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Doomsday 2013
Friday 10th May 2013
Reviewed by Paul Voodini
On Friday 10th May, a hardy band of approximately 45 bizarre magicians and
mentalists from around the world converged on Whitby, England to spend the
weekend performing, attending workshops, and listening to lectures. The day of
arrival was windswept and wild, and one was immediately put in mind of the day
that dark fellow known as Count Dracula arrived in Whitby in the form of a black
dog, bounding out of the surf as the Russian schooner The Demeter foundered and
ran aground!
This annual meeting of bizarrists and mind-readers is known as Doomsday, and it
takes place annually at Sneaton Castle atop a hill which overlooks Whitby town
and harbour. The castle is run by nuns, but we tend to leave them in peace,
preferring instead to torture only members of our own group with our nefarious
skills and devilish abilities!
On the Friday evening, the assembled dark masses were treated to a lecture by
Rob Lupine on the subject of tarot card reading on TV, and Pete Turner whose
talk was a dazzling combination of lecture and performance.
Rob has worked for several 'psychic TV' channels in the UK, and he delivered an
interesting talk that lifted the lid on this world where readings, the esoteric,
and hard-nosed business make for strange bed-fellows. Next came the human
firecracker that is Pete Turner. Pete is quickly making a legendary reputation
for himself in the world of mentalism, having consulted for some of the biggest
names in the business and having recently delivered a hugely successful on-line
lecture via Penguin Magic. His lecture at Doomsday was a breathtaking display of
creativity, energy, and original thinking. I don't think anyone who witnessed it
will ever forget his take on Any Card at Any Number!
Following the lectures, most attendees retired to the bar to enjoy the company
of spirits that are to be found housed within glass bottles of varying sizes and
shapes. The wise, realising that the Saturday was going to be a full and long
day, retired at a reasonable hour. A small party of hardy adventurers however
decided to make the short journey into the centre of Whitby to eat at a rather
nice Indian restaurant and, naturally, partake of some Indian beer...
After a most welcome breakfast, a rather bleary eyed Christopher Gould and Paul
Voodini (having been part of the group that had visited the Indian restaurant
until the wee small hours) were joined by a more sensible Steve Murray and Nik
Taylor to present a round table discussion on the meaning and future of bizarre
magick. The round table was chaired admirably by Madelon Hoedt, and the
discussion elicited some interesting and passionate discussions, both amongst
those sat at the table and the watching audience. The main points made, after a
fascinating 45 minutes of discussion, were that some people do not like the term
'bizarre', while others think it serves its purpose well. Some thought the term
'mystery performer' more apt, but there were concerns that a lay audience would
not understand what such a term actually means. Those seated at the table were
perhaps most passionate about magic being a tool that can cause those watching
to question, albeit for a moment or two, the very nature of the world and how it
works. The thought was that magic can help a spectator to look through a window
to another world, a world where childlike wonder abounds. The notion that we are
actors playing the role of magicians was rejected in favour of us simply being
magicians, magicians who are able to weave wonder into a world that can too
often descend into the bland and grey.
Following a short break, Jon Thompson of Subversive Circuits demonstrated his
rather wonderful Devil's Radio, and Dan Baines of Lebanon Circle gave a talk on
the nature of hoaxes, with his own 'mummified fairy' hoax being used as an
interesting and rather poignant example.
One of the universally accepted highlights of the weekend followed. Jim
Critchlow, of White Star and the Fallen fame, gave us a fascinating and
hilarious insight into the mind of the magical inventor. Jim had collected onto
stage a wide variety of props, gimmicks and works-in-progress that he had
abandoned due to the fact that 'they don't work'. Jim's self-depreciating humour
had the room in hysterics, and few, I suspect, will ever forget the tale of the
small boy curled up inside the table.
The pre-lunch session was brought to a close by a most illuminating and
thought-provoking session led by Christopher Gould (Alchemy Moon) and Anthony
Black. Every member of the audience was encouraged to get out of their seat and
engage with the other people in the room. The idea was to determine who in the
room you felt the strongest connection with, and also the person who you felt
you could least empathise with. It was a most interesting experiment.
Following lunch the audience were enthralled by close-up bizarre performances
from Ashton Carter, Marco Pusterla, Rob Lupine, Steve Murray and David Royle in
the guise of Drago. This was perhaps the time when the most 'pure' bizarre
magick was on display, with an emphasis on story-telling and interesting
artefacts. Ashton Carter shared with us some precious family heirlooms, Rob
Lupine read minds, experimented with pendulums and bent forks, and Steve Murray
performed a classic billet reading routine. Perhaps the highlight of the
close-up session (out of the many highlights on display) was Marco Pusterla's
fantastic story-telling based routine which transported us back to a by-gone age
when magic was real and travellers should be wary of the intentions of a pretty
girl and her father! The session was brought to a close by David Royle's Drago a
character straight out of Carry On Screaming who combines spooky themed magic
with a unique sense of humour. Once seen, never forgotten!
The evening gala show was opened by Paul Voodini. Modesty prevents me from
waxing too lyrically about this presentation, but I was delighted with how it
worked. Following Paul came the inimitable Brian Maxwell whose style of bizarre
magick incorporates elements and influences from a by-gone era. One is put in
mind of English seaside towns (Brian is a native of Blackpool) and the music
hall. For the most part his performance was engaging, humorous and good natured,
although it must be said that many in the audience felt uncomfortable with his
performance's finale that seemed to be more at home in a 1970's working men's
club than at a 2013 magic convention.
The first half of the gala show was brought to a close by Steve Murray whose
balloon routine was hypnotic, poignant, and a delight to witness. This routine
was certainly one of the highlights of the weekend, and a reminder of how
powerful magic can be.
The second half of the show was opened by Dr. Todd Landman who presented several
routines from his new show 'Lifting the Veil of Ignorance'. Todd is always a
delight to watch. He is engaging, enthusiastic, and assured and the audience
were enthralled. Todd was followed by Pete Turner who performed his stunning
'Isabella's Star' routine. This was a powerful presentation that culminated with
a member of the audience correctly divining another audience member's star sign.
Stunned silence quickly broke into thunderous applause.
Steve Murray then brought the show to an official close with a 'psychic
detective' routine, with a member of the audience correctly predicting the time,
nature, and circumstances in which a murder took place. There was then a
surprise act a reprise of the legendary Voodoo Dance as first enacted at
Doomsday 2012! There are not words in the English dictionary to describe the
Voodoo Dance. It is genuinely a case of 'you have to be there', but hopefully
the Voodoo Dance will now become a staple ingredient of the Doomsday magic!
The gala show was superbly hosted throughout by Martin Hunt who added his own
dashes of magic to keep the audience entertained during the swap-overs between
acts. Martin was assisted on the technical side by Gifford.
Once more, following the show many of the attendees retired to the bar where
beer and pizza was the order of the day.
As is traditional, on the Sunday morning there were several lectures/workshops
that were attended by the real hardcore members many of the convention's
attendees deciding to leave after breakfast. Those who did leave early missed
out on some real gems. Firstly Dr. Todd Landman discussed the workings and
thinking behind his new show, and introduced us to a new word
'Epistementalogie'! As always, Todd's laid back and engaging style was a delight
to watch, and the room was captivated.
Following Todd, Paul Voodini said some words. Again modesty prevents me from
saying too much. However one of the great facets of these Sunday lunchtime
workshops is their relaxed and informal nature. The discussion centred around
why people believe what they believe, but before too long subjects as diverse as
politics, experimental physics, and family history had all been touched upon!
Doomsday 2013 was brought to a formal close by the grandfather of bizarre
magick, Roni Schachnaey who shared with us his wonderful routines and thoughts.
Roni is a true master of the art, a unique combination of story-teller, mystic,
shaman, and magician. He is the very embodiment of bizarre magic, and perhaps
'magic' as a whole. It is always a delight to watch him weave his wonder.
It goes without saying that without Roni and his wife Laraine, Doomsday simply
would not happen. Roni and Laraine have been joined in recent years on the
administration front by Madelon Hoedt, whose tireless work ensures that Doomsday
runs without a hitch. Everyone who attended Doomsday this year owes them a great
big THANK YOU!
Plans are already under-way to make Doomsday 2014 even bigger and better. I am
assured that some big names have already pledged to appear, and already 60% of
tickets have been sold. If you have never attended a Doomsday, you owe it to
yourself to ensure you get along to the 2014 instalment! Although touted as a
'bizarre magick convention', every year we see demonstrated in the most
practical terms just how wide a net the term 'bizarre' casts. From mentalism to
story-telling, from close-up to stage illusion, tarot card reading to comedy,
Doomsday incorporates all aspects of the magical arts. There was even a talking
skull. With a monkey's body. You don't get that anywhere else.
For enquiries and ticket sales, please contact Roni Shachnaey directly at
bizarremagickuk@googlemail.com
Here's to next year. I, for one, can't wait!
© Paul Voodini, May 2013