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The 47th Bristol Day of Magic
13th
May 2007
Reported and photographed by Mandy Davis
Once
again the Bristol Society of Magic are to be congratulated on hosting this
well-attended and professional event at Weston Super Mare with top performers
and lecturers. The day started with a brief welcome from the organising
committee of Paul Preager, President Lewis Taylor, Barry Savage and Mandy
Farrell; then it was swiftly on with the first lecture of the day.
Trixie Bond from Texas, dressed as Mary Poppins, had earlier been sitting on the
floor in the foyer with a group of small children enjoying her brand of close-up
magic. Now she lead them into the large hall and seated them on the floor at the
foot of the platform. They ranged from a toddler to a girl of nine. We saw
forty-five minutes of show and fifteen of lecture on marketing. There were many
tricks from the appearance of doves at off-beat moments to that of a large
rabbit from under a Happy Birthday silk. A favourite effect utilised a battered
old teapot which poured three different coloured liquids into three tiered
tumblers, with a silk of each of the colours being taken from the pot to be
combined with a blow tube and ending with a multi-coloured silk. There was a
mis-made flag routine, probably more rousing in the US, which ended with an
enormous Union Flag on the end of a long pole and a very shmaltzy family moment
using linking multi-coloured ropes. I particularly loved the clutch-bag style of
change bag used for a Mutilated Parasol which fitted nicely into the Mary
Poppins motif. Every child went home with a business card – a marketing moment
indeed!
The close-up show was held twice in three rooms. There were three international
award-winning performers. David Stone is known as a specialist in coin magic but
is a very commercial performer too. Under a giant sheet he comically struggled
to produce one coin which was used to demonstrate his immense skill. There was a
bottle production and a great gag with a mobile phone. A retractable tape
measure changed to a deck of cards and then the deck vanished in a fast and
furious manner. David’s character was supremely funny throughout and the
audience was loud in its enthusiasm. Coins to glass was neatly done and a card
with an appearing and colour changing sticker was baffling. David ended with a
couple of productions that even surprised him!
Manuel Muerte had a manic personality, keeping the audience laughing and amazed
in turns. He opened with several productions and vanishes of a cigar and lighter
before changing his tie to one he preferred. His fun with a stuffed mouse was
hilarious and every time there was an apparent ending to any trick it was
emphasised with a shower of confetti. A bottle of champagne production was
enhanced by some great gags as was a borrowed and burnt bank note routine and
more appearances of the mouse. The note was finally found inside the champagne
bottle plastic cork!
Marc Oberon had added to his award-winning act since I’d last seen it. To
magical background music he talked poetically through multiplying golden spheres
and an appearing statuette. The theme was Midas and suddenly there was an apple
which turned into gold. Some origami followed with a paper swan which also
turned to gold, along with a solid egg. The music stopped for an entertaining
card location sequence which included one from flames and Marc’s marketed effect
Bang On. Then it was back to the music and poetry as the deck itself turned to
gold and coins appeared and vanished whilst keys increased in size to end this
faultlessly dramatic act.
The afternoon was ended with a one-man show featuring John Lenahan. He only
performed his opening trick, Six Card Repeat, for one new gag which he wanted to
share – or so he told us. Bruce Kalver’s Growing Head Illusion proved popular
and John got some wonderful mileage from a book test and a spectator who didn’t
understand his American accent. But throughout the show it wasn’t just the
tricks which made the entertainment; the lines and gags were very well-honed and
funny. His laid back style of delivery is something you can’t just buy from a
dealer.
There was one problem – John’s unique Cards Across routine failed on this
occasion but didn’t detract from the enjoyment, the audience feeling uplifted
that anyone could have a problem on stage at any time. John recovered with a
paper hat tear and Multiplying Bananas which turned the show into a semi-lecture
as he explained that the banana routine had evolved during a Cannon and Ball
tour. He had used it to bring his act in at exactly twelve minutes nightly to
stop him accruing a fine! His next trick, a card one, had started as Lewis
Ganson’s newspaper cutting one but one night he’d made a mistake cutting the
shapes and ended up with the sixteen of Hearts – this got a bigger reaction than
the original and now he always does this trick as a gag instead. Linking Human
Beings was next and John ended the show with a nice back reference to the
earlier unfound card selection as it was now displayed hanging on a rope. This
show was a delight and a real highlight of the day for many.
The junior workshop featured John as well as Fay Presto and Marc Oberon with
fifteen youngsters turning up full of enthusiasm for this special event. Marc
taught them some coin moves, all of them learning at their own pace, Then the
group was split into beginners and non-beginners. Fay took the former group and
held an ‘everything you want to know about magic but were afraid to ask’ session
which was greatly welcomed and enjoyed whilst John Lenahan taught several
interesting and very usable card tricks along with the top change, the hindu and
slop shuffles and a couple of forces. The group thoroughly enjoyed the hour and
were also thrilled with a free tombola which meant that they each went home with
a trick donated by either Trixie Bond or Fantasma Magic.
The evening show, at the Playhouse Theatre, proved a well balanced and
entertaining one. The Boulevard Swing Band delighted the audience before the
curtain rose on the Richard Cadell dancers. Mel Harvey, in a bright yellow suit
and armed with a series of gags, was the evening’s MC and introduced Alex Lodge
who produced various silks and mini umbrellas, a pink Dancing Handkerchief, a
silk fountain to umbrella and an illuminated Dancing Cane. There was UV lighting
for multi-coloured Linking Rings and a slow sequence with a Mutilated Parasol. A
mishap or two along the way didn’t stop Alex’s enthusiasm and the act ended with
a giant umbrella.
Keith Fields had instant rapport with the audience as he swiftly parried and
dealt with a twelve year old heckler. He performed his usual comedy act from
balloon sniffing to Professor’s Nightmare, adding a bowl of water production
from a zipped purse-style shopping bag! There was a great knots from silk gag
and loads of laughs along the way, leading to his finale of a straight-jacket
escape neatly done to a Philip Marlow-style voice-over.
Scott Penrose treated the audience to his act as known but ended with Kevin
James’s snow storm. In between he produced doves, filled a brandy glass with
smoke, used silks to great effect as well as card manipulations and a finely
choreographed card stab. The vanish of a cage of doves, to leave a large rabbit
in its place, once again brought gasps from the audience.
Mel Harvey was back after the interval, this time in bright blue. Romany, Diva
of Magic, burst onto the stage in a flurry of pink sashes and feathered fans.
Bird cages appeared from nowhere, seemingly as much of a surprise to her as they
were to us! A long sash, tied between two pedestals, was cut and restored and a
bottle production followed, as well as blank notes to bank notes and Gypsy
Thread. The audience loved Romany’s signature Coins Across involving two male
spectators and the act ended with Linking Rings.
Norbert Ferre portrays two characters during his super act – one is giggly and
quirky whilst the other is a perfect magical manipulator. A voice, distorted by
a swazzle, proved very effective for getting the laughs. In between balls and
then cards were beautifully worked in time to the poignant music which was
enhanced by the empty setting of a single stand on the stage. Short tap dances
emphasised the quirky character’s movements and led, at the end, to the
revelation of the contents of a box marked ‘Surprise’. This act is a lesson in
everything from character, comedy, skill, poise, use of music and limit of props
– Norbert is always evolving what he does and the best just gets better!
Guy Barrett closed the show with a plethora of illusions. Some jigsaw shapes on
the side of a box were rearranged to form a picture of a girl who was then
revealed inside. The picture was given a costume change – and so was the girl. A
Dancing Hanky followed and then a wooden sword box. Another box was brought on
and a girl placed inside; this was later shown to be completely hollowed out but
the girl was gone, only to reappear as the box was reassembled. There was an
assistant’s revenge with Guy forced into a box to have his middle removed and
reversed whilst his head stayed in place. Effects with silks were followed by a
newspaper tear and then a girl was placed between the metal sides of a giant
press. After being squeezed together the girl was found unharmed.
And thus ended another excellent magical day.
Photos: 1. Norbert Ferre 2.Trixie Bond 3. Romany
4. Alex Lodge 5. Keith Fields
© Mandy Davis MIMC,
May 2007