Number 587 - 24th September 2011
'The Young Magician of the Year Revisited' Reported by Darren
Tossell, The Magic Circle. Fifty years ago, The
Magic Circle held its first ever ‘Young Magician of the Year’
competition. The winner was Johnny Hart (photo), whose dazzling card
manipulation routine won over the judges and set Johnny on course for an
international career taking him from London to Las Vegas, via New York,
Shanghai and every major city in the world. Jack Delvin MIMC, President
of The Magic Circle said “On behalf of the Council and Members of The
Magic Circle, I am delighted to bestow Johnny Hart with Honorary
Professional Membership of The Inner Magic Circle. His style and talent
inspired a generation of performers and he joins a short but impressive
list of the world’s very best magicians”
Russ Stevens MIMC who won the title of ‘Young Magician of the Year’ at
The Magic Circle in 1977, presented Johnny Hart with his certificate and
Membership in Blackpool last week. Russ had the opportunity for a rare
interview with Johnny that was played to an appreciative audience at
‘The Magic Circle Young Magician of the Year Revisited’ Day which took
place at the Club’s headquarters last weekend. Russ said “People say,
never meet your idols, you’ll be disappointed. However, Johnny was my
inspiration and driving force for getting me into magic and finally
getting to meet him and present him with the honour of Membership of the
Inner Magic Circle was far from disappointing. Like all of us, he may
have aged just a little, but his digital dexterity is as eye-popping
today as it was half a century ago.”
Noel Britten MIMC, organiser of The Young Magician of the Year
Revisited said “Seeing Johnny suitably feted for his outstanding
achievements was an inspiring reason for organising the event and it’s
wonderful to see him honoured in this very special year” Johnny Hart
joins just three other British magicians who hold the title of Honorary
Professional Membership of The Inner Magic Circle (David Berglas, Paul
Daniels and Wayne Dobson) and eleven worldwide including David
Copperfield, John Calvert, Silvan and Lance Burton.
The Young Magician of The Year Revisited featured a line-up of
past winners and contenders for a day of magic and workshops at The
Magic Circle. Angelo Carbone, Michael Colley, Richard Wiseman, Russ
Stevens, Scott Penrose, Graham Jolley, Richard Griffin, Nic Einhorn and
Richard Cadell were among the fifty Members who spent months putting
together one of the highlights in this year’s Magic Circle calendar.
www.themagiccircle.co.uk.
24.9.11
Bad
News... and Good News “Max Maven – Thinking In Person” which
forms part of the Festival of Magic at the Bridewell Theatre has now
sold out. To compensate for all those Maven devotees that are unable to
join him that night, Max has agreed to an intimate 'interview' evening,
including questions from the audience, on the preceding Thursday night
(November 17th) at the same location. The evening will be one of the 5
evenings at the venue that comprise the public show element of the
Festival. Monday (14/11) sees a rare re-incarnation of John Lenahan’s
Monday Night Magic with guests including John Archer and Danny Buckler,
Tuesday (15/11) comprises of a double bill with a gambling based show of
individual sets from Guy Hollingworth, Jason England and Paul Wilson
followed by Pete Wardell’s one man show “Hustle”. Wednesday night
(16/11) is another double bill of both Todd Landman and Quentin
Reynold’s individual mentalism-based one man shows. Booking details for
all these evening shows and events can be found at
www.internationalmagic.com which, with the sliding price scale based
on the number of evenings you attend, gives unbeatable value for money,
starting at under £7 per five star event.
24.9.11
Derren
Brown returns to Channel 4 this autumn in The Experiments, a
brand new four-part series. Shrouded in the usual secrecy, each of the
stand-alone episodes takes the form of a giant social experiment, some
of which have been inspired by classic psychology tests; others
concocted by Derren himself to illustrate how easily our behaviour can
be manipulated. Derren will attempt to explore the darker side of what
makes us tick as human beings and in one show, teach us how to
completely change our fortunes. Featuring Derren Brown's unique
combination of ingenious and mind-blowing psychology, magic, illusion,
suggestion, stunts and thought-provoking entertainment, The
Experiments sees Derren pushing the boundaries in terms of size and
scale in order to take a deeper look at human behaviour and reaction.
"Derren Brown visits Todmorden to put lucky dog’s powers to the test"
Click Here.
24.9.11
Palladium Magic - A Night of 100 Magicians.
Not a review, but just a quick "wow" and "thank you" to Paul Stone for
staging another superb show at the London Palladium last Sunday to
celebrate 100
years of magic at this beautiful theatre, whilst raising funds for the
MagiCares charity. It was a wonderful evening, full of surprises,
featuring some of the world's finest magicians and acts, but it was
Marko Karvo's stunning performance, direct from the Lido de Paris, that
sent audible roars of astonishment across the theatre on the night,
resulting in a spontaneous standing ovation. Wow, what an act! DT.
24.9.11
Young
& Strange. Richard Young and Sam Strange, who perform jointly as
Young and Strange will be presenting "An Evening of Magic, Comedy and
Illusion" on Friday 30th September in Wallingford, Oxfordshire. The
evening is being hosted by Noel Britten and the venue is The Corn
Exchange, Market Place, Wallingford, OX10 0EG
Map (seen by many in Midsomer Murders where it becomes the local
theatre). Tickets are £14 (concession for under 15 years) and these can
be booked via
www.youngandstrange.co.uk or by contacting the box office
directly:
www.cornexchange.org.uk/PublicPages.
24.9.11
Morgan
& West: Crime Solving Magicians. Fresh from a sell-out
success from the Edinburgh Fringe, time travelling magicians Morgan &
West return to London with a new show and their toughest challenge
yet... solving their own murder. Using clues, and cunning and crafty
conjuring they must identify the rogue responsible and save their skins.
Join the plucky prestidigitators as they romp through a casebook of
detection and deception. Mystery, merriment and mild peril galore in the
world's first paradoxical Who-dunnit magic show! ***** Edinburgh
Spotlight ***** Three Weeks ***** Fringe Guru - Editors
Choice. Friday 7th October at 7.30pm. Tickets from £8. Book online
www.canalcafetheatre.com or by phone 0207 289 6054. Venue: Canal
Cafe Theatre, Delamere Terrace, Little Venice, London W2 6ND (Map).
24.9.11
A
Night of Close-Up Magic at The Magic Circle. Friday 30th September
at 7.30pm, featuring Michael Vincent and Will Houstoun. For tickets and
more information visit
www.themagiccircle.co.uk.
24.9.11
Blackpool
2012, heading for another sellout... Latest news: "Arthur Casson,
Registration Officer for Blackpool Magicians’ Club, is up to his eyes in
registrations for the 60th Blackpool Convention that runs from 17 to 19
February 2012. 'The response has been phenomenal.' says Arthur 'Bookings
are already well up on previous years. We are well on the way to
achieving yet another record attendance.' So, if you want to be a part
of the greatest magic convention in the world book now before it is too
late. Tickets for all the weekend events cost just £85 (£55 juniors) and
there may also be tickets still available for selected days. Not only
does Arthur have to deal with registrations for the February Convention
but he is also processing numerous bookings for the FISM Magical
Championships in July 2012. Details can be found on the Blackpool
Magicians’ Club website. Payment for registrations for the Blackpool
Convention and the FISM World Magic Championships can now be made using
PayPal. Alternatively, you can pay by cheque, debit card, Visa card or
MasterCard. Go to
www.blackpoolmagic.com and
www.fismwcm2012.com
for details and registration forms."
24.9.11
The Magic Symphony,
a new weekly show, opens today,
Saturday 24th September at 3pm at Davenports Magic Theatre. "Staged to classical music and
themed around the theatre orchestra., this is a new weekly magic show from the
producer of The Magic Cavern. A show for the whole family in the heart of
London, where the magic is intimate and highly original. Set in a fully
operational model theatre. Performed by multi award winning magician Paul Brown and produced and directed
by Richard Leigh.
£12.00, £10.00 Concessions. Group rate and Family Tickets £8.00 each.
Box Office 020 7836 0408 (Shop opening hours) or 08700 600 100 (24 hours with
fee). Book Online at
www.falseimpressions.co.uk. The Davenports Magic Theatre, Davenports, 7
Charing Cross Underground Arcade, Strand, London, WC2N 4HZ. Full details:
www.falseimpressions.co.uk or
www.davenportsmagic.co.uk. Nearest Tube Charing Cross.
24.9.11
Magicseen
Taster Issue 10. Editor Mark Leveridge writes: Magicseen Taster
Issue 10 is now available and features the complete article from the
current full issue (no.40 Sept.11) on cover star Richard Sanders whose
creativity is highly valued all around the world. Also from the current
issue, Taster Issue 10 features Magic Seen Online, in which George Luck
throws a spotlight on the Academy Of Magic in London, Comedy - It's No
Laughing Matter in which we reveal the do's and don'ts of comedy
performance, as well as the Readers' Letters, a selection of the product
reviews and Wayne Fox's mental effect in the Masterclass. Then to top it
all off we offer an article from issue 19 about the legendary Ken
Brooke, whose life was celebrated in a book written by Steve Cook to
commemorate 25 years since Ken's passing. Taster Issue 10 is a great way
to discover a little of what Magicseen is all about. It's free to
download right now from
www.magicseen.co.uk.
24.9.11
John
Archer Lecture - International Magic, London. Martin MacMillan
writes: "Just a reminder that 'The Man Who Fooled Penn & Teller' will be
with us on Tuesday 27th September at Casa Italiana, to explain himself!
John Archer is a master of comedy stand up magic and will be lecturing
on his brand of comedy magic with a hint of mentalism. The content of
his lecture will include items from his two DVDs 'Educating Archer' and
'Further Education' and he will also include the routine that fooled
Penn & Teller 'Blank Night'. All material is practical and relatively
easy to do and above all it's entertaining! 'Nuff said - come and see
for yourself... Usual venue - Casa Italiana, 136 Clerkenwell Road,
London EC1R 5DL. Start time 7.30 (be there by 7.15 latest). Pay on door
at £15 per lecture but you must reserve a place in advance, please email
by return to book:
martin@internationalmagic.com"
www.internationalmagic.com.
24.9.11
North
West Dealers Day and Magic Mart. The Order of The Magic (Manchester)
are presenting the North West Dealers Day and Magic Mart on Saturday
22nd October at the Irish World Heritage Centre, Manchester M8 8UF (Map).
Here is an opportunity for magic dealers and individuals to take a stand
for the sale of goods. Tables are available at £10 for 1.8 metres of
space (6 feet) or 3.6 metres (12 feet) for £15. The event takes place
from 10.00am to 4.00pm. Entry fee for buyers is £3 and includes
admission to a lecture on bar flairing by Anthony Heaton. This will be
in a separate room so as not to interrupt the flow of trading. Details
are on
www.orderofthemagi.org.uk or email
pro@orderofthemagi.org.uk
for an application form. There will be strictly no stalls allotted on
the day. This is the first time The Magi has combined their Dealers
Day and Magic Mart on the same occasion in the hope it brings the best
of both worlds for everyone. There is ample free car parking,
refreshments, bar and a great shopping centre next door! The raffle
prize is two tickets for The Magi Annual Dinner and Cabaret to be held
on Saturday 24th March 2012. This is a four course meal and cabaret,
featuring High Jinx, Brian Sefton and Mark James. The face value of
these tickets is at least £60! Geoffrey Newton PRO.
24.9.11
Colin
Dymond lectures on magic and ventriloquism for The Watford
Association of Magicians on Tuesday 18th October at 8pm. The lecture
will be on magic and ventriloquism. £10 for non members. Contact
juliecarpenter@themagiccircle.co.uk for details.
24.9.11
Mindbuster
Pocket. News from Labco Magic: "Mindbuster Exclusive has been the
smallest electronic impression device since February 2011. In November
2011 we will release Mindbuster Pocket, which is even smaller, measuring
just 15cm x 10cm (6" x 4"). We will join The International Magic
Convention 2011 in London, from 18th-20th November. Come and see our new
products, we are looking forward to meeting you all. Go to our website
www.labcomagic.com
for more about Mindbuster Pocket." (If you can't crack the password
email Labco Magic for help!)
24.9.11
The
10th British Close Up Magic Symposium. From the organisers: "The
latest recruit to the line up for The 10th British Close Up Magic
Symposium, which takes place at Redwood Hotel and Country Club, Bristol
on Sunday 8th January 2012, is James Prince. James is a full time pro
and specialises in restaurant close up, and will be well known to those
who have either or both of his excellent DVDs Menu of Miracles Vols.1
and 2 produced by RSVP Magic. James will be performing in one of the two
close up gala shows and joins a cast list which includes Dave Forrest,
Boris Wild, Wayne Fox and Mark Leveridge. The Symposium is a top day of
close up held in an excellent, comfortable venue with quality catering
included in the ticket price. All registrants will also receive a
special PDF book featuring contributions from all the performers on the
day. Book before the 31st October and save £10 on the regular
registration price. More details and online booking from
www.markleveridge.co.uk".
24.9.11
Leamington
and Warwick Magic Society Annual Dinner. The Leamington and Warwick
Magic Society are holding their Annual Dinner on Friday 11th November at
Honiley Court Hotel, Meer End Road, Kenilworth, Warwickshire CV8 1NP (Map).
The event is a black tie evening, with a four course dinner and cabaret.
This year starring Safire together with hilarious comedy magician and
mind reader Mark James and compère Paul Kybert. Tickets (£35 each) are
limited as the venue only holds 120. Contact Mick McCreath on 07747
052878.
24.9.11
Hand
Puppet Magic – Ian Adair. A few weeks ago, Practical Magic released
'The Magic of Puppets', a double DVD set with Colin Dymond. Ian Adair
has now published what might be regarded as a companion book, called
‘Hand Puppet Magic’. 166 well-illustrated pages long, Ian goes into
great detail about the subject. Chapters include: Reviewing the
situation (background); Picking your puppets; The name’s the game; Bits
of business; Set-ups (staging); Using standard tricks; Clever bits;
Complete routines. As you’d expect with someone who has used puppets in
his show for well over 50 years, there’s a wealth of really practical
experience included here. The book is available from Practical Magic (as
are all Ian’s most recent publications Cedric’s Tried and Tested
Routines, Terrific-trix, More Terrific-trix and
Dealing with Magic -the story of Supreme Magic Company). Visit
www.practical-magic.com for more information and to order.
24.9.11
News
from ZanesMagicShop.com: "Zane's Magic Shop have recently added a
lot of new products to their website - in stock now and ready buy!"
Visit
www.zanesmagicshop.com.
24.9.11
Conjuring at the Court, London,
Thursday 29th September. Organiser
Russell Levinson writes "Our September show presents the sheer variety
of magical entertainment. Four well-known international performers, each
with a completely different approach to the art of conjuring: Ian
Rowland is one of the most successful international mind-readers; much
in demand in the corporate world for his uncanny insights into
psychology. Marc Oberon, presenting miracles that have even magicians’
jaws dropping. Michael Vadini, a Polish magician, performs visual magic
with grace and elegance and Tim Shoesmith, fresh from his show in
Edinburgh; quick-witted, lively, his clever conjuring is full of humour.
I’ll be hosting the night. You will have a good view, a comfortable
seat, and can get a drink or two from the bar to enjoy while watching
the magic. The pub also serves food." Venue: The Drayton Court, 2 The
Avenue, West Ealing, London W13 8PH (Map).
Doors open at 7.30pm, the show starts at 8pm and runs to about 10pm with
an interval. Book in advance if you can:
www.conjuringatthecourt.com.
24.9.11
News
deadlines... Reminder: Please let us have all News/What's On submissions by Thursday
whenever possible. Final deadline 12 noon Friday, no exceptions.
24.9.11
Chris
Dugdale: Two Faced Deception, is reviewed by Gary Naylor in
BroadwayWorld.com,
Click Here. Also see EntertainmentNewsToday.co.uk,
Click
Here, Tickets:
Click Here • Geoffrey Durham's recent lecture at The Watford
Association of Magicians is reviewed by David Milne this week,
Click Here and John Carey's lecture for the Anglia Magic Society is
reviewed by Steve Majes,
Click Here • "Vanishing
eggs and coded messages home. One man’s astonishing story of how magic
skills helped him survive the horrors of a Japanese POW camp"
Click Here • "The master magician is back - and he's in
Leamington tomorrow"
Click Here • "Las Vegas magician Criss Angel brings cars and
motorcycles from his 'Mindfreak' TV show to Mandalay Bay collector-car
auction"
Click Here • "Mind fully on magic"
Click
Here • "Paul Daniels will launch new headquarters for
Mask-arade"
Click Here • "Psychic Sally Morgan hears voices from the other side
(via a hidden earpiece)"
Click Here • "What a load of crystal balls! As Diana's former
psychic is accused of cheating on stage, a TV illusionist exposes how
trickery can fool any audience"
Click Here • "Exclusive photos: Criss Angel proposes in Mexico;
the $300,000 ring"
Click Here • "Jermain Defoe and Bobby Zamora bamboozled by
magician Dynamo"
Click Here • "Roy conjures up real magic in new book"
Click Here • "Comedy and burlesque combine to create a true
variety show"
Click Here • "Blue Man Group to OperaBabes - the best
entertainment to be found at sea"
Click Here • Your UK magic news is always welcome - see you
next week, Duncan.
24.9.11