Number 752 - 22nd November 2014

 

Gotcha! The (levitating) tables were turned on David Berglas last weekend during The David Berglas International Magic Award 2014 presentation at the International Magic Convention in London, in an elaborate setup that involved theatre riggers, video operators, cup engravers!, convention organisers, and the man that David thought the award was actually going to, Dynamo.

 

All had conspired behind the scenes to present this year's International Magic Award to David Berglas himself, in recognition of a lifetime's contribution to Magic. Dynamo had great fun in 'receiving' the award one moment and then presenting it to David seconds later, complete with a change of name on the engraved name plaque, and can now add 'The man that fooled David Berglas' to his CV. David was clearly overwhelmed by the surprise of it all, as was the audience who responded with a standing ovation. Andy Nyman then talked to David, looking back at some of his career highlights, before taking questions from the packed theatre audience. It was a great tribute. Photo: James Freedman, Dynamo, David Berglas, Andy Nyman and Noel Britten. Click Here to enlarge.

 

The London Festival of Magic 2014, which runs in the week leading up to the main convention, is reviewed by Roberto Forzoni Click Here, and don't forget to make a note in your diaries for next year's International Magic Convention, which will run from Friday 20th November to Sunday 22nd, preceded by the London Festival of Magic. DT. 22.11.14

 

Thursday 27th November, Torn Apart: Beyond Magic with DMC. Two years ago DMC attempted an escape stunt in Scotland that nearly killed him... Click Here. This Thursday (27th November) he'll be attempting it again, in the largest episode in the current series of Beyond Magic with DMC, but this time he's decided to crank things up a little, making it even more dangerous. Don't miss it! Here's a link the latest teaser for the series: YouTube. Thursday 27th November at 8pm, also see TV Magic. "Magician DMC: Sky News interview" Click Here. 22.11.14

 

Conjuring up a Magic Dozen. Organisers of one of the UK’s leading magic conventions have conjured up a ‘magician’s dozen’ to celebrate its twelfth year. The South Tyneside International Magic Festival Convention, renowned as one of the friendliest of its kind, will return for three days of lectures, dealers, close-up sessions and gala shows from Friday March 13th 2015. This year’s line-up will feature 13 performers from around the world, including multi award-winners Michael Finney and mentalist Satori. They’ll be joined by mind readers Atlas and Looch and Luke Jermay, card experts John Carey and Gordon Bruce, family magicians Russ Brown and Dave Andrews, theatrical performer Kieron Lefever and illusionists The Great Nardini, High Jinx and Diamond and Jade. Former Magic Circle Stage Magician of the Year, John Archer (photo), will also make an appearance and is working alongside organisers, South Tyneside Council, to help make this year’s event the best yet. He said: “I’ve been involved with the South Tyneside International Magic Festival Convention for many years now and I’m delighted to be taking an even greater role in 2015. This year’s line-up features an eclectic mix of performers from around the world and I’m looking forward to welcoming back many regular attendees, as well as some new faces.” Tickets for the convention, which runs from Friday March 13th to Sunday March 15th, are available now priced at £65 per person. For more information, or to book, call 0191 4247986 or email events@southtyneside.gov.uk. 22.11.14

 

Tom Mullica presents Viktor Renner with the first prize trophy and £1,000 cash, for winning the 31st International Close-up Competition at the International Magic Convention last weekend. Congratulations Viktor! 22.11.14

 

Vladimir Dimitri Kockov is a heavy-accented, tight leather-trousered, mullet-hairdoed master magician. With a highly polished mental-magic cabaret show, Kockov progressively reveals more and more of people’s inner thoughts. From card predictions and psychological influencing, to mind-reading, Kockov always adds his own comic spin. Kockov keeps them laughing right up to the last insane stunt – real live Russian Roulette! 7.30pm - 10pm Friday November 28th. Smoke & Mirrors, 8 Denmark Street, Bristol BS1 5DQ (Map). Tickets: www.brownpapertickets.com www.smokeandmirrorsbar.co.uk. 22.11.14

 

Christmas Magic at the Barn - Rochford, Saturday 6th, and Sunday 7th December. A unique evening of magic to start the festive season offering close-up wizardry presented at tables followed by a stage show featuring magic, mystery and comedy. The main show features the dove magic of Brian and Audrey Miller, the multi-award winning Oliver Tabor, international gentleman juggler Mat Ricardo on Saturday and the deadly and hilarious Card Ninja on Sunday, all skillfully held together with magic and comedy by compere by Adrian Fox, plus a whole host of close-up magicians throughout the evening within the warm, intimate and enchanting atmosphere of a 17th century barn theatre. The ticket price includes a free glass of mulled wine for adults and soft drink for children, plus a mince pie. Drinks are served on admission and other refreshments are available to purchase including wine and beer. Showtimes Sunday 6th at 7pm, Sunday 7th at 6pm. Magic at the Barn, Sutton Hall, Shopland Road, Rochford, Essex SS4 1LH (Map). Tickets only £12.50. Book tickets online: www.eventbrite.co.uk. Ticket line 01702 543242. 22.11.14

 

Wayne Dobson: The Definitive Collection Lecture - Burton upon Trent, this Thursday. Eddie Young writes: Wayne Dobson has kindly agreed to give a special lecture in Burton on Trent for a charity night, together with Mike Sullivan. Wayne has recently completed one-off lectures with standing ovations. Please note Wayne is not visiting any other societies in the Midlands region. Thursday 27th November. Doors open at 7pm and the lecture runs from 7.30pm - 10.30pm. Refreshments available. Venue: National Brewery Centre, Horninglow Street, Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire DE14 1NG (Map). Tickets will be £15 on the door or order online at just £10 (offer ends Tuesday evening) see www.phatmagic.net. All profits will be going to further research into Multiple Sclerosis. 22.11.14

 

Magicians at the Half Moon - Bishop's Stortford. Andy Clockwise writes: Friday 28th November will be the last outing for the 'Magicians at the Half Moon' this year (they'll be back February 27th 2015) and they're seeing out the year with a bang! This month sees Half Moon debuts for Lee Bell and Darryl Rose, who promise to amaze and astound with their award winning magic, with the evening compered by the ever present Martin Cox. Doors open at 7.30pm at the Half Moon, 31 North Street, Bishop's Stortford, Herts. CM23 2LD (Map). Entry is £10 and if you'd like to secure a seat, please call Martin on 01279 659562. For more information, please visit www.halfmoonmagic.co.uk. 22.11.14

 

Alan Shaxon - The Sophisticated Sorcerer The Life and Magic of an International Magician. Alan Shaxon, with Scott Penrose and Stephen Short is reviewed by MagicWeek this week, Click Here. 22.11.14

 

Chris Rawlins Recalled - University of Huddersfield. Chris Rawlins demonstrates his super-human memory live on stage. This act is like nothing you have ever seen before. Chris demonstrates razor sharp accuracy and concentration, showcasing the true power of the human brain. Chris will not only demonstrate the true power of his well sculpted memory and its super-human capacity, he will also make you laugh and gasp. He will even teach you a unique skill that will never be forgotten. An experience not to be missed! Tuesday 16th December at 7.30pm at Milton Theatre, Studio 1, The University of Huddersfield, Queensgate, Huddersfield HD1 3DH (Map). All tickets £5.00. For further details and to book email the Box Office: miltonboxoffice@hud.ac.uk. 22.11.14

 

Wayne Dobson - The Definitive Collection. From the publishers: The latest batch of Wayne's fabulous book has now arrived from the binders and so Magicseen Publications can supply you directly from stock. This has to be the publishing event of 2014, as the book is hugely imposing both in physical size, with its hard backed covers containing over 400 large size pages, and in terms of its contents, with a fascinating blend of anecdotes and info on Wayne's life, advice on all manner of magical topics, contributions from famous friends from around the world, and of course over 80 of Wayne's trademark magic routines. Each copy is numbered and once the limited edition run is sold out, there will be no more. So now is the time to get yourself a small slice of magical history (Christmas is coming up so it would make a great present if you drop hints in the right places!) and don't forget that customers who already subscribe to Magicseen directly with us in the UK receive a 20% price reduction, making this landmark book an even more attractive buy. For more info and to order go to www.magicseen.co.uk. 22.11.14

 

Magic Tao Shop Now Open On Saturdays! "Christmas has come early! From this Saturday 22nd November Magic Tao will be open for business on Saturdays between 10am and 2pm. Come visit us, browse, have a coffee and a chat, about all things magic. Many of you know that Magic Tao has a bricks and mortar shop; some of you may already have paid us a visit. It's only now that we've decided to open on Saturdays - the graffiti wall itself is worth a look, not to mention our stock of magic; we have Tao brands and a range of effects for all abilities and interests. See you soon." Magic Tao, Unit B2 Castle Vale Enterprise Park, Park Lane, Birmingham B35 6LJ (Map). See: www.magictao.co.uk. 22.11.14

 

Two Magic Night Christmas Specials at Madame JoJo's - London. Friday, December 5th: "Magic Night mind benders. Pete Antoniou will reach into your head (in the funniest way possible) and tell you exactly what you think of him, whilst Lee Hathaway burns money, breaks eggs and finds objects in the most unusual places. AJ James will be endangering his life, his limbs and the front row with sharp objects whilst balancing on a skateboard and Michael Vadini will perform some jaw dropping magic – your perception of reality will never be the same again. Expertly compered by Neil Henry, the mighty sorcerer."

Friday, December 19th: "We’ll be taking you to the realms of fantasy in this show with BBC 3 Killer Magic star Ben Hart and his tricky yet compulsive stories as he weaves clever illusions with narrative. Pete Antoniou will reach into your head (in the funniest way possible) and tell you exactly what you think of him. Card Ninja will make an ordinary deck of cards slice and fly through the air in Ninja like feats that would make a crouching tiger and hidden dragon stand and applaud and the lanky, tall wizard, Pete Heat is with us playing with bread, reading your minds, invading you dreams and restoring objects to their original state in impossible tricks that will make you gasp (we kid you not). All expertly compered by Christian Lee." Magic Night at Madame JoJo's. Doors open 6.00pm. Show starts at 7.45pm. Reserved seating £14 including entry to Good Foot. Show ticket plus seated dinner and club: £46. Madame JoJo's, 8-10 Brewer Street, London W1F 0SE (Map). Tickets and more info: www.magicnight.co.uk.
22.11.14

 

This year, Magic Moments 14 raised £2,356.87 for www.centrealgarve.org, a specialist holiday centre and the first of its kind in Europe catering for those with special needs. Some of the UK’s best magic acts came together to raise smiles and money over two sell-out shows; Richard Leigh presented a full stage theatrical family Halloween show with the 'Headless Lady', 'Ghost Mirror' and other brilliant pieces. Assisted by Mike Sullivan and Michelle Roberts, kids came in fancy dress and prizes were given to the best dressed. The evening MM14 show, hosted by Jay Fortune and featuring Oliver Tabor, Richard Leigh, The Casablancas, Vox Magique and Chris Cox showed the public’s support for variety shows. Two amazing magic performances in one day. Magic Moments is now in its 7th year and you can take part in 2015. Keep an eye on MagicWeek for future details. 22.11.14

 

The Magic Show Story. Following on from last year’s Come On Down: The Game Show Story, The Magic Show Story, presented by Stephen Mulhern, will air on ITV in 2015. This special will tell the tale of how British TV fell in love with magic and how it played host to international stars like David Copperfield. Stephen Mulhern will embark on a journey through 60 years of magic, recreating some of the tricks that left audiences spellbound along the way. Produced by Stuart Ramsay, with Andrew Nicholson acting as executive producer for production company Shiver. 22.11.14

 

Chris Cross launched ''The Quayside Cabaret Club'' on Thursday evening by Newcastle's Quayside to rave reviews! The Show was completely sold out and featured Simon Donald (stand-up comedian and cofounder of VIZ), Carl Cape (One Man Music Marvel), Natt Lunatrick (Knife Juggling on a Unicycle and Hat Manipulation), Graham Hey (Magicseen Magazine's very own Comedy Mind-reader!) and Chris Cross, who compered the evening with his acts of Escapology, Magic and Stunts! The next show will be on 23rd December featuring Harrison Richards, Mr. Cross and acts from The Moscow State Circus and Gerry Cottle's Circus! Venue: The Montana Lounge (Above Prima Ristorante) Quayside. Tickets: £25, available now from: info@chris-cross.co.uk. "Quayside Cabaret Club - First Night Review" Click Here. 22.11.14

 

‘Piddington’s Secrets’ to be published next month. From the publishers: We know how they did it! A London bus driver reveals the biggest secret in magic history. Sydney and Lesley Piddington were an Australian husband and wife mentalism team who performed as The Piddingtons and gave one of the most famous stage and radio telepathy acts of modern times. Sydney Piddington could transmit his thoughts to his wife without talking, even if she was miles away. Today, baffled magicians are still unable to work out how they did it. A ‘throw-away’ comment by retired London bus driver Brian Hart to his son Martin, a journalist, led to the discovery that his granddad worked on the BBC broadcasts where the Piddingtons demonstrated ESP to over 20 million listeners every week. At the time Martin’s Granddad had made notes in an RAF notebook revealing their methods. The notes were pertinent to his job on the shows.

“I was interviewing magician Paul Daniels for my radio show when my dad mentioned that his own father worked with a famous magician once. So I investigated further and discovered it was Telepath Sydney Piddington. I searched through Granddad’s affects and discovered the notebook. I had no idea that the methods were still unknown,” said Martin Hart.

The Piddingtons act was the most unfathomable ESP demonstration the world had ever witnessed and many scientists were convinced their powers were real. They performed in theatres across Britain which included the London Palladium. Sydney Piddington invented his secret methods during his 3 year imprisonment in the Changi POW camp in Singapore during WW2. He later married Lesley Pope and they formed the act in Australia before bringing it to England. To this day their methods have remained unfathomed, although many theories have emerged.


Actual BBC recordings and film footage from British Pathe, supports the methods in the notebook and clearly shows they are genuine. Martin says once you understand the methods you can spot all their mistakes. Piddington’s surviving family gave Martin Hart permission to publish the secrets as a book and his investigation uncovered an incredibly revealing story behind their cunningly skillful journey to fame.

The book ‘Piddington’s Secrets’ will be available from December 2014 through magic shops and online. You can also reserve a copy via the www.thepiddingtons.com website where you can hear the Piddington broadcasts and add your own theories to the collection.

 

"The Piddingtons Telepathy Act Revealed" Click Here. 22.11.14

 

The Order of The Magi Christmas Party. Geoffrey Newton PRO writes: Ho! Ho! Ho! It’s time for The Order of The Magi Christmas party on Tuesday 9th December 2014. There will be games, competitions, spot prizes, a hot pot type supper and if that isn’t enough a three part cabaret starring top comedian Bill Wooland, well known local guitar vocalist Lesley Davies and the hilarious magic of one of the north west’s busiest comedy magicians Peter Dean (photo). All this for only £5, yes just £5! Advance booking only as catering numbers need to be in by 2nd December. Details on www.orderofthemagi.org.uk or contact pro@orderofthemagi.org.uk tel: 0161 969 8222. 22.11.14

 

Dr Nicolas Grimoire lectures for the Derby Magic Circle on Wednesday, 26th November, at Breadsall Village Hall, Derby. Paul Sharp, President, Derby Magic Circle writes: Doors open at 7.30pm, ready to start at 8pm. Dr Nicolas Grimoire entertains audiences with stories of witchcraft, murder, crime and punishment, illustrated with mind-reading effects. Among the venues that have taken his one-man show are Carmarthen's Castle House, Arundel Jailhouse, Nottingham's Galleries of Justice Museum, Bolsover Castle, Gainsborough Old Hall, Leicester Guildhall and Nottingham Castle, as well as pubs, private homes and a host of museums large and small. In his lecture he demonstrates some of his core routines and outlines how these are constructed, often from very simple tricks which he developed to fit his stories. "I experienced the show a few weeks ago at the Leicester Guildhall and was amazed at the reactions from the audience. As Magicians, we can use patter to entertain the audience. Nick has developed a special skill set that blends Magic and Mentalism with the age old art of story-telling that truly engages the audience and elevates the performance to a higher level". Paul Sharp. A rare and unique lecture, not to be missed! Visiting Magicians are very welcome at Derby. There is a small fee payable on the night. Please contact our secretary Allan Humphries on 01889 590 975 prior to attending. 22.11.14

 

Tony Griffith celebrates 25 years as a professional magician, Click Here. 22.11.14

 

Ian Adair's latest book released. From the publishers: "'You don't have to be crazy to be a magic dealer - but it helps!!!' is the title of Ian Adair's latest and final book in the series of books relating to his times at the famous 'Supreme Magic Company'. Entertainingly written, Ian remembers a wealth of amusing incidents, all of which happened over his 36 years with the firm: disasters, failures, catastrophes, misjudgements, misfortunes, blunders, bloopers and quirky situations which he reminisces about with readers. The author reveals those 'behind the scenes' incidents, that although being disastrous at the time, now appear to be ridiculously funny. The contents covers incidents which happened at the depot, in transit, and at conventions, and features some of those unreasonable customers. Nicely produced in similar format to his previous books, it is illustrated, with a laminated full coloured cover. 'I thought the book was most entertaining. This sort of book appeals to me more than those with all the 'new and latest tricks'. It is now sitting on my top shelf along with all your other books' Adrian Harris - well-known magic dealer. The author points out that he must be crazy to even think about writing a book like this. Crazier still is the fact that the book is actually printed and published at a price under a 'tenner'. Contact Ian at magicianadair@hotmail.co.uk." 22.11.14

 

Bobby Bernard 1931-2014. Bobby Bernard is remembered by Dave Brown, Click Here. 22.11.14

 

Wedding Bookings Workshop. From the organisers: "Are you looking for more wedding bookings for 2015? Sean Goodman is running an exciting workshop on 10 January 2015 aimed at generating new business in the recession proof and highly lucrative wedding market. Having provided close up magic at some 50 weddings in 2014, if you are looking for practical and proven sales techniques and marketing strategies then this workshop is for you. For more information, go to www.simplymagic.co.uk/weddingworkshop.pdf." 22.11.14

 

"First Magic Tricks Created by Computer Fool Audiences and Outwit Magicians" Click Here • "Watch out Dynamo! Computer uses artificial intelligence to create magic tricks" Click Here • "What a Magician Carries in His Travel Bag" Click Here • "'You too can be fooled': An Honest Liar looks at magician's crusade against deception" Click Here • "Pick a card, any card: Inside Perth's society of magicians" Click Here • "Dynamo: The day my tricks made Robbie Williams scream" Click Here • "Paul Daniels and Debbie McGee to host Thames Hospice Christmas concert" Click Here • "Dynamo: 20 Mind-Blowing Tricks You Need To See" Click Here • "Technology Is An Engineered Illusion, MIT's Digital Magician Marco Tempest Says" Click Here • Thank you for all your UK magic news as ever. Please remember the strict Friday 12 noon deadline for all submissions. And finally, I don't really do Facebook (or Twitter), but if I did I expect I'd post stuff like this, spotted by my daughter: "26 Pictures That Will Make You Re-Evaluate Your Entire Existence" Click Here, just to keep things in perspective! See you next week, Duncan. 22.11.14

 

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