Number 541 - 6th November 2010
Carl-Einar
Häckner: Big in Sweden. Delightfully shambolic comedy, magic, music
and illusion. A mega-star in the land of the midnight sun, Carl-Einar
Häckner is living proof that Swedes can offer more to showbiz than
bell-bottomed jumpsuits and 70s pop anthems. Apparently clueless, yet
full of brilliantly executed routines, this masterful fool - a star of
La Clique at the Roundhouse last year - has wowed audiences
worldwide with his unique brand of comedy, magic, music and illusion.
"This blonde-locked buffoon is a brilliantly silly Ikea Tommy Cooper,
pulling endless magic shop tricks out of his tatty bag." Evening
Standard. 2nd - 22nd December at 8pm (no shows Sundays). Tickets:
£12.50, £10 concessions and groups 8+ (groups by phone/in person only).
Venue: Roundhouse Studio Theatre, Chalk Farm Road, London NW1 8EH (Map).
Book online via
www.roundhouse.org.uk.
6.11.10
Conjuring
at the Court – Thursday 25th November. "We do our best to offer you
a great line-up but this month it’s really something special with the
very funny John Archer, psychological illusionist Luke Jermay, magic
from India with Bharat Patel, comedy from zany Wes Zaharuk (photo), and
hosted by mighty sorceror Neil Henry. Our regular venue is being
refurbished, so this is our second and last show at the
Inn on the Green,
3-5 Thorpe Close, Ladbroke Grove W10 5XL. The pub is a 5 minute walk
from Ladbroke Grove station, and there’s free on-street parking from
6.30pm. Thorpe Close runs between Ladbroke Grove and Portobello Road.
It’s under the Westway flyover, and the pub is above the Portobello
Green Fitness Club. Doors open at 7.30pm, the show starts at 8pm and
continues to around 10pm. Tickets £10 from
www.conjuringatthecourt.com or by email
tickets@conjuringatthecourt.com. With this line-up tickets will go
quickly this month: don’t miss out!" Russell Levinson.
6.11.10
Magic
Night at Christmas. Friday, 3rd December, London. "Magic Night does
Xmas with a mentalist, a superfast yoyo man, a smashed egg and multiple
personalities! Mind reader Luke Jermay unearths your past and predicts
your future as he strolls through your mind – is he psychic? We don’t
know just keep your minds blank. Aaron Sparks meanwhile cuts the air and
shakes your eyes with his superfine yoyo in a routine that is part
breakdance, part illusion and definitely record breaking. Lee Hathaway,
the tall Paul Daniels, smashes his way into objects to recover your
goods and physical chameleon Anil Desai becomes every celebrity you have
ever known in a breathtaking comedy routine. All expertly presided over
by mighty sorceror Neil Henry." Doors open 6.30pm, Show starts at
7.45pm. Tickets £12 including after show club. Show ticket plus dinner
and club entry: £37. Tickets via
www.ticketweb.co.uk
or call 08444 77 1000. Madame JoJo’s, 8-10 Brewer Street, London W1F 0SP (Map).
Tube: Piccadilly Circus. 020 7734 3040 - More info:
www.magicnight.co.uk.
6.11.10
Physical
Amusements and Diverting Experiments. Bonhams Auction, 23rd
November, London. Giusepe Pinetti (1750-?1800) was one of the leading
magicians of the last quarter of the eighteenth century. Physical
Amusements, published in the same year as the first edition printed in
Paris, describes his most celebrated illusions, including: "Curious
method of restoring life, in two minutes, a fly that has been drowned
even twenty-four hours", "To change a colour of a rose", "How to shoot a
swallow flying... and after, to find means to bring it to life again",
"A curious secret to make a card pass from one hand to the other" (and
four other card tricks), "To extinguish a wax candle at eight or a
hundred paces distance, by firing a gun loaded with ball...", "To pull
off any person's shirt, without undressing him".
www.bonhams.com.
6.11.10
The
Impressions Show with Culshaw and Stephenson. 10.25pm on Sunday 14th
November on BBC 1. Jon Culshaw and Debra Stephenson return with a new
series of their sketch show, featuring a host of new characters
alongside returning favourites like Davina McCall. Jon and Debra take on
Katie Price, Steven Gerrard, Derren Brown and Lady Gaga, plus Pat from
EastEnders and Ken from Coronation Street as you've never imagined them
before. See TV Magic
for listings.
6.11.10
Nick
Einhorn MIMC will present a new lecture for The Ilford Magical
Society at The Parkside Community Centre, 176 Goodmayes Lane, Goodmays,
Ilford IG3 9PP (Map)
on Wednesday 10th November at 8pm. Visitors very welcome, £10 on the
door.
6.11.10
The
London Society of Magicians present The Fleetwood Notes. A mentalism
lecture by Marc Paul. All of the effects taught in this lecture have
been performed by Marc at some point. Most of them he still uses on a
regular basis. You'll find that each effect has a very direct plot and
usually a simple method behind that plot. In many cases one simple piece
of deception is used to create multiple results." Friday 26th November,
non members welcome, tickets £10.00 from Bob Pamplin
bob@lsmmagic.co.uk 020 8504
0979. Venue: Davenports Magic Studio, Charing Cross Underground Arcade,
The Strand, London WC2N 4HZ (Map)
www.lsmmagic.co.uk.
6.11.10
Jay
Scott Berry will be joining David Williamson at the forthcoming
Shenanigans Convention in Dublin, Ireland, next year. "Shenanigans is a
small intimate convention typically averaging 120 registrants. Like many
conventions of our size we endeavour to book acts and presentations to
cater to a broad spectrum of magical interest. Our acts usually stay in
the headquarters hotel for the entire weekend giving you the opportunity
to hang out and session with them till your hearts content."
Shenanigans, The Irish Magic Convention, in association with IBM Ring 85
and hosted by The Society of Irish Magicians runs from 29th April to 1st
May 2011 at the four star
Crowne Plaza Blanchardstown, Dublin. To find out more visit
www.irishmagicconvention.com.
6.11.10
Dreamflight
Ball, Windsor - Magicians Wanted. Matthew Stokes emails: "I have
just returned from a trip with the charity Dreamflight, taking 192
seriously sick children for a once in a lifetime trip to Florida. It was
an amazing trip, and the kids had a fantastic time. It’s such a great
charity, doing really great work for some very brave children with
hundreds of volunteers ensuring the best trip ever. For the last 24
years the charity has organized the same trip, funded purely from
donations and fund raising. Each trip costs over £800,000, and the main
source for fundraising are Balls held up and down the UK organized by
Dreamflight
volunteers. One of the largest is held each year in Windsor, and this
year’s promises to be even bigger and better. A couple of magicians have
agreed to provide their services throughout the evening performing close
up magic, but a few more are needed. If you are a close up magician, and
able to offer your services on 27th November, please get in touch with
one of the organisers, Neil Parsons, on 01608 684068 or email
parsons.neil@yahoo.co.uk"
www.dreamflightball.co.uk.
6.11.10
Law
and Order: Criminal Intent - Vanishing Act, 10pm on Wednesday 17th
November on Five. "A magician disappears during a live-burial trick and
is later found dead miles away from the location of his performance.
Goren and Eames' investigation takes them deep into the mysterious world
of magic as they try to unravel the conjuror's final act to identify the
murderer. Starring: Vincent D'Onofrio, Kathryn Erbe, Eric Bogosian,
Leslie Hendrix, Christopher Lloyd." 10pm on Wednesday 17th November on
Five. See TV Magic.
6.11.10
Happy
Birthday Blackpool. Saturday 13th November marks the second
anniversary of the opening of the prestigious headquarters of Blackpool
Magicians’ Club. Several hundred people attended the official opening by
Britain’s top comedian Ken Dodd OBE in 2008. Since then the headquarters
has been the venue for lectures from some of the world’s leading
magicians as well as other events. Members and Associates have use of
the library, can purchase items from the shop, admire the displays of
magic props and chat with friends at the bar. There is also a close-up
room and a well appointed theatre. Few people in Blackpool, not even
taxi drivers, know the location of the headquarters for it is in an
almost secret location, hidden behind a building in Sherbourne Road -
the actual address being Rear of No.1, Sherbourne Road, North Shore,
Blackpool FY1 2PW, England. Associate membership, which costs only £25 a
year, is open to magicians world-wide, and provides access to the
clubroom for up to twelve visits a year to enjoy the fabulous line up of
star lecturers, as well all the other facilities the headquarters has to
offer. Visit
www.blackpoolmagic.com for more details and to download an
application form.
6.11.10
Tales
From the Darker Side. Exploring Leicester's Darker Side
Psychological investigator Dr Nicolas Grimoire is conducting his unusual
experiments at Leicester's ancient Guildhall this coming Friday
(November 12th) and looking forward to entertaining a slightly smaller
audience than he worked with over the Halloween weekend. "English
Heritage asked me to perform ten separate shows over two very spooky
night's at Bolsover Castle. We calculated that something like eight
hundred people watched the twenty minute performances over the course of
those two nights. Exhausting, of course, but great fun to do," the
doctor reported. The Leicester audience can expect the full length
Gothic magic show of around 90 minutes in length. Tickets are available
directly from the venue by calling 0116 2532569.
6.11.10
Magicseen,
November 2010. Editor Mark Leveridge writes: Magicseen Issue 35 for
November 2010 is out and about now and is full of magical goodies to
brighten your day. Jon Allen, international performer and award winner,
graces our cover and is one of five interviews in this issue. For the
others we talk to Fabrini, one half of the famous Vik and Fabrini act,
to Kennedy, the young northern mentalist, to Jack Curtis, who even
manages to pass on some presentation tips for close uppers and
mentalists, and to Andrew Melia, who recently won The Next Uri Geller TV
show in Holland. As well as personalities issue 35 also gives you
advice. Want to learn how to succeed at entertaining in restaurants? Let
Matthew Dowden, Iain Moran, Jayne Corrigan, Shaun McCree, David Willmott
and Harry Robson tell you how. We also explain how to put together a
magazine advertising campaign, we set you magical moral dilemmas
designed to make you think, and in our Masterclass we offer a funny
stand up routine and a close up effect. All this plus a round up of
reviews of the magic acts at the Edinburgh Fringe, a report on Michael
Ammar's lecture from his recent tour, news of what went on at the first
LADs convention and as usual several pages of product reviews too. All
this and more can be yours as an instant download, or as a single
printed copy or as part of a 1 or 2 year sub right now from
www.magicseen.co.uk.
6.11.10
Ed
Hilsum is already known as a very successful stage artist with his
award winning dove and manipulation act. Despite being in his first year
at University, he still found time to put together a series of magical
items to take on Roberto Forzoni in the Bexley Magic Society’s Challenge
Medal Competition last Wednesday. As the challenger, he was allowed to
select five categories of magic . As the holder, Roberto was not allowed
to use any effects he had used previously. Ed settled on Production,
Close-up, Rope, Vanish and Transposition. Roberto, performing first,
produced a glass of water from the empty sleeve of a borrowed jacket. He
moved on to cups and balls and then performed the Nick Einhorn ring and
rope routine with Nicks Pro Flite thrown in for good measure. He then
vanished a borrowed ring which ended up in a nest of boxes to close. Ed
followed with a silk production at fingertips, three fly, borrowed ring
to toy dog collar. He performed a version of unequal ropes and concluded
with Extreme Burn. It proved to be enough in a close run competition. Ed
(pictured with his medal) is now open to challenges from other club
members in the coming months. Well done to both contestants for
providing a very entertaining evening. Congratulations to Ed for proving
he is an all round magical performer. Reported by Roy Marsh,
www.bexleymagic.org.uk.
6.11.10
David Blaine - Drowned Alive
will be repeated next Saturday evening (November 13th) on E4 "David Blaine returns with another
mind-blowing feat of physical and mental endurance. In Drowned Alive,
David puts his life on the line as he attempts to live in an eight-foot
Acrylic sphere filled with water for seven days and nights in front of
New York's Lincoln Centre. In addition to his underwater drama, the
special will feature new illusions as Blaine performs his signature
street magic." See
TV
Magic.
6.11.10
The Chris Cross Carny Cabaret Show at Madame JoJo’s.
"The Chris
Cross Carny Cabaret is an old school variety show with pure rock ’n’
roll spice sprinkled on top. Three half hour shows separated by half
hour intervals come packed with thrills and delights: come and be
shocked by the man who plays with his life in a game of Russian Roulette
using electric powerdrills, look on as the dazzling girl from the giant
glittery strawberry shoots sparks from her body, laugh at some of the
finest comedians in London, witness the girl who burns her body for fun
and who eats fire for giggles, gasp at the most entertaining
contortionist & escapologist in the world – to name but a few of the
stimulating and exhilarating experiences that await you in the world of
the Carny Cabaret!" For full details visit
www.madamejojos.com. The Chris Cross Carny Cabaret Show, launching
on Thursday 25th November. Doors 7.30pm, Show 8.45pm, Tickets £12 in
advance, general admission (early birds get the best seats) £15 cash on
the door. Tickets:
www.ticketweb.co.uk.
www.chris-cross.co.uk.
6.11.10
Charity
fund raiser for Children's Meningitis fund. Saturday November 20th
from 7pm to 12 midnight at the
Beechfield Hotel, Blackpool. Tickets are £7 each and are on sale now
(available from the hotel). Featuring a "full line up of local talent
including magic man Chubbz, Disco Inferno, Connie (Britain's Got
Talent), Ann Marie Scott and compère Rich Davy. Buffet, raffle and
prizes.
6.11.10
Comedian
Of The Week: Ali Cook. "Forget what you think you know about comedy
magicians - Ali Cook is edgy, intelligent, self-referential, caustically
hilarious and one of the most sought-after illusionists on the planet.
Most famous for his Channel 4 series Dirty Tricks, Cook has just
returned from a month-long run in Edinburgh where his sell-out show
Pieces of Strange was one of the best reviewed shows of the festival..."
To read the full article in GQ.com
Click Here.
6.11.10
Roy
Currie. Karl Bartoni emails: I have heard from Roy Currie's sister
that sadly Roy has died. He was found on Friday 22nd October but no one
knows when he might have died. He did not receive many phone calls but
his answer machine was full! He lived on his own in Manchester and will
be greatly missed. Those of you who have attended past Edinburgh
Gatherings will surely remember Roy and I know he has other personal
friends who are members here . He was a very knowledgeable and likeable
person who simply loved magic. In his youth he performed close up magic
and mixed with some of the top names in magic over here. He also
attended virtually every British magic convention going (and some
overseas) from his youth onwards. From 1997 he had actively supported
every bizarre magic gathering in Britain. He had recently booked to
travel to Paris for the French Annual Magic Convention and was really
looking forward to this. Roy had battled against health problems for a
number of years and had got much worse this year, especially with fluid
retention and circulation in his legs. He cancelled attending the IBM
convention in Eastbourne this year which was not like him but he had a
new toy to play with at the time, a computer which he was trying to
learn how to use with my help. He was a very long time close friend and
I will miss his two hour long telephone chats. (The cremation took place
on Friday 5th November at Blakely Crematorium on the outskirts of Heaton
Park, Manchester) 6.11.10
Michael
Vincent's recent lecture for ACES, in East Sussex is reviewed by
Nicky Lewis this week,
Click Here • "Asia’s Celebrity Magic Duo to Attempt a Mega
Illusion in the Air"
Click Here • "Video: Take a look at this!"
Click Here • "Wizardry of Harry Houdini on display at NYC's
Jewish Museum"
Click Here • "Show Review: Criss Angel: 'Believe' Reworked show
now better suits Angel's 'Mindfreak' image"
Click Here • "Solihull magician seeks help for web experiment"
Click Here • "Comedian Jason Alexander talks about magic,
acting, gambling"
Click Here • "Pete Firman: on touring. Comic magician Pete
Firman on how he knows who to pick on in the audience."
Click Here • That's it - another week gone, where do they go?
No one knows (really), see you next week, Dunccan.
6.11.10