Number 291 - 21st January 2006
Kernow
Magic present Jeff McBride, Eugene Burger and Abbi Spinner in "Magic -
The Secret Art" on 31st March 2006 at The Princess Pavilions, Falmouth,
Cornwall. Limited tickets are available in advance at £15.00 (£17.00 on
the night) from the booking line on 01326 315833 or 07866 108784. Then on
April 1st, 2nd and 3rd Kernow Magic host the Jeff McBride Master Class
at the Hotel St Michaels, Falmouth, Cornwall. Each day runs from 12 noon -
9.30pm. The first 10 people to register for the full three day course will
have the option to perform for Jeff and have personal input from him.
Registrants will receive a pass to the three days, course material as
required, stationary and some magic items. You will also receive a
complimentary ticket to see "Magic - The Secret Art." The booking line for
both the show and the master class is 01326 211713 or 07866 108784.
www.mcbridemagic.com.
21.1.06
Blackpool
update. Here's the full line-up of artistes appearing at the Blackpool
Convention: Peter Marvey, Victor Voitko, Johnny Hart, Men in Coats, Tony
Chapek, Ken Dodd, Mick Miller, Johnny Casson, Jerome Murat, Aaron Crow,
Marc & Alex, Vallarino, Billy McComb, Martin Nash, Rick Merrill, Chris
Capehart, Chase Curtis, Paul Green, Mirage Dancers, The Degrees, Great
Nardini, Kenji, Jupiter, Zyllan, Michael Ammar, Patrik Kuffs, Fukai, John
Archer, Dave Windle Orchestra, Joachim Solberg, Carl, Wayne Dobson, Terry
Seabrooke, Luke Jermay, Johnny Lonn, Arthur Casson, Stan Allen, Hayashi,
Kevin Gallagher, Mario Morris, Paul Megram, John Dixon, Paul Joyce, Brian
Sefton, David Plant, Will Gray, Matthew McGurk, Olmac, Magic Malky, Dave
Allen, Leslie Melville, Harry Robson and Alan Mylecraine. Plus 100+ magic
dealers from all over the world! For more information and registration
details visit
www.blackpoolmagic.com or ring Arthur Casson on 01253 393688.
21.1.06
Rev-illusion:
The New Age of Magic starring Scott Pepper premieres at the
West Cliff Theatre, Tower Road, Clacton-on-Sea, Essex CO15 1LE (Map)
on Saturday February 4th at 7.30pm. "Featuring amazing magic, hilarious
comedy and breath-taking brand new illusions. With the Magicians In Black,
award winning dove magic from Oliver Tabor, Howie and the Daz Man's Blues
Brothers tribute, and vocalist Carley D." West Cliff Theatre,
Clacton-on-Sea. Tickets £8.50 (concessions £7.50), family ticket (2+2)
£24.00. Box office 01255 433344.
21.1.06
Dobson's
Choice TV Stuff Volume 2 has just been released on DVD. Featuring
clips from Wayne's "A Kind of Magic" TV series, including: Pyramid, Coin
in Bottle, Silk in Cigarette, Egg Bag, Passage of Time, Amazing Tale,
Ringo Rabbit, Invisible Deck and Sam Shovel. Plus Bonus Footage: Sawing in
Half and Banana Drama, plus newly recorded commentary from Wayne Dobson.
This really is an excellent disc and represents great value for money at
just £17.00. To order visit
www.waynedobson.co.uk. Wayne lectures and performs at the Nottingham
Guild of Magicians on January 29th, see
What's On for details.
21.1.06
A
York festival devoted to the art of magic will take place in May 2006.
The four-day event will celebrate one of the world's oldest performance
arts, as well as mystifying and entertaining audiences across the city.
The York Magic Festival is being held from the 18th to 21st May and will
offer elegant mind-reading, slick sleight of hand and baffling street
performances. The festival is being supported by the City of York Council
and is expected to draw audiences from across the country. Festival
director Tom Sharp says "from medieval street performers to Victorian
stage conjurers, magic has always been a popular performance art. The York
Magic Festival aims to be a showcase for some of the UK's most talented
magicians." The official festival website will launch in two weeks.
21.1.06
Sudoku:
The Ultimate Mental Workout. "A spectator selects a random Sudoku
puzzle and copies it onto a large blank grid so that everyone can see the
puzzle. The magician studies the grid for a few seconds and then turns his
back and begins to instantly call out numbers. The entire Sudoku puzzle is
completed 'blind' by the magician. As an extra challenge, the spectator
can even be instructed to lie and miswrite the puzzle on the grid at the
beginning of the routine - not only will the magician be able to tell
which digits are incorrect, but also what they should be!" Available
shortly from
www.alakazam.co.uk in limited quantities... telephone 01233 663636 to
order (£79.99 - normally £89.99).
21.1.06
RSVPMagic.com
have recently added a number of new DVDs to their range, together with
their first trick release "Brain Drain" - visit
www.rsvpmagic.com
to see what's new.
21.1.06
The
Session is reviewed by Stuart Bowie this week. "In convention terms
The Session is the new kid on the block and this new kid will, I suspect,
set the standard to which others will aspire. From the outset the concept,
the style and the marketing of The Session was different: contemporary,
raw, edgy, street and cyberwise, a promise marking it out from the
sometimes faded glitz and glamour of some of the established conventions.
The promise was more than fulfilled. You've got it, I and the seventy
other registrants thought The Session was brilliant..." To read the full
review Click Here. The 30 page booklet,
Magic form The Session, for those who missed the day, is now
available online
Click
Here.
21.1.06
Virtual
Soundman - hands-free music and sound controller for professional
magicians. "Are you ready to have complete control over your music and
sound effects without any 'techies' or off-stage assistants? Now you can
remotely control all aspects of your program, hands-free! You can have
complete control over: volume, forward and reverse, pause, fades and more.
Not everyone can afford to hire a sound man full time to assist with their
programs. If that's true for you, then you need a 'virtual' sound man...
one you don't have to pay for or depend on for accurate cueing." To find
out more visit:
www.virtualsoundman.com.
21.1.06
Practical
Magic are delighted to announce that, after fifteen months in the
making, they have a new rabbit production on the market: Bingley
Brothers' Circus by Pat Fallon. "This is the item which caused huge
interest when it was published in 'Abra' as part of Pat's Triad
contributions to that magazine. It is also one of the highlights of Pat's
children's lecture." Bingley Brothers' Circus will be released
officially at the Blackpool Convention, but it is actually available now
for immediate delivery, or alternatively it can be ordered now and
collected at the Blackpool Convention. Visit
www.practical-magic.com.
21.1.06
Congratulations
to Colonel Custard (Paul Meagram) on winning the Watford Association
of Magicians Children's Entertainer of the Year competition at the club's
recent Children's' Christmas Party with an act that included Arial
Fishing, a Head Twister, unicycling, 5 ball juggling, a self levitation
and snow! Around 100 children and parents enjoyed the competition, which
is now set to become an annual event.
21.1.06
Mark
Worgan has just completed work on a small book on comedy called "Take
on Comedy?" It covers timing and visual and spontaneous humour, and
includes exercises to help the reader develop their comedy. Price £10.00
including postage. "Full of wonderful tips and ideas with practical
instructional tests you can do to help you become a comedy performer. Plus
12 pages of great gags and lines ready to use." A5, 46 pages, card backed,
£10.00 including delivery from
mark.worgan@btinternet.com.
21.1.06
Stephen
Tucker lectures at the Ace Magic Circle, St. Mary's Parocial Club,
Trent Road, Billinge, Nr. Wigan, Lancashire WN5 7QT (Map)
on Wednesday February 8th. Members £1.00 (50p junior) non-members £3.00
(£1.50 junior).
21.1.06
Terry
Herbert, Henrique (Alan Goodall) and Papalarny can all be seen in an
upcoming 40 minute programme for BBC4 called Children's Entertainers -
Under the Spotlight. We'll bring you transmission dates as soon as we have
them.
21.1.06
Black
Artefacts full colour, 24 page catalogue for 2006 is now available.
"Although the vast majority of our customers shop through our website we
recognise that some people do not have access to the internet and that
some people still prefer to browse a printed catalogue; so we have
re-launched our catalogue for 2006. I also believe that mail order
catalogues should be free!" said company boss, Keith Hart. To order your
copy telephone 01862 850009, email
kh@blackhart.co.uk or write to: Black Artefacts, 9 Lady Street,
Hilton-of-Cadboll, Ross & Cromarty IV20 1XE.
21.1.06
Manchester
Circle of Magicians are holding a Jumbo Magic Auction on Tuesday 31st
January, 2006 at Salford Masonic Hall, Hemsley House, 41 The Crescent,
Salford, Manchester commencing at 6.30pm. With star auctioneers Michael
Shepherd and Derek Lever hosting the event. Doors open at 5.30pm and
viewing commences at 6pm. Members admitted free. Non-members £3.00.
Hundreds of items have already been entered including top quality magic
books and over 50 Videos and DVDs including items by David Williamson, Jay
Sankey, Larry Becker and Aldo Colombini. Credit Card facilities available.
Private Bar and Car Park. With over 16 lots already accepted it promises
to be another long but very entertaining night. Further details from Derek
Lever on deriko@webaplomb.com
telephone: 01253 810113. For information on joining Manchester Circle of
Magicians visit
www.taurusmagic.net.
21.1.06
67%
of the UK's population is now online. Internet take-up in the UK
continues to be amongst the highest in the world.
www.childrenspartyshows.co.uk - The UK Directory of Children's
Party Entertainers is now producing thousands of bookings for its
advertisers. On Friday morning a new advertiser called to say he'd
received his first booking within 24 hours of being added to the
directory. Advertisers constantly tell us that their old Yellow Pages
advertising simply isn't generating the volume of new business that it
used to. To advertise on Children's Party Shows see
the link on the contact page:
www.childrenspartyshows.co.uk (from the makers of MagicWeek).
21.1.06
The Professional Magic Dealers Association have released news of their aims and objectives. See Articles. 21.1.06
Magic Car Boot Sale. Now in it's 13th year the twice yearly Magic Car Boot Sale organised by Alec Powell at The Beechmen Circus Warehouse, 43 Union Street, West Bromwich, B70 6DA will take place on Sunday 5th February 2006. Doors open at 9.30am and admission is just £3.00. There will be around 25 stalls of new and used magic. Dealers include Keith Bennett, Hocus Pocus, Merlins, Practical Magic and World Magic. Hot breakfasts are available and the venue is only a couple of minutes drive from Junction 1 on the M5. Further details from Alec on 07831 115448. For more details and a map visit: www.albionmagiccompany.co.uk. 21.1.06
Happy
Days - The Magic Show. The Fonz is asked to step in for an inebriated
magician in a repeat of the classic TV show.
10.30am on Friday 27th January on Paramount Comedy Channel and again at
11.30am on Paramount Comedy Channel Plus 1. See
TV Magic • Sam Cross
reviews the RaMa Deck this week,
Click
Here • "Hat's the way to do it"
Click Here • "David Copperfield will work to convert State College
audience"
Click Here • "He does everything but sing"
Click Here • "Famed illusionist Copperfield always has a backup plan"
Click Here • "'Houdini' to cast a spell"
Click Here • "Wake Forest students introduce drama, stage illusions in
'Awakening'"
Click Here • "Now That's Magic!"
Click Here • "It's a kind of magic. What separates art from the world
of magicianship? Very little, discovers Adrian Searle, after seeing three
shows that make him question reality"
Click Here • Your UK magic news is always welcomed, see you next week,
Duncan. 21.1.06