Number 513 - 24th April 2010
Penn
& Teller set to ignite Apollo's torch. Magic guys' Penn & Teller
return to London in July to play five dates at the HMV Hammersmith
Apollo. It's a great venue that in recent years has played host to as
many comedians as bands, in fact I saw Earth,
Wind & Fire there about three years ago... but I digress (blame the jet
lag!). Here are the details: Live Nation presents Penn & Teller, 8pm,
Wednesday 14th July - Sunday 18th July. No support. Tickets £33.25 to
£48.25 (inc booking fee). To book,
Click Here. "Edgy, provocative and hilarious, Penn & Teller's live
show on any given night can involve knives, guns, a fire-eating showgirl
and a duck. Known as the 'Bad Boys of Magic,' for supposedly revealing
the secrets to their tricks, they may show you how it's done, but they
still manage to leave you startled." 24.4.10
Wayne
Dobson A Life In Magic is a brand new 3 DVD set produced by
RSVPMagic.com. Wayne Dobson is joined by special guests Matthew J.
Dowden, Mark James and Michael J. Fitch as they all perform and teach
some of Wayne’s signature routines that have made him a world magic
star. See these classic routines performed on stage by Wayne and then
watch as they're performed in bars and restaurants to a whole new
audience. The 3 DVDs (over 6 hours running time!) are now available for
pre-order, and if you hurry you'll receive a copy of the best selling
DVD 'Corporate Close-Up with Martin Sanderson' completely free! (value
£24.99). "This is our biggest project to date and has taken many months
to prepare. Wayne has wanted to do this project for some time, but due
to his condition, this wasn't possible. I then had the idea to involve
three of our busiest close-up magicians to help and have ended up with a
project like no other" said Russ Stevens. To watch the trailer and
pre-order visit www.rsvpmagic.com. 24.4.10
Collectors
Day at The Magic Circle. This popular annual event will include a
variety of talks and demonstrations on the history of magic. Anne
Davenport will speak about some of the gems in the John Salisse archive
of Maskelyne and Devant material. There will be three talks on the lives of
magicians of the past. Paul Freeman on Frikell (1862 to 1889), Marco
Pusterla on Chefalo the forgotten illusionist and Nigel Dutt on his
grandfather Linga Singh. The history of Davenports will include
demonstrations of some of their exclusive tricks, and Richard Kaufman
will talk about De Land and his trick cards. The event is open to
non-members of The Magic Circle, and tickets can be obtained from the
box office, (Tel: 020 7387 2222) at a cost of £35 which includes
coffee, lunch and afternoon tea. Saturday June 5th. Official opening at
10.45am by President Jack Delvin. Venue: The Magic Circle, London NW1 2HD (Map)
Organised by Peter Lane. Tickets are available from The Magic Circle,
The Centre for the Magic Arts, 12 Stephenson Way, London NW1 2HD.
Telephone 020 7387 2222 email
cma@themagiccircle.co.uk. Payment can be made by cheque (payable to
‘The Magic Circle’) or by Visa or MasterCard. 24.4.10
Magic
Night at Madame JoJo’s. Friday, May 7th: "Magic Night gets saucy,
sorcerous and dexterous, with sexy escapology, money appearing from thin
air and the fastest tablecloth disappearing act ever witnessed by the
human eye, huskily interspersed by the ukulele toting Lady Carol.
Michael Vadini will produce water from nowhere and make money appear
whilst Mat Riccardo (photo) will not only remove a tablecloth laden with
china, but put it back again! The awesome Romany puts the Sauce back into
Sorcery with breathlessly sexy magic and a brilliant escape. Escapology
never looked so good! And just when you thought it was safe to take your
coats off, Mighty sorcerer and MC Neil Henry will produce some snow." Tickets £10 (or supper and show ticket
£20.00) from www.ticketweb.co.uk or
www.lastminute.com.
Madame
JoJo’s, 8-10 Brewer Street, London W1F 0SP (Map)
020 7734 3040 www.magicnight.co.uk. 24.4.10
Ali
Cook recently completed a comedy circuit tour in Scotland, and now
has upcoming dates across the UK; see:
www.alicook.com for
details. Ali was featured in Plush magazine a couple of weeks ago
to coincide with his date in his home town of Harrogate. "Cook returns
to Harrogate to perform his original and irreverent routine at Harrogate
Theatre, supporting the Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Orchestra. It's
first public performance in Harrogate, and he is looking forward to
visiting family and old friends. So what can we expect from the
multi-talented entertainer? 'It's alternative magic really, in the way
the 80s had alternative comedy, championed by the likes of Ben Elton and
Bill Hicks. It all started with the TV shows, we just wanted to do magic
that wasn't cheesy. The banter is much more like a stand-up comedian's,
and the humour's quite dark.'" To read the full article visit:
www.plushmagazine.co.uk. 24.4.10
The
London School of Magic is opening in the centre of London. The
school is already up and running in Surrey and Kent but now Jack Delvin,
the principal, is delighted to announce that he has found the perfect
premises in the heart of London, easily reached by all forms of
transport. A very recent visit to the Nottingham Guild of Magicians
brought the comment: "All of your participants were extremely motivated
by your critique of their individual performances as were the assembled
throng. It was an extremely enlightening evening which has certainly
inspired all who attended. This is clearly an extremely up-market
version of Britain’s Got Talent, except those showing their wares were
encouraged, advised and gleaned your exceptional expertise in the craft
of magic and presentational skills. We thank you for a wonderful,
educational, and fun evening." Graham Harper. Jack said: "After over 60
years of performing in the real world, I have knowledge and practical
experience that is of great value to those magicians who are starting
out, and also to those already working professionally who may need help
to improve." For dates, times, further information, or just for a chat,
call Jack Delvin on 01689 826169. 24.4.10
The
Wellingborough Magicians Guild presents... An Evening of Mystery at
the British Rail Social Club, Northamptonshire, on Thursday 29th April
from 7.30pm - 9pm. Several acts will be performing both stage and
close-up magic. Tickets: £3. Venue: British Rail Social Club, Broad
Green, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire.
www.wellingboroughmagicians.com. 24.4.10
ACES
Magic Society Annual Dinner. "ACES Magic Society is offering
tickets to its Annual Dinner this year with guest cabaret Dave Allen
(Magic Dave) Tickets £30 a head or book a table for 8 and pay for 7!
Contact Secretary Nicky Lewis on 01903 532413 for more details."
Saturday, 23rd October at the Halland Forge, Halland, East Sussex.
www.acesmagic.co.uk. 24.4.10
Alex
McAleer's Psychomagic Mind Reading & Psychological Magic.
At the
Bury Fringe
in Bury St. Edmunds, May 6th. Venue: The Attic @ Benson Blakes at 8pm,
tickets £7.50 in advance £8.50 on the door. "Described by the BBC as
'phenomenal' and 'a star in the making', we're very excited to have Alex
bring his superb, and frankly astonishing act back to the Bury Fringe.
His contemporary combination of magic and psychology has to be seen to
be believed - whether he appears to be reading minds, influencing
thoughts or manipulating perceptions, this young man s skills will
entertain and fascinate in equal measure. Blending sharp wit with a
flair for showmanship to create a memorable and highly interactive
performance, we promise you that this is one show you don't want to
miss!"
www.psychomagic.co.uk Doug Segal will also be appearing in the same
venue one week later (still as part of the Bury Fringe) and there will
be a special price to see both shows.
www.dougsegal.com. 24.4.10
Magic
For Performance at The City Literary Institute. "It’s now the 10th
year of Paul Abbey’s popular course 'Magic For Performance' at The City
Literary Institute, Keeley Street, London - the only study course of its
type in the country, using magic principles combining stage craft,
acting skills and basic script writing to build an effective commercial
act to start your new career in the wonderful world of magical
entertainment!" The current course has just started (Sunday’s 2pm-5pm)
and there are still places available. Enrol on line via
www.citylit.ac.uk
or call 0127 8317831. Photo: Paul in receipt of his City & Guilds
Certificates, the first ever awarded for teaching magic as a performance
course in an accredited drama college. Paul has had a variety of
students ranging from captains of industry and TV producers to professional
magicians. Students have the opportunity to learn the skills
necessary and then put them into practice in the fun environment of
working with others in small groups, then performing to each other
making sure they are fully confident before being unleashed on the
general public. 24.4.10
Fantasta
2010: The 90th Anniversary Jubilee Convention of the Magischer Zirkel
Berlin. 9th – 12th September. Visit
www.fantasta2010.de
for details. 24.4.10
The
Ultimate Elastic Rubber Bands! Malcolm Norton emails: "If you caught
the Ed Elliss lecture tour, you will have seen him use some fabulous
rubber bands. Not normal brown colour but bright yellow! Unfortunately I missed it but was asked if I could supply some. Well with
help we tracked some down and I can see why people are raving. They are
as good if not even better than the Crepe gold I already sell. So what
is the big deal you may ask? Well here in the UK we seem to make our
bands out of something different to those made in the USA. The Pale
Crepe Gold are far stretcher than any other band I have found until
now... Now you have a choice Pale Crepe or Bright Yellow! These bands
are fab." More info:
www.topsecretmagic.co.uk ... "We are moving premises at the end of
the month. Watch the webpage for complete details as phone numbers will
change also. Meanwhile I do have a few bargains left on the webpage at
silly prices to stop me having to kart it over. Also lots of stuff here
in the shop itself so come grab a bargain (how about a Gumball machine
for £260!) Yes bargains to be had!" 24.4.10
Cardiff
Magical Society is pleased to announce that Mark James will be
lecturing at the
Cardiff Yacht Club at 8pm on Monday Night, April 26th. (Non-members are
welcome to attend for a £10 admission charge, payable on the
door.) Contact:
www.cardiffmagic.org.uk for more info. 24.4.10
Forth
Valley Magic Circle will once again be hosting their 'Tricks at the
Tryst' show on Saturday, 15th May. Doors open at 6.30pm for a 7pm start
at Falkirk Town Hall. The format of the show will be a mix of cabaret
magic and close-up magic suitable for the whole family, performed by
members of the circle. Tickets are £5 each and can be booked via email
from Peter Kinney
pkinney@tiscali.co.uk. PayPal accepted. Following last year’s sell-out show, they will be holding the show on the main stage in the main
arena of the Town Hall, but to avoid disappointment please contact Peter
in advance if you would like tickets. For more details visit the Forth
Valley website
www.forthvalleymagic.co.uk. 24.4.10
Ron
Escott lectures for The Merlin on Thursday 29th April. He will be
presenting a mixture of magical effects. The Merlin meet at Little Heath
Parish Hall, Thornton Road, Potters Bar, Hertfordshire EN6 1JJ (Map)
and the lecture will run from 8pm to 10pm. Entry is £5.00.
For further information contact John Clayton (Secretary) on 07931
525399. 24.4.10
Merlin Magic Society celebrated its eighty years of existence
with a superb celebration at Whitewebbs in Enfield. The function room
was packed with members, members' families and visitors from other
societies. There was an interesting optical puzzle before the meal that
had been produced by Ali Cadabra. The meal itself was excellent. After
the raffle, that had numerous prizes, the audience were treated to a
first class cabaret. The compère was Ali Cadabra who performed many fun
filled routines in between introducing the artists. First on, and fresh
off a cruise ship, was Barry Jordain. He not only performed colourful
magic but sang beautifully in the style of Sinatra. Next was John
Clayton with amusing patter and very good effects. Finally, and bringing
the show to a close, Michael Wilkie with a fast moving, silent,
production routine that involved umbrellas, cards, silks and the
appearance of a bird cage complete with bird! The evening finished on
time to great applause and at only £12 for a ticket must have been the
magical bargain of the year. Michael Chandler.
www.merlinmagicalsociety.co.uk. 24.4.10
Magician
Matthew Le Mottee has just finished his final week of performances at World Famous
Covent Garden
pulling in crowds of tourists daily. Matthew was
looking forward to flying off
to join the team in Salou, Spain, working at the House of Illusion but due to
flight problems couldn't. If you are planning a holiday
in Salou this Summer make sure you visit the House of Illusion for a
great magic night out, for
all the family. www.houseofillusion.net. 24.4.10
Paul
Gordon Lecture. The Scottish Conjurers' Association are proud to
announce that Paul Gordon will be lecturing for them on their
President's Night, Wednesday, May 12th at 7.30pm. Paul promises to
lecture on card magic that's "clean, direct and entertaining". Venue:
Scottish Mask and Puppet Centre, Balcarres Avenue, Kelvindale, Glasgow
www.scottishconjurersassociation.org.uk. For more information email
secretary@scottishconjurersassociation.org.uk. 24.4.10
Ed
Hilsum wins Bexley Magic Society George Trophy for Stage Magic. On
Wednesday, April 21st, Ed Hilsum won the Bexley Magic Society George
Trophy for Stage Magic for a second time. Pictured here with club
President Roy Marsh (last year's winner, also for a second time) he
performed the act that has seen him achieve great acclaim in other
competitions around the world. A modern take on the
classic dove/manipulation act, Ed beat his fellow contestants, Ron
Wheatley who performed a comedy patter act and previous winner Megan
Knowles-Bacon, this time performing with her father Steve in a Star Wars
based tableau act. The judges were the non magicians, sitting in the
audience, and it was their decision alone as to who won. Dave Andrews
acted as compère with the aid his various assistants and his
ventriloquial talent. Behind the scenes club chairman Kevin Doig and
Bernard Pinnock provided stage management services and Barry Miller
acted as the time keeper. (Each act had to be not less than 5 minutes
and not more than 10 minutes in length to avoid disqualification).
Everyone agreed that it was a great evening. Congratulations Ed. Roy
Marsh. (Ed has just been awarded the Irving Schneider Sponsorship Award,
run by The Magic Circle, to attend the Magic and Mystery School in Las
Vegas as well).
24.4.10
Irish
illusionist Paul Ormonde and Sara provided entertainment at the BBC
studios in Ireland on Thursday 15th April and Saturday 17th April as a
prelude to the recording of a four part comedy series "Our
William" starring William Caulfield. They performed their unique psychic
routine using a 'flying' leprechaun which was well received by the
audience of 400 on both occasions. 24.4.10
Final 'Stranded' update. Many thanks to everyone who submitted news recently, and emails wishing me luck! (See previous update, Click Here). I wasn't able to reply as I normally do, but thank you. Some items became out of date unfortunately, and some magic reviews that came in will appear next week, but essentially MagicWeek is now back to normal (if you submitted a news item and can't see it in the three weeks of news above and below please re-submit it). I decided to sort out the temporary news page that I'd cobbled together in Tokyo into regular weekly news pages; so you will now see news for April 24th above, and April 17th and 10th below.
I finally made it home. Following our turned-back flight on Thursday April 15th (5 hours out and 5 back) I managed to get a flight from Japan to Milan this flight on Monday 19th (which actually ended up in Rome) with Alitalia by booking the ticket online via the airport's wi-fi, using the little notebook lap top that I'd bought in Akihabara a couple of days earlier as I stood in a long line of people at the Alitalia counter (maybe 200 going for about 10 seats). That little lap top saved me. They were only offering their 'Magnifica class' seats, which were indeed 'magnifica' (as was the price!). I was staying in a nearby hotel and zipped into the airport every morning trying to get a flight. My wife Keiko, and our children Louis and Amelia are still in Japan (staying with her parents) and have a confirmed flight, fingers crossed, for May 1st - we knew that it would be near impossible for all four of us to fly out together in the early days. Flights from Tokyo to Europe were virtually non existent. The worry that planes would be diverted to obscure airports resulted in some airlines simply cancelling I think, or there were simply no landing destinations available anyway. From Rome I flew up to Milan the next morning (London and Paris were still closed), and then took five trains up through Switzerland (over night in Basel) before crossing into France the next day. Then on to Calais via smaller local trains as Eurostar was booked four days ahead, and finally I took a freight ferry that was taking walk-on passengers, over to Dover, followed by trains into London, Sunningdale Station, and then a taxi home. I'd hooked up with three other 'strandees' for the final leg of the journey in Europe; Kevin, Han and Alice, "my new best friends" and that really helped. Duncan Trillo. 24.4.10
"Magician Barry Stephenson becomes UK's oldest dad at 76" Click Here • "Woman drops sexual assault suit against David Copperfield" Click Here • "Lu Chen has turned himself into a star magician with his sleight of hand." Click Here • I'm not going anywhere - see you next week! Duncan. 24.4.10