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73rd British Ring IBM Convention
23rd - 27th September 2009, Southport
Update 10, July 2009
Bob Hayden, British Ring PRO
It
has just been confirmed that John Lenahan is joining the long list of
headline magical performers at this year’s British Ring convention in Southport.
John came to Britain in 1984 from his native Philadelphia for a short trip and
has never quite made it back. From an inauspicious beginning (it was a summer
season with Little & Large) John has become a successful corporate entertainer.
He grabbed the headlines in1994 when he was the first person in 85 years to be
expelled from The Magic Circle. This came about following an appearance on the
BBC 1 Show ‘How Do They Do That?’ during which he explained a sleight of
hand known as the Three Card Monte. He considered it to be, as did many others,
more of a gambling con than a trick. John did not appeal against the decision,
took the rap and enjoyed the publicity. His subsequent TV appearance in his own
1997 series for BBC 2 ‘Stuff the White Rabbit’ drew rapturous praise from
the press. This series achieved record ratings for the slot and was responsible
for influencing a number of youngsters to become magicians.
2004 saw him starring in a primetime BBC 1 Show ‘Secrets of Magic’. Aside
from magic other TV credits include presenting a travelogue factual series on
BBC 2 called ‘The Open Road’ which featured John travelling across the UK
finding out about the lives and traditions of the British people. He has played
the voice of the Talkie Toaster in the first series of Red Dwarf and made guest
appearances on everything from TFI Friday to Celebrity Squares and has regularly
compered and topped the bill at London’s Comedy Store. He has also fronted Hoax
Busters an ITV network show lifting the lid on scams and hoaxes. He has guested
on numerous chat shows with Terry Wogan, Gloria Hunniford, Jonathon Ross, Danny
Baker and most recently Jack Docherty.
John has performed all over the world from Beijing and Hong Kong to Dubai and
Dublin and has toured alongside such luminaries as Jack Dee, Victoria Wood,
Lenny Henry and Michael Ball.
Besides all this, John is one of the most successful corporate entertainers and
presenters in the country. Apart from his regular show stealing cabaret he has
linked numerous conferences, made kitchens appear for Neff, taught Bank of
England staff to juggle, read thousands of minds and levitate a 20 pound
Toblerone bar. He was the first person on record to perform magic live over the
Internet for BT.
He has the rare talent of making any audience laugh at a magic act, young or
old, north or south, televised or live, alternative or mainstream. He was
described in The Guardian as ‘The mascot of magical renaissance’ and by Jackie
Collins as ‘extremely good looking’
John Lenahan lives in Cricklewood North London with his son and a collection of
computers and gadgetry. In a world dominated with awards he is proud to have
once been voted Time Out’s ‘Street Magician of the Year’. John’s first novel ‘Shadowmagic’
was published last year. ‘Shadowmagic’ is a rip roaring fun fantasy
adventure novel very loosely based on Irish mythology where every chapter ends
on the edge of a cliff (or at least on a high curb). In it you are invited to
join Conor as he grapples with typical problems like how to deal with a father’s
high expectations, how to survive in the world on your own and how to woo a girl
– that wants you dead. ‘Shadowmagic’ is a podcast for young adults from
12 to 112. It has been widely recommended.
You will have noticed that among the photographs in the brochure is that of
Aonghus McAnally. Unless you have attended magical Conventions in Ireland or
can receive Irish RTE Television or listen to RTE Radio the chances are you that
you may not know of Aonghus. He is one of Ireland’s best known faces and voices
in entertainment. So how did this TV and Radio Presenter become involved with
magic? It was during his early television career as presenter of ‘Anything
Goes’, a Saturday morning children’s show when he performed the Houdini Sub
Trunk live. He describes it as the scariest thing he has ever done on live
television but through this introduction, his love of magic began.
What will Aonghus be doing at Southport? He’s hosting the headline International
Magic Show on Saturday night. Aonghus will not only be a fresh face but will be
bringing a fresh approach to this most important responsibility. His experience
in hosting everything from variety shows to quizzes to debates makes him the
ideal person to follow in the footsteps of Jeff Hobson, Rich Bloch and Ali
Bongo. He has toured Ireland with his own show ‘A Song and a Laugh’ and is
always in great demand for his after dinner comedy act.
What is the background of Aonghus McAnnaly? He grew up in a family that was
steeped in a tradition of theatre, film and television. He is the son of the
late Ray McAnnaly a film and theatre actor and a Bafta winner. He is remembered
for playing the part of the father in ‘My Left Foot’ starring also in ‘Force
Protocol’, ‘The Mission’, ‘A Very British Coup’, We’re No Angles’ and ‘Cal’. His
mother Ronnie Masterson was also an actress one of her roles being the Granny in
‘Angela’s Ashes’. His parents allowed him to decide what he wanted to be. As a
child he had the ambition of being a truck driver at Dublin Airport an ambition
that changed when he discovered music. Then all he wanted to be was in a rock
band so don’t be surprised if we have a brief musical interlude among his unique
blend of blarney humour and chat as he introduces the terrific line-up of
David & Dania, Nechporenko, Hayashi, Timo Marc, Dania, and Sean Taylor.
These are just another two of the people you will be seeing at Southport. If you
haven’t already registered for this great Convention do it now and get in touch
with the Registration Officer Neville Johnson on 01202 873234, by E.mail:
nevillejohnson25@aol.com or via
this website. Do it today.
Bob Hayden, British Ring PRO, July 2009. www.britishring.org.uk