Number 448 - 24th January 2009
Jeff
McBride - Secret Session: 4 Hour Master Class Workshop. Presenting a
rare opportunity for beginners, intermediate and advanced magic
enthusiasts. Would you like to: Learn new tools and techniques to help
you create your own original presentations? Increase your effectiveness
and self-awareness as a performer? Experience new techniques for
planning, delivering and evaluating your own magic performances? Spend 4
inspiring hours studying magic with one of the most influential
magicians of the 20th century? This session focuses on close-up,
platform and stage magic. You will be taught practical magic that you
will use. This is not a lecture but much, much more. The Master Class
has proven to be an effective and exciting way to learn and gain
important insights into your own magical work - and the Secret
Session Workshop provides you with the Master Class experience in
miniature. The workshops will be held at the Blackpool Magicians Theatre
Club, Rear of No.1 Sherbourne Road, North Shore, Blackpool. Tuesday
17th, Wednesday 18th and Thursday 19th February. The cost is £300.00 for
all three days, or £125.00 per single day. To book, or for more
information, contact: Arthur Casson, 44 Bryan Road, Blackpool,
Lancashire FY3 9BE. Phone/Fax: 01253 393688 email:
arthurcasson@aol.com. 24.1.09
The
Sorcerer's Apprentice
is back and it's bigger than ever before! 12 sorcerees are thrown in
at the deep end as the Sorcerer (Maxamillian Sommerset) informs the
novice magicians that in just a couple of days two of them will be
eliminated. It’s not just the sorcerees competing, their magic teaches
Mr Knight (Tariq Knight) and Ms Evans (Sophie Evans) are also battling
it out, in a series of teacher challenges. Every Sunday morning on BBC2.
See TV Magic
(Sorcerer's Apprentice is also available via
BBC iPlayer). 24.1.09
South
Tyneside International Magic Festival - updates. Things are hotting
up on Tyneside in preparation for this year's Magic Festival (Monday 9th
March - Sunday 15th March). Here's a brief rundown of who'll be doing
what: David Williamson (photo, USA) Lecture, Saturday Gala Show and
Close Up; Steve Axtell (USA) Lecture and Children’s Show; Paul Romhany
(USA) Lecture, Friday and Saturday Gala Shows and Master Class; Patrick
G Redford (USA) Lecture, Friday Gala Show and Close Up; Bob Sheets (USA)
Lecture, Friday Gala Show, Close Up, and Master Class; Banachek (USA)
Lecture, Saturday Gala Show and Close Up; Paul Daniels (UK) Friday Gala
Show; Russ Stevens (UK) Saturday Gala Show; Paul Dabek (UK) Saturday
Gala Show; Stephen Williams (UK) Friday Gala Show and Family Magic
Extravaganza; Jasper Blakeley (UK) Lecture, Children’s Show and Midnight
Show.
Click Here for full details of all the shows and lectures and
Click Here for the actual convention programme (Friday 13th - Sunday
15th March). 24.1.09
South
Tyneside International Magic Festival - Master Classes. "We have
another great line-up of performers from the USA and UK, some of which
in addition to their lecture at the convention will be holding a Master
Class. Master Classes are ideal because sometimes the lecturers would
like to spend more time on a particular effect. They are also a way of
getting to see and learn from a performer in an intimate setting, and
perhaps getting one-on-one instruction on a routine that has been
developed and perfected over years, saving you months of trial and
experimentation. We have been running Master Classes for the last four
years and would like to invite you to attend one in 2009. Each Master
Class is limited to 20 people." Master Class dates: Banachek March 12th,
Paul Romhany March 15th, Patrick G Redford March 15th and Bob Sheets
March 15th
Click Here for details. Paul Daniels Master Class, March 12th
Click Here
for full details. 24.1.09
Huddersfield
Circle of Magicians 60th Anniversary Show. Huddersfield Circle of
Magicians stage their 60th Anniversary Show at the Lawrence Batley
Theatre on Saturday 27th June - featuring a great British line-up:
Amethyst, John Archer, High Jinx, Brian Sefton, Dave Andrews, John
Danbury, The Bernie Heys Dancers, Kirkheaton School Choir and compère Al
Conway. For more information and tickets contact the Lawrence Batley
Theatre Box Office: 01484 430528. 24.1.09
Magic
Trek Update! Magic Trek, the sponsored walk from Portsmouth to
London to raise money for The Anthony Nolan Trust, will begin on Tuesday
5th May and visit Magic Clubs and Societies in Southampton, Winchester,
Basingstoke, Reading, Windsor, and London (ending on Sunday 10th May).
At the moment, there are six magicians walking the entire route
(approximately 106 miles). They are Laurie Brokenshire CBE (he’ll be
juggling blindfold jug), Rod Newman (chained, handcuffed and possibly in
a straight jacket!), Sean Lobban (see photo!), Glen Stone
and Harold Straker. Other magicians, including Ian Marriott, will be
walking for one or two stages. The Magic Trek has received support from
Portsmouth & District Magic Circle, The Associated Wizards of the South,
Winchester Magical Society and The Home Counties Magical Society. If any
magicians, children’s entertainers or magic club members would like to
take part, or indeed support The Magic Trek in any way, email
sean@magictrek.org.uk. You
can sponsor all the walkers easily and securely online by visiting
www.anthonynolanevents.org.uk/magictrek and clicking on the yellow
"Sponsor Magic" button. The Anthony Nolan Trust helps people take their
lives back from leukaemia so any donation big or small is welcome. 24.1.09
Alex
McAleer - Psychomagic. Alex McAleer will be performing his
mind-bending, one man show at The Quay Theatre in Sudbury at 8pm on
Friday 13th February. Alex performs a contemporary form of magical
entertainment featuring compelling demonstrations of psychological
technique, thought reading and perceptual manipulation, that create a
unique and exciting form of magic that he calls Psychomagic. "Whether he
appears to be reading people's minds, anticipating and influencing their
next thought or manipulating their perception, the results of this young
mans skills are astonishing." The Quay Theatre, Quay Lane, Sudbury,
Suffolk CO10 2AN (Map).
Tickets £9.00 (Friends of The Quay £7.00). Box Office: 01787 374745
boxoffice@quaytheatre.org.uk
www.quaytheatre.org.uk
www.psychomagic.co.uk. 24.1.09
A
Night of Magic & Illusion. Andrew Green and Paul Roberts return to
the Thwaites Empire Theatre, Aqueduct Road, Ewood, Blackburn BB2 4HT (Map)
on Saturday 31st January at 7.30pm in ‘A Night of Magic & Illusion’. It
is set to be another great show featuring magic and brand new illusions.
Tickets are £10.00 each (£9.00 concessions). Box Office: 01254 685 500
www.thwaitesempiretheatre.co.uk. Also see:
www.modernmysteries.co.uk and
www.paulrobertsmagic.com. 24.1.09
Used-Magic.com
is a new website offering professional quality used magic effects and
new balloon twisting supplies. Every item on the site is in stock and
ready for immediate delivery. Used-Magic.com is operated by Royston
South, a full time magician / balloon twister (see
www.roystonsouth.co.uk). Visit
www.used-magic.com
today! 24.1.09
The
Rauschenberg Effect. The Rauschenberg Effect is perhaps the first
ever "virally distributed" magic eBook. It isn't available in the shops
and you can't actually buy it, but you can own it. John Hostler has gone
back in time, to the 80s... "Over the last 20 years, ideas have
accumulated… notebooks have filled with both halfbaked concepts and
full-blown routines unadulterated by the latest fads. (You won’t, for
example, find a single 3-Fly amongst these pieces.) About a year ago, it
dawned on me: I’d amassed a virtual time capsule of unpublished
material, all rooted in the visceral excitement and mindset of 1980’s
magicdom. For better or worse, much of the cream skimmed for this volume
exemplifies the take-no-prisoners approach of that era: impact at any
cost. In short, this stuff screams for contemporary validation in our
age of angle-sensitive, YouTube-ready eye candy." Close-up guys and
girls are going to love this publication. Paradoxically its very being
and the way that it is being distributed embodies some of the fun of
being into magic, that arguably the internet and its never-ending source
of freely available information has taken away. The material within its
pages is excellent. Visit
www.hostlergallery.com/rauschenberg.htm to find out how you can own
a copy. 24.1.09
Angelo
Carbone is presenting a lecture for International Magic in London on
Tuesday 3rd February at their usual venue - 2nd floor 'Casa Italiana',
136 Clerkenwell Road, London EC1R 5DL (Map).
Email or phone Martin MacMillan
martin@internationalmagic.com or 020 7405 7324 if you would like to
attend. 7.15pm for a prompt 7.30pm start. Finishes at 9.30pm. £10.00 per
person. 24.1.09
Paul
Gordon's Card Capers 2. Last year, Paul Gordon presented a new
concept in magic teaching, a whole day of card magic filled with tricks,
tips, hints, advice, sleights, stories and more (plus a licensed bar and
lunchtime curry!). It was a very relaxed, informative, day of card magic
which proved to be very popular. This year's event will take place on
Sunday 10th May from 9.30am to 5pm. The venue is the function room of
The Vintner’s Parrott (pub) in Warwick Street, Worthing, West Sussex.
The price for the full day is just £25.00. Visit
www.paulgordon.net/cardcapers.htm to book, for more information and
for reviews of last year's day. Book early - numbers are limited! 24.1.09
Nottingham
Guild of Magicians - lectures and show.
The Nottingham Guild of
Magicians are staging An Evening of Magic on Sunday 1st February at the
Bonington Theatre, 161 Front Street, Arnold, Nottingham NG5 7EE (Map)
at 7.30pm. Starring: John Archer (The current Magic Circle Stage Magician
of the Year), Amethyst (escapology and illusion), Kevin Burke (magic,
mystery and illusion) and Tony Stevens (photo: comedy and magic), with further
acts to be announced. Doors open at 7pm. Tickets are £12.50 each and can
be obtained from either the Bonington Theatre on 0115 956 0733 or Marcel
Burn on 07789 693 906. In the daytime there will be two new lectures from
Kevin Burke and Danny Hunt of Amethyst, starting at 2pm. Tickets are just
£5 to see both lectures (via the numbers above).
www.nottinghamguildofmagicians.co.uk. 24.1.09
Mark
Shortland lectures at the Devon Magic Circle on Wednesday February
11th at 7.45pm (after returning from a cruise in the Caribbean). The
Devon Magic Circle meet at Collaton Hall, Paignton, Devon TQ4 7DE (Map).
The following day, Thursday February 12th, Mark will be performing his
Magical Family Show at Teignmouth Community College at 7.30pm TQ14 9HZ (Map)
in aid of
Operation Imprezza (Kenya)
www.markshortland.com. 24.1.09
Marc Paul -
additional tour dates. Three new dates have just been added to Marc
Paul's Mind to Mind theatre tour.
"Imagine what it feels like to come 'Mind to
Mind' with someone who can read your thoughts! Come 'Mind to Mind' with
Marc Paul and experience one of the most fascinating, thrilling and
thought provoking shows you have ever seen. Master mind-reader Marc Paul
(star of TV’s Mind Games and featured Parkinson Show guest) will
take you on a journey to make you question what your mind is truly
capable of. He integrates the psychology of perception, persuasion, and
personality to create convincing demonstrations of mind-reading in this
thoroughly entertaining and unique show." See
What's On. 24.1.09
Police
Catch Thief in Downing Street. James Freedman was invited to 10
Downing Street again recently and was caught on camera by the policeman
who took this photo! James, a stage pickpocket and magician, was
described in Time Out as "possibly the world's best pickpocket". He has
entertained royalty, heads-of-state and celebrities in over 25 countries
and has earned himself the title ‘The Man of Steal’. James has been a
specialist advisor on several feature films and television programmes
and also lectures to groups including security professionals and police.
Last year, he gained some notoriety when he ‘borrowed’ the Chancellor’s
wallet. It’s amazing they invited him back again! (A little tricky to
see in the photo, but James has the '0' from the door's number '10' in
his hand!)
www.pickpocket.co.uk
www.magicians.co.uk. 24.1.09
Blackpool
& Fylde Mystics are pleased to announce that current International
Magic Close-Up Champion Shawn Farquhar will be lecturing on Tuesday 5th
May 2009 at the Frank Townend Centre, Cleveleys. Places are limited and
the cost is £5.00 per visiting magician. This is Shawn's only
performance in the Lancashire area - be sure to book early so you don't
miss out. Visit
www.fyldemystics.co.uk or email
info@fyldemystics.co.uk for
more information. 24.1.09
JJ
is a magic nut! The new series of the award-winning 'Skins' started
on Thursday, on E4, and it will run for 10 weeks. The show has an
all-new cast and one character 'JJ' is a magic nut, performing magic
throughout the series. Nigel Mead was the magic consultant, working
alongside JJ so that the character appears as a "competent amateur
magician". Look out for Nigel's face in Episode 7. (I know three
real-life magic JJ's, but it seems that the name is a pure coincidence.
DT) 24.1.09
Lee Alex
has added some extra dates to his Quick Change lecture tour - see
What's On. 24.1.09
Stefanie
Powers gets zagged! Many years ago the late Harry Blackstone Jr. had
planned to cut
Stefanie
Powers in half, but alas, it was never to be. Years later, and by
pure chance,
The Twins managed to assist, using the very Zig-Zag once owned by
Harry Blackstone Jr. The Twins and Stefanie are seen here in a dressing
room at the Mayflower Theatre, Southampton. The Twins, together with
Mark Parker, can be seen next Saturday at the Southern England Magic
Convention in a "frank, no holds barred question and answer session"
www.semagicconvention.com. 24.1.09
UK
Federation of Artistes & Children's Entertainers. Mark Harrison is
launching the 'UK Federation of Artistes & Children's Entertainers' at
the Southern England Magic Convention on Saturday 31st January:
"UKFACE’s main aims are to maintain high standards of trading practice
for the benefit of its Members, the children’s entertainment industry at
large, and the consumers that they serve, and to create as favourable a
business climate as possible for its Members." For more information
visit:
www.ukface.org.uk. 24.1.09
Lex
Schoppi has created a new quick-change act featuring top German
models - to watch a YouTube clip taken from the Eurovision TV Show
Stars in the Circus,
Click Here. 24.1.09
News
from Mr 'E' Enterprises: "Traditionally the effect Find the Lady has
always used one Queen and two Spot cards - that is until now. Mr 'E'
Enterprises has just released a new Giant Size version that uses two
Queens and one spot card, thus appearing to improve the spectators
chances of picking out a Queen - or does it?"
Click Here for details. 24.1.09
Peter
McLanachan will be presenting his “A Force Much Greater Than Luck”
lecture at Paisley Magic Circle at St Margaret's Church Hall, Oxford
Road, Renfrew (Map)
on Thursday 5th February starting at 7.30pm. Entry to the lecture for
non-members will be £5.00. Peter will be presenting a few things from
his current lecture notes, (also entitled "A Force Much Greater Than
Luck") as well as a few newer items that he did not teach when he last
lectured at Paisley back in October 2006. 24.1.09
Roy
Bond and John Dornan, members of the Nottingham Guild of Magicians,
are seen here
at B&Q, Nottingham,
in the run up to Christmas, where they were
raising money for cancer
research. Roy and John are also often asked to perform at special events
for 'Rainbows' a
purpose-built children's hospice, which first opened its doors in 1994.
Rainbows is dedicated to meeting the needs of the children and young
people from the East Midlands who are affected by life-limiting and
life-threatening conditions. To find out more about Rainbows visit
www.rainbowshospice.org.uk. 24.1.09
Ron
Gilbert Magic Sale. The sale of the magic of the late Ron Gilbert
MIMC will be held on March 1st from 11am until 4pm at The Townsend
Community Centre, Jewell Road, Bournemouth BH8 0LT (Map).
The collection consists of children's magic effects, close-up and stage
magic. The sale will be held on a "no reasonable offer refused" basis.
There are many bargains to be had, and everything must be sold. For
further details call Carol on 01202 5178584 or Bryan on 01305 780052. 24.1.09
JJ from from Deafblind UK emails: "Last Year Jimmy O'Hare was lucky enough to attend the Blackpool Magic Convention. This was such an amazing experience for him as he learnt so much, it is important for Jimmy that he is able to access and feel different props, tricks etc as Jimmy is both blind and deaf. Attending the convention enabled him to gain hands-on explanations of tricks that he couldn't imagine. He wishes to thank his sponsors: Derren Brown, Uri Geller, Kaymar Magic, and Beard Juggling. Since Blackpool Jimmy has been invited to the Southern England Magic Convention, so once again we are looking for anyone who could help with sponsorship of funding as he has to cover the full cost of transport and accommodation for himself and 3 carers; we are looking for roughly £500. If anyone can help, however big or small, please contact me at instantmash@hotmail.com or visit www.extremeclowning.piczo.com (This is our last attempt, any donations are gratefully received; at the moment it doesn't look like Jimmy will be able to attend unless a miracle occurs.). 24.1.09
Magicians Wanted! The Black Hart is on the lookout for any magicians or performers who live within a couple of hours of Inverness, for a special project that he is working on. Black Artefacts boss Keith Hart emails: "Hopefully this will be a long term project so I really need people who live within a couple of hours journey of Inverness who are available throughout the year. I can't say what it is yet as it is in the very early planning stages. I am looking for people who are currently performing magicians; amateur, semi-professional or professional. Much depends on whether I can actually locate any other performers up here." Keith can be contacted via kh@blackhart.co.uk or on 01862 850009. 24.1.09
Harold Taylor. Harold Taylor's niece, Janet Stephenson, would love to hear from any magicians who knew Harold. She is collecting together photos, books, show bills etc to form a website. Email Janet Stephenson at my_uncl_h_taylor@btinternet.com. 24.1.09
Jake
1925 - 2008. Jake (Philip Jacobs) is remembered by John Derris,
Click Here. 24.1.09
"Derren Brown: An Evening of Wonders C4" Click Here • "That's magic! Paul Daniels has a blog" Click Here • "Live From The Field" from the Paul Daniels blog, Click Here • "Blackpool B&B: Good times ahead for the North Pier" Click Here • ""In Le Reve’s revival, there is a lesson for Believe" Click Here • Shut Up & Shoot Me starring Andy Nyman (in which he was awarded Best Actor at the Cherbourg Film Festival) is now available on DVD Click Here • "Woman nearly drowns on Geller TV show" Click Here • Gary Jones reviews 'The Plot Thickens' this week, Click Here • Paul Gordon's recent Nottingham lecture is reviewed by Graham Harper this week, Click Here • "Sean is hooked on magic" Click Here • "Magician The Great Soprendo to lecture in Stourbridge" Click Here • TV Review: Supernatural - Season Four - 'Criss Angel is a Douche Bag'" Click Here • "Magician Keith's €10k offer to all psychics" Click Here • Your UK magic news is always welcomed - see you next week, Duncan. 24.1.09