Number
1083 - Saturday 27th March 2021
Grayson's
Art Club. Grayson and Philippa Perry welcome illusionist Derren Brown, who
talks about his love of painting. Comedian Alex Horne creates a unique response
to the theme of the week - travel. Art Club meets Liverpudlian artist Chila
Kumari Singh Burman, whose recent installation transformed the front of Tate
Britain into a celebration of bright lights and swirling colour. Grayson and
Derren choose their favourite artworks from this week's submissions and some of
the special guests from throughout the series return for a heart-warming finale.
Friday, 2nd April, on Channel 4. See TV Magic
for details. 27.3.21
Ant
and Dec's Saturday Night Take Away. From the producers: Alesha Dixon is on
Star Guest Announcer duties, Ant and Dec are in hot water in the penultimate
episode of comedy serial Double Trouble, and McFly are live in the studio for a
spectacular 'End of the Show' show. Plus, the Takeaway Rainbow will light up the
skies once again somewhere in the UK, and another lucky player gets the chance
to Win the Ads. 7pm on ITV [Expect some magic this evening. DT]. 27.3.21
News
from Simon Drake at his House of Magic: After a year of staring at the wall,
abandoning badly dubbed Netflix shows and rather disastrously acting
simultaneously as a hairdresser and customer, I snapped out of my trance and
ventured forth to delve deep into the archives in the cellar below my Victorian
theatre, where original documents, plans and faded faxes are stored. These
involve details of my work over 40 years in this industry and 25 years of
running a busy theatre in London entirely devoted to magic. I am therefore
pleased to announce that I have launched a Patreon page which includes
enthralling videos previously unseen in the public domain, rare and fascinating
ephemera detailing secrets of The Secret Cabaret and mysteries of the spirits of
The House of Magic.
Patreon is a secure subscription interface and seems the ideal medium for premiering and explaining the many videos of original illusions and manip routines I have up my sleeve. There is a very special section for magicians only, in which many secrets, methods, and the thinking behind the work is explained. Also featured will be my work with the likes of: Iron Maiden, Oliver Reed, Harvey Keitel, Nic Roeg, Julian Lennon, Kate Bush, Richard Garriott, Terry Gilliam, George Harrison, Kenneth Branagh, Christopher Plummer and Peter O’Toole, as well as my shows and informal chats with much missed HRH Diana, Princess of Wales. See YouTube. And the Patreon page: www.patreon.com/SimonDrake. Our monthly public shows will start again in July: www.houseofmagic.co.uk. 27.3.21
David
Williamson, Talking Shtick with Mark James. One of the world's most talented magicians, David Williamson
knows the secret of capturing the imagination of any audience. A born showman
and an unusually accomplished sleight of hand artist, David dazzles audiences
with a unique and delightful brand of entertainment, blending heart-stopping
magic with side-splitting hilarity.
I sat for over an hour to talk with David about his thoughts on magic.
More than anything, I wanted to have a conversation with David that I hadn't
heard him have with any other interviewer. I hope you'll agree we achieved just
that! Talking Shtick with Mark James. Via your
favourite listening platform including
Podbean. 27.3.21
Pete
Firman's Bag of Tricks - back on the road! Pete Firman is one of the UK’s
most popular magicians and he’s back on the road! You’ve seen him on television,
now experience his trademark blend of laugh-out-loud comedy and jaw-dropping
magic live on stage. As seen on ITV1’s Tonight at the London Palladium
and The Next Great Magician, BBC1’s The Magicians, The John
Bishop Show and The Sarah Millican Television Programme. Tour dates:
April, August, September, October and November 2021. See
www.petefirman.co.uk/live for updates and to book. 27.3.21
Zodiac
Magical Society celebrating its 75th Birthday. On Wednesday 31st March, the
Zodiac Magical Society will be celebrating its 75th Birthday. Due to Covid we
can’t meet in person so members and their partners will be meeting online for a
celebration and some top-class magical entertainment. The Society was formed on
the 2nd April 1946 by Dick Chavel and Napier Bye with about a dozen members.
Today, we have a membership of over sixty magicians. We normally meet weekly in
the West London area but with the advent of Covid made the transition to meeting
weekly online, without missing a week. Our members are a mix of full-time
professional entertainers, semi-pros and, of course, a large number of members
for whom magic is just a very pleasant and absorbing hobby. We welcome visitors
and new members who have a genuine interest in magic. For more information,
please visit
www.zodiacmagicalsociety.co.uk. Alan Browne, President of the Zodiac Magical
Society. 27.3.21
The
MagicWeek Video Archive. A new magic clip or show every week! In the
week in which the
new polymer £50 note was announced I thought you'd appreciate
watching a master magician at work with the old paper one... French charmer Étienne Pradier performing some close-up and
walkabout magic on 'Astounding Celebrities' from 23rd
December 2003. See
The MagicWeek Video Archive. To catch up with more from The
MagicWeek Video Archive
Click Here.
27.3.21
Wayne
& Mike’s Coffee Morning. Wayne and Mike start every Friday with
a chat, a coffee and a surprise guest. This week: Episode 9. 'A Support Act Reunion'
Part 1, with Phil Hitchcock, Keelan Leyser, David Penn, Scott Penrose and Duncan
Trillo.
YouTube. 27.3.21
ITV's
Game of Talents "It's when a talent show and game show collide!
Think you can guess the hidden talents? Join our host, Vernon Kay for a
brand new game show like no other!"
YouTube. 27.3.21
Svengali Deck: Diamond Edition.
Like the classic Svengali
Deck, but with a twist that offers endless possibilities. Expertly produced
by David Diamond's 'handcut-stripperdecks.co.uk'. Find out why this deck
is so good... see
www.handcut-stripperdecks.co.uk for ordering details. To really see
just what can be achieved I'd recommend that you also sign-up to David
Britland's excellent, free, Cardopolis Newsletter, which goes in to
detail in its latest issue. Subscribe at:
www.cardopolis.substack.com. DT.
27.3.21
Der
Grosse Kalanag [The Great Kalanag].
Jan Isenbart, of
Zzzauber, the English and German Magic Blog, writes: After seven
years in the making, Malte Herwig's
comprehensive biography in German, Der Grosse Kalanag [The Great Kalanag],
has just been published by Penguin Random House in Munich, with a first run of 10,000 copies.
Malte is an academic with an Oxford doctorate in literary studies, a historian, an author of several acclaimed books, and a journalist. On a whopping 480 pages he narrates and analyzes the wily and agile life of Helmut Schreiber (1903-1963), an always-on-the-go amateur magician who became an eminent official both in film and magic during the Third Reich, seeking the bubble reputation and rubbing shoulders with the Nazi top brass including Adolf Hitler. After the Second World War, with both a questionable denazification document and an occupational ban for the film industry in his hands, Schreiber reinvented himself quickly and mysteriously as "Kalanag," the illusionist. Henceforth, he successfully toured the world with his magical music revue of stunning size while at the same time making his shady past disappear in the wartime ruins.
Malte dug deep into archives and sources, as not only the 50 pages of footnotes
in his book attest to. He also managed to track down a number of contemporary
witnesses of Schreiber's doings, including his two daughters, who were
half-sisters. In this interview Malte speaks of his personal approach to
Kalanag, the great support he has received from the magic community, and his
biggest discoveries on his quest. An English version of his book may appear in
the future, as the worldwide rights are currently put on sale.
I have translated our German interview into English, and hope you find it
interesting. With kind permission, there are also some photographs included
which you have probably never seen before. See:
www.zzzauber.wordpress.com. 27.3.21
Jeff
McBride Lecture at the Cambridge Pentacle Club. From the organisers: The one and only Jeff McBride is joining the Cambridge Pentacle
Club for a 2 hour lecture covering all areas of performance from how to open
your show, keeping the audience engaged, and how to close your show. Special focus will be
given to online performance. A limited number of guest tickets will be
available.
The cost of a ticket is £10 and from
www.pentacleclub.com/store/p4/VisitorsTicket.html. Online on Tuesday 30th
March at 8pm. 27.3.21
Virtually
Impossible - Award Nomination. Tony Middleton's online production Virtually
Impossible has been nominated for an ONCOMM Award by OffWestEnd.com following
over forty 5 star reviews and sell-out shows. Drawing on the Golden Age of
Magic, this experiences features card classics, interactive routines and
mind-reading. Performances run during lockdown on Saturday nights at 7.30pm, and
last 1 hour 20 minutes. See the latest review from MagicSeats "the best close
camera work that I have seen... The show is flawless. It is an absolute must
see!"
www.magicseats.co.uk. 27.3.21
The Disappearing of Vincent Gambini. A film by Augusto Corrieri
and
Hugo Glendinning. Premieres on Wednesday 14th April at 8pm (running time 35
minutes) followed by a Q&A moderated by
Deborah Pearson, at 9pm.
The film will then be available to view until Sunday, 18th April.
In March 2020 the tour of Vincent Gambin's latest magic show, The Chore of
Enchantment, was cancelled due to the pandemic.
Made entirely in lockdown, this new film reflects on the cancelled magic
performance, and the search for contact at a time of isolation.
Supported by Arts Council England. See
www.vincentgambini.com
for details. Tickets are "'Pay what you can".
Augusto Corrieri is writer, performance maker, and a Lecturer in Drama at the University of Sussex. Under the pseudonym Vincent Gambini, he has made two critically acclaimed sleight-of-hand magic shows. Hugo Glendinning is a photographer and film maker who has worked with most leading British theatre and dance companies. Screenings will be hosted by: Camden People's Theatre London, Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts Brighton, Colchester Arts Centre, Exeter Phoenix and Dorchester Arts Centre. 27.3.21
Merlins
Mail Spring Edition - out now! With articles,
tricks and offers there is something for everyone.
Click Here for an
instant PDF copy, or
email you postal address to merlins@btconnect.com for a printed copy.
Their Magic Festival Day for 2021 has now been postponed to 15th May 2022.
All tickets are still valid and those that have them should already have been
contacted. Don't forget our weekly "Merlins Magic Monday" at 1pm on
our Facebook page:
Merlins
of Wakefield. And finally, if you have any used magic or books you no longer need, contact
us
with details and we will arrange collection from you at our expense.
www.merlinswakefield.com. 27.3.21
Magic
Room 101 with Mark James - Every Sunday. Mark James writes:
Every week my guests will choose three things that really annoy them in
magic. I'll attempt to argue against their grievances (whether I agree
or not) and then give you the chance to have 'one minute on the mic' to
do the same. Then we decide whether or not that thing goes into Magic
Room 101 to be banished forever. Follow on Clubhouse at MARKJAMESMAGIC to be
notified of events. Every Sunday at 10pm GMT (2pm PST, 5pm EST) live,
not recorded. 27.3.21
Magic
for Humans Spain - Official Netflix Trailer. In the Spanish adaptation of
Justin Willman's beloved ‘Magic For Humans’, Mago Pop makes his way through the
streets of Spain, thrilling locals with his tricks. All the episodes of ‘Magic
for Human Spain’ are now available on Netflix. Trailer:
YouTube. 27.3.21
The
March 2021 Mark Leveridge Podcast. Mark Leveridge writes: If you have half
an hour to spare you may want to sit down and listen to my latest audio podcast.
Here are the contents. I consider Marc Oberon’s assertion that there’s an art
to being helped when you ask for advice from your magical peers : the many
different types of trick endings that we can use for our magic : age relevant
lines and patter themes are strong when used correctly : announcement of a new
Premier E-Routine : COVID has changed the relationship that we have with our
audiences : it’s easy to lose the will to respond to show enquiries at the
moment. The podcast is published on the 1st of every month and is always
full of interesting and thought provoking opinion and comment. You can listen
for free at
www.markleveridge.co.uk/podcast-archive, or from
www.markleveridge.podbean.com
where you can also sign up to be a follower and receive each new edition
automatically. 27.3.21
Win
a copy of The Boy Who Cried Magic with Magicseen. From the publishers: In
the current issue of Magicseen we are running a special competition in which two
lucky readers will each win a copy of Andi Gladwin's new book, The Boy Who Cried
Magic. To enter, you simply have to answer one simple question which is posed in
the current issue (#97 March 2021) and provided you email a correct answer in
before the 31st March 2021, your name will go into the 'hat' for the prize draw.
You can get your copy of the March Magicseen either as part of a 6 month, 1 year
or 2 year printed copy or download sub, or by buying the single issue direct
from www.magicseen.com.
Remember the competition entry must be in before the 31st March so get your copy
now. 27.3.21
Sunday Night at the London Palladium. Jimmy Tarbuck hosts the first colour edition of the show, from 1966, featuring Roy Orbison, Judith Durham, the Seekers, Julie Rogers, The Biasinis, Silvan and Ray Fell. Sunday 4th April on Talking Pictures TV. See TV Magic for details. 27.3.21
David Blaine: Beyond Magic. Following his critically acclaimed ratings smash David Blaine: Real or Magic, Blaine returns with his most revealing performance yet, which has been two years in the making. Blaine pulls the lid off his signature brand of street magic, sparking reactions that will leave audiences in awe and defy all expectations. Magic meets documentary in the one-hour special, as Blaine blows the minds of some of the most recognisable celebrities in the world, including David Beckham, Johnny Depp, Drake, Steph Curry, Dave Chappelle, John Travolta, Patrick Stewart, Emma Stone and Arnold Schwarzenegger, among others. Repeat. Saturday 3rd April on Sky One. See TV Magic for details. 27.3.21
"Derren
Brown on how to tell someone they're wrong"
Click Here • "Yes, The Tricks In Magic For Humans Spain Are Real"
Click Here • "From magician to binman for Woolston resident Ian Zippy Lees"
Click Here • "It’s a kind of magic – children’s ward appeal flies high with
Theo the Magician"
Click Here • "Magician Mat Franco to reopen at The Linq on April 29"
Click Here • "Kingswood magician gains online fanbase during lockdown"
Click Here • "Chess Genius, Stand-up Magician, Tennis Player, and High
School Student: Aayush Shah Talks About Passion"
Click Here • "Amanpour & Co. Illusionist Derek DelGaudio Talks Hulu Special
& New Memoir"
Click Here • "Poll: Would you support the use of vaccine passports for
theatres?"
Click Here • Thanks for your news - see you next week, Duncan.
27.3.21