Number 487 - 24th October 2009
The
Session 2010 - registration now open! The next Session will be held
on January 16th and 17th 2010 in Gloucester. America's Joshua Jay (photo)
will present an exclusive new lecture and will also host a never to be
repeated workshop on the world's best card tricks. Canada's David Acer
will give a lecture full of commercial magic and Daniel Garcia (head
creative consultant to David Blaine) will present a lecture and an
exclusive one-off workshop on creativity. That's just for starters...
With a variety of workshops, lectures, parties and plenty of time to
session (of course), it's no wonder that The Session has sold out every
single year since its instigation. Visit
www.sessionconvention.com for more information and to reserve your
tickets. Register before November 15th and receive a free magic book or
DVD from Vanishing Inc. Magic too!
www.sessionconvention.com.
24.10.09
Women
in Boxes. "Women in Boxes is the first film to uncover the Unsung
Hero behind the magician. The devoted Magic Assistant who distorts her
body into impossible positions while the magician cuts her in pieces,
stabs her, sets her on fire, crushes her and restores her to life with a
dramatic Taa Daa." This fascinating documentary takes you behind the
scenes, interviewing many famous magic personalities along the way. 82 minutes
of essential magic viewing. Watch this documentary online now, or buy it
on DVD:
www.snagfilms.com/films/title/women_in_boxes.
24.10.09
The
International Magic Convention (Mermaid Theatre, London, November
27th - 29th) will kick off again this year with a one-man show. George
Parker from Holland, a regular presenter and lecturer at Jeff McBride’s
Mystery School, will be performing his solo show “The Fifth Element” on
the Friday evening. Combining strong magic and a rich narrative, George
will take you on an unforgettable journey fusing artistry, theatre and
manipulative skills. George is one of Holland’s most successful
corporate workers, and is taking time off from his incredibly busy
schedule to make his debut at a British Magical Convention. The evening
will continue with a Stand Up Comedy Show featuring Chris Mitchell, The
Raymond and Mr Timpkins Revue, and (just announced) Otiz Cannelloni, a
regular of the Comedy Club Circuit and often cited as “the comedy
magician’s comedy magician”. Further booking details on
www.internationalmagic.com.
24.10.09
Arturo
Brachetti - Change, opened for previews on Monday. Alan York reviews
the second preview this week,
Click Here. "Italian magician, actor and
quick-change artist Arturo Brachetti returns to the London stage in a new show written and directed by The Right Size’s Sean
Foley. Arturo Brachetti – Change, which opens at the Garrick theatre on
26th October (previews from 19th October), tells the story of a legendary
artiste of the golden age of cabaret whose memories of his illustrious
career come to life. During the course of the show Brachetti depicts
over 100 characters, from James Bond to the Queen via Johnny Rotten, in
a display of the time-honoured Italian art of quick-change..." To
book
Click Here.
24.10.09
The
Magic Circle Awards Banquet 2009 will be held at the Holiday Inn
Bloomsbury on Saturday, 21st November. International Illusionists
Amethyst head the star cabaret which includes Scott Penrose,
ventriloquist John Bouchier, and Terry Seabrooke. President Jack Delvin
welcomes all to this glittering evening of Dinner, Dancing and Cabaret,
with special guests Steve Allen from LBC Radio, and SAM President Mike
Miller. This year the prestigious Devant Award will be presented
posthumously to Ali Bongo in recognition of his outstanding contribution
to international magic, to be received by his niece Alison. The other
major annual awards are kept a dark secret until their presentation on
the night! Tickets are available for £60 (cheques payable to "The Magic
Circle") from David Ball MIMC, 40 Sandy Lodge Way, Northwood, Middlesex
HA6 2AS (Telephone 01923 822589).
24.10.09
Quentin
Reynolds presents his one-man show The Psychic Game Show at
The Lass O'Gowrie, 36 Charles Street, Manchester M1 7DB (Map)
on Mondays, 9th, 16th, 23rd and 30th November at 8pm. All seats £5.
Presented in game show format, Quentin and his audience will explore the
psychic and the paranormal, using intuition, hunches, psychometry and
telepathy. The show promises to have audiences both laughing and feeling
amazed, and there's the chance to win prizes too! Reviewing Quentin's
show in The Irish Independent, Nick Kelly wrote: "If you're the kind of
person who thinks that people like Uri Geller should be beaten with a
sharp spoon, Quentin Reynolds show will have you reaching for the
cutlery only so that you can eat humble pie." Experience a fun and
amazing evening. Licensed premises - patrons must be 18 years or older.
More details and directions:
www.psychicgameshow.com.
24.10.09
Scott
Penrose is presenting a lecture for International Magic on Wednesday
28th October. This particular lecture is all about the use of Flash
effects in Magic (Flash Paper, Flash Cotton, Flash String etc.). The
lecture starts at 7.30pm at their usual venue: 2nd Floor, 'Casa
Italiana', 136 Clerkenwell Road, London EC1R 5DL (Map).
The cost is £10 per person. For more information or to attend contact
Martin MacMillan at International Magic on 020 7405 7324 or email
martin@internationalmagic.com.
24.10.09
Derby
Magic Circle Day of Magic. Tomorrow, Sunday 25th October from 9am -
5.30pm. 6 dealers, 3 lectures, table top sale and auction for only £2.00
entrance fee. Venue: The Willington Sports & Social Club, Twyford Road,
Willington, Derby DE65 6PP (Map).
Further details from Stuart Brown: 01332 768321
stuartmagic@fsmail.net or
visit
www.derbymagiccircle.co.uk.
24.10.09
International
News. French Annual Magic Convention - Paris, October 21st-24th
2010. For their next convention, the FFAP has chosen The Disney’s
Convention Center at Newport Bay Club which will be completely
privatized for the occasion so registrants will be able to enjoy the
very best possible conditions for the event. Visy the website for
details:
www.paris2010.magie-ffap.com.
24.10.09
Dynamo
turns his talent to data snatching. Av AVG Release New Videos To
Mark Launch of AVG 9.0. "There was a time when your PC was secure, then
came along viruses and we all started using anti-virus software. But it
didn’t stop there, next was malware and spyware and so we had to start
using anti-spyware software. The latest threat to your PC is data
snatching where hackers steal your personal details, your credit card
numbers, your digital identity. To mark the release of AVG 9.0, AVG
Technologies, the security software specialists, has released a series
of videos to increase awareness of the perils of data snatching
featuring street magician Dynamo." Watch the videos on
www.gaj-it.com.
24.10.09
Jay
Fortune has two shows looming. The first, 'Dr Do & Dr Little's
Animal Spooktacular' a new show written and directed by Jay, takes place
at the 02 throughout the half-term week and starts today (Saturday,
24th). It’s a family show, featuring magic, creepy crawlies and more!
Visit
www.theo2.co.uk/inside/special-events.html. His one-man alternative
magic show 'Magick and Mayhem' returns for one week only at Barons Court
Theatre from November 2nd – 8th This show features close-up magic
combining horror, comedy, dark themes of life and death and a few
twisted pieces for those who like something a little different. 15 years
and over. Tickets available from
www.lastminute.com
www.ticketweb.co.uk
and
www.falseimpressions.co.uk. Shows daily at 7:30pm with additional
late shows on Friday and Saturday at 9.30pm
www.jfortune.co.uk.
24.10.09
Merlins
of Wakefield are pleased to announce that they are now carrying a
selection of Colin Rose's Five of Hearts Magic. This makes them one of
only a few dealers in the UK to have been offered this great
opportunity. Five of Hearts Magic Productions produce excellent items in
wood and metal, which are not only collectable, but also highly
practical too. Merlins have several items on their website at
www.merlinswakefield.com and will be adding more over the coming
months. If you have any queries, contact them on 01924 339933 or email
merlins@btconnect.com.
24.10.09
Steve
Dela's Fantasmagoria. Reminder: There are still some seats left for
Steve Dela's Fantasmagoria at The King's Head Theatre in London on
Monday. The opening show features Lee Warren, Fay Presto and John
Archer. To book a seat contact the Box Office on 0844 209 0326 or visit
www.kingsheadtheatre.org.
24.10.09
MagicTricks.co.uk
area releasing two new exclusive items this week. FlightCase by Peter
Eggink, a diabolically clever new method to transport a signed card to
your card case right under the noses of the spectators (this effect has
been getting rave reviews) and Spilt Personality by Wayne Dobson which
was designed by MagicTricks.co.uk. This routine utilises icon
celebrities, Wayne's clever humour and an amusing sucker type ending.
Watch the demo videos for both on
www.magictricks.co.uk. Split Personality is also available from
www.waynedobson.co.uk.
24.10.09
Magic
Night at Madame JoJo’s, London. Magic Night on Friday November 6th
stars Oliver Tabor (award winning and critically acclaimed dove act),
Piff the Magic Dragon (Piff is a Dragon, he used to live by the sea but
there wasn’t much work so he came to London), Sarah Louise Young as La
Poule Plombee (brilliant comic singer and stand up), Wes Zaharuk
(hilarious anarchic physical comedy) and MC Magic Neil (Neil Henry).
"Come along to one of London's most dynamic and exciting entertainment
haunts, Madame JoJo's, and see why this night continues to be one of the
best contemporary cabaret nights on the circuit - with incredible and
cutting edge magic acts and some of the best cabaret in town." Friday
November 6th at Madame JoJo’s (7pm doors, 7.45pm showtime). Tickets £10,
conc. £7, or meal deal ticket (two tickets plus dinner for two) £40.
Tickets can be bought at Ticket Web
www.ticketweb.co.uk
or call Ticket Web on 08700 600 100 or use
www.lastminute.com
for a magic night meal deal. Madame JoJo’s, 8-10 Brewer Street, London
W1F 0SP (Map)
020 7734 3040
www.magicnight.co.uk.
19.9.09
Wessex
Magical Association presents Scott Creasey on Tuesday 10th November.
Scott's lecture ''Mental(magic)ism'' is a look at all things mental.
Scott writes, ''This area of our art is very special to me and for the
last five years (apart from lectures) I have been performing exclusively
as a mentalist. However I am aware of the way many magicians perceive
mentalism, so with that in mind this lecture covers all areas of the
subject from very commercial mental magic to what I consider pure
mentalism." As well as being a busy performer, writer and lecturer,
Scott is a magic inventor with The BIP Book', First Impressions Pad,
Raffle Tickets, The Swiss Army Wallet and Soduku-Wordsearch - The
Ultimate Challenge, all to his credit. The evening starts at 7.30pm for
8pm and visiting magicians are especially welcome for a nominal £5 fee.
The location is the Bourne Valley Community Association, 56 Herbert
Avenue, Poole, Dorset BH12 4EE (Map).
Enquiries to Alan Chitty, WMA Publicity Officer on 01202 883474 or
achitty@tiscali.co.uk. The
Association, attracts members from Dorset, Hampshire, Wiltshire and
beyond
www.wmagic.co.uk.
24.10.09
Magic
Circle members, Magic Carl and Deano the Magician, present The Big Trick
Magic Show a show for all the family between 10.30am and 12 noon on
the following dates: Tuesday 27th October: Bromham Village Hall, Bedford
MK43 8JP. Wednesday 28th October: The Addison Centre, Kempston MK42 8PN.
Thursday 29th October: Pitstone Memorial Hall, Pitstone, LU7 9EY.
Tickets are £4.00 per person, on the door. For more information call
01234 216289
www.deanmagic.com –
www.magiccarl.com.
24.10.09
Don't
Get Screwed. Don't Get Screwed is a new hidden-camera consumer show
that goes to extreme lengths to make viewers aware of their rights so
they can fight back and avoid being cheated. Magician Michael Gee
appears on the second show in the series (on Monday 2nd November at
8.30pm on BBC 3) when he sets up an unsuspecting friend. The show is
produced by Objective Productions, the company behind the BBC hit series
The Real Hustle.
www.michaelgeemagic.com .
24.10.09
The
Van Buren Story. Geoffrey Newton reports: On Wednesday 14th October
2009 an invited audience including a number of magicians attended the
Stoke on Trent Film Theatre to see a preview of “The Van Buren Story”.
This full length feature film tells the life of Fred Yoxall and Connie
(Van Buren and Greta) from very early days right through a successful
career in Circus, Theatre and Television. For some time now the second
generation of this famous illusion family has been firmly at the helm
with son Andrew and his partner Allyson carrying on the traditions of
the travelling big illusion show. Their services are in demand with
cruise liners and professional engagements in the Middle East are a
regular part of the diary. I enjoyed the film immensely and am pleased
to say it is going to be released on a DVD in February next year. Photo
shows Connie, Fred, Andrew and Allyson.
24.10.09
Top
Magic Circle Award for Legal Eagle. Following his successful season
at the Edinburgh Festival, former legal director of Associated
Newspapers Hampstead magician Ivor Cole has been awarded the top honour
from the famed Magic Circle, The Gold Star of The Inner Magic Circle.
Presented to only two hundred leading magicians throughout the world,
this award reflects the recognition of his successful magic show The
Mind Magic of Cole which he has presented in the last few years
following his retirement from three decades in Fleet Street. His past
legal success would no doubt have been helped in his apparent ability to
read minds. His perceptive mind reading show has baffled thousands at
presentations held in London theatres in the last ten years culminating
in the recent challenge by Scotland's leading newspaper The Scotsman at
the Edinburgh Festival where he was asked to predict the headlines of
their paper, weeks before publication. This he did correctly naming the
outcome of the recent Lockerbie enquiry also the new world record set by
a leading athlete. Sceptical journalists described this as spookily
accurate and mind-boggling! Following the announcement by the President
of The Magic Circle, he will shortly be presented with this prestigious
award at The Magic Circle headquarters at The Centre for the Magic Arts
in Euston, London. For further information telephone 020 8455 0401 / 020
8467 7856. Reported by John Derris.
24.10.09
Last
weekend Matt Grindley performed for the cast of TV show "Hi-de-Hi"
at a reunion party, and is seen here with actress Su Pollard.. Matt
Grindley has been touring in his own show 'Beach Magic Laughter' for 3
years and is set to continue next year. Last year Matt filmed for a new
TV pilot called "When Magic Tricks Go Wrong!" - visit
www.mattgrindley.co.uk.
24.10.09
Scareshow
2009. Wirral’s haunted festival - bigger and better for 2009. "The
infamous Church Farm Haunted Hay Ride has expanded into Scareshow, the
Wirral's haunted festival. You'll still get your Hay Ride, but your
tickets also include the bizarre magic of Mr Strange (AKA Simon
Southerin). Do you dare to seek him out within the Nightmare Circus?
Tickets are £10 and they must be booked in advance. The show runs from
now until 31st October. Visit
www.scareshow.com
to book.
24.10.09
Magic,
1400s-1950s by Mike Caveney (Author), Jim Steinmeyer (Author), Ricky Jay
(Contributor) and Noel Daniel (Editor) was published on October 15th by
Taschen GmbH. "The scientists of showbiz. Magic has enchanted humankind
for millennia, evoking terror, laughter, shock and amazement. Once
persecuted as heretics and sorcerers, magicians have always been
conduits to a parallel universe of limitless possibility - whether
invoking spirits, reading minds, or inverting the laws of nature by
sleight of hand. Long before science fiction, virtual realities, video
games, and the Internet, the craft of magic was the most powerful
fantasy world man had ever known. As the true pioneers of special
effects in human history, magicians have never ceased to mystify by
perpetually making the impossible possible. This book celebrates 500
years of the dazzling visual culture of the world's greatest magicians.
Featuring over 1,000 rarely seen vintage posters, photographs,
handbills, and engravings in one 640-page volume, it traces the history
of magic as a performing art from the 1470s through the post-WWII years.
Through sensational images and clear and insightful accompanying text,
"Magic" explores the evolution of the magician's craft, from its early
street performers to the brilliant stage magicians who gave rise to
early cinematic special effects; from the 19th century's "Golden Age of
Magic" to groundbreaking daredevils like Houdini and the vaudevillians
of the early 20th century." Hardcover, 670 pages, 50.6cm x 32.8cm x 7.6
cm (i.e. very, very big!) and available from Amazon.co.uk right now for
just £87.75 (saving 35%) with free delivery
Click Here • Your UK news is always welcomed, see you next
week, Duncan.
24.10.09