Number
1346 - Saturday 11th April 2026
James
Phelan: Showman. Underbelly Boulevard Soho,
London, 16th to 28th June. From the promoter:
Dare to believe in magic as you're invited to a completely astonishing,
five-star night of wonder.
Presented by James Phelan - the magician most infamous for jamming the BBC
switchboard after correctly predicting the lottery - Showman comes to London for
a strictly limited run with brand-new material for summer 2026.
Unmatched, unmissable and unforgettable, this dazzling show will leave you
aching with laughter and dizzy with disbelief.
Don't miss what The Standard calls "an unforgettable evening we can't stop
talking about".
Here's to making the impossible
possible. See
www.underbellyboulevard.com. See James on Britain's Got Talent tonight!
11.4.26
CCC The Midlands Convention
- next weekend! Stellar Magic presents CCC The Midlands
Convention. 18th & 19th April at Longford House, Watling Street, Cannock
WS11 1SJ. See Lord Harri,
Eddie McColl, Mark Bennett, Christian Grace, John Hotowka and Steve
Dela. But be quick, as numbers are strictly limited! See
www.stellarmagicshop.com.
11.4.26
Alakazam's
Print By Magic! Alakazam's Print By Magic are now officially authorised Bicycle Magic Gaff & Trick
Deck printers for the United States Playing Card Company! That means
you're getting the real deal, genuine Bicycle stock, professional
quality, and total customisation...all from your favourite magic shop,
www.alakazam.co.uk.
11.4.26
Derren Brown Only Human. The multi award-winning
master of mind control and psychological illusion is back and his
current tour is now in full swing. Prepare to be astonished! Expect a
mind-blowing experience that'll take your breath away... Tickets for
Derren's shows always sell out fast, so don't miss out! Only Human is co-written by Derren Brown, Andrew O'Connor and
Stephen Long. It is directed by Andrew O'Connor, with set design by
Simon Higlett, video design by Simon Wainwright, lighting design by
Charlie Morgan Jones and sound design by Beth Duke. Nationwide to July. See
www.derrenbrown.co.uk for all dates and venues. (Photo by
www.pamelaraith.com).
11.4.26
The
'Up North' Magic Convention, April 17th-19th in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne.
From the organisers: Some of the biggest names in magic assemble for
lectures and performances in a weekend of magic, including: Luke Jermay,
Marc Oberon, Chris Cross, Professor Richard Wiseman, Craig Petty,
Quentin Reynolds and many more.
Lectures: Our guest speakers pull
back the curtain on professional secrets, teaching high-impact effects
and nuanced theory in a setting where everyone has a front-row seat.
Dealers: Browse a curated selection of unique magic and rare
treasures. Our dealers area features items you won't find anywhere else,
offering you the chance to add some truly enchanted props to your
repertoire.
Evening Gala Shows: Experience two nights of world-class magic on
Friday and Saturday. Our Gala Shows feature a spectacular lineup of
performers, while Sunday is dedicated to exclusive workshops and social
sessions to wrap up the weekend.
Full weekend, single day tickets, and gala show only tickets are all
available. Come along and support this wonderful little magic
convention, which is growing year by year - you'll have a great time!
Get your tickets here, for this intimate and friendly magic convention:
www.theenchantedrabbit.com/up-north-magic-convention.
11.4.26
Britain's Got Talent. Magic Catch-up from the past 7 days:
"Maverick Magicians leave KSI speechless when they guess this..." YouTube. 11.4.26
The
Magicians Table. From the producers: After months of show-stopping
performances, our London Bridge run draws to a close. The final week of
The Magicians Table begins soon. Once it ends, this chapter is gone for
good. Tickets for our London Bridge venue run until Sunday 26th April.
Don't miss your chance, seats are limited.
www.magicianstablelive.com.
11.4.26
Ulster
Society of Magicians Annual Dinner and Ted Oldham Memorial Lecture.
James Hobart writes: Just a few more days until the booking deadline of
15th April for the USM Chairman's Dinner at the Ivanhoe Hotel in
Belfast, starring Laura London. The Ted Oldham Memorial lecture will
take place in the Ivanhoe Hotel at 2.30pm and will be free for USM
members attending the dinner, £10 to members not attending the dinner,
or non-members attending the dinner, and £25 to non-members not
attending the dinner. Dinner and Cabaret Tickets £48.95. Please reserve
your place by sending the names of your guest(s) to Paula McIntyre at
usm.treasurer@outlook.com
or 0771 618 3298 and their choices from the menu available on our
website. Contact Paula to arrange your preferred method of payment. For
those wishing to stay overnight in Belfast 10% off the overnight rate
has been arranged at The Ivanhoe Hotel. Please contact the hotel
directly on 028 9081 2240 to book and quote the magic dinner.
11.4.26
Masters
of Deception - more dates added. From the promoter:
New dates have been added after the success of the sold-out Lichfield show, last
week. Masters of Deception brings together two of the very best magic and illusion
acts in the country, combining their skills and distinctive styles to create a
unique, entertaining and spectacular show. Check out
www.mastersofdeception.co.uk for the latest tour
dates across the UK.
11.4.26
The MagicWeek Video Archive.
A new magic clip or show every week! This week,
Marc Salem on ITV's This Morning from 2nd April 2002. See
The MagicWeek Video Archive. To see more from The MagicWeek Video
Archive
Click Here.
11.4.26
The
Order of the Magi Invites New Members... Jonathan Royle PRO for The
Order of the Magi writes: On 8th April Manchester's first magic club for
magicians, and England's 3rd oldest magical society, celebrated its
117th Anniversary, having been formed in 1909. The Magi has never missed
a meeting or a monthly magazine being published. This next year is set
to be its most action and event packed, as outlined at
www.substack.com where some recent media articles about the Magi can
also be seen. The full programme of lectures, competitions and social
evenings has now been announced on the website
www.orderofthemagi.co.uk. Membership is just £45 for Town Members
and £35 for those outside a 20 mile radius, or you can book individual
events in advance at £10 each. Why not join Manchester's oldest magic
club at
www.orderofthemagi.co.uk/membership.
11.4.26
Desert Island Tricks:
SOS - Dean Leavy.
"If you work gigs for a living, you know the quiet fear: doing the same
'sure-fire' routines until you start performing on autopilot. Jamie sits down
again with UK magician Dean Leavy to find out what actually makes a trick worth
keeping for life and what gets cut when you're performing at corporate events,
weddings, trade shows, and parties week after week..."
YouTube. Brought to you by
www.alakazam.co.uk.
John
Hotowka Lecture - The Surrey Society of Magicians, 16th April. Paul
Dickson writes: John Hotowka is a Yorkshire-based magician with over 30
years' experience, performing close-up magic for many of the UK's blue
chip companies at corporate events, trade shows and conferences. He's
also the author of Everything You Wanted To Know About Table Hopping But
Were Afraid To Ask. John's lecture "Close-up that paid off my
mortgage" has been created as a way of giving back to the magic
community that helped and inspired him along the way.
What to Expect: Routines John still uses today, honed over three decades. The "wrinkles" that make material work in practice - not just the method. The theatre of close-up under fire: working in tough conditions, with all types of audiences. Performances, explanations, and real-world anecdotes from a busy professional career. If you enjoy close-up that's been properly stress-tested - the kind of material you can take straight into restaurants, walkaround, and corporate work - this should be a very practical, experience-packed evening.
The Surrey Society of Magicians, Nomad Theatre, Bishopsmead Parade, East Horsley, Leatherhead KT24 6RT. Doors 7.30pm. Lecture 8pm. 15-minute interval. Finish 10pm. Visiting Magicians are welcome with a £10 fee, payable on the door. www.surreysocietyofmagicians.co.uk. 11.4.26
The
E-Video Newsletter April/May 2026. Mark Leveridge is pleased to
announce that his latest online video presentation is available to all
those you are signed up to any of his E-Clubs (Lite, Pro or Elite). Here
are the contents included in the latest 38 minute offering. The Teach
In an unusual close up effect called Silk Deception is taught in
which silks appear and change colour when trapped inside a container.
Pro Peeks extracted from the Lecture Room section of the E-Club
Pro Archive is this explanation of a strong card force. The Table
Magician Unplugged part 17 of the series based on The Table
Magician e-book explains how to hold the attention of spectators. The
Trick Box Mark explains an easy mentalism effect called Countdown
Prediction which was published in his 3rd Collected Card Magic volume.
Web Offers reduced prices are available on Mark's most popular
e-book and on a classic close up effect using a borrowed ring. 60
Seconds To Success Mark discusses why concentrating on the plot
and presentation of magic tricks is better than obsessing over method.
To gain access to this E-Video Newsletter sign up for any of the
E-Clubs, details for which can be found at
www.markleveridge.co.uk.
11.4.26
The Illusionist. Sparks fly when childhood sweethearts Eisenheim and Sophie are reunited after 15 years. But Sophie is engaged to volatile royal Crown Prince Leopold and he doesn't take kindly to his fiance's feelings. Director: Neil Burger. Starring Edward Norton (James Freedman Magic Consultant. PG, 2006, 4 Stars). Sunday 19th April on Sky Cinema Drama. See TV Magic for details. 11.4.26
News
Deadline reminder. Please submit news by Thursday if possible - absolute
deadline 12 noon Friday, no exceptions. Many thanks, DT.
11.4.26
"Crews
knock down fire at the Magic Castle; damage to the iconic Hollywood
venue is unclear"
Click Here "Derren Brown: Only Human Marlowe Theatre,
Canterbury"
Click Here "Mind-blowing Derren Brown's Only Human show at the
Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury leaves audiences questioning what reality
really is"
Click Here "Preview: The Remarkable Ben Hart, Theatre Royal
Winchester"
Click Here "A unique family magic show comes to Milton Keynes"
Click Here That's all for another week. Your UK magic news is
always welcomed. See you next week, Duncan.
11.4.26