Number 426 - 23rd August 2008

 

Richard McDougall is profiled by Bob Hayden this week as we near the British Ring Eastbourne Convention (September 24th -28th). An international performer, Richard has appeared both in close-up and on stage in over 40 countries worldwide. Bob Hayden writes, "Carefully observe how Richard McDougall uses body language when he performs for you in the Late, Late Gala on Friday evening. The dictionary defines body language as the process of communicating through conscious or unconscious gestures or poses. Get it right, as Richard does, it will enhance your performance and raise your profile to a higher level. Get it wrong and you may be considered smug or pompous..." Click Here to read the full profile. And visit www.britishring.org.uk for all the latest convention info. 23.8.08

 

Rafael flies in from Belgium in November to present three never-before-seen stage acts, together with his stand up spot, at this year's International Magic Convention at the Shaw Theatre in London on November 28th-30th. “Having scored such a hit at previous IBM and Blackpool Conventions with his Vampire and Dove Act, we were thrilled to discover that Rafael has three other stage pieces, unseen in England, that he will be performing over the weekend” said Noel Britten, who books the acts for the Convention. “Rafael’s acts are always beautifully produced, with brilliant off-the-wall magic, great costumes and a wonderful tongue-in-cheek presentation.” He will be starring in the Gala Show and also appearing in the Stand Up Comedy Show on the Friday night. American performer and author, John Lovick has also been added to the line up. Lovick is best known in the UK as the author of Switch – the definitive guide to the $100 Dollar Bill Switch. He is also a regular product reviewer in Magic, and a fine performer in his own right. John Lovick will be appearing as 'Handsome Jack' his alter ego, on the Friday night show, and will also be lecturing and performing in the Close Up Gala on Sunday. Full convention details on the International Magic website: www.internationalmagic.com. 23.8.08

 

Liverpool Magic Circle - Big Night Out! "A fantastic fun night out featuring 3 great acts. Our very own Stephen Williams, and the unmissable PJ! With star act of the night, the one and only comedy magician - John Archer. Hot and cold buffet, all for only £12.50! Few tickets left - call now to reserve your ticket." Friday, 5th September at 8pm. Venue: The Alder Sports Club, Alder Road, West Derby, Liverpool L12 2BA (Map). Call Alan Singleton (President) on 07982 253583, or email magic2c@blueyonder.co.uk www.liverpoolmagiccircle.co.uk. 23.8.08

 

Ali Cook - A Touch Of Vegas... "Part illusionist, part stand-up, Cook intersperses the two and is equally great at both." Read the full four star review in Three Weeks Click Here, Ali also has a four star review in The List Click Here. Consistently selling out (and two times pick of The Fringe in The Edinburgh Evening News and The Scotsman) Ali has been invited by Mick Perrin for Just For Laughs Live to bring the show into London's West End one night only at the new Leicester Square Theatre (formerly The Venue) as part of The Big Joke season featuring the best in new comedy talent alongside icons including Joan Rivers. Dates and more details to follow. www.alicook.com. 23.8.08

 

Philip Escoffey: Six Impossible Things Before Dinner. "The regular appearances of stunt magicians, mind-readers and psychics on television may have inured live audiences to the skill involved in the realms of professional magic. That's a shame, because it perhaps takes longer than it should to realise just how singularly gifted an entertainer Philip Escoffey is." To read the full review in The Scotsman Click Here. www.thegreyman.com  23.8.08

 

Billy McComb Auction - Sunday 7th September. News from David Goodman: I am pleased to announce that I have been retained by The McComb Legacy to auction the estate of Billy McComb on September 7th, 2008 at the Magic Castle starting in the morning (the start time will be announced soon). This should prove to be a great sale with something for everyone with an interest in magic. Highlights include: Early McComb Scrapbooks, Photographs & Posters, A Great Collection of June Merlin ephemera, A Martin Card Rise & a Willman Jumbo Rising Card, Billy's extensive Magic Book Collection, Vanishing Bird Cages including a rare Lindhurst cage, A set of Billy's own color-changing silks, A unique set of Tarbell's Course in Magic with each volume inscribed by Tarbell to McComb with animated line drawings, plus much, much more - 304 magical lots in all! A complete catalog of the offering is available on-line at The McComb Legacy as well as Terms & Conditions of Sale, Bidder’s Registration Form, and Absentee Bid Form. Hard copies of the catalog will be available to purchase for $20 from The McComb Legacy by emailing legacyauction@dslextreme.com. 23.8.08

 

Barry & Stuart - Extra date. Following a total sell-out run and 5 star reviews Barry & Stuart are performing an extra special date of Part-Time Warlocks at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in a larger venue at midnight on Saturday 23rd August in the Underbelly. For tickets to this extra special dead of night gig Click Here. "Welcome to the dark side of stand-up magic" Click Here . 23.8.08

 

Simplicity Magic are releasing their first ever magic product, 'Peter Knows': "It is the ultimate ‘phone-a-friend’ effect. Visit www.simplicitymagic.com where you will be able to view a demonstration video of this effect that has amazed magicians throughout the UK. There is currently a special offer too. The introductory price of only £1.99 is a tenth of the normal retail price and less than the price of a coffee!" Visit www.simplicitymagic.com to watch a demo and order. 23.8.08

 

Magic Car Boot Sale - West Bromwich, on Sunday 7th September, from 9.30am. Admission £4.00 Stalls £13.00 at their the usual venue 43 Union Street, West Bromwich B70 6BP (Map). (Due to the fact that the fancy dress shop has been moved out, more space is once again available. About 25 stands are expected, including dealers Albion Magic, Keith Bennett, Stephen Tucker and many others. Stalls must be pre-booked. For further information contact Alec Powell on 07831 115448. www.albionmagiccompany.co.uk. 23.8.08

 

South Downs Magicians present a lecture and dealer dem by Zane's Magic Shop on Wednesday, September 3rd at 8pm at the club headquarters: Handcross Parish Hall, High Street, Handcross, West Sussex RH17 6BJ (Map). Visitors £5. The lecture will cover mostly close-up effects but will also include stage and children's magic. The dealer dem will include some of the latest products from the US. For more info visit www.southdownsmagicians.co.uk. 23.8.08

 

Dicey dice! The Card Collection email: "For many years we have had requests to stock a complete run of 1 to 6 misnumbered dice; at last we have found a manufacturer who would make them to our specification, we wanted a 16mm quality white dice with black spots that looked like a regular everyday games dice that would not arouse suspicion. We now have such a dice. The Card Collection can supply a set of 6 different misnumbered dice plus 2 regular to match for £15 or you may buy 1 misnumbered, of your choice plus 1 regular for £3." www.cards4magic.co.uk. 23.8.08

 

Devon Magic Circle Diamond Jubilee Dinner. Devon Magic Circle are celebrating their Diamond Jubilee this year and will be having a Dinner at the Langstone Cliff Hotel, Dawlish Warren, Devon on Friday 19th September. The star performer for the evening is Fay Presto. Tickets are £20.00 each, from the secretary Brian Hodge bhodgedawlish@aol.com. Those who have had connections with the Devon Magic Circle over the last 60 years will be especially welcome. Ian Adair is coming as one of the life members of the DMC and Edwin, of Supreme Magic, was one of the founder members of the DMC. The hotel is offering special overnight rates for those travelling. 23.8.08

 

Beck's Bunnies! Beck's have launched a special-edition collection of labels showcasing the work of emerging contemporary artists. It is the first time the iconic green bottle’s original label has been replaced since imports began in 1952 and the first time the art labels have been available to purchase by the public. The Duck/Rabbit image is being showcased on 27 million bottles and allows massive exposure to the concept of optical illusion to the nation. No doubt some magicians will have fun with the possibilities that the Duck/Rabbit bottle offers (although I'm not sure that drinkers need optical illusion to see things differently) www.becks.co.uk. 23.8.08

 

Zane's Magic Shop have stock of the newly designed PK Finger Rings. Two designs are available, the 'Dragon' (see photo - large) or the 'Zodiac' (medium), and both silver in colour. "These look great and just like the type of Fashion Rings you could buy on the high street which make them all the more deceptive to use!" £19.99 each, from www.zanesmagicshop.com. 23.8.08

 

Chris Priest - Master Routines Lecture. The Sheffield Circle of Magicians host Chris Priest's Master Routines Lecture on Thursday 4th September at 7.30pm at the Three Cranes Pub, 74 Queen Street, Sheffield S1 2DW (Map). All welcome (Non members £5.00 on the door). For more information contact Craig Frith (Entertainment Secretary) 07816 989 946 or Dave Chambers (President) 01302 537720 or 07740 404 948. www.sheffieldcircleofmagicians.org. 23.8.08

 

Practical Magic's latest exclusive offering: Fantasy Crystal Blendo: "Originally, this was an idea by Pavel of Switzerland, with some significant additions from Pat Fallon. The effect will be of particular interest to silk workers, stage performers and children's entertainers (Pat has written a superb story for children). All the props are housed in a lightly stained wooden box with brass fittings. In essence, four 18" silks are tucked into a piece of Perspex tubing, and, when you blow through the tubing, out flies a 36" multicoloured silk! Silk and tubing can be handed out, if desired. Price will be £75.00 plus postage. This item will be a feature of Pat's lecture at Kidology on Tuesday, September 9th in Wolverhampton (see last week's Magicweek for further details) and the item will not be released before the convention. On the subject of Kidology, there is a night-before get-together of attendees in the Connaught Hotel, who are also offering discounted rates if you mention 'Kidology'. Contact the hotel: 01902 424433. To book your ticket for Kidology, please go to www.practical-magic.com." 23.8.08

 

Magician Ian Wragg was featured in the pages of Full House magazine last week. Ian's been performing as a magician for 20 years but is allergic to rabbits, despite having used one in his act for all those years, so it is his wife Tracey who takes care of the rabbit and cleans out the hutch! 23.8.08

 

Will Houstoun Lecture - Leicester. The youngest ever British Champion of Close-up Magic, William Houstoun, lectures at the Leicester Magic Circle on October 6th at 7.30pm. Visiting magicians welcome, £5.00 door charge (no need to book). Venue: Ramada Hotel, 71-73 Grandby Street, Leicester LE1 6ES (Map). For more information contact Secretary Barry Martin barry@leicestermagiccircle.co.uk www.leicestermagiccircle.co.uk. 23.8.08

 

 

Come a Little Closer... Into the Magical World of John Derris is the name of John Derris's almost daily online magic blog/magazine which is filled with news, reviews, ideas and routines for magicians everywhere, from a man who's been around magic for over 50 years. It's fun and it's free! Visit www.magicderris.com. 23.8.08

 

Bill McLeod retirement sale. After over 40 years as a magic maker and dealer Edinburgh magician Bill McLeod is having a retirement sale of his dealer items and quality second hand props with many items at half price. The Sale will be held on September 11th at the West Lothian Magic Circle, East Calder & District Homing Society, Oakbank Road, East Calder, West Lothian EH53 0EL (Map). The Sale starts at 7.30pm and entry will be £2.00. 23.8.08

 

Man U Magic! Matt Windsor emails: "Thanks so much for putting my request on MagicWeek last week. I was astounded by the response - more than 40 magicians. The season started with a request for 16 magicians for the 1st game, which I had covered. Please find attached a photo of the group." Click Here to enlarge. 23.8.08

 

Carey's Cards - lecture now booking. John Carey would like to hear from magic clubs interested in booking his lecture Carey's Cards (MagicWeek Review) for dates in 2009. Email johncareymagic@googlemail.com. 23.8.08

 

Malta's Vanni Pule`and Mary Anne were featured in a two-page spread in KullHadd last week. Unfortunately, the write-up is in Maltese, but it covered the beginning of Vanni's public performances in the mid-sixties and how this exploded into thousands of shows and hundreds on TV in the 70s, 80s and 90s. It also explored the relationship between Mary Anne and Vanii, now married for 32 years, Vanii's passion for magic, and his scepticism of "paranormal phenomena". www.kullhadd.com. 23.8.08

 

World Magic Awards DVD available from Amazon.co.uk, Click Here • House of Magic (UK) in the West Midlands will be open on Bank Holiday Monday, August the 25th from 10am – 2pm www.houseofmagicuk.com • "Less than magical Games for Daniels" (scroll down) Click Here • "Ian’s magic of the mind" Click Here • "Blinkers may not be liars" Click Here • "Conjuring trio show they're really magic" Click Here • "Even up close, Minkin’s illusions are magical" Click Here • "Pete Firman: Flimflam, Underbelly, Edinburgh" Click Here • "Pete Firman: Flimflam [2008]" Click Here • "David Blaine: Dive of Death" Click Here • That's it for another week - see you next week, Duncan. 23.8.08

 

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