Number 582 - 20th August 2011
Paul
Zerdin: Sponge Fest 2011. Britain’s most talented ventriloquist, Paul
Zerdin, together with special guest Mandy Muden embark on a nationwide 37-date
tour today. "Technically immaculate, it's what he does with his slick talent
that really sets him apart. His relationship with his characters has all the
dramatic tension of a real life double act" The Guardian. See
What's On for dates or visit
www.paulzerdin.com.
20.8.11
Midlands
Magic Day - Sunday 28th August! News from organisers WarpedMagic.co.uk:
"Fantastic news for our Midlands Magic Day at the National Motorcycle Museum in
Solihull on Sunday 28th August 2011, we have just received confirmation that
Ollie Mealing will be joining us to do a series of workshops throughout the day
in the Crows Nest Suite at the venue. There will be 5 different workshops –
‘Unpublished’ ‘Commercial Card Magic’ ‘Underground Card Sleights’ ‘The Skip
Switch Project’ and ‘Card Constructions’. Tickets are limited to 15 per workshop
and are priced at £5 each available on the day however to ensure a place you can
pre-book by contacting
olliemealing@live.co.uk with your name and title in the subject bar. These
workshops are not included in the Gold Passes. We are sure these workshops will
add a special new dimension to the day, and we look forward to seeing you there.
All details can be found at
www.magicday.co.uk".
20.8.11
Kidology
UK - Tuesday 6th September! Kidology UK is the one day convention for children's entertainers organised by Albion
Magic and Practical Magic. This year's event features: 3 Main Lectures from
Steve Short - Touring with a Theatre Show; George Kovari - Ideas and Inventions;
Sally Rigley - Clown Doctoring and Special Needs. Plus 4 Mini Lectures: Gary
Dunn - Sound Equipment; Malcolm Malan – Balloons and Magic; Steve Evans (photo)
- interactive workshop on practised ad libs and one liners; Michael Diamond -
Back of Room Sales and Busking. Together with the usual host of dealers and a
buffet lunch which is included in the registration price of £40.00. Book via
www.practical-magic.com
or call 01691 690789.
13.8.11
British Ring Convention -
22nd to 25th September!
The line-up of performers, dealers, guests
and lecturers for this year's convention being held at the Southport
Theatre and Convention Centre is truly international. First from the USA
come Michael Finney (photo), IBM International Stage Contest Champion
Jason Andrews, and Joe M. Turner. From Canada there is FISM Grand Prix
Close Up Winner 2009 Shawn Farquhar and also Wes Zaharuk. Closer to home
there’s the very talented Rafael from Belgium, Jordan Gomez from France,
Vittorio Marino form Italy, broadcaster, lecturer and author Tony Brook
from Portugal, RTE TV personality Aonghus McAnnaly from Ireland, and the
Gentleman Juggler Jeton from Germany. Vanni Pulé from Malta - who will
by then have been installed as the International President of the IBM
will also be joining us at our 75th convention. From our own shores the
line up continues with, on the children’s show, family favourite Richard
Cadell and Sooty, and also at this event Safire presenting illusions and
their magic light puppet act. Another children’s favourite here is David
Tomkins (who will also be lecturing on this subject). Paul Joyce appears
on this show as well. The ‘burlesque’ magic of Romany has recently been
added to the list of top names appearing at this convention. Well known
illusionists Amethyst and Guy Barrett and funny men Mel Mellers and Mark
James also bring their own style to this terrific line up for Southport. For updates
visit
www.magicconvention.co.uk and to register
Click Here.
20.8.11
International
Magic Convention - 18th, 19th, 20th November! The Gala Show (19th & 20th) at
this year's International Magic Convention once again promises to be a wonderful
evening of magic and variety, and will include three completely new-to-the-UK
acts: a phenomenal Korean manipulator, a German act packed with unbelievable
magic and an act based on one of the oldest principles in magic, but brought
bang up to date. The organisers would release the names, but thanks to YouTube
they’d much prefer you to experience the magic for the first time live on stage
- in the comfort of The Mermaid Theatre, rather than home alone in front of a
computer screen, so they are keeping the names a surprise for now. You'll see
some great favourites from previous Gala Shows, including the brilliant David
Williamson, Simmons and Simmons, and London’s first stage appearance of Sweden’s
Tom Stone (photo). This will be a great evening for non-magic friends and
families too. Tickets are available for the Saturday and Sunday nights – but
remember if you’re planning to attend the one-off Saturday Night performance of
Max Maven’s one man show Thinking in Person: An Evening of Knowing and Not
Knowing at The Bridewell Theatre you will definitely need to book Gala Show
tickets for the Sunday. Tickets for all shows, the Convention and specialist
seminars in London’s Festival of Magic are available now via
www.internationalmagic.com.
20.8.11
The
Blackpool Magic Convention - February 2012! Bookings are already at a record
level for next year's Blackpool Convention so act quickly if you want to be a
part of this unique event which takes place on Friday 17th, Saturday 18th and
Sunday 19th February 2012. Online registrations can now be made using Credit
Cards / PayPal
Click
Here or by post using the registration form
Click Here. Visit
www.blackpoolmagic.com for full details. For FISM 2012 registrations (July
9th-14th) visit
www.fismwcm2012.com.
20.8.11
Penn
& Teller: Fool Us. "Following a short break Jonathan Ross
presents the last episode in the series in which Penn and Teller aim to
find the brightest up-and-coming illusionists. Each show challenges
aspiring magicians to try to fool the duo with their most baffling trick
in a bid to win the prize of a lifetime - the chance to perform in Penn
and Teller's stage show in Las Vegas. This edition features Laura London
- whose trick is as amazing as her outfit, a 15-year-old card trickster
with nerves of steel and a mentalist with a mind-reading stomach. Plus
Martin Daniels, son of magic legend Paul Daniels, performs his dad's
all-time favourite trick. To close the show, Penn and Teller perform the
world's first underwater card trick - with a shocking twist." 9pm on
Sunday 28th August on ITV1, See
TV Magic.
20.8.11
The
South London Magic Society's very own president Roy Mackenzie (photo)
premièred his very first lecture on Children's Magic at the Kent Magician's
Guild on July 26th. The lecture was met with great feedback and encouragement
from all concerned. One person said "it was the best kids lecture he had seen in
a long time" For booking enquiries email:
unclemac@talk21.com. Reported by Michael Sullivan.
20.8.11
Dov
Citron's 'What A Character' lecture - now taking magic club bookings... "Dov
runs one of the UK's most successful children's entertainment companies
specialising in character-driven entertainment. His client's include Madonna and
Guy Richie, The Sultan of Brunei, 11 Downing Street, Arsenal Football Club,
Michael McIntyre, Latchme Mettal and many more. Dov recently lectured at
'Kidology' and is an entertainment trainer and consultant for the Holiday
Industry. In this unique lecture Dov demonstrates how building a repertoire of
entertaining and accessible children's characters for your parties and corporate
shows can not only revitalise seldom used props and magic but also allow you to
reach a much more varied and profitable market..." For more information and for
booking enquiries visit the MagicWeek
Lecturers page.
20.8.11
Last
of the Magic Dragons... Due to ridiculous demand an extra seven shows have
been added to the Edinburgh run of Last of the Magic Dragons. The show
has been constantly selling out a few days in advance since opening! The extra
dates are 20th, 26th and 27th at 2.10pm and 21st, 24th, 25th and 28th at
10.10pm. Piff has appeared on BBC Radio 1's Fun and Filthy Cabaret, The Culture
Show, Sky News, and The Times and Telegraph homepages. Here's a recent review
Click Here.
www.piffthemagicdragon.com.
20.8.11
A
lecture tour of the UK by Spain's Rafael Benatar is being organised by Tony
Griffith. Rafael will be arriving in Dover on Tuesday 10th April 2012 and Tony
is looking to book a lecture for him in the South Coast region on the following
day. Rafael will be travelling by car during his tour and will be going around
the UK in a systematic route; along the M4 corridor, north on the M5/M6 to
Scotland and down the east side of the country branching off the motorway system
to take in lectures en route. He will conclude his tour with a lecture at The
Magic Circle on Monday 30th April 2012. Rafael's lecture has been highly
acclaimed by such people as Charlie Reynolds, Michael Close, Ascanio. Billy
McComb and Juan Tamariz. It is anticipated that his lecture tour schedule will
be quickly filled. Magic clubs wishing to book this lecture are advised to
contact Tony Griffith as soon as possible on 01275 835463 or
tony@tonygriffith.co.uk.
20.8.11
Klear
Thoughtz. News from Magicalguru.com: "This week Jonathan Royle releases the
ultimate home study DVD package of Magic, Mentalism and Legal Stage & Street
Hypnosis. The package includes contributions from Kenton Knepper, Colin McLeod,
Kennedy, Marc Paul and many other major names. This is a strictly limited
edition package that contains enough material for a lifetime, including many
profitable marketing strategies for all magicians, mindreaders, fortune tellers
and hypnotists." Visit
www.magicalguru.com/klearthoughtz for more info and to order.
20.8.11
Luke
Jermay Winchester Lecture. "Author of 7 Deceptions, Building
Blocks, 3510, Building Blocks Extended and the performer on
the DVDs Skullduggery, EI, Seeing with the Fingertips and
Colorblind will be lecturing for Winchester Magical Society on Thursday,
September 1st at 8pm. Luke is a professional mentalist and consultant. He has
been a creative writer and director for Derren Brown, Criss Angel, Marco Tempest
and Laurence Kong. He was also the consultant for the BCS drama The Mentalist
starring Simon Baker. Luke has spent the last 6 years based in Las Vegas where
he headlined at O’Sheas Casino with his one man show Mind Reader... This should
be an evening not to be missed! We meet at Badger Farm Community Centre,
Winchester. Visiting Magicians welcome (£5 door charge). Visit
www.winchestermagic.com
for map of how to find us."
20.8.11
Magicians
were doing 'packs-flat' long before IKEA and next Bank Holiday weekend Simon
Si will be supplying them with some of his own 'packs-flat' material, in the
form of magic shows at their main Wembley store on the 28th and 29th August,
followed by Saturday 10th September, 24th September and 1st October from 6pm -
11pm. IKEA have booked Simon to entertain customers with his sleight of hand and
close-up magic. For more on Simon visit
www.simon-show.com.
20.8.11
Unpublished
Magic Tutorials. After producing several MARS (Magic At the Red Sea)
conventions in Israel, Roy Zaltsman got the approval from headliners that had
participated to release a whole tutorial from their lectures;
never-before-published and at no cost. Magicians who sign up will receive a
video tutorial every two weeks. The first three tutorials are by Aaron Fisher,
Thom Peterson and Manuel Muerte. Visit
www.telepathy.co.il/unpublished for details.
20.8.11
Twistina
'The Amazing Balloon Lady'
www.twistina.co.uk will
be lecturing in Birmingham on Wednesday 7th September, the day after Kidology,
at a 'Care & Share Balloon Fun Day'. The full day hands-on lecture workshop will
run from 10am to 6pm with Twistina running three sessions throughout the day,
with the first lecture at 11.30am. Twistina is the current holder of the
European “Multi Balloon Sculpture” trophy which was awarded at The Millennium
Jam. Graham Lee will be holding a basic class for the early birds that will run
from 10.15am to 11.15am. The event is being sponsored by Qualatex Balloons.
Booking details:
www.qualatexballoons.co.uk.
20.8.11
Paranormality:
Why we see what isn't there. "This interesting and well-written book uses
reports of the paranormal to investigate the psychology of the human mind..." To
read the full review in the Guardian
Click Here. To order from Amazon.co.uk
Click Here.
20.8.11
Magicians and their Playing Cards... Sue Atkinson emails: "I am trying to find ways of contacting magicians about their playing cards. I am a teacher and artist using unwanted playing cards in my work, cutting them and blending them with other recycled materials to make fascinators and head pieces." If you can help with some perhaps unusual cards, contact Sue via her website: www.soobird.com. 20.8.11
Houdini Painting. Mat Parrott emails: "I'm currently auctioning off a painting of Houdini to raise money for victims of the UK riots. The auction is here: www.ebay.co.uk." 20.8.11
"Abraca-diaper! David Copperfield conjures 16 month old daughter out of thin air" Click Here • "A magic Christmas for Keith with baby on way" Click Here • "Video: Nemanja Vidic tricked by magician Dynamo" Click Here • "Stand-up magician breaks female-only rules for networking event" Click Here • "Tam Shepherd's Trick Shop, Glasgow" (scroll down) Click Here • "Five minutes with... Otiz Cannelloni" Click Here • "Review: Barry and Stuart - The Show & The Tell" Click Here • Some Things with Cards by John Holt is reviewed by Elliott Hodges this week, Click Here • "Tom Binns' Ian D Montfort is a Derren Brown-Tommy Cooper hybrid" Click Here • Your UK magic news is always welcomed - see you next week, Duncan. 20.8.11