Number 733 - 12th July 2014
Alan
Alan, November 1926 – July 2014. Remembered by Michael Vincent.
It is with great sadness that I report the
death of my dear friend and mentor Alan Alan. He passed away on Friday
July 4th at 21:00. The last two years of Alan's life were extremely
challenging to his health and fiercely independent spirit. Between
myself, Richard McDougall and Noel Britten, we took on the
responsibility of taking care of Alan ensuring that he could enjoy a
quality of life while preserving his sense of worth and personal
dignity. Without question Alan was a giant among men. His contribution
to show business with his death defying escapes, his generosity of
spirit to the world of magic, through his magic shop "The Magic Spot",
The Magic Circle and to all of his students he mentored over the years,
is a legacy of a life well lived........on his own terms.
From a personal perspective, his contribution to my life has been
extraordinary. My life would have looked a lot different if I hadn't
walked into his shop at the age of thirteen. The laughs and the
adventure we shared will be treasured memories for the rest of my life.
Thank you Alan for being my best my friend...
Michael Vincent
[A Memorial event will be held later this year. If you would like to be informed of further details email Noel Britten noelbritten@talk21.com]. 12.7.14
Illusionist
James More has just announced two special UK theatre dates for his full
stage show 'Theatre of Illusion'. These dates have been scheduled
between performances in Dubai and Russia, and are the only opportunity
to see his full theatre show in the UK, this year. "I'm very excited to
announce two very special shows for the UK this October and I can't wait
to show everyone what I've worked so hard to achieve. I want people to
experience the magic as it should be seen, up close and personal!
Tickets are very limited. I can promise a great night with some
spectacular illusions that will have you on the edge of your seat," said
James. Latest trailer:
Click Here. Tickets are now on sale.
Monday 27th October, 7.30pm, Harrogate Royal Hall www.harrogatetheatre.co.uk
Wednesday 29th October, 7.45pm, Newbury Corn Exchange www.cornexchangenew.com. 12.7.14
Steve
Dela in Sensual Dreams, The Hippodrome Casino, London. Vaudeville is
back, kinkier and naughtier. West End Singers Rosalind James, Kelly-Anne
Gower join your host for the evening Miss mince Meat and the amazing
Steve Dela Magician, Aerialist Elizabeth Williams, Pole Dancer Miss
Kirty-lou, Cirque du Soleil star Darren Tait and his sidekick Vikki-Anne
Lee with the cast of Sensual Dreams, fusing Dance, Theatre, Cirque and
Magic creating a dynamic experience for the audience with creative
choreography by Ricardo Canadinhas and Naomi Jeffery. The show fills the
audience with anticipation and love. The High standard of dance and acts
in the show needs no trickery or smoke and mirrors. The show is a
suggestive, clean cut to a high standard which leaves the audience in
suspense and hearts racing during this grand spectacular. The story is
based around a man who falls asleep and wakes up in an imaginary world
filled with seductive women and men teasing and playing with his
emotions. As he attempts to interact with his dream he realises he can
produce magic.
The first show sold out, the next is on Sunday 27th July at 8pm.
Tickets £15.00 - £35.00. See
www.hippodromecasino.com and
www.magic.uk.com.
12.7.14
Summer
at The Magic Circle: "A chance for all the family to visit The Magic
Circle, mix, mingle and marvel at some of the club's finest magicians,
tour the Museum and HQ before going to The Magic Circle Theatre for some
magical entertainment. If you're lucky, you may spot Sooty too. Targeted
age range; 7+" Sunday 3rd August at 2.30pm (doors open 1.30pm) and 7pm
(doors open 6pm), Sunday 10th August at 2.30pm, Sunday 17th August at
2.30pm and 7pm, Sunday 24th August at 2.30pm and 7pm. Tickets priced £25
from
seetickets.com/tour/summer-at-the-magic-circle. Venue: The Magic
Circle, 12 Stephenson Way, Euston, London NW1 2HD (Map).
More info:
www.themagiccircle.co.uk/public-events.
12.7.14
Dutch
magician Peter
Eggink will visit the UK to lecture in May 2015. Steve Gore writes:
Here is some info for those who need an introduction to his awesome
work. His dates are 2nd - 23rd May 2015.
About Peter Eggink:
Peter's name is well known in the field of magic, being synonymous
with both the performance of magic and the creation of some of the most
amazing magical effects.
Peter’s creations are performed by magicians around the globe including
Dynamo and David Blaine.
With over 20 years of experience, Peter knows the “real secrets” of
being a successful magician and shares them with magicians around the
globe.
Peter’s new lecture covers subjects such as personality, presentation,
people skills and how to become successful as an artist. Email
tours@stevegore.co.uk for
more details. Also see
www.peter-eggink.com.
12.7.14
Record
Audience Numbers For Fifth Edinburgh International Magic Festival.
The fifth Edinburgh International Magic Festival saw record numbers this
summer as 8000 people enjoyed eight days of magic across the Scotland's
Capital. Local magicians featured alongside internationally acclaimed
performers as magic collided with theatre, science, comedy, history,
sideshow, technology and psychology. German performance artist Johan
Lorbeer took the festival to new heights as he levitated on the
Grassmarket during the opening weekend. Seen by more than 3000 people,
Johan’s appearance trended on Twitter and created a huge buzz around the
city... to read the full article
Click Here. Penn and Teller Speech,
Click Here.
Johnny Tomsoni receiving The Edinburgh International Magic Festival Great Lafayette Award,
Click Here.
12.7.14
2015
Edinburgh International Magic Festival Dates: 26th June - 3rd July.
"Since conception in 2010, MagicFest now produces one of the UK’s
largest magic events, has consulted for the National Theatre of
Scotland, broken a Guinness World Record and put together a series of
shows and workshops as part of the celebration of Shakespeare’s birthday
at the Globe Theatre in London. The Edinburgh International Magic
Festival is leading the charge in the newly developing market of Magic
Festivals appearing around the world, and aims to be the world leader in
programming and producing innovative, cutting edge magic. Follow us on
twitter @magicfest and facebook.com/edmagicfest."
12.7.14
Conjuring
at the Court, London, Thursday 31st July. From the organisers:
Conjuring at the Court enters its 6th year with a great line-up of top
performers. Max Somerset is a wonderfully amusing performer in a
classically eccentric British style – with several TV series to his
credit, and a superb musical talent put to good use in his performance.
Like no other magician you’ll see! Richard Griffin is a talented, slick
magician and illusionist – but don’t take it from me, "A brilliant
magician" The Stage. James Fortune really makes it fun for the
audience; he seems to be as bewildered as anyone at the magical events
going on around him. A delightful piece of entertainment. Matthew Le
Mottee has a heritage of performing on the street – where you have to
work hard to keep the audience! He is forceful, energetic, and funny.
Compered by co-producer Russell Levinson. Drayton Court, 2 The Avenue,
West Ealing, London W13 8PH (Map).
Doors open at 7.30pm and the show starts at 8pm. Tickets £10 from
www.conjuringatthecourt.com.
12.7.14
Magic
Night at Madame
JoJo's, London,
Friday, 1st August. From the organisers: Magic Night turns tricks
with shuffling psychic bread, large dancing ballerinas, philosophical
trickery and strip poker. The Lanky, tall wizard, Pete Heat (photo) is
with us playing with bread, reading your minds, invading your dreams and
restoring objects to their original state in impossible tricks that will
make you gasp (we kid you not), whilst the Madame Galina with the ballet
pumps floats like a butterfly whilst searching aggressively for her
Nureyev. Dee Riley demonstrates Descartes theory of "I think therefore I
am" in a most beautiful piece of magic and then plays strip poker whilst
Jack Beavis clowns around with tricks and magic, rings and drums in a
hilarious performance of magic. All expertly compered by Pete Heat. Magic Night at Madame JoJo's. Doors open 7.00pm.
Show starts at 7.45pm. Tickets £12 including entry to Good Foot. £14
OTD. Show
ticket plus dinner: £27.
Madame JoJo's,
8-10 Brewer Street,
London W1F 0SE (Map).
Tickets and more info:
www.magicnight.co.uk.
12.7.14
Modern
Magic. A Lecture from Will Houstoun, International Magic, London:
"We are delighted to welcome Will Houstoun to lecture for us on 22nd
July. Many of you will already be familiar with Will's work in magic as
a performer, historian and author. Will also specialises in consultancy
for film and advertising as well as instruction on both the technical
and historic aspects of magic. He also edits The Magic Circle's 105 year
old magazine, The Magic Circular. In this special lecture for
International Magic, he will teach and discuss a number of items that he
has been working on over the past decade, including some of the effects
that made him the youngest ever European Champion of Close-up Magic and
for which he has been booked to lecture around the world, including
multiple appearances at The Magic Castle and The Magic Circle.
Featured items will include: Order and Chaos: Will's closer for every show, this performance piece with cards fooled the theatre audience when it was premiered at The Magic Circle. Bouncing Shadows: An effect Will has performed on national television multiple times. Will also teaches a selection of novel moves and flourishes and discuss his interest in the history of magic, as well as some of the most startling discoveries he has made in his research. 7.30pm to 10pm on Tuesday 22nd July at Casa Italiana, 2nd Floor, 136 Clerkenwell Road, London EC1R 5DL (just opposite our Magic Shop). As usual, tickets are on the door but advance reservation is a must by email to martin@internationalmagic.com. £15 per person. 12.7.14
Dave
Bonsall will be lecturing for the Home Counties Magical Society at
8pm on Thursday 17th July at Shinfield Parish Hall, Shinfield, Reading
RG2 9EH (Map).
Visiting magicians welcome for a door charge of £10. For more details
visit www.hcms.org.uk.
Also see
www.fingertipmiracles.co.uk and
www.propdog.co.uk.
12.7.14
Steve
Gore updates: Back
from his recent lecture and run of parlour shows at The Magic Castle in
Hollywood, Steve Gore has a few more UK lecture dates to announce. Some
dates have changed, so do check.
Thursday 18/9/14 Exonian Magic Society
www.exonianmagicsociety.com
Monday 27/10/14 Newcastle Magic Circle
www.newcastle-magic-circle.org
Monday 16/3/15 The Magic Circle, London
www.themagiccircle.co.uk
(members only)
Steve has just been contacted by Jeff McBride, who loved his show so much
he wants him to appear in his Wonder Ground show in Las Vegas. Steve's
Magic Castle show:
Click Here.
12.7.14
Steve
Dimmer lectures for The Anglian Magic Society this Tuesday, 15th
July, at
7.30pm at The White Horse Inn, The Street, Trowse, Norwich NR14 8ST (Map).
"Steve will explain many original routines with props all magicians own and
will also go into the practical side of being a children's
entertainer. He will explore selling your services more
effectively, promoting yourself at parties with a view to getting more
work, and how to make your shows more fun with new bits of
business and sub-routines.
Members £2.00 / Visitors £10.00.
www.facebook.com/TheAnglianMagicSociety.
Steve Majes (Acting secretary, The Anglian Magic Society).
12.7.14
Reality
Abuse: "Mind Control? Illusion? Hallucinations? Join magician and
mind reader S1L3NC3 on a dark, interactive experience examining the
psychology behind hallucinations, and how to control them. "An
audiovisual feast for the eyes and ears" JUKE Magazine;
"Terrifying but beautiful" GQ Magazine; FringeGuru: "A thing to
behold ... I couldn't tear my eyes away" FringeGuru. Note: This show
is not for the faint hearted. Strictly limited to 13 seats per
performance. Ages 18+. Weekends throughout August at 2pm and 4pm at The
Dublin Castle, 94 Parkway, Camden Town, London NW1 7AN (Map)
Tickets £10. More info and to book:
www.realityabuse.com.
12.7.14
The
Mark Leveridge Podcast: The Mark Leveridge Podcast for July 2014 is another interesting mix of news,
comment and opinion. In this month's issue Mark rants (a little!) about
the way spectators are increasingly fiddling with their mobile phones
when you are trying to entertain them, he ponders on the importance of
magic sets to the future of our art, explains why working a kids' show
outdoors is definitely not for him, and considers the importance of
reading audience reactions when doing walkabout so that you don't
overstay your welcome. These plus other topics are free to either
download or listen to online, perfect in fact for when you're chilling
out in the garden and want half an hour of magic chat to enjoy. The Mark
Leveridge July Podcast can be accessed from
www.markleveridge.co.uk/podcast.php.
12.7.14
Andrew
Normansell presents his new lecture for the Nottingham Guild of
Magicians, this Thursday, July 17th. Any societies wishing
to book this lecture should contact Andrew via
www.andrewnormansell.com.
12.7.14
American
Street Magician and Card Expert, Eric Evans is mid-way through his
UK lecture tour. Eric is well known for The
Secret Art of Magic, the critically acclaimed bestseller he co-wrote
with Nowlin Craver. Most of Eric’s professional career
has been spent working the streets of America and Europe in a career
spanning almost thirty years. During that time he learned many lessons
that not only apply to the street specifically, but also to the
performance of magic in general. In his lecture he will share many of
those lessons learnt. In addition he will cover much of his work with
cards, which is largely based upon the work of Eric’s first teacher,
Ernest Earick; a veritable legend among card men. All of the magic
performed and explained is most suitable for a parlour or stage, but can
be easily adapted for close-up if desired. See
What's On for
remaining dates.
12.7.14
Eddie
Harris, 83, who died on Saturday 5th July, is remembered by Mel
Harvey. "Eddie Harris was one of the leading children's entertainers in
Leamington Spa who sadly died peacefully in his sleep at Bournemouth
Hospital last week. Apart from his magic shows he had one of the best
Punch and Judy Shows in the area, always cheerful, always joking. He
also made puppets for me that I use in my current show. I knew Eddie for
over thirty years during which time he made all the special magic props
for my touring theatre shows, even acting as Stage Manager to make sure
I used them properly! He always asked if there was any art-work for a
particular prop, there never was. The finished product however was
always something to behold and very unique. Eddie was not a great joiner
of magic societies or a conventioneer as he was very busy with his main
business "Harris Signs" and there are many premises around Leamington
today which show his expertise as a top sign writer. He will be sadly
missed by all of us who knew him including his wife Margaret, daughter
Victoria, son Keith and their families."
12.7.14
Book
a magic lecturer for your club today! Visit the MagicWeek
Lecturers section.
12.7.14
"The
Colour Ham: the sketch group bringing together magic, mind-reading and
comedy"
Click Here • "Illusionist Gillen plays mind games with his audience"
Click Here • "Derren Brown delivers spellbinding Aberdeen show"
Click Here • Simon Lovell Farewell Medical Fund:
www.gofundme.com/b0tmc4 • "First look at Adrien Brody as Harry
Houdini on History's Mini-series"
Click Here • "'Look into my eyes (and my house): Derren
Brown's former five bedroom luxury apartment on sale for £3.5"
Click Here • "Magician Ali Cook turns spy for Noel Clarke’s The
Anomaly"
Click Here • "Syfy Orders ‘The Magicians’ Pilot"
Click Here • "Money for Nothing"
Click Here • "My Comedy Hero: Derren Brown on Louis CK"
Click Here • "‘The Illusionists’ hopes to work magic on Broadway"
Click Here • "And for his greatest trick? Magician Cosentino learned
to read"
Click Here • News deadline reminder: Please submit news by Thursday
if possible - absolute deadline 12 noon Friday, no exceptions, many
thanks. See you next week, Duncan.
12.7.14