Number 764 - 14th February 2015

 

Magic & Mirth - London's newest monthly stand-up comedy and magic night! 7.30pm on March 5th at The Roxy Bar, 128-132 Borough High Street, London SE1 1LB (Map). Starring Oliver Tabor, Siegffried Loew, Griffin & Jones and Matthew Baylis. Hosted by cabaret magician Dee Riley. The first of these monthly shows takes a "Pay what you feel" format, for the night. Enquires: www.deeriley.co.uk. 14.2.15

 

The Northern Magic Circle Convention 2015. Robert Temple writes: Two more names have been announced for the Northern Magic Circle Convention 2015! Wayne Goodman (photo) is a versatile performer, known for his fearless approach he is often found surrounded by a group of people, all engaged in what he is doing, laughing at what he is saying and in awe of the mastery of his craft. Wayne has been a professional performer for over 25 years, during which time he has worked across Europe, Scandinavia, Mexico and the USA. Mark James has worked professionally for over a decade, on land and at sea in over 40 countries worldwide, combining original comedy and magic with juggling, escapology and music to create a show like no other. The Northern Magic Circle Convention is on 11-12th April 2015 at Harrogate Theatre, Oxford Street, Harrogate, North Yorkshire HG1 1QF (Map). Tickets available from www.northernmagiccircle.org.uk or email sujayne@live.co.uk. 14.2.15

 

Mark James Lecture, Harrogate Society of Magicians. James Ward, Secretary, Harrogate Society of Magicians writes: Comedy magician Mark James ('one of the funniest people I've ever met' - Wayne Dobson) will be performing his highly acclaimed lecture at Harrogate Society of Magicians on Tuesday, 17th February. Mark has been working professionally for over a decade, on land and at sea in over 40 countries worldwide. His past and present clients include: Fred Olsen Cruise Line, Manchester United FC, Haven Holidays and Butlin's. As well as new material – and some of his most popular audience-tested effects – the evening will include items from Mark’s last three lecture tours, followed by a live performance from his current working cabaret act. To close, there’ll be a Q&A session – a chance to learn so much more than tricks from a seasoned, experienced and hugely entertaining performer. And as if that’s not enough to whet your appetite, Mark will be accompanied by Darren Robinson of Warped Magic – and his full Warped Magic shop stand. The lecture will take place at The Conservative Club, 61B East Parade, Harrogate HG1 5LQ (Map). It starts promptly at 8pm, Tuesday, 17th February. Entry for non-members is only £5. For more information on Mark, visit his website: www.markjamesmagician.com. 14.2.15

 

Steve Short Anglian Magic Society lecture. Steve Majes, Secretary, The Anglian Magic Society writes: The Anglian Magic Society will have a lecture next week that we are excited about and eager to promote. At 7.30pm on Tuesday 17th February Steve Short presents his lecture The Sophisticated Sorcerer The Life and Magic of Alan Shaxon. Members £2.00 Visitors £10.00 at The White Horse Inn, The Street, Trowse, Norwich NR14 8ST (Map). The Anglian Magic Society can no longer be contacted via anglianmagicsociety.co.uk, instead we have our current information and upcoming events on our facebook page www.facebook.com/TheAnglianMagicSociety. 14.2.15

 

The Magicians' Podcast this week features Danny Buckler. Listen to this Podcast and catch up with previous ones at magicianspodcast.podbean.com. Also see www.facebook.com/MagiciansPodcast and iTunes, Click Here. Danny Buckler's Magic Salon can be seen live on stage this Thursday at 8pm at The Firestation, Windsor. www.firestationartscentre.com. 14.2.15

 

The Gathering. A Social Evening For Magicians, Great Yarmouth. The Gathering will be held on the 3rd of March at the St. George Hotel, Albert Square, Great Yarmouth NR30 3JH (Map). By Invitation Only. To attend and receive an invitation and free entry contact us by phone or email: 07510 933734 thegathering@mail.com www.facebook.com/groups/tgthegathering. "This will be our 3rd gathering. The aim of the social evenings, is to allow magicians to meet and socialise and exchange ideas and views in a relaxed atmosphere. We have guest appearances with David Penn and Michael Vincent coming up during the year." Stephen Bolam and Kyle. 14.2.15

 

Make sure you visit the Warped Magic stand during the Blackpool Magic Convention weekend for some great deals, including the New Improved version of iTD by Sam Fitton, at a very special convention price! Click Here. www.warpedmagic.co.uk. 14.2.15

 

Introducing AJT Playing Cards: At AJT Playing Cards we pride ourselves on the quality of our service and the products we supply. We aim to dispatch orders within 24 hours and will ensure all products supplied are of the highest quality. AJT Playing Cards are proud to provide playing cards to magicians, collectors, poker players and cardists throughout Europe, with our customer base ever growing. Having been in magic for almost 30 years we are aware of how important it is to have quality cards at a reasonable cost, which is something we aim to continue providing. You can contact AJT Playing Cards with all your card enquiries and if we do not have the cards in stock we will do our utmost to obtain any cards you require; email info@ajtplayingcards.co.uk. We are offering all MagicWeek readers a 10% discount on all orders up to and including Friday 20th February, with the discount code AJT10 www.ajtplayingcards.co.uk. 14.2.15

 

Dr Nicolas Grimoire lectures for the Nottingham Guild of Magicians on Thursday, 19th February. Dr Grimoire, aka Guild Life Member Nick Brunger, blends stories of witchcraft, murder, crime and punishment, with mentalism. Now living in South West Wales he has performed his one-man show Strange Tales from the Darker Side in a host of old castles, courtrooms and prisons, stately homes and museums all over the UK. He also uses these effects in his award-winning Creepy Carmarthen Tour and will be bringing them to Ghosts In the Garden at the National Botanic Garden of Wales at the end of the month. In his lecture he demonstrates some of his core routines and outlines how these are constructed to fit his stories. Visiting magicians welcome . The lecture begins at 7.30pm prompt at the Pond Hills Lane Community Centre, Pond Hills Lane, Arnold, Nottingham NG5 8DR (Map). 14.2.15

 

Aerial Fishing Launch. Scott Penrose and Steve Short, publishers of the recent book ‘Alan Shaxon - The Sophisticated Sorcerer’ will be showing their new product, taken from the book, and Alan’s feature item ‘Aerial Fishing’ at the Blackpool Convention. Scott has been working on this effect for many months to make sure every detail is correct and to ensure that a magician will be proud to own and perform this effect. This will be a very limited edition. Scott and Steve also have a limited supply, courtesy of Paul Stone, of Alan’s ‘Confabulation’ complete with DVD of Alan performing and explaining this masterpiece of mindreading. Scott has also made a few of Al Koran’s ‘Headline Prediction’ which is another rare feature mentalist item. www.alanshaxonbook.com. 14.2.15

 

New for Blackpool from Mark Leveridge Magic. Mark Leveridge writes: If you're going to the world's biggest magic event in Blackpool this coming week then make a beeline for the Mark Leveridge Magic stand where I will have several new things to show you... for instance, there are two Audio Books (a great way to absorb helpful information while driving, running or washing up!), a highly visual quick coin effect that will make you rub your eyes in disbelief, a really puzzling yet very easy to do card routine, plus the start of a new selection called Classic Leveridge, in which I will be re-releasing updated versions of some of the best MLM products which have been unavailable for some time. Can't wait to show all this to you as well as attempt to entice you with many of the other outstandingly practical and commercial magic that I will have with me at the convention. You'll find me in my usual position in the corner of the Empress Ballroom. All the new products will be added to my website on the 1st March. www.markleveridgemagic.co.uk. 14.2.15

 

Shropshire Magical Society Annual Dinner Cabaret. Shropshire Magic Society are holding their Annual Dinner Cabaret on Saturday, 14th March, at the Lord Hill Hotel, Shrewsbury. With three artistes, a live band, and three-course meal. Tickets £31.50 from Paul Ray, tel: 01743 231735 or 07761 542 401. www.shropshiremagicalsociety.co.uk. 14.2.15

 

Newcastle Magic Circle Events: The Newcastle Magic Circle proudly presents the following lecturers, lecturing for our club this year on the following dates:
Monday 9th March: Cody Fisher Lecture
Monday 30th March: Alan Shaxon Lecture
Wednesday 29th April: Doc Eason
Wednesday 6th May: Peter Eggink Lecture
Tuesday 26th May: Ken Nedy Lecture
Monday 29th June: Scott Creasey Lecture
Monday 26th October: Ryan Schultz Lecture
Programme: 7pm Doors Open; 7.15pm Magic Sale; 7.45pm Words from the President; 8pm Lecture; 9pm Short Interval; 9.15pm Lecture part two; 10pm Close. Venue: Our HQ Neville Hall, Westgate Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 1SY (Map). If unsure, please email for directions & parking.
website: www.newcastle-magic-circle.org has all up-to-date information
NMC Members - Free
NMC Members Partner - £5.00
Members of other Magic Clubs - £10.00
All other visitors - £15.00
Payment by cash on the evening
For more information email Tony Junior, Secretary nmcsecretary@outlook.com.
14.2.15

 

Magicseen Issue 61 - ready for Blackpool. We always pull out all the stops to get our March issue ready in time for the big Blackpool Convention and this year not only will we have the latest larger-than-normal issue available on our stand, but it is a special 10 Year Anniversary Issue to boot! We are celebrating the completion of our first 10 years as a magazine and as well as producing a bumper issue for you to enjoy, we have also put together a special PDF entitled Do You remember This?, in which we give you a rundown of the highlights we have produced in every single one of the 60 issues we have published in our first decade. It makes for fascinating reading, and it is yours for free to download now from Magicseen. Also at Blackpool we will be officially releasing John Carey's hard backed book, Crafted With Carey, plus there will be loads of other great deals of interest to anyone who loves their magic. We can't wait to meet you, so be sure to come to the Magicseen stand at Blackpool. www.magicseen.co.uk. 14.2.15

 

Alan Shaxon, The Sophisticated Sorcerer. Merlins of Wakefield write: Merlins of Wakefield hosted the lecture ‘Alan Shaxon, The Sophisticated Sorcerer’ presented by Steve Short last week. Steve co-wrote a book on the life of Alan Shaxon with Scott Penrose. The first half was full of entertaining anecdotes and clips of Alan and his magical life from humble beginnings to becoming the President of The Magic Circle. After the break, Steve demonstrated several of Alan’s signature effects including ‘Lesson in Magic’ and ‘Confabulation’. The whole evening was enjoyed by a full house, with many commenting what a fun and interesting evening it had been. Steve had several items for sale afterwards, and we would recommend this lecture to any magical society. www.alanshaxonbook.com www.merlinswakefield.com. 14.2.15

 

Young Magicians Wanted. From the organisers: The Thwaites Empire Theatre will be home to Variety Live on 12th March 2015. Featuring Mark James, Michael Jordan, Michael Diamond and Andrew Green. The great news is that you can now be part of that line-up. If you're aged between 11 and 19 years old and have an act lasting between 3 and 8 minutes, log on to www.varietylive.co.uk and click 'Apply To Perform'. This is not just for magicians, any and all acts are welcome. Once you've filled in this form you'll be emailed with the details. You must be available to attend Thwaites Empire Theatre this coming Wednesday, 18th February, for the audition. The winning act gets a spot in the show, a one-off poster featuring them along with the other acts and a professionally shot multi-camera video of their performance. Check out the website for details of this and the rest of the show! 14.2.15

 

The Spellbound Show - Netherton Arts Centre, Dudley: "Tracie Hughes AIMC and top vocalist Jennifer Bentley have enjoyed great success touring 'Spellbound' at seaside resorts both in the UK and abroad for the last five years. Once again they are in great demand for 2015 so before this year's tour gets properly underway they have organised a special performance close to their hometown for all their friends and family who have been unable to catch it so far or have asked to see it again. They are also delighted that their great friend and Magical Mentor John Milner MIMC will also be appearing on the show. If you would like to join them, together with the Mayor of Dudley, in a thoroughly entertaining evening of Magic, Comedy, Illusion & Song the show will take place at 7.30pm on Friday 20th March at the Netherton Arts Centre, Northfield Road, Netherton, Dudley DY2 9ER (Map). Tickets are priced at £10 for adults and £5 for OAP’s and children (under 16). Call the Box Office on 0870 320 7000. All proceeds will be donated to Acorns Children's Hospice. For more information email tracie@traciehughes.co.uk or look up Spellboundshow on Facebook and Twitter." 14.2.15

 

Heats for The Magic Circle's Young Magician of the Year competition 2015 will take place tomorrow, Sunday, 15th February, at their headquarters in Stephenson Way, Euston, London. Eleven young magicians from around the country are competing for a place in the final which will be held on March 29th and for which tickets go on sale shortly. Sunday's heats will start at 1pm and are open to Magic Circle Members and Apprentices, and members of The Young Magicians Club only. Entry is free on production of a current membership card. Alan Maskell. www.themagiccircle.co.uk. 14.2.15

 

Cerberus Wallet is No. 1! MagicWorld write: The wonderful Cerberus Wallet by Daniel Meadows is now officially Penguin Magic’s No.1 seller for over $50. We cannot believe the success of this wallet but it is not without a lot of hard work and research. Why not treat yourself to this wallet direct from the producers at: www.magicworld.co.uk with free shipping for the next 3 days and at just £89.00. Also, come to our stand at Blackpool to check out Equilibrium and Counterfeit. See you there! 14.2.15

 

Merlins of Wakefield have released their latest February/March ‘Preview’, and it's free! With over 70 great magic effects there’s bound to be something of interest for everyone. To get your copy just email merlins@btconnect.com your postal address, and they will post one out to you. Alternatively, ask for a PDF copy by return. Merlins will be attending The Blackpool Magic Convention next weekend (Friday to Sunday), where they will have some new and exclusive effects available including Alchemy by Roni Shachnaey. 14.2.15

 

Pat Fallon: 'All you need to know about making a living from Performing Magic'. Pat Fallon's new lecture is now taking bookings. Full details of this lecture, and the other magic lectures that Pat offers, can be found on the MagicWeek lecturers page. "My second highlight of the Bristol Day of Magic was the lecture presented by Pat Fallon. He said he would teach us several simple practical routines that we could use in the real world. True to his word, Pat proceeded to deliver what I have to say was one of the most pleasant, intelligent and useful lectures I have ever seen." Ian Rowland - The Magic Circular. 14.2.15

 

The Funtastic Magic Show. Starring Simon Sparkles and The Magnificent Johno. A fun-packed family show featuring Comedy, Audience Participation, Silly Games, a Naughty Puppet and of course loads of Amazing Funny Magic. "Will Simon and Johno's amazing magic work? Will their Naughty Puppet behave himself? Will the Marvellous Magical Wishing Box make a special surprise for the entire audience?" Come and find out and join in with the fun. 2pm on Thursday 19th February at The Metropole Theatre, Mitre Street, Abertillery, Blaenau, Gwent NP13 1AL (Map). Tel: 01495 355945. 14.2.15

 

Toast of London. Toast of London, Series 1-2 is out now on DVD, with series 3 in the pipeline. Not magic, but full of 'showbiz' and, for me, moments of real comic genius. It's up there with early Alan Partridge. "Yes, I can hear you Clem Fandango." Available from Amazon.co.uk Click Here. DT. 14.2.15

 

René Lavand. "Master of magic emotions, René Lavand dies at 86." Click Here. 14.2.15

 

"Montreal’s unique Houdini acquisition contains moments of magic" Click Here • "Fashion and magic" Click Here • "Watch: behind Fiat's 'never done before' campaign with Dynamo" Click Here • "The Morecambe and Wise of illusions bring magical super-team to Swansea" Click Here • "Magicians Kyle Knight and Mistie Win $10,000 on Syfy’s 'Wizard Wars'" Click Here • "Comedy magician to wow the crowds at Artrix" Click Here • "Taking Care of Show Business" Click Here • Adrian Sullivan's recent Anglian Magic Society lecture is reviewed by Steve Majes, Click Here • "Ghost Stories Scare on the Square" Click Here • "Hypnotist to appeal 'Fake Sheikh' conviction" Click Here • "British illusionist James More Talks about Future Plans and Greece" Click Here • "Magician David London invites Philly into his illusions" Click Here • "The science behind magic: Study reveals psychology at work during card tricks" Click Here • "Roy Davenport reflects on his award-winning Magic Kingdom in North Walsham" Click Here • That's it for another week... your UK magic news, reviews and articles are always welcomed. See you next week, Duncan. 14.2.15

 

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