Number 803 - 14th November 2015
Jamie
Raven and David Williamson, two of the stars of
The illusionists, which opens this evening at the Shaftesbury Theatre on
Shaftesbury Avenue, snapped here in front of the theatre during rehearsals last
week. From the producers: "The world's best-selling touring magic show which has
sold out in 71 cities across 17 countries - comes to London's West End for the
first time, showcasing the dazzling talents of seven of the most incredible
illusionists on earth: The Magician, Jamie Raven; The Escapologist, Andrew
Basso; The Inventor, Kevin James; The Deductionist, Colin Cloud; The Warrior,
Ben Blaque; The Manipulator, Den Den and The Trickster, David Williamson."
"Video: The Illusionists’ Colin Cloud" Click Here
"The Illusionists – Interview and sneak preview" Click Here. 14.11.15
Max
Maven at The Session: "The Session's 2016 guest of honour is none other than
Max Maven. Max's contributions to magic and mentalism over the past four decades
are unmissable worldwide, from his television shows, books and creations. With
only a handful of tickets remaining, now is the time to register for The
Session!"
www.sessionconvention.com.
14.11.15
The
Opus Reunion, which takes place on Sunday, December 13th, has signed up some
more contributors for the day. Will Houstoun who has been doing some very
interesting work both magically and academically will talk and reflect on his
Notebook project; a transcription and analysis of a 200 year old record made by
an anonymous magician and what it tells us about close-up magic with cards
today. Also demonstrating will be Eddie McColl, a fine card magician and an
exponent of riffle shuffle techniques. Chris Power tells us "I've just had a
great few days talking to Will at the LA History Conference about his work and
also to Peter Lamont (more on his contribution soon), these guys always make me
think! Eddie who I saw in Glasgow just recently did his demonstration to a
select group of magicians and I thought it would be a perfect addition for the
Opus day". Chris also said that the £50 registration for the day will be
extended until the end of November, not the 13th, as originally advertised. From
December 1st it will rise to £75. To register your interest get in touch with
Chris via email:
opusreunion2015@gmail.com.
14.11.15
The
Brighton E-Vent Ventriloquism Masterclass. From the organisers: The
Puppet Hut and John 'Kimmo' Kimmons present an exciting
new Ventriloquist development day, 'The Brighton E-Vent Ventriloquism
Masterclass'
which is to be held on Monday 4th April 2016 in the super cool Nightingale Room,
opposite Brighton railway station. We wanted to hold a day that's focused on learning this fantastic and growing
art form - it's all set to be a really fantastic day! We can now confirm that as
well as John 'Kimmo' Kimmons we have Britain's Got Talent finalist
and UK ventriloquist Steve Hewlett joining us, along with a few extra
surprises such as an appearance by TV and comedy script writer Terry Adlam.
The day is open to all abilities and will cater for everyone from the complete
novice to those already performing and wanting to further what they are doing
with their ventriloquism.
Topics will include presentations, talks and lectures on lip control and
technique, script development and puppet manipulation. The day promises to be
a huge amount of fun.
Follow their Facebook group E-VENTS UK or visit
www.thepuppethut.com for further details of this fantastic event. With the
popularity of ventriloquism and puppets as it is at he moment this is set to
sell out fast! Numbers are strictly limited.
14.11.15
SAMS Convention 2016.
From the organisers:
The 2016 convention will be taking place at Adamton House Hotel, Monkton (near
Prestwick Airport) on 6th, 7th & 8th May.
Similar to the 2015 convention, the Saturday night Gala Show will be replaced by
a Dinner / Cabaret in the hotel. This format proved to be a great success and
the delegates were keen to give it another go. Acts:
For the Saturday Night Cabaret, the following acts have been confirmed - UK
stand up comedy magician Mel Mellers, International Illusionist Andrew Green
and last, but by no means least, the winner of the 2015 SAMS Stage competition,
Steven Blair.
Lecturers:
Mel Mellers will be giving a lecture, Harry Robson will give his "close-up
lecture" and Ian Davis (who has taken part in the UK Children's Entertainer of
the Year, on two occasions) will lecture on "Kids Magic".
Dealers: Harry Robson, Ian Davis, Adam Topham, Alan Duncan, Heidi Costumes
and hopefully Jimmy Craig.
Registration fees have not been finalised as yet. We are waiting on confirmation
from the hotel as to the cost of the meal for the dinner / cabaret as this will
be have a bearing on what the registration fees are. Further information will
follow when we find out.
Our Registration Secretary this year is Graeme Taylor and he can be contacted
via emearg112@hotmail.com or 07918 903947.
Website
www.scottishassociationofmagicalsocieties.co.uk (will be updated shortly).
14.11.15
Conjuring
at the Court, Thursday 26th November, London. Conjuring at the Court offers
a wonderful line-up full of the variety that magic offers! Eric Roumestan – this
brilliant sleight-of-hand street magician, star of the International Brotherhood
of Magicians convention, is coming all the way from Strasbourg to perform! John
Lenahan – one of our most popular performers, a hilarious magician, author, with
bags of TV and international appearances, we’re delighted to have his warm
American humour back. Julian James – a dramatic and dynamic mind-reader, making
his first appearance for at the Court. David Tomkins – a fabulous entertainer
with clever magic, comedy and ventriloquism. Compere is the lively and
imaginative magician, co-producer Stephen Barry. The show starts at 8pm and runs
to 10pm with an interval. It’s in the lovely function room of the Drayton Court,
2 The Avenue, West Ealing, London W13 8PH
(Map). Come early to enjoy dinner in one of the pub’s spacious bars or the
elegant Victorian dining room. There is a bar at the back of the room so you can
have a drink while enjoying the magic. Parking is free from 6.30pm. Book now:
www.conjuringatthecourt.com – tickets £11 online or £12 on the door.
14.11.15
Next
February join the Mystery School for special 'Focus On' events covering
stage and parlour magic, bizarre magick, storytelling and mentalism. Featuring
Jeff McBride, Eugene Burger and Lawrence Hass. Tickets are limited. Sign-up
today and you’ll receive over $300 worth of free magic! Early bird tickets are
available for only £75 per full day. Includes ticket to Mystery School Show (see
each event day details, for full info). Location: near London. Saturday 27th
February 2016 Stage & Parlour Magic info and tickets:
Click Here. Sunday 28th February 2016 Bizarre Magick, Storytelling and
Mentalism; info and tickets:
Click Here. Jay Fortune.
14.11.15
Gold
Dust Live By Paul Gordon Limited Edition: "After over 20 years of
discussions Paul Gordon and Alakazam Magic have finally joined forces to bring
you this beautiful collection of card magic. During his 50 years in the business
(or racket as Paul likes to call it), he has been performing and creating magic
for over 40 of them. Paul has written and contributed to over 40 books and
publications. He has released numerous tricks and packet effects that are used
by magicians worldwide. Paul Gordon has personally cherry picked each and every
item from his amazing catalogue of works. Every effect is strong, solid, doable
and surprisingly easy to master." For more information and to order visit
www.alakazam.co.uk.
14.11.15
Magicians at the Half Moon, Bishop's Stortford. Andy Clockwise writes: 9 down and 1 to go... Friday 27th November will be the last "Magicians at the Half Moon" for 2015 - ahhh!!! - but fear not, as they'll be returning next year - Hooray!!! To see the year out Martin Cox - show producer and host for the evening - has managed to secure two fantastic multi-award winning acts. Firstly there's Eric Roumestan from France and to follow up, the very brilliant Fay Presto. This promises to be another fun packed night. Doors open at 7.30pm and it all kicks off at 8pm at the Half Moon, 31 North Street, Bishops Stortford, Hertfordshire CM23 2LD (Map). Entry on the door is £15 but you can save yourself £5 by reserving a seat by calling Martin on 01279 659562. For further information, please visit www.halfmoonmagic.co.uk. 14.11.15
Oliver
Tabor Watford Association of Magicians lecture, Tuesday 17th November at 8pm. Samantha Uren
Writes: Oliver is a multi-award winning Magic Circle magician, close-up conjurer and sophisticated
illusionist known for his ‘brilliantly different’ style of magic. Classic
conjuring with a contemporary twist. We are delighted that Oliver will be
joining us to lecture. Non members welcome, £10 payable on the door.
www.wamclub.co.uk.
14.11.15
Ken
'Kennedy' Dyne Magic Circle Lecture: Mentalism Doesn't Have To Be Boring. Kennedy
lectures at The Magic Circle on Monday 16th November, direct from his roaring success lecturing at
the MINDvention in Las Vegas, alongside mentalism legends Max Maven, Lee Earle and
Michael Weber. Note: This is a 'members only' event. For Magic Circle membership
details visit
www.themagiccircle.co.uk/join-us. Ken writes: "I'm really looking forward to sharing some fast-paced, entertaining mentalism
that can be used by magicians and mentalists alike, both close-up and on stage."
From The Magic Circle, Ken will fly to Antwerp, Belgium to lecture there.
For more information and to contact Ken about his lecture visit
www.mentalunderground.com/lectures.
14.11.15
Now You See It.
The last in the current series of this fast-paced and successful
comedy/trick/magic clip show, voiced by the somewhat miscast Mel Giedroyc,
on Saturday 21st November features
some of the world's best illusions, alongside a few moments the
magicians might wish had never been caught on camera. There's footage of
bewildering stunts, cheeky camera tricks, bizarre performances and
talented pets mixed in with the magic. Dynamo takes his nan on a magical
shopping trip, a hedgehog performs extraordinary feats with a hat, a
young Jedi makes a mess in a toyshop with his lightsaber, and in Japan,
a magician picks up his cooked food and brings it back to life in front
of a restaurant full of disbelieving diners. See
TV Magic for details.
14.11.15
Tricked Top 30.
In this special compilation episode, Ben Hanlin counts down his own personal top
30 moments from all three series of Tricked. Which celebrity shockers and street
surprises will be on his list?
9pm on Tuesday 24th November on ITV2. See
TV Magic for details.
14.11.15
The
Mark Leveridge November Podcast: How do you get the balance right between the
fees you charge for shows and the number of shows you want to do? Are magicians
getting more tolerant about having their performances filmed as the general
public now expects to whip out their camera phone at the slightest invitation?
What are the fundamental differences between working tables and performing at
mix and mingle events? These are just some of the topics covered in the latest
entertaining and interesting Podcast from Mark Leveridge. Free to listen to
online or to download, you can access the latest issue (and the back issues
going back almost three years) at
www.markleveridge.co.uk/podcast.php or you can
access it from
www.markleveridge.podbean.com from where you can also sign up
to be a follower and get the latest release automatically forwarded on to you on
the 1st of each month.
14.11.15
Merlins
of Wakefield presented a lecture last week by their very own Mark Lee. Mark
showed off some amazing gizmos and contraptions from his fascinating collection
of magic effects. With a full house in attendance, he demonstrated over 20
effects ranging from the 1830s up to the 1970s. Everyone commented on the
ingenuity of the effects, and that although they were vintage, many of them
would still work well today. Merlins are holding their final
Beginners' Workshop of 2015 on Saturday 21st November from 10am – 12noon at
the shop, so get in touch for more details or to book place:
www.merlinswakefield.com.
14.11.15
Watford
Association of Magicians' Stage Magician of The Year. Samantha Uren writes: Congratulations
to Steve Rowe and Sam & Chris who were awarded joint first place at the
prestigious Gil Leaney Watford Association of Magicians' Stage Magician of The Year
Competition on Tuesday 3rd
November.
Ilan First was awarded third place and other competitors included Sylar Bodgan, Dov Citron and
John Duckett.
With special thanks to compere Martin Cox who sewed the whole
evening together seamlessly, and to all who took part in contributing to a
fantastic evening enjoyed by all. Photo L to R: Sam & Chris (joint 1st place), Martin Cox (compere), Ilan
First (3rd Place), John Duckett, Dov Citron, Steve Rowe (joint 1st place) and
Sylar Bogdan.
www.wamclub.co.uk .
14.11.15
Andrew
Normansell lectures for the Peterborough Society of Magicians
www.psmagicians.org.uk
on Tuesday 17th November: "Andrew Normansell, the creator of Club Sandwich, Xpresso, author of The
Man who
would be King, and 'Twilight Lounge' and star of DVD projects '100% Commercial',
'Tempest Concept' and '10 Below Zero' presents a
spectacular new lecture. This informative lecture covers all aspects of
highly commercial close-up, walk around and stand-up magic. With an extensive
background in corporate and hospitality magic and stand-up comedy, Andrew
Normansell offers something unique in real world entertainment.
To book this exclusive lecture please visit
www.andrewnormansell.com."
14.11.15
Now That's What I Call Magic!
Next Saturday, November 21st, Now That's What I Call Magic! A night of comedy magic and
circus featuring The
Great Alprendo, Martin Cox, Andy Clockwise (photo), Dean Maudsley and Claudia
the Contortionist (Claudia was recently on TFI Friday hidden inside a bass drum!).
8pm at The Q Ball, Time Square, Basildon, Essex SS14 1DJ (Map).
Tickets are £10 in advance or £15 on the night. Book your place now by phone 07917 285133
or email Taylor412514@blueyonder.co.uk.
14.11.15
Escapology and the Challenges of Harry
Houdini success.
The first performance of the show 'Escapology and the Challenges of Harry
Houdini' took place on the 30th of October and raised a healthy three figure sum
for charity.
The show, the first solo full length show (2½ hours) by World Record
Holding Escapologist Stuart Burrell was well received by those in attendance.
"It goes a long way to putting the myth to rest that Escapes are not strong
enough to hold a full length show together." said Stuart. "We had everything
from true escapes through to strength demonstrations, to an actual bit of acting; each one
supporting the theme. The most common question I am asked is usually 'how do you do that?'
but since
the show it has been 'when is the next one?!'"
A further show is planned for early 2016. A tour is also being considered. More
information at
www.escapart.co.uk.
14.11.15
Bill
Bixby is The Magician. The original 1973/4 TV series is to be released on
DVD,
Click Here. The Magician, opening montage:
YouTube.
(I used to love this show in my teens! DT).
14.11.15
"Piff the Magic Dragon is on fire at new
Flamingo residency"
Click Here •
"Vegas greatness, two or three days a week"
Click Here • "Mark Shenton’s theatre picks: November 12"
Click Here •
"Now that’s tragic! Magician impales himself with six-inch nail after
Russian roulette-style trick goes badly wrong"
Click Here • "Watch as The Illusionists Baffle Their Audiences in This New Footage"
Click Here •
"Winnipeg magician Darcy Oake ready to wow Canadians"
Click Here • "Magician Johnny Thompson receives award from the Magic
Circle"
Click Here • "Magic masterclass: how Dynamo’s tricks turned me into
an illusionist"
Click Here • "Victorian Theatre Presents: A Night of Mystery - An
Extraordinary Performance of Amazing Magic & Unusual Phenomena!" is
reviewed by Steve Majes this week,
Click Here •
Will Houstoun's recent Bristol Society of Magic Mel Moore Memorial
lecture is reviewed by Chris Payne,
Click Here • "'This Morning': Holly Willoughby Begs For Magician To
'Do' Her, Hilarity Ensues"
Click Here • "Derren Brown: 'Fame makes people more suggestible'"
Click Here • "On Verge of TV Deal, Magician Says 'Illusionists'
Partners Left Him Stranded in Venezuela"
Click Here • "Big, Bold, and Truly Magical, The Illusionists Will
Delight DPAC Patrons Through Nov. 15th"
Click Here •
"Magician Gareth an inspiration for recovering addicts in Islington"
Click Here •
"Dynamo on ‘street magician to arena tour’ shift"
Click Here •
"This is either Russia's best magician or its crappiest car"
Click Here •
Derren Brown: Miracle and The Illusionists... looking
forward to both! Your UK magic news is always welcome, see you next
week, Duncan.
14.11.15