Number 369 - 21st July 2007
Ben
Hart wins The Magic Circle's Young Magician of the Year Competition 2007.
16 year old Ben Hart's stylish performance last Sunday at The Magic Circle
headquarters in London brought the art of the silent magician firmly into
the 21st Century by applying fresh thinking to a number of classic
effects, whilst completely re-working others. His variation on the Linking
Rings was both clever and charming (you'll have to see it) and allowed him
to really connect with his audience (the hardest aspect of performing
silently). Dressed in a sharp black suit he reminded me of a young Bryan
Ferry - very cool and charismatic with a winning smile. He'll go far.
Congratulations to all seven finalists, especially Joe Ray (2nd place) and
Lexi Watterson (3rd). The judges were Roy Davenport, Julia Howson, Peter
Pinner and Paul Stone. The biennial competition was introduced by Derek
Speight in 1961 and has launched many a professional career since its
inception. "Teen magician's competition success"
Click Here. "Ben wins Magician's title"
Click Here.
www.themagiccircle.co.uk.
(Photo by Duncan Trillo)
21.7.07
The
Magic Circle - Performing Magic Through the Ages by Michael Bailey is
scheduled for publication on 8th November 2007. This is the first ever
book for the general public about The Magic Circle and its history. For
just over 100 years, The Magic Circle has been one of the most talked
about secret organisations in the country... but what really happens
behind its closed doors? Using his unique inside knowledge former
President Michael Bailey recounts the origins of magical performance and
the beginnings of the society and describes a selection of the world’s
greatest tricks and illusions. Bailey documents the history of magic and
magicians, including the great Scottish conjuror John Henry Anderson, the
French ‘Father of Modern Magic’ Robert-Houdin, Maskelyne & Devant, whose
magic partnership in London spanned the decades, the tragic death of Harry
Houdini and The Great Lafayette, and TV stars David Nixon and Tommy Cooper
and also chronicles the lives of some of magic’s modern performers
including Paul Daniels, David Copperfield, Derren Brown, David Blaine and
Channing Pollock. Topics such as entry to The Circle, women in magic and
the motto ‘Indocilis Privata Loqui’ (Keep Mum!) are also included, plus
more! We'll be reviewing the book shortly.
21.7.07
Peter
Wardell presents "Confidence" - an evening of artful deception and
showmanship at The Magic Cavern, nightly at 9pm from August 1st - 18th
(Tuesdays to Saturdays), with a preview on July 31st. The Magic Cavern has
certainly evolved over the years. Starting off as a struggling small venue
offering fellow magicians a stage in London on which to present their
acts, it soon became clear that the general public had latched on to the
venue as a Theatre of Magic, irrespective of the names on the bill.
Richard Leigh, the man behind it all, has done a great job - see
What's On for listings
to December.
21.7.07
71st
British Ring IBM Convention Southport - 11th-16th September 2007.
Latest news: The Late Night Magic Shows take place on Wednesday, Thursday
and Friday night starting at 11 o'clock (midnight Friday) and feature
several great entertainers including David Williamson, Bob Sheets (photo),
Tim Gabrielson, John Fealey, Kevin King and Gaetan Bloom. David Williamson
and Bob Sheets have already been profiled so here are biographies of the
other participants... For all the latest Southport convention news from
British Ring PRO
Bob
Hayden
Click Here.
21.7.07
WorldMagicShop.co.uk
now have a retail shop open from Monday - Friday 10.30am - 4pm at 1 Rea
Business Park, Inkerman Street, Nechells, Birmingham B7 4SH (Map),
details
Click
Here. Freephone: 0808 178 5959. "The Largest Magic Shop in the
Midlands" See what's new:
www.worldmagicshop.co.uk.
21.7.07
Gary
James had a welcome addition to his busy schedule recently - as
magical advisor for both stage and TV. He was asked to provide ideas and
tuition for magical effects in the Traverse Theatre's production of
'Damascus' for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2007. He was also asked to
create magic effects for an episode of a new series of 'Dear Green Place'.
The show is projected to be shown by BBC Scotland between November 2007
and January 2008. They were so impressed with Gary's skills that he was
asked to play the part of the magician in the episode. The picture shows
Gary (centre) with Paul Riley and Gabriel Quigley - two of the stars of
the series.
www.magicincorporate.co.uk.
21.7.07
To
celebrate the Duchess of Cornwall's 60th birthday, Prince Charles
chose the Wiltshire village of Bromham to hold a walkabout garden party
in. In pouring rain, on Tuesday 17th July, the Royal couple mixed with the
villages and the Duchess blew out a very wet birthday cake! Jack Stephens
had the honour of being the magician appointed for the day and this made
it something of a double for him, as only two years ago he entertained
Prince Charles's mother, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Jack is hoping
for a Royal Flush and is wondering who will be next! Prince Charles of
course has a very keen interest in magic, which he chatted to Jack about.
He was also fascinated with the balloon modelling Jack was performing and
Jack kindly offered the Prince a lesson in the art of balloon bending at
some future date!
21.7.07
Performing
Dark Arts: A Cultural History of Conjuring by Michael Mangan. Magic
and conjuring inhabit the boundaries and the borderlands of performance.
The conjuror's act of demonstrating the apparently impossible, the
uncanny, the marvellous, or the grotesque challenges the spectator's sense
of reality. It brings him or her up against their own assumptions about
how the world works; at its most extreme, it asks the spectator to
re-evaluate his or her sense of the limits of the human. "Performing Dark
Arts" is an exploration of the paradox of the conjuror, the actor who
pretends to be a magician. It aims to illuminate the history of conjuring
by examining it in the context of performance studies, and to throw light
on aspects of performance studies by testing them against the art of
conjuring. The book examines not only the performances of individual
magicians from Dedi to David Blaine, but also the broader cultural
contexts in which their performances were received, and the meanings which
they have attracted. Paperback, 280 pages. Available from Amazon.co.uk
with 15% off
Click Here.
21.7.07
Any
Dream Will Do? It was one thing to attend the premiere of the dazzling
new production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat production
in the West End last week, but equally memorable for Magic Circle member
Paul Craven was the chance to perform for star Lee Mead at the after-show
party at the Hippodrome. In fact the evening was a bit of a family affair
- Paul's cousin, Nichola Treherne, is the show's acclaimed Associate
Director and Associate Choreographer.
21.7.07
Close-up
magician Damien O'Brien recently returned from Kos, Greece, after
three months performing with artists such as Artful Dodger, Nicola Gates,
Roll Deep and DJ Luck. This was Damien's third season in Kos. Damien can
be seen tonight at London's Rex Club (for info log on to
www.damienobrien.com).
"It feels great to be home - I'm working hard on some new ideas with my
friends and I have big plans to take my magic to a whole new level this
year. I feel very determined" said Damien.
21.7.07
Unearthly
Magic have just released "The Simplex Coin Routine" as part of their
exclusive magic range. The effect is the very clean vanish and
reproduction of a genuine 50p piece; one that can be performed by even
novice coin workers. Two possible routines are demonstrated online on the
Unearthly Magic website.
21.7.07
Con-fused
"A brand new and most novel card trick with more twists than a tornado!"
has just been released by Zane: "This effect starts off as just a regular
'Ambitious Card Routine', but then it gets darn right crazy, but crazy in
a good way!" For full details visit
www.zanesmagicshop.com under 'Exclusives'.
21.7.07
Admission
All Classes - celebrating Blackpool’s entertainment heritage. Cabinet
of Curiosities - Saturday and Sunday 28th, 29th July, Winter Gardens,
Blackpool. The exhibition features two original sideshow illusions, The
Girl in the Goldfish Bowl and The Headless Lady, from 1950s showman,
magician and fire-eater, Jon Gresham. They will be presented by Jon
Marshall’s Sideshow Illusions Company who have also built eight modern
Sideshow booths for contemporary performers to present their shows in. The
Whoopee Agency have booked a huge number of Burlesque attractions for the
weekend including Marisa Carnesky, Levitating Lovely (of the Ghost Train
fame, for which Paul Kieve devised some fabulous illusion effects), a
Snake Lady, a Tattooed Lady, Red Sarah’s fire show and Floss’ Museum of
Prodigies with his Man Made Monsters together with many more acts and
attractions. An exhibition on the history of the Winter Gardens will
accompany the shows, including an illustrated lecture by Dr Vanessa
Toulmin entitled 'Freaks, Geeks and Wild Women, A History of Sideshow
Amusements' at the Studio Theatre at the Grand. Cyril Critchlow will
present a nostalgic look at Blackpool's Golden Mile on the Sunday
afternoon. 12pm to 6pm for family admissions, including entry to the
afternoon performances and the side shows. Tickets: £5, with concessions:
01253 478222. Then from 10pm to 2pm a cabaret and club night in the
Spanish Hall and Baronial Suite, tickets: £10 01253 478222. During the
next year the thrilling heritage of fairground, music hall, circus and
seaside entertainment will be brought to life in a series of events in
Blackpool. From circus curiosities and side-shows to brilliant burlesque,
the spectacular events will be curated by Director of the National
Fairground Archive Dr Vanessa Toulmin and have been dubbed Admission All
Classes.
www.admissionallclasses.com.
21.7.07
Magic
men Lee Warren (right) and Nick Reade were invited to perform at the
BNP Paribas premiere of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix". Lee
said: "The whole cinema had been themed like the Harry Potter set, and it
was great fun performing close-up magic with various look-a-likes from the
film roaming round - the atmosphere was very magical!"
www.leewarrenmagic.co.uk and
www.nickreade.com.
21.7.07
Cabinet
Magazine. Visual artist Jonathan Allen, who some of you may know as
the fictitious gospel magician Tommy Angel has guest-edited the summer
edition of New York-based art and culture quarterly Cabinet on the theme
of magic. Cabinet was named "Best New Magazine" of 2000 by the American
Library Association's Library Journal and "Best Art and Culture Magazine"
for 2001and 2003 by the New York Press. The magazine's omnivorous appetite
for understanding the world makes each of its issues a valuable sourcebook
of ideas for a wide range of readers, from artists and designers to
scientists and historians. Amongst art historians, political commentators,
and cultural theorists, Jonathan invited a number of magicians and magic
historians to contribute including Eddie Dawes, Paul Kieve, Scott Penrose,
Vanessa Toulmin, Ian Saville, and Tim Reed. Both highbrow and playful, the
issue looks at magic's marginal life and wider cultural meaning. A
lavishly illustrated one-off collection of meditations on magic's less
considered dimensions, the issue promises to be a fascinating addition to
any curious magic library. Cabinet 26: Magic is available from
www.cabinetmagazine.org.
21.7.07
The
Associated Conjurers of East Sussex are delighted to announce details
of their Annual Dinner, this year to be held in Halland, near Lewes, on
29th September. Young international illusionist Alex Lodge has been booked
for the cabaret and tickets are available at £30 per person. Accommodation
can also be arranged at the venue. Contact Martin Lewis (President) or
Nicky Moon (Secretary) on 01903 532413 for more details.
www.acesmagic.co.uk.
21.7.07
Ruairi
O'Connor, Illusionist, Mindreader and Cabaret Artist has just returned
from another successful performance in Munich, Germany. Ruairi is working
with Magners Cider as they launch their premium Irish cider brand into new
markets in Germany and Spain.
www.ruairioconnor.com.
21.7.07
Children's Entertainers Wanted. Nicholas Einhorn is looking for a number of dynamic, experienced children's entertainers for several high profile events to take place near central London over the next 9 months. If you would like to be considered please forward website/contact details to www.einhorn.co.uk. 21.7.07
Wofgang Riebe - Commercial Card Magic. Jack Stephens emails: "A brand new DVD by Wolfgang Riebe is always an exciting moment. Wolfgang is a superb all rounder, and the way he handles a deck of cards is beauty to behold! On his brand new DVD, his first teach-in session in 8 years, Wolfgang shares his favourite 8 routines. This is card magic of the highest order and is aimed at the more advanced card worker. Enjoy and learn Wolfgang's twist on Fred and Out of this World and be amazed and amused with the finest four ace assembly you are ever likely to witness. The appearance of the last ace is a real gem. A master craftsman sharing his trade with you is what we have here. The cost of the DVD, which is of superb quality and very well produced, is £25.00. Visit www.theriebeinstitute.com. 21.7.07
John Milner of The House of Magic is still trying establish how the complexities of the new smoking ban (MagicWeek number 366 "John has to stub out his trick") will affect him. He was advised that performing his classic magical effect The Lit Cigarette in Jacket was legal, but that he would have to ask permission from his local council. John said, "They seem to be working very hard to interpret a very confusing piece of legislation." I wonder what the cabinet's take on smoking Pot in the context of a theatrical presentation would be? Click Here. 21.7.07
The North East Lincs Magic Circle (Grimsby) were lucky enough to have Zenneth Kok from Hong Kong lecture at our club on Tuesday 10th of July. I felt I just had to write a review for this very talented and yet humble man. If you have ever watched any of Zenneth’s clips on You Tube you would be forgiven for thinking that a lecture from him is going to be for the hard core card magicians only - you would be wrong! Zenneth taught a number of tricks firstly aimed at the beginner, moving on to the average card skill level and finally to the amazing eye candy that he is commonly known for. He not only explained the workings of the tricks but also the thinking behind the tricks. The best part of the lecture for me was when he left one of the most experienced magicians at our club open mouthed and stunned - priceless. I recommend that anyone who gets the chance to see him perform should jump at the chance. John Morton, Vice President, North East Lincs Magic Circle. 21.7.07
Zenneth Kok lectures in Plymouth in Monday July 23rd at the Tothill Community Centre, St Judes, Plymouth from 7.30pm. For details contact Malcolm Norton at Top Secret Magic on 01752 667401 Website. 21.7.07
The
'Houdini the Musical' tour has been cancelled
www.houdinithemusical.co.uk • Chubby Harris took part in Granada's
"Tour of Talent" on Wednesday presented by Paul Croney. Although he didn't
make it to the final part of his act was shown on Granada News •
Christopher Williams presents his brand new lecture on Wednesday July 25th
at the Babbacombe Inn, Torquay at 7.30pm. For more details contact Chris
via
www.magicman13.co.uk • The new 12 part series of The Real Hustle
starts on Monday 30th July at 8.30pm on BBC3 • Larry King Live with Chris
Angel (YouTube)
Click
Here • Look out for Safire on "Granada Reports Roadshow" on Monday
night at 6pm • "Prince does a David Blaine"
Click Here • "Harry's game"
Click Here • "Hat’s the way to do it!"
Click Here • "Magician disappears with cash"
Click Here • The Sorcerer's
Apprentice ended on Friday (actually there is a 'recap' this morning)
- I thought the show worked really well overall, presenting the
performance of magic in a very positive light. That's it for this week,
your UK magic news is always welcomed, see you next week, Duncan. 21.7.07