Number 318 - 29th July 2006
British
Ring Convention 2006 - update: John Calvert will deliver the Jeffery
Atkins Memorial Lecture at this year's British Ring convention in
September. It was after seeing Thurston's "Wondershow of the Universe"
aged eight that he decided to pursue a career in magic. During the 1940's
and 50's John's grace, charm and good looks took him to Hollywood where he
made 40 movies. He is best known for his starring role as a
magician/detective in the Falcon. During World War II his magic show ran
for five months in Hollywood and Gary Cooper, Cary Grant, Danny Kaye and
Edgar Bergen with Charlie McCarthy all helped on stage. At last year's
Magic Circle Centenary convention John's sleight of hand magic as he
walked through the audience was one of the highlights. At 95 years of age,
John Calvert's energy and enthusiasm for performing and lecturing remains
undiminished. Siegfried and Roy on John Calvert,
Click Here. For the latest on the convention and to register online
visit
www.britishring.org.uk. 29.7.06
Dynamo
signs worldwide deal with Warner Vision International. British street
magician Dynamo has signed a distribution deal with Warner Vision
International for his debut mainstream DVD release. Dynamo, real name
Steven Frayne, shot to fame a year ago with his self-made promotional DVD
entitled 'Underground Magic' which saw him performing for numerous
musicians and celebrities including actress Gwyneth Paltrow. Underground
Magic resulted in national media attention with a double page spread in
the Sun newspaper, the front page of the Guardian Guide, and a spot on the
UK's biggest day-time show Richard and Judy. In April this year he became
the star of MTV's 'Barrio 19' where he performed magic to British band
'The Streets'. Soon after, he was commissioned by Channel 4 to star in his
own special, 'Dynamo's Estate of Mind' which aired in May. Frank Brunger,
senior vice president of Warner Vision International said "we are truly
excited to be involved with Dynamo's DVD release, his distinctive style is
a breath of fresh air and anyone who has seen him perform will testify to
his unbelievable talent." Dynamo's DVD, provisionally entitled 'Dynamo's
Concrete Playground' will be made through his own production company
'Inner Circle Films' and is due to be released later this year.
Look out for Dynamo in the upcoming Pop video for The Raconteurs. "All the magic was performed live on location without the aid of CGI or trick camera work and the reactions you see are all genuine. It was amazing working with the band, we got a phone call the week before and I really didn't know what to expect, but all the guys were really cool and even challenged me to a game of cards!" Said Dynamo. The video will be released on July 31st through XL Recordings www.dynamoworld.com. 29.7.06
Seeing
double! Dirty Tricks star Pete Firman couldn't quite believe
his eyes last week whilst clicking on a link featuring magic clips from
Italy's new TV magic show Arcana (featured in an article in
MagicWeek couple of weeks go, see
Articles). Here's a
link to Pete's original routine
Click
Here which first aired on October 7th 2005 on Channel 4, but was
actually conceived in 2004 (the performance was originally recorded for
the pilot of the programme in November 2004). And here is a link to
Arcana's recent version, performed by Francesco Scimemi
Click Here - draw your own conclusions! 29.7.06
Important
news for all children's entertainers! Do not, repeat not, accept any
more bookings... until you have checked that they don't clash with the
weekday children's entertainers' event, Kidology, which is on Tuesday,
September 5th 2006 in Wolverhampton. Organisers Albion Magic and Practical
Magic have just added a Balloon Surgery with Graham Lee (see photo). This
is your chance to learn a new twist, correct a problem or seek advice.
Graham will be on hand throughout the day to help you. In addition to
Graham, there are lectures from Andy Clockwise, Ian Thom, Quentin Reynolds
and Scott Penrose, and an ideas session on original magic and Christmas
magic. Plus 12 specialist dealers with all the latest items, as well as
lunch, all for just £30.00. Full details on Practical Magic's website at
www.practical-magic.com or phone 01691 690789. 29.7.06
Richard
Leigh presents a Late Night Magic Special: Malcolm Marvelle - Master
of Mystery and the lovely Rita (The Road to Edinburgh Show) "Everything I
love... magic, comedy and pure terror!" Reece Shearsmith (The League of
Gentlemen). Friday 11th August at 11pm. Doors and bar open at 10.45pm.
Jermyn Street Theatre, 16b Jermyn Street, London SW1Y 6ST (Map).
1 minute walk from Piccadilly Tube Station. £12.00 in advance - £14.00 on
the door. Dinner, close-up magic and Late Night Magic Cabaret £36.00. Box
Office 020 7287 2875 Full details
www.falseimpressions.com. 29.7.06
David
Stone: The Real Secrets of Magic. Jean-Luc Bertrand and David Stone,
winners of the first Magic Film Festival in Las Vegas with their short
movie "The Real Secrets of Magic" will be at FISM to present their new DVD
production. This two hour production is adapted from David Stone's book
"Close-up: The Real Secrets of Magic", a best seller in France, all about
table hopping, strolling and restaurant magic. For more information and to
see a clip visit
www.realsecretsofmagic.com. 29.7.06
Recently
launched, Unearthly Magic will be selling a small, exclusive, range of
original magic from a variety of creators. Currently featuring a number of
new ideas from Brian Caswell, the site offers a free online newsletter for
magic enthusiasts (subscribe online) and also offers free bonus material
for download from time to time. Above all, after the success of 'Trilogy'
and its offshoots, Brian Caswell and Unearthly Magic are particularly
excited about 'Cataclysm'. Using regular bicycle stock, the effect takes
the numbers on cards concept to an astonishing new level. Cataclysm is
available now. Visit
www.unearthlymagic.com today! 29.7.06
Colour
Change Waistcoat - Special Offer. The pre-order discount period for
the "Colour Change Waistcoat" featured in MagicWeek last week ends on
Friday 4th of August. This is your last chance to take advantage of the
special offer price. Lee Alex emails "Production of all waistcoats that
have already been pre-ordered will commence on Tuesday of this week, so
everything is on schedule. The final product will be available for
worldwide delivery by the end of the second week of August. Apart from the
UK, the first waistcoats will be going to the States, Japan, Singapore,
Germany, France, Spain and Holland." If you haven't seen the online video
yet visit
www.magicwaistcoat.com - it looks great! (Allow time for video to
load). 29.7.06
Radio
Magic. After celebrating one year of weekly broadcasts on Monday 24th
July 2006, Radio Magic are heading into new magical territory by offering
their loyal listeners audio downloads from the world’s top magicians. In
order to research, record and produce first class material they will no
longer be broadcasting a live weekly show. Radio Magic would like to thank
all of their listeners for being a part of the world's number one radio
show dedicated to magic and magicians. Your support has helped them create
magical history. Keep up-to-date with these exciting changes and more via
www.radiomagic.co.uk. 29.7.06
Congratulations
to Alex Cahill, winner of the Nottingham Guild of Magicians Close-up
Competition for a second year running last week. Alex performed his
version of "selected card in sealed card box" together with his cups and
balls routine and a card production sequence to music. There were six
other competitors and the competition was reported as being strong. 29.7.06
Andy
Nyman. Here's another chance to see Andy Nyman in his award winning
film 'Shut Up & Shoot Me'. It's playing at the Edinburgh Film Festival on
the 21st and 22nd August. To book tickets visit
www.edfilmfest.org.uk. Andy will be there with the director for a Q &
A session on the 21st, so do say hello if you go. 29.7.06
Annual
Dinner. Associated Conjurers of East Sussex would like to invite
magicians to their Annual Dinner at 7.30pm on November 11th to be held at
Pelham House, a beautiful Georgian house in the heart of Lewes, East
Sussex. Featuring a three course meal (vegetarians catered for) with
close-up magic during the meal and cabaret from Jon Allen. Limited tickets
available from President Martin Lewis or Secretary Nicky Moon Secretary,
telephone 01903 532413.
www.acesmagic.co.uk. 29.7.06
An Evening of Music and Magic. Tomorrow, Sunday, July 30th, Poole. Magician Jamie Adams presents a charity showcase to raise money for a little girl (Cherri) who is suffering from leukemia. The Show will be held at the Branksome St Aldhelms Centre, Poole Road, Poole (opposite the Woodman pub and the Bowling Alley at Branksome) on Sunday July 30th. Doors open at 6.15pm for a 7pm start. Tickets are just £5.00 (buffet included) from Mike Danata's Magic Studio, or can be reserved by calling Mike on 01202 391666, email danata@lineone.net or from Jamie Adams on 01425 611589. Tickets will also be available on the door. Jamie Adams, Paul Hyland, Kelly Adams and Wesley Stone will all be performing and Mike Danata will be coming out of retirement for the evening to perform a thirty minute spot. 29.7.06
"Turning tricks - Louise Welsh's latest novel, The Bullet Trick, features a down-at-heel magician, a corrupt Soho club-owner and a troupe of burlesque strippers. Paul Hamilos talks to Welsh about what attracts her to the shadowy world of the demimonde." Click Here • James Peters returns to Escape Magic. After a two year break, James Peters' Escape Magic Ministry is once again available for bookings both nationally and internationally. Visit www.escape-magic.co.uk for more information or email bookjames@escape-magic.co.uk • David Lees has been producing a newsletter for magicians, ventriloquists and clowns for the past year . See www.magictricksforyou.com for back issues and more information • Chris Cox had a big feature in The Bristol Evening Post and Venue magazine last week. New celebrity fans include Chris Moyles, Scott Mills, Kirsten O'Brien, Nikki (of Big Brother fame) and Ice Cube! Look out for his show at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August, see What's On for dates and preview dates www.chriscox.info • "magic.gb.com" domain name for sale on ebay.co.uk (item number 200010840041 ends Monday evening) contact Paul Craven magic@paulcraven.com for more details • Please note the Friday 12 noon deadline for all news submissions. That's it for this week, see you next week, Duncan. 29.7.06