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Richard Griffin Lecture
Maltese Ring of the I.B.M.
March 2020
Reviewed by Vanni Pule'
IBM
Ring 202 of Malta had another star lecture by one of England's top young
magicians. As part of a project supported by the Project Support Grant, Malta
Arts Fund - Arts Council Malta, we managed to get the services of Richard
Griffin, a past 'Young Magician of the Year' for 'The Magic Circle' and winner
of the British Magical Championship and trophy holder of the British Ring Stage
Competition. He has performed on multiple cruises and on stage with his variety
of shows, from doves to laser lights.
His lecture consisted of an eclectic variety of material. He commenced by
producing a silk in his bare hands and resumed with his silent bottle sequence
where a bottle appears, bottle-caps vanish, transpose and appear from his mouth.
A just chance routine with a twist was something that anybody could make up and
it had comedy and fun in it. One of the gems in his lecture was a chosen signed
card through sheer head-square. The gimmick is something that is within
everybody's craft skill and it involved no deck switch at all. A DVD prediction
was simple, yet ingenious, and played big. He then proceeded to give us details
of his dove routine. This showed his gentleness with these lovely creatures and
his care to detail.
After a short break, he presented some of his marketed items. Nevertheless, he
did not object to anyone making some of them for personal use and consequently
explained all of them in great detail. There was the close-up item known as
'Matrix Pad Reloaded' where Sharpie marks move around on a Post-It pad, 'Key
Prediction', based on the Al Koran Medallion and Don Wayne's Room Service but
requiring no writing, and 'Nosey Volunteers', a prediction with hilarious
audience participation and a strong visual element. His finale was a miniature
illusion where his hand is apparently punctured with various vicious spikes.
This was a lecture that appealed to all tastes and had something for everyone.
Richard stopped after each explanation to see if there were any queries and he
left no stone unturned to describe every detail and psychology behind every
effect. It was truly an entertaining and informative session.
© Vanni Pule', March 2020