Scott Penrose


 

With a father who is well respected in the magic world, Scott was bound to become a magician and by the time he was six he was already performing in front of appreciative audiences.

"Sparks fly as stylish Scott Penrose entrances everyone by producing doves and cards from nowhere…."
The Stage and Television Today

Scott is a young, versatile and sophisticated Magician with a modern professional approach to his art. Whilst working at high speed in cabaret, doves appear from thin air as he performs magic with fire and smoke in the most spectacular manner. For larger venues he can perform large illusions, including "The Insta Magic Camera," "The Fan Levitation," "Bloodless Surgery" and "Snow." The Fan Levitation was featured on the pop video for the AllStars' single "Land of Make Believe" with Scott floating one of the band members. Meanwhile Scott's skills for creating, building and supplying magic have been used on The Quick Trick Show, Animal Magic, Blue Peter and Channel 5's forthcoming series Monkey Magic.

Scott's success in The Young Magician of the Year helped him to become a member of The Magic Circle. He has subsequently been promoted to member of The Inner Magic Circle (with a Gold Star). In 1992, at the Blackpool Magic Convention, he was awarded the title British Magical Champion of General Magic. In 1997 he won the Dittia Challenge Shield at the British Ring convention. More recently, The Magic Circle honoured Scott with the title of Stage Magician of the Year.

His skills have not just taken him to prestigious venues in Great Britain such as the London Palladium, but also to France, Spain, Holland, Belgium, Denmark, Eire, the Middle East and the United States. In addition, his clients have included major corporations such as BBC TV, London Weekend Television, GlaxoSmithKline, Blockbuster Entertainment, Toni & Guy, and the Ford Motor Company.

Top Trick?
"As with most magicians our favourite is often the latest thing that we are working on. With this in mind I am particularly fond of the Wakeling Sawing in Half. This version of the sawing finds its origins with the first sawing premiered by Selbit in 1921 and could not be further removed from the clichéd presentations of the slim-line "improved" sawing that we see these days. I performed the Wakeling version a few months back for the first time and had great fun working with it and was surprised about what a powerful version of the sawing it is."

Top Book?
"Patrick Page's Big Book of Magic contains most of the classics of magic to give a solid background to a beginner upon which he or she can build. Pat came in for a lot of criticism when the book was first released in the mid-seventies because it was published for the public but it inspired so many new magicians at the time. I bought my copy over twenty years ago as a kid and for many years I took it with me wherever I went. Then about ten years ago I was at Heathrow Airport waiting to catch a flight to Spain and by chance I bumped in to Pat in the departure lounge. He was rather lost for words when I took a copy of his book from my bag for him to autograph."

Top Magician?
"There are many wonderful magicians that I admire, notably the likes of Channing Pollock, Salvano and Fred Kaps. However, my top magician must be my father for the inspiration that he gave me to take up this craft. My father was a very keen hobbyist and years ago was known for the many novel ideas that used to write up in Abra, of which a number were also selected to appear in the Rice's Encyclopedia's of Silk Magic. He also happens to be a master tailor who learned in craft his Saville Row - the combination of his skills as both magician and bespoke tailor are very powerful - this is very handy for me as dove worker."

Top Magic Quote?
"Albert Goshman's 'never waste a trip to your pocket' must be among the greatest magical quotes of all time. The quote almost speaks for itself and, although Goshman was a close-up worker, his thinking is just as applicable, if not more so, to stage performers. Indeed if you analyse any footage of Kaps, Burton, Tomsoni or Salvano you will see this technique being used. In my lecture that I give to magicians it is a weapon that I emphasise throughout."

Top Magic Moment?
"Meeting the master dove magician Channing Pollock. Channing is a very modest and shy gentleman and I had been in the vicinity of him when he made his rare visits to magic conventions but we never really spoke because I did not really know him. Then two years ago I was performing my dove act at a hotel in London and, after I left the stage, Channing came backstage and introduced himself and we had an amazing discussion."
 

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© MagicWeek 2002

 

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