Number 842 - 13th August 2016

Mark Elsdon: Equivoque Workshop. Saturday, September 3rd, Reading, Berkshire. "Many thanks for sharing your expertise, absolutely priceless." "...it delivered all that it promised to and more." "A great day, worth every last penny and I strongly recommend you attend." The goal of this one-day Workshop is to make attendees into experts on Equivoque, providing them with full insight into this under-valued technique, an analysis of its strengths and weaknesses, one-on-one instruction on several reputation-making unpublished effects and the ability to construct powerful, original Equivoque effects for themselves. There are only three places still available for this exclusive event. To see the full programme and book your place see: elsdon.blogspot.co.uk. 13.8.16

Richard Wiseman has opened a free optical illusion exhibition at Edinburgh’s Museum of Childhood. Visitors can watch Richard's Quirkology videos, be levitated by David Copperfield, take a photograph of an invisible ghost and much more! “I have always loved David’s levitation illusion and he has kindly allowed us to be the first exhibition in Britain to stage the piece.” said Richard. The exhibition runs until September 1st, and Richard then hopes to take the exhibition on tour. More info at richardwiseman.wordpress.com. 13.8.16

The Magicians' Podcast this week features Ben Earl. Host Richard Young writes: This is possibly the most thought provoking episode I have released in a long time. I tried to convince Ben to be a guest on the podcast since the very beginning and today is the day he finally sits and talks to me about his incredible approach to magic. Ben doesn't do interviews for magicians, so I am honoured that he choose to speak to you via this podcast. We go right back to the start of his professional career to discuss his DVD Past Midnight, we talk about why he decided to try and fool Penn & Teller rather than the 'how' he fooled them. Ben also talks candidly about his Channel 4 series Trick Artist. Did he really ask security to eject the magicians he spotted in the studio audience? He answers that question in this podcast with 100% honesty. Ben is just beginning the start of a new journey; a project he calls Neo-Movement, which is an approach to magic which makes sleights invisible and magic look purer than ever before. Listen to this Podcast and catch up with previous ones at magicianspodcast.podbean.com also see www.facebook.com/MagiciansPodcast. 13.8.16

Lesley Hazlitt of The Piddingtons, 1924-2016. David Britland remembers Lesley Piddingtion: cardopolis.blogspot.co.uk. Also see tributes.smh.com.au. 13.8.16

The Stars of Magic Christmas Show. From the organisers: Do you believe in magic? Six of the finest magicians and illusionists from around the globe come together in a breathtaking, gasp-inducing and head-scratching show that you won't want to miss! The Stars of Magic is a family-friendly show featuring world-class magicians from the UK, Germany and Taiwan. From spectacular Las Vegas-style illusions to astonishing sleight of hand magic, this show is a first of its kind in Bristol and really has to be seen to be (dis)believed. Starring: Young and Strange: Our grand illusionists and YouTube viral stars. One of their videos received ten million views in one weekend alone! Alan Hudson: The hilarious star of ITV's prime-time shows The Next Great Magician and Penn and Teller Fool Us. Alana: Enchanting, unique magic from Germany's national champion. She presents the act that won her that title and that she has performed on television shows all over the world. Anson Lee: Taiwan's master of sleight of hand card manipulation. Anson has swept the board with awards in Asia for his cutting-edge act. Rob James: The International Brotherhood of Magicians first prize winner for close-up magic 2015. Rob has amazed audiences everywhere from the Magic Castle in Hollywood to Disneyland in Paris. For more details see www.starsofmagic.co.uk or www.redgravetheatre.com. 13.8.16

Magic Business For Sale. After 47 years of selling playing cards, Clive Leewarden is retiring and putting The Card Collection (www.cards4magic.co.uk) up for sale. This is a going concern supplying cards to magicians and card collectors worldwide, along with gizmos, gadgets, gimmicks and hard to find items. This is a marvellous opportunity for someone with enthusiasm and flair to take over a well established business with a good customer list and first class reputation for service. Interested parties should call the shop on 01233 647878. 13.8.16

West End Magic. From the organisers: West End Magic presents a series of one man shows featuring some of the country's best magicians direct from the Edinburgh Fringe Festival at the Lounge, Leicester Square Theatre. A great opportunity to see some of the most popular and in demand Edinburgh shows without the journey!
Wednesday 7th September at 7pm: Mystic Mick, comedy psychic. A cross between Derren Brown and Dale Winton!

Thursday 8th September at 7pm: Griffin and Jones, Slapdash Magic "An extremely funny and entertaining duo" British Comedy Guide.

Friday 9th September at 7pm: Neil Henry (photo), Mindwangler "Defies all logic...truly breathtaking" What'sOnStage.

Saturday 10th September at 4pm: Oliver Meech, When Magic & Science Collide "Could rival Derren Brown" TheatreWales.

West End Magic presents... 7th-10th September, The Lounge, Leicester Square Theatre, London. Box Office 0844 873 3433. Tickets Click Here. 13.8.16

Johnny Hart Biography. Steve Short writes: I am writing a biography of Johnny Hart and would like copies or originals of photos, posters or programmes of shows that Johnny appeared in. Any stories or anecdotes, no matter how small will also be gratefully appreciated. If anyone worked with Johnny or knows/knew him, please would you contact me at info@steve-short.co.uk. 13.8.16

Become a Children's Entertainer. Bristol children's entertainer Mike Clarke has just released the latest version of his "Become a Children's Entertainer" training programme. Ideal for anyone looking to start working as a children's entertainer, this training from a full-time pro is as current as it gets. Details of the training can be found at www.becomeachildrensentertainer.com. Until the end of August, MagicWeek readers can benefit from a £75 discount by using the coupon code EARLYBIRD2016 at checkout. 13.8.16

Ian Harvey lecture/workshop - Edinburgh Magic Circle. John Whelan writes: Ian Harvey is presenting a lecture/workshop that will give you the tools to use your voice in performance and how to pace your performance to elevate your craft. The cost is a mere £5. A great help for professionals or amateurs alike. Places limited. Please contact Edinburgh Magic Circle Facebook to book your place. Edinburgh Magic Circle, Myreside Pavilion, 79 Myreside Road, Edinburgh EH10 5DB (Map) Monday 22nd August at 7.30pm. 13.8.16

The Mark Leveridge August E-Video Newsletter. Mark writes: This month's sunny collection of all things magically wonderful (!) has an interesting mix of magic, information and tales of disaster! The Teach In reveals a strong routine using a borrowed credit card. Wrinkles shares with you a new handling for the packet trick Seeing Is Believing. In It Could Only Happen Live I tell the story of the time I had to deal with lawless kids at a children's party. The Web Offer Bundle gives dems and further info on the special offer for August featuring the Leveridge Envelope. 60 Seconds To Success provides a quick bit of advice about how to cover for performance mistakes. And finally in The Review Corner, I take a look at Rajan's Flying Colors routine. Access to the complete 38 minute online video presentation is available as a one off purchase or as part of a 1 year subscription. To get a flavour of the E-Video Newsletter you can catch a trailer at www.markleveridge.co.uk/evn.php. 13.8.16

Morgan & West: Parlour Tricks, Autumn Tour. Time travelling magic duo Morgan & West present a brand new show chock full of jaw dropping, brain bursting, gasp eliciting feats of magic. The dashing chaps offer up a plateful of illusion and impossibility, all served with wit, charm and no small amount of panache. Be sure to wear a hat – Morgan & West might just blow your mind. ★★★★ The Stage. ★★★★ Daily Mirror. More info: www.morganandwest.co.uk/live-dates
September
3rd Birmingham, MAC
17th Milton Keynes, Stantonbury Theatre
22nd Canterbury, Marlowe Theatre
23rd Banbury, The Mill
30th Bridport, Arts Centre
October
1st North London, Finchley Arts Depot
3rd Cambridge, Junction
8th Newbury, New Greenham Arts
13th Richmond, Georgian Theatre Royal
14th Helmsley, Arts Centre
15th Washington, Arts Centre
19th Leighton Buzzard, Library Theatre
20th Cardigan, Theatr Mwldan
21st Colchester, Arts Centre
22nd Oxford, North Wall Arts
23rd Manchester, Salford Lowry
28th Sleaford, Sleaford Playhouse
29th Solihull, The Core theatre
November
19th Corsham, Pound Arts. 13.8.16

Chris Cross's Castle Keep Escape Stunt! Chris Cross the Magician will attempt to escape from a straitjacket in just 90 seconds, whilst suspended upside down by his ankles, 80ft high in the sky, from the rooftop of the iconic Newcastle Castle Keep. The most famous Escapologist ever to have lived, Harry Houdini, visited the Keep when he performed in Newcastle and he did a few press stunts up there to promote his show whilst in the region. Chris Cross will replicate one of Houdini's most famous escapology stunts as a tribute to Houdini and to promote his own upcoming variety show, ''The Greatest Show on the Tyne'' at the Tyne Theatre, days later on 2nd September. If Cross fails, death is almost certain. Let's hope for a successful stunt. The Daredevil Performance can be seen for free from the Quayside, the Baltic viewing point and from the bridges. It's a public entertainment piece that can be seen by all of Newcastle for free! For more Click Here. Sunday 28th August at 12noon on the Rooftop of The Newcastle Castle Keep facebook.com/events/1828452284041018. 13.8.16

MagicWeek's 'For Sale' Ads. Martin Duffy emails: "I had the Spirit Cabinet on various Facebook magic selling groups for £550, then £450, for over a month. Nothing. Within 24 hours of posting it on MagicWeek I had 4 offers!! Now it's sold. Thanks for offering a great service - I'll be posting more often now!" See For Sale and Wanted to place a free ad. 13.8.16

"Buxton Calling" the latest podcast from Discover Buxton (see www.discoverbuxton.co.uk) talks about magic in its broadest sense (at 20' 30" in). Amongst the speakers are Geoffrey Newton, the public relations officer to The British Ring, discussing Randini, magicians who started Geoffrey’s interest in magic, and how he sees magic today. A number of audio clips have been added, featuring David Nixon, Tommy Cooper and Harry Corbett. The interviewer, Michael Clement had researched the fact that the British Ring was returning to Buxton for a 5th time, for its annual convention, on this occasion being a special event, their 80th. See www.magicconvention.co.uk. 13.8.16

Mr. Bean - A Magic Day Out. Mr Bean and Irma are off for a day at the seaside. Irma is travelling light, but Bean wants to take almost everything he owns in an enormous trunk. Arriving at the seaside, Bean's trunk gets accidentally swapped with that of a famous stage magician. As Bean entertains Irma pulling rabbits out of hats. The angry magician arrives on the scene - and he is not a happy bunny. Monday 15th August on CITV, see TV Magic. 13.8.16

The MagicWeek Video Archive. This week from the compilation show 'Great Escapes' (1999), escapologist Frank Puff nearly runs out of, erm, puff... The MagicWeek Video Archive. DT. 13.8.16

The Magicians Advice Podcast interview with Fraser Parker & Ross Taylor: "Understanding Mentalism. In this feature length podcast, Phil Taylor and Ian Brennan talk with Fraser Parker & Ross Tayler. We talk a bit about philosophy and art in magic/mentalism, as well as discussing going propless, and a variety of other topics. It's completely free! Be prepared as the conversation does get a little deep in places, but it is well worth it. If you enjoy this episode please share on all your social media platforms." magicianscorner.co.uk/category/podcast. 13.8.16

Dynamo Live At The O2 is being repeated on Dave on Saturday 20th August. A special television event broadcast live from the O2 Arena in London as Dynamo performs his critically acclaimed show, Seeing Is Believing. After selling out more than 100 dates for his debut live arena tour, Dynamo will become the first magician in history to headline The O2 to an assembled audience of around 10,000. Dynamo said, 'I’ve been overwhelmed with all the amazing support from fans as I’ve toured the length and breadth of the country. Now I want to make sure that those who couldn’t get tickets can still enjoy the show and hope that those who’ve been to see me will want to relive it again on Dave.' See TV Magic. 13.8.16

British Magical Society, Birmingham - welcoming new members. Jay Adkins writes: Looking for new members to join our society based in Birmingham. The British Magical Society. Established in 1905, it is one of the oldest and most well respected magical societies. Our members range from casual hobbyists right through to working professional magicians, mind readers, and other entertainers. We have meetings at least three times a month and at the majority of meetings, there is a lecture. These lectures are given by working professionals, not just from the UK, but all around the world. Upcoming artists due to perform in the next few months include Steve Beam, Thom Peterson, David Stone, Phil Smith, Jimmy Carlo and Matthew Wright. If you are a magician, or interested in the art of magic, you should consider joining the British Magical Society. For information, contact membership@britishmagicalsociety.co.uk. 13.8.16

Steamboat Barry. "When Barry Stevenson, a retired British detective opened the Daily Mirror one morning, he nearly choked on his breakfast tea. He was reliably informed that he was the UK's oldest dad at the age of 76. Barry is kept on his toes by baby Barrito (now 15 months) and he lives with his beautiful Cuban wife, aged 36, in Mallorca. Steamboat Barry is his incredible story leading up to his retirement, written by a close friend and confidante. It depicts his remarkable rise through the ranks from a uniformed policeman on the beat in Leeds to his promotion to CID and later as the officer in charge of the regional crime squad. Filled with stories about his undercover operations from the upper CID ranks and his secondment via the Commonwealth Office to the Seychelles as Head of CID, this is a thoroughly entertaining read from start to finish. Despite the admission that he is 'nothing special', the author thinks that there was always something very special about this young man who studied mnemonics to build his excellent memory. This invaluable asset stood him in good stead as he spent his life chasing thieves, drug dealers, burglars and gangsters, for which he received a number of court and police commendations. At the tender age of 14, Barry was accepted into his local Magic Circle and he later used his talent to stretch out his three-year RAF service pay by doing magic shows and to nail criminals. In 1968, one of the tricks he'd invented was nominated as the best trick of the year by film star, Lorne Greene, (best remembered from Bonanza), and he enjoyed a visit to the Magic Castle." See Amazon.co.uk. 13.8.16

"Abracadabra! Magic Magazine celebrates 25 years at Magic Live! Convention" Click Here • "Master of illusion revealed: Sean Watson" Click Here • "From card trick to Shard trick... breakdancing Magical Bones shows his magic 1,000ft up" Click Here • "Will Houstoun: Magicians don’t think imitation is sincerest form of flattery" Click Here • "International: Piff the Magic Dragon – from Edinburgh to Las Vegas" Click Here • "How I got that shot: The in-camera optical illusion" Click Here • "Fans flock from across the country for Tommy Cooper AGM" Click Here • "Show celebrating life of iconic comedian Tommy Cooper heads to Coventry" Click Here • "This magician got into Oxford after doing coin tricks during the admissions interview" Click Here • "Jeff McBride: Battle of the wizards on television and the Las Vegas Strip" Click Here • That's it for this week, as ever your UK magic news is welcomed. See you next week, Duncan. 13.8.16

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