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Record Audience Numbers For Fifth
Edinburgh International Magic Festival
July 2014
The
fifth Edinburgh International Magic Festival saw record numbers this summer as
8000 people enjoyed eight days of magic across the Capital.
In the Year of Homecoming Scotland, local magicians featured alongside
internationally acclaimed performers as magic collided with theatre, science,
comedy, history, sideshow, technology and psychology.
German performance artist Johan Lorbeer took the festival to new heights as he
levitated on the Grassmarket during the opening weekend. Seen by more than 3000
people, Johan’s appearance trended on Twitter and created a huge buzz around the
city.
For the third year in a row the Opening Night Gala at The Royal Lyceum Theatre
sold out as magic fans were treated to eight very different performances of
breath-taking illusion, sleight-of-hand, circus and mind reading. Award winning
artists from South Korea, USA, Spain and France shared the stage with the UK’s
finest magicians and American illusionists Penn and Teller told us why they
believed The Great Tomsoni, Vegas illusionist Johnny Tomsoni, should win The
Great Lafayette Award. Considered a virtuoso by the magic community, Johnny
accepted the award via video link with his long term friend and student Lance
Burton.
Performers enjoyed record ticket sales at this year’s new venue, Adam House
Theatre and 140 pupils graduated from the sell-out Magic School at City Art
Centre. Brand new show Tower of Illusion at Camera Obscura and The Secret Room
at Lauriston Castle both sold out as members of the public tried their hand at
solving riddles in a unique treasure hunt and watched Scotland’s finest
magicians animate the Lauriston’s intriguing past with stories, performances and
illusions.
The Edinburgh International Magic Festival announced a New Arts Sponsorship
Grant to help develop a new partnership with Krispy Kreme - the first time the
company has sponsored the arts. Gabriel Rudderman from France won the under 18
prestigious sleight of hand competition War of the Wizards and Englishman Paul
Dawson won the Open War of Wizards Competition.
One of the unexpected winners at this year’s festival was social media as
audiences and members of public tweeted, liked and shared their magical
experiences, increasing MagicFest Facebook likes by 400% and Twitter followers
by 50%.
MagicFest Artistic Director, Kevin McMahon said: "Thanks again to people from
all around the world who travelled to this year's MagicFest. The festival grew
by a massive 20% this year and I'm blown away by all the support from our
sponsors, performers and audience who once again opened up to magic in their
thousands. The shows at this years' festival received amazing reviews from the
local media. Going forward I'm absolutely set on bringing the best acts from
Scotland and around the world to enchant audiences here in Edinburgh."
MagicFest Managing Director Svetlana McMahon said: "This was our most ambitious
festival yet, with more sell out shows than any other previous festival. We're
really grateful to have once again been a recipient of the New Arts Sponsorship
Award, from Arts & Business and the Scottish Government, supporting our
partnership with iconic Krispy Kreme Doughnuts."
July 2014