Number
1123 - Saturday 1st January 2022
The
Legendary Berglas Effect. The wait is over! As promised last week, David
Berglas has finally agreed to release footage of himself performing The
Berglas Effect. Just a few weeks ago
The New York Times dedicated a full-page to explore "The Mystery of Magic’s
Greatest Card Trick" writing, "At 94, the magician David Berglas says his
renowned effect can't be taught. Is he telling the truth?"
Now, in this hour-long video, you will not only hear that article read by Laura London, but will also gain an insight into the man himself and his creative thought process. Finally, you will see David perform this truly unbelievable effect in a number of venues, and in unique ways, spanning a 30-year period. Presented by professional mind reader Marc Paul, with contributions from card expert Laura London, YouTube's Jeremy Tan and Aaron Fisher’s ‘Conjuror Community Club’. To watch the video Click Here. 1.1.22
Judy.
"Legendary performer Judy Garland arrives in London in the winter of
1968 to perform a series of sold-out concerts." With an Oscar-winning
performance from lead Renée Zellweger and an outstanding performance from
Andy Nyman as super-fan Dan. Available on iPlayer for just a few more
weeks. DT.
bbc.co.uk/iplayer.
1.1.22
The
MagicWeek Video Archive. A new magic clip or show every week! Let's get the
New Year off to a good start. This week, Jeff McBride's mask act in a guest
appearance on The Paul Daniels Magic Show from 21st September 1985. I was lucky
enough to have been in the studio audience for this recording, with my great
friend Leo Ward who managed to get tickets. Every so often a magician
comes along and reinvents a particular genre of magic. David Blaine did it for
close-up magic, Derren Brown did it for mentalism and Jeff McBride did it for
the humble silent magician with an act that he started to develop in the late
'70s. Brilliant. DT. See
The MagicWeek Video Archive. To catch up with more from The
MagicWeek Video Archive
Click Here.
1.1.22
Magicseen
Issue 102, January 2022. From the publishers: Jump into the New Year
by ordering the latest edition of the UK's biggest independent magic
magazine. Our cover features the top double act The Sentimentalists,
whose stylised mental presentations are innovative and popular. We talk
to Ben Earl to understand better his approach to magic, and we go behind
the scenes to get the story of the amazing centre piece illusion in the
RSC's production of The Magician's Elephant. This issue also contains
some excellent advice articles, including one from the late, great
Eugene Burger on how to select magic to perform in your show, and
another in which we discuss the effectiveness of conversational patter
as a way of connecting quickly with a close-up audience. We have other
big names joining us too, including Mel Mellers and Luca Volpe, and the
Masterclass has a big feature routine for children's entertainers from
Pat Fallon as well as a nice variation on Dr. Daley's Last Trick from
Douglas MacGeorge. Plus... there are letters, In The Phonebox, a good
selection of new product reviews and more. We think this issue is a
great way to get your year started just right, so get your copy now as
part of a 6 month, 1 or 2 year printed copy or download sub, or as a
single issue purchase, from
www.magicseen.com.
1.1.22
British
Ring 25, International Brotherhood of Magicians. The British Ring
write: Didn’t get what you wanted for Christmas? Well, why not treat
yourself for 2022 with a membership to the largest branch of the largest
magic society in the world? A full year of events are being planned to
cope with any situation. We were the first organisation to run an
interactive online convention for members in 2019 and continue to run
online events as well as planning a full year’s programme of physical
events such as our Convention, Magic Days, and our President’s Dinner.
Membership doesn’t require examinations or auditions, just demonstrate a
genuine interest in magic and its associated arts. Members are entitled
to a high-quality monthly magazine, The Key Ring, which includes
access to the entire database of historical magazines and convention
brochures going back to 1930; full of tricks, tips, and commentary on
the last 80 years of magic. Membership entitles you to a substantial
discount to the annual Convention which includes our renowned
competitions as well as lectures and shows from top performers from all
over the world. There is also, often free, access to our member events
throughout the year. Expand your network of professional,
semi-professional and amateur magicians by heading over to Membership,
see
IBM British Ring 25.
1.1.22
MagiCon
2022. From the organisers: Registration is now open for MagiCon 2022 - the Irish Convention which
is scheduled to take place in Bangor, Northern Ireland from April 29th -
May 1st 2022.
Payment can be made online or by cheque or bank transfer and a
Registration Form with details of packages available can be downloaded
from the website
www.online-usm.com/magicon2022.
1.1.22
Nemed
Phoenix on Craig Petty's Magic TV: 'Talk Magic'. Every Tuesday, Wednesday
and Saturday at 9pm, Craig Petty sits down and chats with a well known magician;
a creator, a performer, or someone who has had a positive impact on the Magic
Community. "Nemed Phoenix - The best kept secret in magic"
YouTube.
1.1.22
Index
to the Demon Telegraph, Davenports house magazine. Michael Colley’s
index covers both articles and advertisements. It will be a boon to any
serious researcher who wants to check on relevant material in the Demon
Telegraph. When Davenports first published it in 1933, the content was
mainly advertising. It wasn’t until Issue no. 61, when the New Series
started in 1942, that more articles were added. There were articles
aimed at performing magicians, covering tricks, bits of business, and
performance advice. The series of articles on ‘Old Timers I Have Met’
and ‘Programmes of the Past’ are of especial interest to magic
historians. Available free of charge on the Davenport Collection website
Click Here.
1.1.22
Wayne
Fox's 'Knockout
FX' lecture and workshop - South London Magic Society, Tuesday January
11th. From the organisers: At 8pm: The two hour lecture, featuring mind reading
magic and visual
magic. Most importantly, everything's easy to do, and is based on the "always be prepared to perform magic whenever asked"
premise. Card magic, mind reading, and how to be unique
at the party, are just some of the subjects covered.
The Light/Heavy Workshop at 5pm. In addition to the brand-new lecture, also on offer is this unique chance to experience the Light/Heavy Workshop. For your spectator objects become too heavy to lift from the table, a bottle, a mobile phone, car keys, in fact anything which sits on the table will become too heavy to lift. It’s like real magic. This workshop is limited to 10 people and is one-hour long, starting in the afternoon before the lecture later that evening. Lecture £10 for non-members. Light/Heavy Workshop £25. South London Magic Society, Clock House Methodist Church, Clock House Road (opposite the Railway Station), Beckenham BR3 4JP. www.southlondonmagic.co.uk. 1.1.22
Drummond
Money-Coutts on magic. "'Magic to me is like love, a moment of
suspension from reality'. He loves magic, practices it like a musician
and performs it, well, like a maverick. Famous magician DMC reveals how
magic captivates him and how he continues to captivate his audience
world wide..." read the full interview in
www.nationalheraldindia.com.
1.1.22
1985's
cult classic Desperately Seeking Susan was shown over Christmas.
If you've never seen it then it can be enjoyed on iPlayer for a few more
weeks. "Roberta, a bored New Jersey housewife, gets her kicks reading
the personal columns in the newspaper. When she becomes obsessed with a
relationship between two lovers who arrange their meetings through the
columns, she decides to find out for herself who they are. But when
Roberta is involved in an accident, she loses her memory and thinks she
is Susan, the free-spirited woman in the personals. Unfortunately, Susan
is in a lot of trouble, and Roberta finds herself caught in the middle." The Magic Consultant was Sal St. George. On
bbc.co.uk/iplayer for the next two weeks.
1.1.22
This
Dragon's on Fire! Piff expands his Las Vegas production. "Here’s a
bit of Vegas entertainment trivia to impress your friends: Who was the
first headliner to reopen on the Strip after the shutdown of 2020? The
answer is Piff the Magic Dragon at the Flamingo. The illusionist and
comedian has been starring at the legendary center-Strip property for
six years now and just signed on for three more years, continuing the
significant growth of the show that moved out of the intimate cabaret
space and into the larger Flamingo Showroom last fall. It’s one of the
rare Vegas productions that expanded over the last two years, and it
only takes a couple minutes of the performance to understand why Piff is
thriving..." To read the full article by Brock Radke in Las Vegas
Magazine
Click Here.
1.1.22
The
Professional Worker Series Complete Collection - Mark Leveridge Magic.
Starting back in 2014, Mark Leveridge has gradually released a series of
six advice ebooks, each offering professional targeted information on a
different aspect of magic performance and promotion. Going Walkabout
talks in depth about mix and mingle magic. Trade Show Magic
details exactly how to use strolling magic to help businesses at
exhibitions. The Table Magician offers everything you need to
know about effectively working at dinner functions and in restaurants.
Marketing Yourself sets out clearly the many show advertising
possibilities available today. Keeping Control explains how you
can take full control of all aspects of your magic life to ensure the
best performance every time, and Learning From Experience
provides on-the-money advice and tips on 20 key areas of magic to ensure
you become a better magician. Normally each of these titles costs
£10.00, but for January 2022 only, you can buy a special compilation of
all six ebooks in one download for the total bargain price of just
£39.00. To get this one-off collection you must order no later than the
31st January 2022, so go right now to
www.markleveridge.co.uk
for more information and to order at the special price.
1.1.22
David Williamson in 'Circus 1903' - Final 2 days! Circus 1903 returns to the Royal Festival Hall on London's South Bank for Christmas. Expect acrobats, contortionists, trapeze artists, a death-defying high-wire act and sensational life-sized elephants created by the puppeteers behind War Horse, brought together by ringmaster magician David Williamson. All this entertainment is packaged into a show with a gorgeous vintage feel, inspired by the classic circuses of the turn of the century era. And there’s great news if you’re lucky enough to have experienced the thrill of Circus 1903 before: there are new acts included for this season. 16th December 2021 to 2nd January 2022. Royal Festival Hall, London. See www.southbankcentre.co.uk. 1.1.22
David Blaine: Beyond Magic at 10pm, then Real or Magic at 11pm, tonight. 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.
Real or Magic: For more than a decade, David Blaine has been captivating the world with his high-profile endurance stunts. Starting his career as a magician who appeared to do the impossible with a deck of cards, he was soon following in the footsteps of Houdini, seeking out that which seemed physically impossible, and actually doing it. This special programme follows Blaine's signature brand of street magic and mystifies some of the most recognisable celebrities in the world, including Jamie Foxx, Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Ricky Gervais, Katy Perry, Lenny Kravitz and Will Smith, to name a few. Blaine goes into the homes of Kanye West and Olivia Wilde, and visits Stephen Hawking at his office at Cambridge University. He also travels the world, astonishing people from all walks of life with never-seen-before, inconceivable magic. See TV Magic for details. 1.1.22
Star
Match - Mr E Enterprises.
An out of this world picture card effect with not one but five surprise
endings!
A spectator is shown ten laminated cards each with a different coloured
star. Two piles of cards with five cards in each are placed
face (star) up, upon the table, while you explain your concept that most
stars in the sky have a matching counterpart somewhere in the galaxy and
based on your theory you have invented a matching game you call "will two stars to match?".
The game starts. One by one, you move a card from the top to the bottom
of whichever pile the participant freely indicates. You point out that
the spectator had a free choice each time – a total of seventeen free
choices.
Did they at any time feel a psychic (or hypnotic) influence on their
free choices? No matter what they reply each card is turned over to show
on the opposite side matching pairs of famous comedy couples, such as
Laurel & Hardy, Morecambe & Wise etc, all exactly matched by the
spectator’s free choices! For more info and to order visit
www.mreenterprises.co.uk.
1.1.22
Yogano
(January 23rd 1932 - November 10th 2021). Christian Glenwright
writes: It is with great sadness that I have to write that my true
friend Yogano (Pierre Moré) died last month.
We came to know each other very well over the years and I began to
realise that he was one of the very few special people who have been
able to alter and elevate the course and progress of magic. He was a man
of many incredible talents and I will cherish forever our magical time
together. When working with him I felt I was in the presence of genius -
a man way ahead of his time.
I am honoured and privileged that he trusted me to carry on his
wonderful illusion legacy.
Occasionally in life one comes into contact with really good people. I
was lucky to meet two such persons in Yogano and his lovely wife Tete.
Heartfelt sympathy to his lovely family.
1.1.22
Margaret
Mayne. Ian Adair writes: Margaret Mayne, sister of the late Edwin Hooper, has passed away
at the age of 89 just before Christmas.
When Edwin Hooper started Supreme Magic Company, in his house at 64
High Street, Bideford, North Devon, it was just him and Margaret plus a
few outworkers in the town, in the days before I joined the
business. Margaret acted as Edwin’s secretary and bookkeeper right
through the phenomenal growth of Supreme, where she worked for over 30
years from its inception to becoming the world’s largest magic dealer.
It became one of the main employers in that market town, with over 100
staff and dozens of outworkers, including leatherworkers, printers,
designers, seamstresses, woodworkers and painters.
She also accompanied Edwin as his ‘Lady’ when he was President of The
IBM British Ring 25. Margaret remained an active member of the British
Ring, and greeted conventioneers at the registration desks at the
British Ring's annual conventions for 12 years.
1.1.22
"Israeli 'psychic' Uri Geller still baffling fans at 75"
Click Here • "Magic Move. I used to create make-up and everyone
thought I was mad to quit for magic, Keith Barry says"
Click Here • "BBC The Weakest Link: Dominic Wood’s life with popstar
wife and Dick and Dom star brother"
Click Here • "Magician who holds Guinness record now sells snacks to
make ends meet"
Click Here • "Best Magicians Performing in Washington DC: Let the
Show Begin"
Click Here • "A magic night out in Henley with Ben Hart"
Click Here.
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