Number 1372 - Saturday 10th October 2026

Kevin Quantum. Magician Scientist Adventurer. Anti-Gravity - UK Tour Dates. Fresh from a five-star Edinburgh Fringe run, Britain's Got Talent semi-finalist, Guinness World Record holder and Magic Circle member Kevin Quantum is taking his spectacular live show Anti-Gravity on a UK tour this October and November.

Blending extraordinary illusions, astonishing levitations, science and plenty of humour, Anti-Gravity showcases Quantum's unique approach to modern magic. Trained by Penn & Teller and a former physicist, Quantum has earned critical acclaim for his inventive, theatrical performances, including a nomination for Best Cabaret at the Edinburgh Fringe. Full tour information and tickets: www.quantummagician.com/live

"Quantum's execution of his craft is as smooth as can be. unfathomable levitation tricks... stunning routines." ★★★★ The Scotsman

23rd October – Nottingham, Lakeside Theatre
24th October – Bedford, Quarry Theatre
25th October – Louth, Riverhead Theatre
26th October – Norwich, Norwich Playhouse
27th October – London, Artsdepot
28th October – Ludlow, Assembly Rooms
29th October – Maidenhead, Norden Farm
30th October – Winchester, Theatre Royal
1st November – Luton, Hat Factory
3rd November – Sudbury, Quay Theatre
7th November – Peebles, Eastgate Arts Centre
8th November – Glasgow, Eastwood Park Theatre
10th November – Aberdeen, Tivoli Theatre
14th November – London, Questors Theatre
15th November – Edinburgh, Assembly Roxy. 10.10.26

South Tyneside International Magic Festival - next weekend! From the organisers: This year is something special. For 2026, we've put together a completely fresh line-up, with every single act appearing at our convention for the very first time. Expect new ideas, new energy, and plenty of surprises. We're thrilled to welcome: David Penn & D4RYL, Yann Frisch, Andrew Frost, Gabriel Werlen, Bron Ivy, Mark Bennett, Lee Thompson, Iain Bailey, Sid Quatrine and Steffen Peddie. For more information on each act Click Here.

Our numbers are strictly limited (especially this year due to it being held at the Little Haven) to around just 80 delegates, so do not delay! Plus one of the key elements that makes our festival unique, is that you get to spend quality time with all the artistes, all weekend, and be very close to all the action! Ticket Details: We've kept things simple, tickets are still just £120, which include All lectures, Close-up Sessions, Saturday Night Gala Show and the Late Show. Book your tickets here: www.southtyneside.gov.uk. More on the Festival Click Here. Also, just to let you know if you haven't been before, things kick off on the Friday evening with Magicbox's family magic show (separate ticket needed) in the Customs House, followed by a product launch show and jamming at the Little Haven. 10.10.26

Secrets of The Magic Circle. Your exclusive pass to The Magic Circle: an unforgettable interactive experience. Kevin James November 7th. We are delighted to welcome the legendary Las Vegas headliner and star of The Illusionists Kevin James, who will appear on this date as the theatre section on both shows. tickets.themagiccircle.live. 10.10.26

Laura London's 'The Art of Show' Lecture - Scottish Conjurers' Association, 14th October. From the organisers: What happens when you stop thinking about the trick and start thinking about the show? Following a complete performance of Laura London's acclaimed one-woman show Cheat, Laura takes you behind the scenes to explore how she built an entire character, story and theatrical experience around the magic.

The Art of Show is about much more than learning great card magic. Laura explores the thinking, construction and creative decisions behind Cheat, showing how narrative, character, music, choreography, audience participation and presentation can transform strong magic into a memorable performance. This is an amazing opportunity for magicians in Scotland to see Laura perform and share her experience and incredible magic. 14th October at 7.30pm at Scottish Mask & Puppet Centre, 8-10 Balcarres Avenue, Glasgow G12 0QF. £10 for visiting magicians. 10.10.26

Tom Wright Lecture - Northamptonshire Magicians' Club, 20th October. Joy Payne writes: We were fortunate to have Tom perform his cruise show at our summer cabaret. Now we have the opportunity to delve deeper into what he's capable of. Over the course of his 20-year career Tom Wright has been engaged to perform as a magician for wedding entertainment, corporate dinners and a string of highly prestigious events throughout the world. According to his website, he's not just a magician, he is a performer with experience, personality and charisma! Make sure you're there to see for yourself.

Start time 7.30pm. Members free, magicians' guest fee £20 – pay on the night. Northamptonshire Magicians' Club meetings are held at Woody's Bar & Restaurant, Clannell Road, (Tesco Car Park), East Hunsbury, Northampton NN4 0JF. Woody's is located in the Tesco Mereway car park. You receive up to four hours free parking while the store is open. You must validate your vehicle registration using the iPad inside the venue. Please make this the first thing you do when you arrive. Arrival time is completely up to you! Woody's has a separate bar area where you can meet and socialise with food or a drink before the meeting starts. We're looking forward to seeing you there, please support the raffle. Further information: www.northamptonshiremagicians.uk. 10.10.26

Modern Mystic League President's Day - change of venue. From the organisers: Owing to a heating malfunction, it has been necessary to transfer this year's President's Day to the nearby venue of Kingsway Court, Greenhurst Close, off Stonyhurst Road, Blackburn BB2 1NA.

A reminder of the details: On Sunday 11th October, starting at 2 o'clock, Brian Lead will be celebrating his President's Day with a visit from Andy Greaves. Andy has just completed fifty years as a professional ventriloquist and comedy magician. He is a natural raconteur, and has a fund of wonderful tales to tell about his life in show business. Andy will be performing for the first part of the afternoon, then talking about his experiences, with the opportunity for a Q&A.

You will also be able to meet a 111-year-old veteran of the Music Hall, Norman Snodgrass, who, as a ventriloquial figure, used to assist the female ventriloquist Josephine Langley. We are always delighted to welcome members of the magic fraternity. It's an afternoon which we hope you won't want to miss if you are in the area, so do come along and bring your friends and family to this open event... complete with tea and cakes. Admission is free. 10.10.26

Why Is Andy Nyman at the Alakazam Magic HQ? "Harry is joined by the incredible Andy Nyman for a very special chat at Alakazam Magic HQ! "Andy sits down with Harry to talk about his lifelong love of magic, creating effects alongside his acting career and the thinking that has gone into some of his most memorable releases..." YouTube. Brought to you by www.alakazam.co.uk. 10.10.26

South Downs Magicians Big Magic Sale, Sunday 1st November. Doors open at 9am. Admission free for buyers, if you wish to have a table to sell please contact Tony Hoare on 01403 267833. The Parish Hall, High Street, Handcross, near Crawley, West Sussex RH17 6BJ. 10.10.26

The MagicWeek Video Archive. A new magic clip or show every week! This week, Are You Superhuman? from 27th December 2000. [The opening introduction with Gary Linekar and Dominic O'Brien is amazing... double Alan Partridge! DT] Featuring Richard Wiseman, Peter Lamont, and Dominic O'Brien. See The MagicWeek Video Archive. To catch up with more from The MagicWeek Video Archive Click Here. 10.10.26

Welcome to The Magic Bar Live - Where Magic Comes to Life! Llandudno's most magical restaurant! Step into a world of wonder and mystery at The Magic Bar Live, the ultimate destination for magic enthusiasts and seekers of extraordinary experiences. Nestled in the heart of Llandudno, our magic-themed theatre and restaurant invite you to embark on a captivating journey filled with illusions, laughter, and enchantment. See who's on tonight! www.themagicbarlive.co.uk. 10.10.26

Chris Tennant Lecture - The Surrey Society of Magicians, 15th October. Paul Dickson writes: Chris Tennant is an award-winning magician, mindreader and professional event host, as well as a member of The Magic Circle. His professional work has taken him through more than 15 years and over 1,000 events, giving him a sizeable body of real-world experience from which to draw.

His lecture, The Last 10%, is about everything that happens after you've learnt the trick: the small decisions and refinements that can make the difference between simply performing an effect and creating a moment somebody remembers. What to Expect: Practical mentalism drawn from Chris's working repertoire. Work with marked decks and billets. Coin magic and other practical material. Audience management developed through repeated real-world performance. Thinking around structure, scripting and presentation. Professional tips and refinements that can turn an existing routine into something substantially stronger.

Rather than simply demonstrating effects and explaining their workings, Chris will examine why particular choices matter: why a routine is structured a certain way, why one presentation gets a stronger response than another, and how apparently minor changes can transform the impact of a performance. His professional work combines magic, mindreading and hosting at weddings, corporate functions and private events, so the lecture comes from the perspective of someone regularly putting these ideas in front of real audiences. Whether you perform professionally, entertain at club nights or simply enjoy developing your magic, the aim is to leave with ideas you can put into practice immediately — including ways to make material you already perform considerably stronger.

Thursday 15th October at The Surrey Society of Magicians, Nomad Theatre, Bishopsmead Parade, East Horsley, Leatherhead KT24 6RT. Doors 7.30pm. Lecture 8pm. 15-minute interval. Ends 10pm. Visiting Magicians are welcome with a £10 fee, payable on the door. www.surreysocietyofmagicians.co.uk. 10.10.26

"'The Only Living Pickpocket in New York' at NYFF Should Finally Get John Turturro and Steve Buscemi Their Oscar Noms" Click Here. "The Only Living Pickpocket in New York - Official Trailer" YouTube. 10.10.26

Laura London's 'The Art of Show' Lecture - Zodiac Magical Society, 21st October. Mark Guest writes: On Wednesday, 21st October, Zodiac Magical Society welcomes Laura London for The Art of Show.

Laura will perform a 50-minute version of her Cheat show, before taking us behind the scenes and breaking down how it was created. Discover how changing the story and presentation of an effect you already know can completely transform it, alongside insights into aesthetics, prop design and creative writing. A fascinating evening for magicians looking to develop their creativity, presentation and performance.

8pm–10pm at Zodiac Magical Society. Just five minutes from Northfields tube station. Visitors: £10 on the door. Places are limited, so email membership@zodiacmagicalsociety.co.uk to let us know you're coming. Follow @zodiacmagicalsociety or visit www.zodiacmagicalsociety.co.uk for updates. Magic. Ideas. Community. Every week. Come and join Zodiac. 10.10.26

Doug Gorman's Desert Island Tricks. "A lot of people think magic is something you either start as a kid or you miss your shot. Doug Gorman blows that idea up. He started at 45 after a Las Vegas moment hooked him for good, spent years performing classic close-up, then made a sharp turn into storytelling magic and bizarre magic that feels like real theatre, not just 'watch me do a move'." YouTube. Brought to you by www.alakazam.co.uk. 10.10.26

Rule Brit-HA-nnia - Theatre Royal, Nottingham, 11th October. From the organisers: Rule Brit-HA-nnia is an unforgettable evening of hilarious comedy and sensational variety starring Comedy Legend Paul Zerdin. Joined by stars of ITV's Britain's Got Talent, Ben Nickless (Comedian & Impressionist), Steve Royle (Comedian & Juggler), Siobhan Phillips (Comedienne & Pianist) and John Archer (Comedy Magician)... Plus your host and compere Jack Land Noble; it guarantees an evening of laugh out loud comedy suitable for all the family. Sunday 11th October at 6pm. Book early for an evening of the Best of British Variety! See www.trch.co.uk. 10.10.26

Improv Evening at the Cambridge Pentacle Club, 13th October. Actress and Magician Olivia Post will be visiting the Cambridge Pentacle Club on 13th October to lead an Improv workshop. This is a great opportunity to get "gig fit" with quick and funny comebacks, and to improve your routines. Doors Open at 7.30pm, Lecture/Workshop at 8pm, we aim to finish at 10pm. £10 for non-members. St Andrews Church Hall, Cherry Hinton, Cambridge CB1 3JS. www.pentacleclub.com. Contact Hugh Newsam: hugh@newsam.name. 10.10.26

The Oct/Nov 2026 Mark Leveridge Podcast. Mark Leveridge's bi-monthly audio podcast is always an interesting listen, and here are the conversation topics covered this time. Looking at Jason Bird's 'Strolling For Dollars' book. When you should not do everything that the booker wants. We magicians are terrible hoarders! How to stop yourself from getting jaded when table hopping. Mark's top three lecturers of all time. The conundrum facing the semi-pro magician. Quad Bikes and Your Place Or Mine – new for E-Club Pro Select. What the quality of party prizes says about you as a kids' entertainer. Using the 'joker' at the table to boost your performance. There are two ways to listen to this free 45 minute podcast. You can catch it either from 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 release automatically. 10.10.26

How Houdini Made Magic starts on Monday, 19th October. "Find Your Motivation. Series 1, episode 1. Derren Brown explores the illusions of Harry Houdini. In the first episode, he traces the magician's early life and his journey as a child from Budapest to the USA. He turned hardship and personal tragedy into a motivation that would become the driving force of his life - to keep his ageing mother comfortable." See TV Magic for details. 10.10.26

Let's dig into Digger. I love theatre, I love cinema, and can't believe that I nearly didn't go and see Digger because of the savage review headlines I'd seen popping up everywhere. It sounded like a real dud.

Luckily, before seeing a film, I never read reviews, or watch more than a few seconds of a trailer. I go in blind, without preconceptions. So when I discovered that Digger's director was Alejandro G. Iñárritu, the man behind 2014's dazzling Birdman, that was enough for me to want to go and see it. And what a film it is. Digger is a brilliantly crafted piece of theatrical cinema.

What they did get wrong was the trailer, that perhaps drew in an audience expecting an entirely different type of film. The trailer was far too generic, far too bam bam bam; a hodge-podge of moments that failed to convey what the film was really like. So if you do decide to go and see Digger, and I'm thinking of going again in a few days, don't read a single review, don't watch the trailer. Without giving anything away, the comedy goes from pure Laurel & Hardy (the brilliantly timed shovel sequence, near the start, for example), to some delightfully dark moments.

And don't let Peter Bradshaw's miserable 2 star review in The Guardian put you off: "...the most disappointing film of the year: an exasperatingly shallow, laborious, self-congratulatory satire... featuring very good actors giving not very good performances..." which, once you've seen the film, and assuming you allowed yourself to be immersed in it, you'll understand was written by someone that really didn't get it. Yes, I am sure he understood it, it's not complicated, but he really didn't get it. His review of Digger ended with the oh so droll "and what do you do when you're in a hole?" so I'll end with the equally droll: check to see that Peter Bradshaw isn't in it already. DT. 10.10.26

"Peterborough Society of Magicians elects Whittlesey resident Robert Windle as president for fifth year" [free sign-up required] Click Here • "The vanishing world of India's street magicians" Click Here • "Britain's Got Talent magicians bringing show to Bowness" Click Here • "Derren Brown on Faking an Apocalypse, Stage Invasions and Phoney Psychics" YouTube • "Jo Bannon's magic and visual impairment show at Cambridge" Click Here • "Inside Stephen Mulhern's life from shock suspension and famous ex to health crisis" Click Here • "Debbie McGee tells of daring escape from Iran as machine guns trained on her" Click Here • Many thanks for all your news items, see you next week, Duncan. 10.10.26

© www.magicweek.co.uk