeline,
Click Here • "Say the Magic Word"
Click Here • "Children's camp puts focus on hocus-pocus"
Click Here • "Illusions are his favorite form of self-expression"
Click Here • "Carnahan Is Smokin' Aces"
Click Here • That's it for this week, your UK magic news and reviews
are always welcomed. See you next week, Duncan. 13.8.05