Number 421 - 19th July 2008

The International Magic Convention has always had a reputation for bringing exciting new names to the UK. In the past, David Williamson, Lennert Green, Gary Kurtz, Raymond Crowe and many, many others have made their UK magic convention debuts at the International Magic Convention. This year (November 28th-30th at The Shaw Theatre, London) the organisers have gone one step further. All the performers will be making their very first UK magic convention appearance and all types of magic will be catered for: new illusions, new manipulators, new close-uppers, new comedy magicians and even new mentalists making an appearance!

Noel Britten, talent booker for the convention said: "People have moaned at many conventions I've been to that it's the same old faces at every convention nowadays, so I decided to something about it. The worry was that by following this path we might have to drop the standard of performing, but I'm delighted to say that this hasn't been the case and we have one of our strongest line ups ever with FISM winners, award-winning lecturers and performers, and top notch world class acts, all who have just never performed at an English convention." One of the highlights of last year's convention was the performance of Guy Hollingworth's "Expert at the Card Table" one man show on the Friday evening. A departure from the usual Friday night lecture format. It worked so well as an opening event that this year the format is being recreated, with a one-man show by internationally recognised Card Cheat Richard Turner. Although Richard has been featured twice on the Paul Daniels TV Show this will be his first British magic convention performance featuring his full show, and something not to be missed. Richard, the man of whom Dai Vernon said, "He performs the most difficult of moves with the greatest of ease. I doubt if anyone can equal him" is taking time out of his hectic schedule to both perform at the convention and also lecture on the Saturday. For more on the convention visit: www.internationalmagic.com. 19.7.08

Marc Salem's Out Of His Mind, London, 22nd - 27th July. Returning to London for a seventh time, Marc Salem brings his incredible show to the Shaw Theatre this week. Last week he was in Leeds and Jon Gordon reviewed that show, Click Here. "So you don’t believe in mind readers….? This consummate performer takes audiences on a fascinating journey into the workings of the mind and along the way he shares a few secrets, in his own funny, engaging and irreverent way. As an entertainer Marc has performed around the world, astounding and entertaining millions with his finely honed sense of humour and his baffling performance. A thoroughly engaging performer, Marc's interactive demonstrations delight and amaze audiences of all ages." Shaw Theatre, 100 Euston Road, London NW1 2AJ. Box Office 0871 594 3123 www.theshawtheatre.com 22nd-27th July, Evenings 8pm, Tickets £30 Golden Circle £50, however as a concession to MagicWeek readers, Theatre Director Brian Daniels is offering £30.00 tickets at £20.00, for telephone bookings only. You must phone 0871 594 3123 and mention the "Leeds Festival review by Jon Gordon on MagicWeek" when booking. (This deal is not available online.) 19.7.08

Ian Kendall presents The Golden Age of Magic. Edinburgh Fringe, August 1st - 16th at 9pm. Ian Kendall’s new show harks back to a time before camera tricks and fancy editing. In fact, it goes back to a time before cameras – the Golden Age, as it is known, was a period between 1850 and 1930 when magicians were feted around the world and often treated as the rock stars of the day. Shows would run for months at a time and play to packed houses night after night. Many of the effects and routines from those days survive today, and it is from this rich collection that Ian Kendall draws his inspiration for the show. Mixing historical anecdotes about the origins of the routines with the humour and charm for which he has become known, Ian performs magical effects that would have amazed theatre goers one hundred years ago. Ian Kendall is a Fringe veteran, and can lay claim to be the true spirit of the Fringe. 2008 marks his seventeenth year performing at Edinburgh. He is completely self funded, without producers or promoters, and takes pride in working hard to provide top quality entertainment for the audience. Ian has put on shows in most of the genres of the Fringe, from street performing on the Mound, to schlepping round the many cabaret bars of the mid nineties and over ten years of successful stage shows in main venues. His popularity has been rewarded by a growing band of regular supporters, and he has been awarded the Fringe’s official ‘Sell Out Show’ logo for the last two years. In a festival where the true measure of a show is bums on seats, this goes a long way to recognise why Ian stands out from the crowd. Ian Kendall’s The Golden Age of Magic, Zoo Venues, 1st-16th August at 9pm (50 minutes). Contact Ian Kendall on 07966 155 042 or m@gician.info, www.iankendall.com, www.goldenageofmagic.com. 19.7.08

An Evening of Magic and Illusion - Nottingham. The Nottingham Guild of Magicians are once again staging An Evening of Magic and Illusion at The Bonington Theatre, Arnold Leisure Centre, Arnold, Nottingham NG5 7EE (Map). Freddie Wilkinson emails "This time we are delighted to have with us Andrew Van Buren & Co who will be performing his stunning plate spinning and juggling act and his illusions too, the mind reader Graham P. Jolley, IBM winners High Jinx, the one and only Patrick Page and due to numerous requests for his return, Roy Davenport." Sunday, 14th September, show time 7.30pm - 10pm, (Doors open at 7pm), Tickets are £12.50 and are on sale now. Andrew Van Buren, Patrick Page and Roy Davenport will also be lecturing during the afternoon in the Theatre Bar 2pm - 5.45pm (Doors open 1.45pm) and only £5.00 for all 3 lectures. Tickets for both events can be booked via Freddie Wilkinson on 0115 9614551 www.nottinghamguildofmagicians.co.uk. 19.7.08

Geoffrey Durham lectures at the Wolverhampton Circle of Magicians at 7.30pm on Wednesday, 30th July. Visiting magicians welcome (£10.00 door charge). The club meets at the West End Working Men's Club, Meridale Street West, Wolverhampton WV3 0RW (Map). 19.7.08

Discover how to break into the school show market with the School Show Business Package: "If you’ve ever thought about making a living performing magic in schools, then the SSBP is for you. It is a practical, informative guide to help you get started in the specialised field of educational school shows, and it includes the UK performance rights to Charlie’s two highly-acclaimed school shows: 'Let’s Talk Rubbish!' and 'H.E.L.P.' – Healthy Eating Lifestyle Programme. Imagine earning money doing something you love while making a difference in the lives of children (and teachers!). Check out the School Show Business Package now in limited release." Visit www.magicassembly.co.uk/SSBP.htm for details. 19.7.08

"Mind magician Drew McAdam takes time out from his stage show to teach a Primary 7 class some powerful memory techniques that we can all use" Click Here. This is the first of four episodes which will be going out every Monday. Drew also now has a regular spot as "The Interrogator" in the Trisha Goddard Show, Click Here. 19.7.08

Mel Mellers lectures at the Downtown Magic Club, The Downtown Diner, Park Street, Ashford, Kent TN24 8LS (Map) on Monday 21st July at 7.30pm. Guests are welcome at just £10.00 per head and the doors will be open from 7.30pm with the lecture starting at 8pm. For more information contact Chris Harding chris@chris-harding.co.uk. Michael Vincent lectures at the club on Monday 18th August. Two excellent evenings await! 19.7.08

Zane's Magic Shop has a brand new website featuring an all-new look and layout. "We offer lots of new tricks and DVDs at very competitive prices and most have video demo's so customers can see what they are buying." The site looks great, is very user friendly, and will be updated regularly. Visit www.zanesmagicshop.com today! 19.7.08

Hat Trick for Jack. Jon Marshall reports: In the finals of the Spooner Trophy Competition [see last week's News], Hull Magicians’ Circle’s competition for Young Magicians, held last Saturday, 13 year old Jack Gleadow won for the third year running. David Hoyes, 16, came a very close second and also won the Tadman Trophy for themed magic performed throughout the year. Also taking part were Aleks Pawinski and Joe Harper. Guest magician, Michael Jordan, from Huddersfield entertained while the judge’s marks were added up. Other young magicians, Jason Hoodlass and Kai Whymes entertained the audience with pre-show close-up magic. Hull Magician, Paul Kitchen, himself a former Spooner Trophy winner, compered. The trophies, including magic vouchers from Merlins were presented to all entrants by Hull Magicians’ Circle President, Eddie Dawes. For the first time a President’s Award was given for progress, attendance and enthusiasm to a young magician nominated by Humberside Young Magician’s Workshop leaders. The first recipient was Jason Hoodlass. 19.7.08

David Regal - London lecture. David Regal is presenting a lecture for International Magic in London on Friday 1st August at their usual venue - 'Casa Italiana', 136 Clerkenwell Road, London EC1R 5DL (Map). Those interested in attending should email or phone Martin MacMillan: martin@internationalmagic.com or 020 7405 7324. 7.15pm for a prompt 7.30pm start, finishes approximately 9.45pm. £10 per person. 19.7.08

Birmingham Magic Auction. A magic auction hosted by The British Magical Society with guest auctioneers Derek Lever and Mike Shepherd will take place on Tuesday August 12th at 7.30pm featuring over 500 lots, a genuine Chung Ling Soo poster. Venue: The Selly Oak Ex-Sevicemen's Club, 8 Selly Hill Road, Selly Oak, Birmingham B29 7DL (Map). £3.00 entrance fee for non BMS members, doors open at 7pm. For more information contact John Jeremy treasurer@britishmagicalsociety.co.uk 01827 715660. 19.7.08

News from Alakazam Magic! Peter Nardi is delighted to announce the launch of the all-new Alakazam Magic USA! Already a success in its first two weeks of trading this US based branch of Alakazam carries hundreds of different lines as well as having all of the exclusive Alakazam lines in stock for faster, cheaper, stateside shipping. Visit www.alakazam-usa.com for more details, competitions and offers! Also look out for two fantastic new releases from Alakazam - "Thoughtless" and "E.S.Perfect: The Project" more details on Alakazam UK and Alakazam USA. Peter and Jenny fly off to the IBM/SAM convention this weekend to exhibit all the latest from Alakazam. Michael Rappa, the head of the US office, will also be there - look out for some previews of things to come! 19.7.08

WorldMagicShop.co.uk will be attending the IBM/SAM convention in Kentucky, where they'll be launching a couple of new products (which can currently be pre-ordered), one of which is the Mirage Coin Set. Pre-order today to receive a free gift of your choice! Visit: www.worldmagicshop.co.uk. 19.7.08

Stuart and Jayne Loughland (AKA Safire Illusionists) have been asked for the fourth time to appear at the Bolsover Castle 2008 Firework Extravaganza on October 25th. Originally appearing just with their illusion act, Stuart last year actually hosted the whole event presenting the hour-long show to the crowd of 6,000. This year's theme is Science Fiction so Stuart will be appearing throughout the show as the many faces of Dr Who. Also appearing on the day will be Safire’s new Hi Tech Magic Robots who next year will be featured doing their own spot in The Chuckle Brothers 2009 UK Theatre Tour entitled “Chuckle Trek: The Next Generation. Details and dates soon. 19.7.08

Hypnotist Jonathan Royle has just announced the release of Mobile Magic: "The ultimate toolkit for Magicians, Mentalists & Hypnotists. Full details are at www.magicalguru.com however email Jon on mobile@magicalguru.com and he will tell you how to order and get a 50% 'pre-launch' discount when you mention MagicWeek." 19.7.08

Magicians Cave Productions are now offering free recorded delivery on all UK orders £20.00 www.magicianscave.co.uk. 19.7.08

Miss Direction was placed 2nd in the National Drag Idol Competition that we featured in MagicWeek recently. Hundreds competed so it was a great result. Meanwhile Steve Dela's card flourishes and sleights can be seen on a brand new interactive poker channel soon. Steve had to film hours of sleights and has been asked to appear as a guest on the channel to demonstrate skills with cards. Details when we have them. www.stevedela.com. 19.7.08

Darren Wray will be starring in Brittany Ferries summer variety show as Mr Misfit, the horrible headmaster with magical powers! Click Here. 19.7.08

Project Entertainment. Dale Connelly emails: In April 2009 I am taking out a project with the help of the charity Hand In Hand which will allow an orphanage of 150+ children to enjoy Circus Workshops, Arts & Crafts Workshops, Magic Workshops, Fun & Game Workshops. Project Entertainment is a new project which has a vision to bring a smile to the world. We will be based at an orphanage just outside Nairobi. To run these workshops we need a collection of circus and magic equipment to use in these workshops, which will allow us to be able to make a positive difference to these young children. If you could help us, help them, then please send an email to daleconnelly@hotmail.co.uk with any items of circus or magic equipment you would like to donate to 'Project Entertainment' and we'll get back to you with our head office postal address. Everybody who does donate will be kept up to date on how their donated Circus & Magic equipment helped 'Project Entertainment'." 19.7.08

Bob Percy performed close-up magic at Oxford's Cornbury Festival last week, both in the V.I.P area and for the regular festival goers. Bob's magic was well received as always - his greatest trick keeping his cards dry in the rain! David Cameron and Jeremy Clarkson were spotted amongst the visitors. www.bobpercy.com. 19.7.08

Manchester based Close-up Magicians Wanted! Anna Cajzner of G Cap Media emails: "Close-up Magicians wanted for a big media party in Manchester. The cream of the media industry will be brought together on the 27th of September for a Charity Masquerade Ball. Celebrities and execs from the radio/ TV world to attend. As this is for charity basic travel expenses will be covered. This is a great networking opportunity - a chance to put business cards into the hands of some of the most powerful people in media Manchester!" Email anna.cajzner@gcapmedia.com for details. 19.7.08

The Polo Deck - new from Kovari Magic. Kovari emails: "We know that you have never heard of the Polo Deck, because it is new. Yes, would you believe it, a new trick deck? But it is more then that. We've taken a principle and transformed it into something totally different from anything you have before. With the Polo Deck you can do lots of card tricks, but also so much more. With the polo system you can perform effects that have never been done with a deck of cards. It is original and quite unique in concept. All you use is the deck itself, but if you add a few everyday items like a piece of ribbon, a pencil etc. it takes you into a new realm of magic with cards. Instructions by Patrick Page. The Polo Deck costs £10 + £1 postage." www.kovarimagic.com. 19.7.08

Paul Zenon's On The Bus is reviewed by Jay Fortune this week, Click Here • "Magical couple first to wed in The Magic Circle" Click Here • "Mask changing an ancient art" (Video) Click Here (amazing!) and "Sooty 60-years old this week" (Video) Click Here (many thanks to Phil Smith for those two links) • "Paul Daniels is still working his magic" Click Here • "Forget the magic, it's all about sex appeal" Click Here • Keith Barry's Hypnomagician show at the Bloomsbury Theatre, London, that we featured in issue number 417 was cancelled at very short notice due to lack of ticket sales • Magic Circle members Ian Souch and Clive Winterton entertained guests at the Hotel Kentrikon on the Greek island of Evia recently, with close-up magic and Ian's mentalist cabaret spot, www.mentalmagicman.co.uk • "British Variety: Paul Daniels and Frank Carson retire? You must be joking" Click Here • "Criss Angel To Perform In Florida Hotel Implosion on July 30th" Click Here • Thanks for your news items, always welcomed (please remember the Friday 12 noon deadline for Saturday). See you next week, Duncan. 19.7.08

© www.magicweek.co.uk