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Issue No.17 RRP £3.75www.magicseen.co.uk Vol. 3. No.5 November 2007
THE PERFECT MAGAZINE FOR UNDERTHAT WONKY TABLE!
official sponsors of magicseenIT’S JAY SANKEY!
BORIS WILD
HANDLING DELAYS
MARK TOWNSEND
CONJURING FOR CANINES
THINK TANK
THE CLINIC
THE GOLDEN AGE OF MAGIC
BEGINNERS
CLOSE-UP
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The Merchant of Magic supply magic tricks, books and DVDs to professional andamateur magicians worldwide. We offer over 10,000 magic tricks, mind readingmagic effects and illusions! If there is something you require, which you do not seeon our website, all you have to do is contact us and we will usually be able to sourcethe items for you within a few days.
NEAT & TIDYBy Wayne Fox
EXCLUSIVE TO THEMERCHANT OF MAGIC
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THE WORKAROOBy James Brown
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THE MOST PRACTICAL DEVICE EVER RELEASED FORCLOSE-UP OR STREET-MAGIC MAGICIANS IS HERE!
• The applications are endless! Productions, vanishes, peeks,changes, holdout etc, the list goes on!!!
• Perform cool coin changes and vanishes, even one which changesin mid air!.
• Make playing cards vanish, change or start jumping to your pockets!
• Make borrowed rings or watches vanish instantly and appear inimpossible locations!.
• The Workeroo finally takes all the hard work and limitations out ofhigh impact close-up magic. If you already use a topit, the Workerooallows you the freedom to not wear a jacket!
The Workeroo itself is not a trick, it is a special device thatallows you to do stunning magic, with little or no sleight ofhand. When you open the box, you find your Workeroo anda little something to help fit the item. You also get a CD romand a DVD. On the CD rom, which we recommend you usingfirst, you learn how to set up your Workeroo. Plenty of clearpictures as well with EVERY step meaning anyone canfollow along.
A jumbled mass of rubber bandsinstantly snap together to build aneat and tidy rubber band ball thatcan be dropped on the table orhanded out to your spectators.
Neat & Tidy is perfect for any rubberband routine. It creates a stunningeffect out of the 'down time' momentwhen you introduce your rubberbands to the audience.
As well as providing 'magic along theway' Neat & Tidy can act as both anopener or closer for your routine!
Neat & Tidy is visually stunning, and agreat way to end any rubber band routine.Marc Oberon
£79.99
“”
Issue No.17 RRP £3.75www.magicseen.co.uk Vol. 3. No.5 November 2007
THE PERFECT MAGAZINE FOR UNDERTHAT WONKY TABLE!
official sponsors of magicseenIT’S JAY SANKEY!
BORIS WILD
HANDLING DELAYS
MARK TOWNSEND
CONJURING FOR CANINES
THINK TANK
THE CLINIC
THE GOLDEN AGE OF MAGIC
Editor: Mark Leveridge Deputy Editor: Graham HeyDesign Editor: Phil Shaw
Advertisement Manager:Peter Salter 07977 567424
Website Design: Jane StewartCirculation: Sarah Logan
Circulation Assistant:Jessica Culver
Contributors: Jay Fortune, DanielLander, Elliott Smith, Ian Quick,Lawrence Turner, Nick Fletcher, Paul Zenon, Stuart Bowie,Wolfgang Riebe, Jozsef Kovacs,John Mather, Merlins ofWakefield, Alakazam, TheMerchant of Magic, Lebanon Circle,Practical Magic, The Magic Zone,Shop4Magic, World Magic Shop
magicseen’s management boardconsists of Graham Hey, MarkLeveridge & Phil Shaw
General enquiries andcomments: [email protected]
Subscriptions:On-line at www.magicseen.co.uk, or sending your details and acheque payable to ‘magicseen’ to magicseen Subscriptions,13a Lyndhurst Road, Exeter EX2 4PA, UK. £22.50 for annualsubscriptions, Europe £34.50,worldwide £43.50.Copyright. The views and opinionsexpressed in this magazine are thoseof the individual contributors and donot necessarily reflect the views ofthe publishers. All rights reserved.Reproduction in whole or part isstrictly prohibited without the priorconsent of the publishers. Colourtransparencies, manuscripts or discsare sent at the owners’ own risk.Neither the company nor its agentsaccept any responsibility for loss ordamage. All unsolicited materialshould be accompanied by astamped addressed envelope.
Thanks to: Jay Sankey, Boris Wild,Andrew Normansell, MarkTownsend, Paul Zenon, PaulPleasants, The IndependentNewspaper
Published by MSUK Publications
A WORD FROM THE EDITOR
WELCOME TO magicseen
www.magicseen.co.uk 7
If variety is the spice of life, then
issue 17 is pretty spicey, as we
are delighted to bring you a
veritable cornucopia of magical
delights!
If you read several magic
magazines, or you spend any
amount of time trawling the net
for magic sites, you could be
forgiven for thinking that every
other magician on the planet is a
magic dealer. Although this is not
actually the case (oh, really?)
there are many people out there
who have had a few good ideas
and are keen to know how to
benefit from them. Enter the
magicseen helpline for turning
your creative thoughts into a
commercial reality as we offer
you our extensive guide to magic
marketing in So You Want
To....Market Your Own Ideas. We
even got top advice from some of
the UK's most prominent dealers
too - we really do hand it to you
on a plate, don't we?
who are all heart, we managed to
persuade experienced pro Dr.
Andrew Normansell to hold The
Clinic, in which he answers your
questions about magic and sex -
but without the sex! And while we
are on the advice trail, Elliott
Smith and Ian Quick return with
another instalment in their series
of advice articles, this time
covering the topic of how to deal
with delays in your performance
start times.
Those of you who suffered
withdrawal symptoms due to an
absence of the Think Tank will be
relieved to know that Jay Fortune
is back in the saddle again this
issue, and a year or so on from
our last piece on him, we catch
up with mind reading priest Mark
Townsend to discover how he is
progressing with his rather
unique career.
This issue also has other
great articles including The
Golden Age Of Magic - when do
you think that was? - and also
Conjuring For Canines, in which
Lawrence Turner finally proves
that he spends too much time
alone with his pet dogs and a
deck of cards! Top all this off with
the usual raft of reviews, news
and other quirky bits for which
magicseen has become
(in)famous, and we hope you'll
agree with us when we say that
this is definitely the best issue
we've had out since issue 16!
Enjoy your read.
Mark Leveridge, Editor
In the magical firmament
there are few more high profile
stars than our cover personality
Jay Sankey. The little Canadian
ball of magical energy takes some
time off to tell us about his latest
projects, including some exclusive
news about a TV venture which is
launching on his side of the water.
And being an all round good guy,
Jay has also provided us with
video of a couple of his latest
ideas which you will be able to
view shortly on the magicseen
website. While we are in interview
mode we also chat to top French
close upper Boris Wild, who along
with David Stone would always get
into my personal list of French
magicians you simply have to see,
and we also grab a quick 5
minutes with award winning
working pro Paul Pleasants from
Ipswich who amongst other things,
we discover has impeccable taste
in magical DVDs!
Since the team here at
magicseen are made up of people
LETTERBOX
InboxH@ve Your Say!!
If you have anything you would like to tell uswhether it’s about the magazine or anythingmagic related please email:[email protected]
Share your randomviews with the world
BLOODY HELL!I was appalled by the
content of your so-called
‘comedy’ edition (no. 16)
of magicseen. I think
magicobscene would have
been a more appropriate
title.
You should be advising
us about how to
manipulate our balls for a
better effect with the chop
cup, or offering new
routines for ‘Wandering
Willy’ rather than purveying
such filth and innuendo.
I’m not having it!
Yours in disgust,
Dick Shortbottom, 69
Knickersdown Road,
Belching in Middlesex.
We’re not the brightest
lot at magicseen, but one
or two of us doubt the
authenticity of this letter
– Ed.
NO BANANA SKIN!I made the mistake of
reading edition 16 (the
comedy special) in public,
on the train, and couldn’t
contain my amusement. I
showed the article by
Marion on Coping With My
Childish Husband to my
wife, and she had the
same reaction. In fact, I
was rather disturbed that
she appeared to identify
with it so much!
Elsewhere, I think it
was a little unfair to be
totally dismissive of the
bandana/banana trick,
although it does provide a
bit of a linguistic problem
as we don’t have a fruit
over here which sounds
like ‘silk handkerchief’.
The venerable Goodliffe
once commented that
three things always
provide amusement when
produced - a banana, a
sausage and a bottle of
beer. I think Terry Herbert
was the first to bring it
over, and introduced it at a
Northern Magic Circle
Easter Parade, where it
went down very well. I
have only used the trick on
a couple of occasions for
USA-themed events and
would strongly advise
lopping off the final inane
comment (‘Don’t forget – a
magician never gives away
his secrets’) as it comes
just after the final music
and cuts right across any
audience reaction, killing it
stone dead. If you have it,
you’ll know what I mean.
If you don’t, forget it.
Brian Lead
HOW DO THEY DOTHAT?I received one of those
emails while I was at work
that recommend watching
something- usually on
YouTube. Normally, I don’t
bother looking at them, but
one in particular got such
reaction where I work that I
thought I’d email you, so
that your readers can enjoy
it, too! I’m only an amateur
magician myself, and don’t
know who the magician is,
but I think I’ve seen him on
TV before….Anyway, the
clip is great!
Geoff Taylor via email.
Visit: YouTube and search
either America’s Got
Talent or Kevin James.
This is a totally brilliant
routine – seen a few
months back on
Channel4. How the F***
does he do it? We’re not
sure, but Kevin is a
decent bloke, so we’re
going to ring him and ask
him! Also, if you search
‘Saw-in-half’, you can
also see Paul Daniels,
David Copperfield, Sue-
Ann Webster, Criss Angel
and others doing their
own routines. Oh, the
internet is a wonderful
thing, ain’t it!
A JOY TO BEHOLD!Great issue (number 16) –
I loved all the comedy
stuff! There were some
cracking gags in there and
I particularly enjoyed the
advice for performing
comedy. Don’t leave it too
long before your next
comedy extravaganza!
Martin Parish, London
Thanks Martin, and we
didn’t even mention our
esteemed editor, Mark
Leveridge’s hilarious act.
Mind you, it’s not meant
to be!
BUFFALO MAGIC!I was listening to BBC
Radio 2 recently – the
Dermot O’Leary Show and
was intrigued to hear that
singer Grant Lee Phillips,
formerly the lead singer in
Grant-Lee Buffalo was
formerly a magician. Any
more details!?
Stephen Carr, Bootle,
Liverpool
Grant Lee Phillips was
voted Best Male Vocalist
in Rolling Stone
magazine in 1995 and
his former band were
popular in the US and
UK. We spoke to his
manager who told us
that Grant indeed was a
magician from a very
early age and went on to
perform professionally.
He performed close-up
and stage magic where
he specialised in magic
using doves! Grant has a
magicseen Issue No.17 November 20078
WHAT’SINSIDETHISISSUEWelcome 7
Letters 8
News 9
Boris Wild 10
News 17
Market Your Ideas 20
News 25
Paul Pleasants 26
Mark Townsend 30
Jay Sankey 34
Masterclass 40
Think Tank 44
Reviews 46
Handling Delays 52
Golden Age of Magic 56
Conjuring For Canines 58
The Clinic 62
Magic Bar 64
Back Issues 66
>>
www.magicseen.co.uk 9
NEWSQUICKIESFORTHEMAGICIANONTHEGO
new album out…visit
www.grantleephillips.com
However, do not expect to hear
lots of magic-related songs!
US HUMOUR!As I know you like a laugh at
magicseen, I thought I’d send you
this little comedy gem, told
recently on US TV. It took the form
of a news item:
The final Harry Potter book
has come out. This is a quick
glossary of some common terms:
“Hogwarts” is a school they go to.
A “Muggle” is a person who
doesn’t do magic. Like David
Blaine.
Josh Kirshner, White Plains,
New York.
POKER CHIPSOn one of the magic chatrooms
(no, I don't have a life!), the talk
was about effects using poker
chips. This is an area that is
interesting at the moment, what
with the growth of gambling and
casinos, websites etc. Are there
any good routines you can
recommend that use poker chips?
Tim Horsfield, Essex.
Two spring to mind straight away.
One's a great cabaret effect: Larry
Becker's Casino Royale. A great
three-phase effect. It's a bit
pricey, but worth it. Top Secret
Magic sell it. Also, there's an
effect called Poker Chip
Chicanery by Al Koran & Jack
Avis, documented in the book: The
Magic of Al Koran available from
the iconic Martin Breese. There
are probably many more - but
these two, we particularly like.
Featured in the last issue of magicseen, prior to performing at the
Edinburgh Festival, Chris Cox went down a storm according to our reporter
on site, John Delaney.
Says John, “Chris’ show received a whole host of four and five star
reviews and was virtually a sell out for the whole month!”
“The festival went so well, I was flattered and delighted!” Chris told
magicseen. “We won an award and created a real buzz. It was wonderful to
be able to appear in the show every day for a month, as it allowed me to
continue adding and changing stuff.
“A highlight in the show for me was as part of a drawing identification
and duplication routine, the first person’s image was shown, it was a cat, the
2nd was shown, it was a house... then it came time for me to duplicate the
3rd image... which turned out to be an image of a cat by a house... the best
result you could ever want. A real reputation maker thanks to sheer luck!”
KEABLE’S CONJURING UP COMEDY, A ONE MAN MAGIC SHOW WITH VAT*One of magicseen’s favourite magicians & mentalists, Ian Keable, can be
seen shortly at The Mission Theatre, Bath where the bespectacled man of
mystery will be performing his one-man show.
Laughter and astonishment abound as
Ian hilariously tells how he made the
transition from accountant to magical
comedian, climaxing in his award winning
act. It all adds up to an unmissable, laugh-
out-loud show full of wit, mirth and magical
unexpected twists and turns. Just what the
doctor ordered!
Details are: THE MISSION THEATRE, 32 Corn
Street Bath BA1 1UF
Wednesday 24th to Thursday 25th October at 7-30 pm
Tickets £9 & £7 (concs) from: Bath Festivals Box Office 01225 463 362
www.missiontheatre.co.uk *VAT = very amusing tricks
Ian told magicseen: “The show came about partly because of the rather
selfish reason of wanting to know whether I could hold an audience on
stage for a couple of hours, and also because I wanted to do some fairly
personal material about myself which I could only do in the context of
my own show. Seeing Geoffrey Durham’s one man shows really inspired
me – without that inspiration I don’t think I would have attempted it.
Having got quite a few shows under my belt now - mainly in village halls -
my aim is to try and perform it in art centres around the country and at
some point in 2008 do a run in London”.
OBJECTIVESOLD!News that came in just after our
last deadline told of All3Media’s
acquisition of Objective
Productions, which was formed in
the 1990s by former TV presenter
Andrew O’Connor and
International Man of Mystery,
Michael Vine. The deal is thought
to be worth the same as Derren
Brown’s annual pay: In the
proximity of forty million pounds.
OK, we’re joking about the Derren
Brown bit.
Objective has moved from
producing magic & mentalism in
to the area of comedy and reality-
type shows such as The Real
Hustle. Mr O’Connor and Mr Vine
will remain with the company for
next five years – which will
hopefully mean that further
quality magic programmes in one
format or another will continue to
be made.
www.objectiveproductions.net.
CHRIS COX IS COOKIN’!
OUT OF THE CAGE!Nicolas Cage is the latest movie star to play the role of a magician in the DVD
release: Next (12). Cage stars as a Las Vegas magician who has the amazing
power of being able to see two minutes into the future. Julianne Moore plays the
FBI officer who wants to use his gift to find the location of a nuclear bomb that is
going to destroy Los Angeles! There’s a fair bit of mindless action (no, we’re not
talking about in Ali Bongo’s bedroom!), and a hint of Groundhog Day, too! It’s an
entertaining movie – as long as you can suspend your disbelief…
>>
magicseen Issue No.17 November 2007 10
Born to be Wild!Boris Wild is another one of those amazing French magicians. We’re not sure how France
produces so many wonderful performers, but we are certainly grateful for it! Boris Wild may not
be the wild man of magic, but he is charming, friendly, highly skilled and an innovative magical
thinker. We were delighted to have a chat and find out more about this multiple award-winner…
BORISWILD
Photo: Zakary Belamy
www.magicseen.co.uk 11
You have recently been filming with L&L
Publishing – tell us a bit about the project and
how it came about…
Everything started in Stockholm during the
last FISM Convention. I was having dinner
with my good friend Simon Aronson and his
lovely wife Ginny. We were talking about the
set of DVDs he had released with L&L
Publishing. I told him I had already talked
with several people about a DVD project but
had not got any further because I wanted to
wait until I found the best possible partner in
terms of quality, marketing and promotion,
etc. For a long time in my mind, the ideal
partner -the best in the world- was L&L
Publishing. But it was like a Grail for me, I did
not have any contact with them and I
thought: “Daryl, Michael Ammar, Jeff
McBride, Bill Malone…They only work with the
best. Why would they want me?”
Simon told me he would be happy to help
me to make this dream come true and kindly
offered to recommend my work to Louis
Falanga, the CEO of L&L Publishing. Louis only
knew a little bit of my work through the
marked deck and the items I have released on
the market, but Simon really spoke highly of
me - so much so that Louis decided to follow
his advice by giving his OK for a set of videos.
I’ll let you imagine how happy I was the day I
knew I would add my name to the list of
prestigious performers who have already
worked with L&L Publishing!! And then I had a
real fright thinking of the pressure and all the
work I had to do to live up to this honour. So I
really prepared everything the best possible
way, and the shooting went very well with top-
professional people. It went so well that we
planned 3 DVDs and there will probably be
four in the end. We shot them on Bastille Day
last July (perfect for a French magician!) and
they should be available at the end of April to
coincide with the FFFF Convention in the USA
(the best close-up convention in the world)
where I will be Guest of Honour.
Is releasing original effects an increasingly
important part of making a living for a
professional magician?
Yes, whether it is for a lay audience or
magicians. If you have, for instance, a show
which is unique in the world because it
includes original effects, people will book you
and nobody else because it is the only way
for them to offer this specific performance to
the audience. Also, releasing effects on the
magic market can be a great plus to your
regular bookings if you promote them the
right way and they meet the magicians’
needs. Now, with technology and the Internet,
it is easier to develop a product you can sell
on a large scale and create a buzz around it.
You have performed on many TV shows,
released marketed effects, won awards and
performed over 100 shows at the Magic Castle
in Hollywood – do you have a career plan? Is
there a particular area of magic you would like
to devote more time to?
I do not really have a career plan. I just try to
do as many different things as I can do:
close-up performances, lectures, stand-up
magic, creations of personal effects and
routines, development of customised magic
tricks for big brands, writing books, essays
and notes, coaching acts for my friends… I
could never do the same thing only, over and
over. What I like in this job is the variety it
offers. It is never boring as you have several
hats and you keep changing them all the
time. It really helps to keep the fire in you to
forge ahead. Plus, if one of your activities is
slower during one period, you have the others
and it does not affect all your work too much.
And if one of them works really well, you can
take the opportunity to develop it and define
precise goals in this direction.
As for the particular area I would like to
devote more time to, I would say: creation. It
is really hard to spend as much time as I
want creating new things. Logistics takes a
lot of time and sometimes I wish I could have
a secretary to book all the flights and answer
all the e-mails for me!!
If you have, for instance, a show which is unique in the world becauseit includes original effects, people will book you and nobody else...
magicseen Issue No.17 November 200712
How has your love of magic affected your own
personal life? Are you one of those magicians
who cannot ‘switch-off’ – or can you separate
the magic from your private life?
My love of magic has indeed changed my
personal life because it has affected my
schedule due to all the travelling and working at
hours ‘normal’ people usually do not work. And
to be honest, I am a workaholic! I usually never
spend more than one week on holidays. Being a
magician is more a passion than a job and you
know that all passionate people have the most
difficulty to switch off. But at the same time,
when I decide (or I need) to have a break, I can
spend several days without touching a deck of
cards or reading a magic book!
You obviously do a lot of travelling – is this an
enjoyable part of your work? Is there any
aspect of your career that you have not been
totally happy with?
Travelling is great. Transportation is hell.
Especially the flights with all the weight
restrictions, increasing security measures and
luggage problems. I go to the United States
several times a year as I perform there a lot. I
have many friends there and it is one of my
favourite countries in the world - but flying to
the US is more and more of an obstacle
course! Fortunately, meeting people,
discovering places, making new friends and
opening your mind to different cultures is
absolutely fantastic. This is what allows me to
cope with all the logistics inherent to travelling.
As for the aspect of my career I have not
been totally happy with, I think there is not. I
would do everything the same, including
mistakes because they allowed me to learn a
lot about myself and life in general.
What have you found the most difficult thing
to master?
Time difference and jetlag!! More seriously,
even if it took me some time to get used to
that, I guess the most difficult thing to
master I have found is to accept it is
impossible to do everything perfectly. I guess
I am a little too much of a perfectionist and it
often kills me when I realise that even just a
little something is not perfect. With time and
experience, I can manage this pretty much
now, but it is still a bit hard!
There are some great magicians in France –
who are your own personal favourites and why?
This is a tricky question as I can not name all
of them but here are a few who immediately
come to mind:
- Dominique Duvivier. The king of close-up.
A master for me.
- Gaetan Bloom. Our national genius.
- Norbert Ferre. An incredible mix of talent
and kindness.
- David Stone for his madness and Mathieu
Bich for his devious mind.
I am glad to count them all among my friends.
Is there one great effect you have seen
performed that you wish you had created?
There are many! When I perform some effects
and see the reactions they get, I think: “I wish I
had thought of this before!” It always happens
when I do “Wow!” by Masuda or “Printing” by
Dominique Duvivier. I also very much enjoyed
the routine “Shape of My Heart” by Shawn
Farquhar. It is totally my style of magic.
Tell us a little about growing up in France, your
family, and how they felt about your unusual
career! Did you have jobs after leaving school?
I was born in the north of France in a humble
area where my father was a postal worker
and my mother a hairdresser. At 12 years of
age, I was looking for something to do after
school and I almost started to do fencing.
But a friend of my father came home one
night and showed me a few close-up tricks.
I was fascinated and I immediately knew it
was what I wanted to do.
My parents have been absolutely
fantastic because they have always
supported me. I would not be the magician I
am today without them. My father was driving
me everywhere to perform my first shows (I
was too young to get a driver’s license) and
helped me to build my very first props. They
are my first fans today and I can not imagine
parents more proud of their son!
As for your question about the job, I
became a full time magician in 1998 after the
award at FISM but before this, I had a ‘normal
job’. I was working in Paris as manager in
direct marketing for the toys “Playmobil”!
What do you think has been the greatest
advance in magic over the past 10 years?
I guess it is definitely the Internet. Nowadays,
if you run out of business cards, it is not really
a problem. You just say: “boriswild.com” and
people can easily get all your contact
information and much more. Also, e-mail is
great to share ideas with friends, have
correspondence with other magicians in a
much faster way than in the past when
people were writing letters to each other. We
can even do video chat to show our latest
development on one particular effect! The
access to information is also so much more
BORISWILDP
hot
o: Z
akar
y B
elam
y
I am happy to know that after my death, my name willbe associated forever with a special deck of cards!
www.magicseen.co.uk 13
convenient either for professionals or
beginners. I know there has been a lot of drift
on that particular point but we can admit it is
minor compared to the wonderful services
the Internet offers to people who have an all-
consuming passion for magic and who are
sometimes far away from a club, a colleague
or a magic shop.
Do you ever suffer from a ‘mental block’? How
do you continue to be creative after many
years doing magic?
Oh, yes… I am just a human being with his
uninspired periods, like everybody. Our job is
based on creation and sometimes, you keep
thinking for days or weeks and there is no
flash of inspiration! The “white page”
syndrome is absolutely awful. But I believe in
the virtue of work and persistence. So I try to
work as hard as I can because I have realised
it always pays off. By doing so, I always
explore new ways, new solutions that lead me
to what I am looking for.
Unfortunately, there is no formula to
continue being creative after many years
doing magic but being curious of everything
around you and watching what is done in
other forms of art and entertainment are
important to open your mind to new ideas.
What would you say is your finest achievement
in your career so far?
My little daughter Amélie! OK, the question is
about magic…
I guess the obvious answer is the “BW
Marked Deck”. It is the very first factory-
printed Bicycle marked deck in the history of
card magic and I am happy to know that after
my death, my name will be associated forever
with a special deck of cards!
But there may be something even more
important - which is still being booked all
over the world after 20 years of
performances and 10 years of professional
career. As I said earlier, I did not have any
career plan so I am really amazed at this
situation and I feel very lucky to take part in
so many great events on the five continents.
How important has speaking English been to
your career development?
Essential. I would not have done 10% of what
I have if I was not speaking English. It is the
only way to perform abroad and develop
international projects while doing it in a safe
and enjoyable way. English is spoken all over
the world, it saved my life so many times and
allowed me to get involved in fantastic
projects. Also, speaking English opened my
knowledge very early to an amazing quantity
of books and publications that I would have
not discovered if I was speaking only French.
I know some magicians around me who are
really talented but who cannot speak English
and I see it is an undeniable brake on their
career. Every time I realise that, it truly
confirms my opinion about how English is
important to expand your field of action.
What has been the most difficult project you
have worked on, and why?
It is probably my FISM “Kiss Act”. When I
started thinking of what could be the ideal
act for a competition, I had something crazy
in mind: how to make people feel strong
emotions and even cry with a just a deck of
cards? That was not an easy task! But I am
glad I found exactly what I wanted, which is
telling a story with cards without talking -
while at the same time transmitting deep
feelings to the audience. Making the special
deck for this act was also a challenge as
almost every single card is different and
designed with a diabolical precision. It takes
me two full days to make a new deck!
Is your style of performance something that
you analyse? Are you a magician who likes to
have everything totally rehearsed, or do you
like to feel a sense of ‘living dangerously’?
I always try to analyse every performance I
do… in my head! I have most difficulty
watching my image on video so, even though
it is a great tool, it requires a lot of effort to
watch me! Fortunately, experience gave me a
good sense of analysis to be objective about
my work. Also, my wife is my best critic and
she is very honest about what I do.
Sometimes even too much, but that is what
makes me go further!
Being a perfectionist is not really
compatible with “living dangerously” and
even if I am sure it works great for some
people, it does not fit me. I would feel like I
have not done everything I could do to make
the best possible performance.
Who have been the most influential people in
your life?
I am sure you expect magicians names but
my answer is “movie directors”! It is amazing
how they can tell stories, create
atmospheres, structure narratives, generate
emotions and make the spectators escape
from their real world. Tim Burton, for
instance, has always had a great influence
on my work. His sense of aestheticism,
emotion, precision and fantasy is an example
every magician should follow.
What are you working on at the moment?
I am working on a new close-up act which
can be considered as the sequel of “The Kiss
Act” (What happens after?). The full script
and a large part of the effects are already on
paper. I am also developing several new
effects that will be released in the
forthcoming year, I am preparing for the
2008 FFFF Convention and I am writing an
essay on something which has never been
treated in magic (but shh!).
Tell us three things about yourself that
magicseen readers will probably not know!
1. For one full season, I did magic on
national radio! (not the colour-changing
handkerchief, of course)
2. Before starting magic, I was… a regional
yo-yo champion!
3. I have co-founded the French Fan Club of
the British TV series “The Avengers”! ms
Here’s a list of 5 top French moviesselected by magicseen’s deputyeditor, who loves stuff like that!1. Amelie starring Audrey
Tautou. A stylish romantic
comedy featuring a
beautiful young lady with
the power to influence
others! (That sounds just
like Boris’s daughter!)
2. The Chorus. A brilliant movie
concerning the tales of an
independent school. Feel good factor
of 10!
3. Jean De Florette/Manon Des
Sources. Classic French movies you
have to see.
4. Etre Et Avoir. Captivating Oscar-
winning documentary set in remote
France where a teacher tackles his
last year before retirement. And he’s
the only teacher in a school of 12
pupils.
5. A Very Long Engagement. A woman
searches for the answer of her lover’s
disappearance. Brilliant
Other French things that stick in ourmind – but not all are great!1. Plastic Bertrand. The punkster who
sang Ca Plane Pour Moi, or
something like that!
2. Georges Simenon, author of the great
Inspector Maigret books.
3. Sacha Distel – French crooner who
had his own TV series
on BBC1, UK.
4. Gerrard Houllier –
Ex-manager of
Liverpool football
club. Good man!
Price Only £55.00 ($110) plus £5 postage in UK and £7.50 ($15) airmail elsewhere.
Order direct from Martin Breese International 82 Broad Street Sheffield S2 5TG. Pay bycheque or Mastercard, Visa or PayPal (use email MBreese999@aol,com) or go to
www.abracadabra.co.uk and place your order online.
See more details at
www.abracadabra.co.uk Martin Breese International
This is an amazing Lota Vase just 4 inches high and made by hand by a potter. It is a little work of art and once filled it can pour the most amazing amount of water or fluid of yourchoice. I am constantly knocked back by thenumber of times that I can seemingly emptythe vase by turning it upside down and thenpouring out some water and then again andagain and again. I usually manage to get atleast seven separate loads of water from thebeautiful pot. Martin Duffy who had this madehas provided the instructions and it comes withtwo brilliant routines: one by the famous bizarremagician, Mary Tomich and the other byChristian Chelman. They are both fantastic.
Martin Duffy uses Mary Tomich's routine which is called the Shaman's Vision and healso uses the Christian Chelman routine whichis really a fantastic bit of story telling about apot and money.
This is a wonderful prop and half a dozen magicfriends who have seen the Lota Vase in actionhave been incredibly impressed. So there youhave it. The pot is quite small as can be seenfrom the photograph and it will nestle veryneatly on your outstretched palm. Best item Ihave stocked for many a year. And all thanks tomy friend Martin Duffy who had it made.
The Fabulous Lota Pot
ONLY£55
www.magicseen.co.uk 17
NEWSQUICKIESFORTHEMAGICIANONTHEGO
JUST TO SUM IT UP…South East Asia recently witnessed J C Sum, Singapore’s celebrity
magician, make international news when he successfully attempted a
‘LIVE’ 50 floor teleportation at the OUB Centre (one of the tallest
skyscrapers located in the heart of the Central Business District),
surrounded by almost 10,000 people in the audience! The “Impossible
Teleportation” is truly South East Asia’s first-ever “Mega Illusion” and
this grand event was captured by several TV networks and appeared in
many media outlets across Asia.
JC told magicseen of his idea behind the monstrous illusion! “The
mega illusion was an attempt to bring the grandeur and scale of grand
illusion back to the forefront amidst the current new wave of ‘Street
Magic’”. Judging by the 9000-strong audience reaction and the publicity
the mega illusion generated, it was a major success! It was covered by
all the national press in Singapore and subsequently picked up by media
outlets throughout the world, including all the popular magic news wires.
Says JC, “The mega illusion was the talk of the town here with
discussions on Internet forums, blogs of spectators, newspapers and
radio stations.
The biggest difficulty was pulling off the mega illusion live, in real
time while surrounded by thousands of people. There were multiple
potential points of failure due to the sheer scale and complex illusion
method employed. To top all this off, extremely bad, wet weather caused
many problems with major delays in set-up and even damaged key
apparatus that we rebuilt 2 hours before the mega illusion started. But
in the end, we pulled it off big-time!” Brilliant, as usual, JC! For more
photos taken at the event, please visit www.jcsum.com/megaillusion
ROYLE’S GONEGIVEAWAYBARMY!Dr. Jonathan Royle has decided
to teach all magicseen readers
the Art of Hypnosis for FREE as
detailed below.
To download FREE of charge
Royle's 513 Paged book
"Confessions Of A Hypnotist"
covering everything you will ever
need to know about Stage
Hypnosis (both real and fake),
NLP, Hypnotherapy and related
subjects please visit:
www.hypnotherapycourse.net
To watch numerous FREE
hypnotism training videos please
visit our link at:
http://www.youtube.com/user/Hy
pnotherapyCourse
Says Dr. Royle, “And should
you then decide that you want to
learn even more about Stage
Hypnosis, Mentalism, Mind
Control, NLP, Psychic
Entertainment & other related
subjects see our range at
http://www.hypnotherapycourse.n
et but save yourself many
££££/$$$$ by searching on
EBAY the auction site for the
following user names who are
authorised to sell my training
items at MASSIVE discounts! The
usernames to search are: 01)
jonathanroylehypnotist. 02)
greatoaks11, 03) hypnotictraining
and also 04) phonebill0
Well, you heard him! Now
don’t look into his eyes…
LIKE A BATOUT OF HULL!The North of England will witness
the first Hull Comedy Festival from
October 26 to November 9. Shows
will be held all over the city, with
ITV filming several of the events.
magicseen deputy editor Graham
Hey will be performing as part of a
double-bill with HypnoDog at Hull
University. Said Graham: “You know
your career is on the slide when
you’re below a black Labrador on
the bill!” How right he is! Graham
was hoping to perform his amazing
‘Smash & Stab’ routine with a
hamster, but his hamster is
currently under observation after
one of those ‘unforseen accidents’
during rehearsals.
Other performers include:
Russell Howard, The Live Naked
Idiots, Richard Coughlan, Lucy
Porter, Dan Nightingale, Ivan
Brackenbury, Ronnie Edwards,
Jade the Folk Singer, James
Sherwood, Agraman, Stewart Lee,
Frank Sidebottom, Jon Read,
Replica Goose Egg, Ladma,
Paullywood Productions, Slag
Brothers, The Green Helmets,
Trevor Lock, Andy Train, Hugh
Lennon & Hypnodog, John
Shuttleworth, Marty McClean,
David Glover, Dave McCue,
Stefano Paolini, Kevin Bland, Bill
Woolland, Dan Bland, Paul
Kitchen, Jay Ryan, Mick Sergeant,
Jean Stewart, Joseph Wilson, Hull
Blokes, Comedy Sportz, Justin
Moorhouse, Nique Woodhouse,
Kieran Leonard, Duncan Oakley,
Cracktown, Mike Belgrave, Stuart
Hudson, Ava Vidal, Hull Expressive
Arts Theatre, Terry Anne Scholes,
James Piekos and 80s Luke.
For information on all the acts
and booking information: please
visit: www.hullcomedy.co.uk
CRIME AT THE MAGIC CASTLE HOTELTMZ, the US news source, has revealed
that a female magician - part of an
ensemble of magicians who were
supposed to teach celebrities magic
tricks – was a victim of attempted rape
at a landmark Hollywood hotel. The
cast and crew were staying at the Magic Castle Hotel in Hollywood,
which is immediately next door to the illustrious Magic Castle, the
private club for magicians.
Police reportedly told TMZ that at 5:35am, the suspect entered
the victim's room, jumped on top of her and covered her mouth. The
victim fought off the suspect and he lost his cell-phone in the scuffle.
The police came, took the phone and used it as a ruse to lure him to a
nearby park where he was arrested. The woman magician in question
pulled out of the planned show for VH1 and the rest of the cast moved
out of the Magic Castle Hotel to alternative accommodation.
magicseen Issue No.17 November 2007
PAUL'S HOCUSPOCUS!Paul Kieve, the
UK’s leading
magical consultant
for movies and
stage has a new
book out by
Bloomsbury Press
in hardback (price £12.99)
entitled: Hocus Pocus - A Tale of
Magic and Magicians and their
Amazing Feats. The book tells the
story of a young magician who
gets too big for his boots after a
show goes particulalrly well. At this
point, a series of great magicians
from the past step out of the
posters on the boy’s wall, to show
him what great magic really is!
Described as a "fun, informative
and fact packed look at the golden
age of magic", the book sounds
like an excellent addition to your
magic collection. With a forward by
Daniel Radcliffe - who Paul Kieve
tutors on a one-to-one basis – the
book looks destined to do well
coming up to Christmas.
COMPETITIONWe have three signed copies of
Paul's new book, which you
could win by answering the
following question:
Name Three Productions of
stage or screen that Paul has
worked on as magical advisor.
(It's not very difficult!)
Email your answers to:
midnight, November 20th.
BIG NAMES AT SOUTH TYNESIDE!The South Tyneside International Magic Festival, organised by South Tyneside Council and Martin Duffy is truly
an international event, with big names scheduled to appear during the three day event from 14-16 March, 2008.
Martin Duffy tells us that Juan Tamariz is amongst a great line-up of top performers appearing. Others
include: Mel Mellers (big on laughs, big on glasses), John Archer (big on laughs, big on calories) and Alain Nu
(just big on talent!). Put these alongside Brando & Silvana (Spain), Charlie Frye & Co (USA), Terry Herbert (no
fixed abode) and others, and you have a winning formula! This event is rapidly becoming one of the 'must-attend'
conventions and has a reputation for being very professionally organised and friendly. For more details, visit:
www.southtyneside.gov.uk or email: [email protected] Tel: 0191 4247986
The event is supported by The Customs House and sponsored by those crazy kids at Magicbox.
NEWSQUICKIESFORTHEMAGICIANONTHEGO
18
ENTER THE MAGIC ZONE!!
Gary Young, owner of The Magic Zone and a dealer for over 11 years
welcomes you to his new website www.magiczoneenterprises.co.uk.
The site features tons of
commercial magic
products and dvds. Says
Gary: "I only sell products
that are commercial,
different and unique. If
you can't use them
professionally I won't sell
them. You will find magic
for all types of situations -
be it close up, corporate,
cabaret or children’s magic - it’s all here!" The site also features many
exclusive products.
Gary, who has been a magician for 20 years, also produces
corporate events and magic conventions and is a member of the
Magic Circle and professional performer - so he has extensive magical
experience. Before becoming a magic dealer he was involved in all
aspects of customer service and business - so assures his customers
of excellent service and friendly advice.
Watch this space for BIG BIG NEWS FOR NEXT YEARS 12TH
TOP SECRET MAGIC EVENT! www.topsecretmagicday.co.uk
HYPNODOG GOES TO THE MOVIESHugh Lennon & HypnoDog, who are featured in the Danny Wallace book:
'Yes Man' are to be featured in the movie of the book, currently being
filmed in the US. Jim Carey will play Danny Wallace, while it has not
been announced who will play Hugh & HypnoDog. We spoke to Hugh,
who said: "I have told Danny that we will expect to be invited to the
Premiere!" The book is available from all good bookshops. And one or
two that aren't good, as well! It's published by Ebury Press.
BOOK PAUL GORDON’S NEWCARD MAGIC LECTURE NOW!WALT LEES in Abra: “Paul Gordon
(during the Top Secret Day of
Magic workshop in 2007) held
some fifty people enthralled as he
demonstrated some items from
his books. In situations like this,
his command is phenomenal…
With his showmanship and
personality power he makes card
tricks entertaining and
meaningful…he has them hanging
onto his every word – not just for a
few minutes but for an hour or so!”
Watch Paul Gordon in action
LIVE – for FREE. Watch him work the
crowd as Walt Lees comments. See:
www.PaulGordon.net/download.htm
Telephone Today!
magicseen Issue No.17 November 200720
So You Want To...Market YourOwn Ideas
MARKETINGIDEAS
By Mark Leveridge
Open any magic magazine and
you will find many adverts from
dealers and magic shops
offering countless miracles for sale.
Go online and you could spend the rest
of your life trawling through the vast
number of magic related websites all
of which seem to have huge quantities
of magic for you to choose from. Some
consumers may well never stop to
consider how all this volume of magic
comes to the marketplace, but for
others it can become a source of
fascination, especially if they have an
item or two which they would like to
add to the world's inventory of
marketed magic. As a magic dealer
myself I quite often get people
contacting me for advice about how to
market magic, and so we decided that
we would give magicseen readers a
run down of what is involved so that if
you are considering taking the plunge,
you'll do so with your eyes wide open!
Let's imagine that you have had an idea for a
trick and you want to market it. The first thing
you need to consider is why do you want to
market it? Is it:
a) because it's a great idea and you want to
lay claim to the origination of the
concept?
b) because you want to get your name
known more widely?
c) because you want to make lots of money?
d) because it's part of a wider plan to
become a magic supplier?
There may be other reasons, but for the
sake of argument we will now look at these
four common ones.
a) It’s a Great Idea...
Magic has a very long
and diverse history and
many thousands of
magicians have spent
a huge amount of time
inventing and refining
magical ideas. So
before you go about
proclaiming the rights to any idea you need to
try to assess whether there is anything the
same or at least very similar which is already
available. The last thing you want is to spend
a lot of time and money bringing through a
trick for sale only to discover that the exact
same thing has been in Davenport's
catalogue since 1921! Great minds do think
alike, but unless you have a reasonable
magical knowledge, you may waste a lot of
energy re-inventing the wheel. Apart from the
inconvenience and expense of putting out an
effect that already exists, there is also the
problem of the bad feeling that it generates if
potential customers think you have simply
created a rip-off version of something.
The best way to avoid this situation is to
have a chat with one or two knowledgeable
magic friends and see if your idea has been
done before. Being well read yourself or
being aware of what is going on in the magic
world will help you to avoid the trap, although
nothing can ever be 100% certain. People
often ask whether it is possible to patent a
trick, but to be honest that is almost
impossible. Most magic is derivative - i.e. it is
based to a greater or lesser extent on what
has come before - and since an item would
need to be unique, it's very unlikely that what
you have come up with will be eligible for
patent protection. So, if your reason for
marketing your idea is to stick your flag in the
magical north pole, be sure that you are
entitled to do so first.
b) Get Your Name Known...
For some people magic is a route to good self
esteem and self importance. Some people
achieve this through becoming the president
of the Magic Circle or IBM, others seek to
release their ideas in order to build up some
street cred for themselves amongst their
magical peers. If this is your sole motivation,
then I suggest you need a re-think. There are
...if you genuinelywant to become atrader then I canthink of no betterexcuse for marketingyour own products.
www.magicseen.co.uk 21
easier ways to publicise yourself than going to
the trouble of marketing products. Writing
articles for magazines, taking part in magic
bulletin boards, performing at conventions,
all these are more suitable for self-promotion
than trying to add to the pile of marketed
magic.
c)
c) Make Lots of Money...
Dream on! OK, every once in a while someone
comes along with something like D'Lite or
Cardtoon, and they make a mint, but as a
general rule you have to remember that magic
is a minority interest and as such achieves, in
broad commercial terms, a very small return,
since the sales volumes are not really there to
be had. That's not to say you can't make
money selling magic, but it's a moot point as
to whether you can consistently make LOTS of
money. It is not the easy cash cow that you
may think it is, so don't be seduced by seeing
money being taken hand over fist by Practical
Magic at the IBM Convention - all is not
necessarily as it seems!
d) A Wider Plan...
Not
everybody
wants to be a
magic dealer
(despite what
you might
think at
times!) but if you do fancy making a part or
full time living selling magic products then
having some marketable ideas of your own is
a very good thing. Because there is so much
choice for customers today it's wise to create
a business which offers something that
others cannot supply, and having exclusive
items is one way to achieve this. Establishing
a successful magic dealership takes time,
money and patience, so don't expect instant
results, but if you genuinely want to become
a trader then I can think of no better excuse
for marketing your own products.
If receiving a fee you justaccept that you havebeen paid for the productand as such your interestin its success is largely atan end.
I Want To Go Ahead -HOW DO I DO IT?
1
Broadly speaking there are three ways to get
your product out there.
Sell the idea to an establisheddealer for a fee or a royalty
Advantages - no risk on your part. If
receiving a fee you just accept that you have
been paid for the product and as such your
interest in its success is largely at an end.
The dealer has the worry of trying to
manufacture it and make a financial success
of it. So, this is a very easy way to achieve
your aim. This is most suitable for those
whose motivation comes under categories a)
and/or b) as shown above. If receiving a
royalty you should at least derive a benefit
according to the product's sales success,
which means that if you have come up with a
blockbuster, you may do quite well out of it
for little effort on your part.
Disadvantages - you do lose control of the
product. Once you've handed it over and been
paid a sum of money, the purchasing dealer is
then free to do whatever he wants with it. He
may change it in a way that you don't approve
of or he may not give you the credit for the
idea in his publicity and on his packaging (a
bit of a blow for those of you who come under
a) or b) above!). He may produce the item to a
quality standard that you are unhappy with.
But there is nothing much you can do about
any of this. If you are on a royalty deal you
have to rely on the honesty and good
bookkeeping of the dealer concerned as there
is no practical way for you to ensure that you
are receiving your just payments.
Give The Idea To A MagazineFor Publication
Advantages - if your idea is not very unique
but is a very worthwhile variation on an
established theme then getting your slant on
it published is an excellent way of
establishing yourself as the originator of the
variation. Magazines such as magicseen are
registered publications and have to submit
copies of every issue to the Serial
Publications Libraries in the UK and so
anything you publish through us is kept as an
official record. So at a later date you can
2
prove both the date of your idea being
published and the fact that it was you. Ideal
for a) and b) people. Any routine or idea
which does not require special props is good
for a publication.
Disadvantages - once you've published it a
dealer will not be interested in marketing it
for you as well. The secret is out and thus it
loses its commercial value as a stand alone
product. Also, magazines do not generally
pay any sort of fee for contributions, so
people from category c) should certainly not
go down this route. The copyright for the
article is also usually held by the magazine it
appears in so if you wish to include it in a
future set of lecture notes or in a book
elsewhere, you will need to get the
authorisation of the magazine publishers.
Market The Trick Yourself
Advantages - you retain total control over how
the product is advertised, what it sells for and
the quality of the item itself. You get to keep
all the profits the item makes for as long as
you continue to sell it. When talking about the
trick or demonstrating it, because you
invented it, you have a thorough
understanding of how it works and can offer
knowledgeable insights to interested
customers. Each one that you sell gives you a
personal satisfaction because it is your own
product.
Disadvantages - you take all the risks. You
have to fund the manufacture, raw materials,
advertising and other associated costs. If the
product does not sell well, you may lose
money. You have to be very pro-active about
letting people know that your product exists
as it will often succeed or fail on the
effectiveness of your advertising.
3
magicseen Issue No.17 November 2007 22
Here are some of the issues that you will
need to address if you want to set yourself
up to sell magic.
Premises
The ease with
which one can
set up a
website these
days has
meant that
many new
'players' have come into magic as internet
only dealers. However, occasionally some
enterprising souls do open a bricks and
mortar shop. If you want to do that then
obviously you need to find a suitable
premises. Depending on the emphasis of the
business (whether it is going to be only a
magic shop, or as is more common I suspect,
a magic and joke shop/costume hire place),
you will either need a building that has the
potential for passing trade (if you are
establishing the latter type of business), but
if it's a magicians only place then location
may not be quite such an issue. There are
huge overheads associated with funding a
real building, so you need to generate some
significant cash flow in order to afford it.
Internet/mail order only
These days it is
relatively easy to
create a website,
even a selling site.
You can either
purchase off the
shelf software packages to get you started or
you can pay an internet company to design it
for you. The first way is cheaper, but you do
have to take the time and trouble to learn
how to use it, the second way will probably
produce a more professional looking and
working end result, but it can be expensive
and if you can't update it yourself, it can be
frustrating trying to keep it current. If you do
set up a commercial website on your own, be
aware that there are certain regulations that
you need to be aware of and implement if
you are trading over the internet, and if your
website does not comply you might fall foul
of the law. At the very least, it would be
1
2
sensible to get some professional legal
advice first before you start so that you get
things correct from the outset.
Mail order gives you a lot of things to
think about. You need to consider packaging,
postage, general paperwork and a host of
other small but highly relevant things.
Remember, to do well at the mail order
business you should aim to be efficient and
speedy with your response to orders and
keep thorough backup paperwork so that you
are in a position to deal with the problems
that do occur when trying to service
customers via the post. Magicians have a
vast range of dealers to choose from these
days - the internet has meant that you are
not just in competition with your national
competitors, but also with your international
competitors - so to succeed you need to
be at least as good as the rest, and
preferably better!
Being A Convention Only Dealer
Some people prefer
not to dabble with
either of the above
but instead to simply
buy a dealer stand at
some conventions
and trade just over
the counter at those. There are plenty of
events to choose from, some being better
for trade than others. Certainly, there is rarely
a sure fire event at which you can guarantee
to take sensible amounts of money, but it's
a good way to get started and to get your
face known.
3
...to succeed youneed to be at least asgood as the rest, andpreferably better!
MARKETINGIDEAS
How To BecomeA Magic Dealer
Letting AnEstablishedDealer MarketYour IdeaFor most people, the idea of going it alone
with their idea(s) is a bit daunting, and so
many inventors prefer to approach an
established dealer they trust instead.
To help you with this, we approached a
selection of UK dealers and asked them for
their advice to would-be magic creators.
Here is the advice from those who chose
to respond.
Merlins Of Wakefield
Contact: Phil Peters and Mark Lee
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 01924 339933
What kind of deal will you get for your idea
from Merlins? Would depend on the product
and cost of manufacture and distribution. It
would also depend on whether the idea was
original or just a re-hash of a current product.
Will Merlins manufacture the item or will
you need to supply it ready-made? Again
depends on the product. In the past Merlins
have done both - everything is negotiable!
Must your idea be for a stand alone product
or could it be DVD material? Mainly
interested in stand alone items but they
would be interested in DVD material if it was
of the right quality.
What advice would Merlins give aspiring
inventors to increase their chances of
success? Try to be totally original in your
thinking. A great idea/concept will be easily
taken on by one of the reputable dealers.
Also, don't expect to become rich, as the
magic market is relatively small, and
tricks/effects/DVD's have a small shelf life,
so you need to keep coming up with new
ideas all the time to get anywhere.
www.magicseen.co.uk 23
Why should you go to Merlins rather than
one of the other dealers? They have been in
business for over 12 years as magic dealers,
and have been performers for 20 years. They
have marketed over 30 effects for the likes
of Ali Bongo, Steve Cook, Al Smith, Liam
Carroll and have their own exclusives. They
have a vast knowledge of the history of
magic, and can usually advise if an effect
has been done before.
Alakazam Magic UK
Contact: Peter Nardi and Mark Elsdon
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 01233 663636
What kind of deal will you get for your idea
from Alakazam? Depends on several factors.
Usually they pay a set fee, the amount being
dependent on the type of product, the
projected sales figures and the profile of the
creator. They are, however, always open to
negotiation for the right product.
Will Alakazam manufacture the item or will
you need to supply it ready-made? They are
set up to manufacture everything required
from scratch. They would, however, expect
the inventor to bring along a working
prototype of the idea. Sketches on the back
of an envelope won't cut it!
Must your idea be for a stand alone product
or could it be DVD material? Very interested
in both. On the DVD front Alakazam have
released DVDs by a number of top
performers such as Marc Spelman, John
Archer, Mark Elsdon, Andy Nyman and
others, plus they have numerous single trick
DVDs on the market too.
What advice would Alakazam give aspiring
inventors to increase their chances of
success? Be well read and be aware of what
material is already out there. Bring them
material that has been honed over hundreds
of performances. Don't be in a hurry to
release tricks. They get sent so many tricks
and ideas that are identical to other items,
but the creators don't know it because they
have only been involved in magic for a couple
of years (and in some crazy instances a
couple of months!). Finally, bring them a
finished, workable effect, NOT a great idea
that you think might work...
Why should you go to Alakazam rather than
one of the other dealers? Alakazam have a
great reputation worldwide as an innovative,
expanding company that focuses on
releasing their own line of successful
products. As a result, many of the UK's top
creators release their material exclusively
through them. They're fun to work with and
love to see new ideas that excite them and
that they can market to help creators raise
their profile. It's a win - win situation.
The Merchant of Magic
Contact: Dominic Reyes
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 02392 252220
What kind of deal will you get for your idea
from Merchant Of Magic? They like to work
in partnership with the inventor, together
developing the product and handling the
manufacture, marketing, advertising and
distribution. They take a commission from
each unit sold and the rest goes to the
inventor. They have found this profit share
approach to be very popular, but if an inventor
insists that they simply would like to sell the
rights, they will quote for that way too.
Will Merchant Of Magic manufacture the
item or will you need to supply it ready-made?
They are very flexible on this. If the inventor
wishes to produce the item themselves and
allow Merchant Of Magic to deal with the
distribution and marketing, that is fine.
However, the business is set up also to take
on the entire project if required. The goal is
to have a finished product which reflects
the creator.
Must your idea be for a stand alone product
or could it be DVD material? Both are
very acceptable as long as it is good
strong magic.
What advice would Merchant Of Magic give
aspiring inventors to increase their
chances of success? Try to think outside of
the box. Don't follow trends producing just
another variation of the current 'in vogue'
effect. If possible film a quick rough demo of
the effect so they can see its potential.
Why should you go to Merchant Of Magic
rather than one of the other dealers? They
don't try to take the 'rights' off you. It’s your
creation and should not be simply sold off for
a quick buck. The Merchant of Magic is
looking to be a partner in the development of
your new effect. You bring the original idea to
the table, and they supply the production,
marketing, distribution and get your name
out there worldwide. As an established
company they work to raise your profile as a
creative magician, rather than simply sticking
their name all over the trick. It's a long term
relationship bringing in long term income,
rather than a quick token payoff, and a total
loss of control over your own work.
The Lebanon Circle
Contact: Dan Baines
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 07506 733173
What kind of deal will you get for your idea
from The Lebanon Circle? They will try to
come to a mutually beneficial agreement
with the inventor, this usually culminating in
a royalty arrangement.
Will The Lebanon Circle manufacture the
item or will you need to supply it ready-
made? The Lebanon Circle like to see a
prototype but would usually then build the
marketed product themselves. However, if a
top quality item was supplied ready made
they would certainly be happy to consider it.
Must your idea be for a stand alone product
or could it be DVD material? The company
sells dark, gothic Victoriana with a splash of
the grotesque, so if a creator has something
suitable for this very niche market, they will
always be pleased to consider it.
What advice would The Lebanon Circle give
aspiring inventors to increase their
chances of success? You need vision,
motivation and design realisation skills.
There will be many ways to achieve the final
effect you’re after so explore all of them.
Once you have perfected the design let some
people in the industry ‘test pilot’ it for you.
Once everyone is happy you’re then ready to
market the effect. Look at it this way, if you’re
a budding singer would you send a cassette >>
magicseen Issue No.17 November 200724
recording of your performance at ‘The Dog
and Duck’ to Simon Cowell or would you
invest in some studio time and get the best
recording possible? Whether you’re a
musician, actor or magic inventor, the
principles of getting noticed are the same,
don’t cut corners and have faith in yourself!
Why should you go to The Lebanon Circle
rather than one of the other dealers?
Their effects are limited edition and custom
built. If you want your effect to be available to
every man and his dog around the world
you’re best approaching a main magic dealer.
If you want to create a unique and sought
after item then The Lebanon Circle is the one
to approach. The financial benefits will be
less than going through a main magic dealer
but the feeling of creating a unique magical
work of art far outweighs this.
Practical Magic
Contact: Jeremy and Cheryl Le-Poidevin
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 01691 690789
What kind of deal will you get for your idea
from Practical Magic? Different
arrangements are on offer to suit the
originator. These may be a lump sum, goods
in kind, a royalty or a combination of more
than one. A contract of the agreed payment
and terms is always drawn up to avoid any
confusion and the originator is always
credited for the item.
Will Practical Magic manufacture the item
or will you need to supply it ready-made?
They like to manufacture themselves as they
have access to artists, woodworkers, silk
screeners etc.
Must your idea be for a stand alone product
or could it be DVD material? Can accept
both but the stand alone product is the
norm. They find it is more difficult to quantify
the value of material for a DVD.
What advice would Practical Magic give
aspiring inventors to increase their
chances of success? Ask yourself these
questions about your idea. Is this a product
which you would buy yourself? Have you
road-tested it or did you think of it last night?
Have you thought of the practicalities of
performing it: if it's a close-up trick, can it be
easily re-set; if it’s a children’s trick, is it light
and durable and easily set up? Is this trick
quite different to anything else on the market
or, at least, a significant variation?
Why should you go to Practical Magic rather
than one of the other dealers? They are
ethical: that’s important to them and to you.
They know their market (which is largely magic
for children’s entertainers) and would direct you
elsewhere if they thought the idea was good but
not in their field. Take a look at the quality and
the artwork of their other products. Ask
children’s entertainers who they would go to.
The Magic Zone
Contact: Gary Young
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 01305 820618
What kind of deal will you get for your idea
from The Magic Zone? They like to pay the
inventor for the rights.
Will The Magic Zone manufacture the item
or will you need to supply it ready-made?
This would depend on the product, but it
would be discussed with the inventor.
Must your idea be for a stand alone product
or could it be DVD material? They are happy
to accept both.
What advice would The Magic Zone give
aspiring inventors to increase their
chances of success? The idea should be
something that is commercial, simple and
practical, plus ideally be a bit different from
what is already available.
Why should you go to The Magic Zone
rather than one of the other dealers?
They specialise in selling unique, commercial
and different products and will only add
an item to their range if it is commercial
and useable.
Shop4Magic
Contact: Dave Taylor
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 01568 615882
What kind of deal will you get for your idea
from Shop4Magic? They usually encourage a
50/50 split with the inventor. So the costs of
them supplying the materials for the trick are
split as are the profits from sales. They will,
however, discuss other types of deal if required.
Will Shop4Magic manufacture the item or
will you need to supply it ready-made? The
creator needs to provide a prototype of the
product and then the company works with
the inventor to develop the idea.
Must your idea be for a stand alone product
or could it be DVD material? Stand alone
products only as Shop4Magic do not produce
their own DVDs.
What advice would Shop4Magic give
aspiring inventors to increase their
chances of success? Always give credit if the
idea is a variation. Don't just tell a dealer you
have an idea, build up a rapport with him
and offer to help develop the idea. If you
have identified a new market, exploit it with
the dealer. Don't give up after one idea and
don't be offended if a dealer says no. Most
dealers love new ideas but many things have
been done years before, so research before
you approach anyone.
Why should you go to Shop4Magic rather
than one of the other dealers? Shop4Magic
love new ideas and will work their hardest to
make a profit for both you and them. They
always encourage creators and split costs
realistically so as not to take advantage of
the inventor.
MARKETINGIDEAS
>>
...it should be somethingthat is commercial, simpleand practical, plus ideallybe a bit different from whatis already available.
...always give credit if
the idea is a variation.
NEWSQUICKIESFORTHEMAGICIANONTHEGO
www.magicseen.co.uk 25
World Magic Shop
Contact: Costas or Jim Owners
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 0808 178 5959
What kind of deal will you get for your idea
from World Magic Shop? They like to judge
each effect on its merit and then decide
whether to pay an upfront amount to the
inventor or whether to agree a royalty.
Will World Magic Shop manufacture the item
or will you need to supply it ready-made? Yes,
they like to take over the entire manufacturing
process from the original effect drawing or plan
through to the marketed product.
Must your idea be for a stand alone product
or could it be DVD material? World Magic
Shop are open to suggestions for both, they
simply stipulate that the inventor must have
the intellectual property rights to any idea
that they put forward so that these can be
assigned to them first.
What advice would World Magic Shop give
aspiring inventors to increase their
chances of success? Keep ideas and
methods as simple as possible in order to
make the product attractive to everyone from
beginners to more experienced workers.
Why should you go to World Magic Shop rather
than one of the other dealers? They promise to
put everything into the new effect throughout the
whole creation process and when it is ready for
the marketplace they will launch and sustain the
product through stylish branding and advertising
so that the effect is carried by the many dealers
around the world who carry World Magic Shop
products. They also have password protected
forums where genuine purchasers can exchange
ideas on the item too. ms
So, Get Inventing!We hope that this magicseen guide has been
useful to all you budding creators of new magic
out there, so if you have a products or products
that you want to release, you now have some
information to get you started. If you are a
reader who has already taken the plunge and
marketed some ideas, why not send us an
email and tell us what you did and how it went?
If it's interesting and relevant, we might run a
follow up piece next time. Send your stories to
SANKEY'S BIGRE-LAUNCH!magicseen cover star and all round good egg
Jay Sankey is launching a ‘dramatically
re-vamped’ website in November, where die
hard fans will be able to purchase refills for
many of the most popular Sankey Magic
tricks as well as check out ‘Jay’s Blog’ and
the new ‘Inner Secrets Forum’. Keep tuning in
to see exactly what’s going on in Sankeyville!
www.sankeymagic.co.uk
NICE PHOTO!Paul Zenon, Lee Mack and Harry Hill were all
carried shoulder high out of the auditorium
after a storming gig recently at The Theatre
Royal, Brighton. OK, we’re exaggerating a bit
there. Paul Zenon was carried out, under the
influence! Seriously, the ‘On the Bus’ show was
a huge success and Paul has now flown off to
Marrakesh and Madrid – and will then be off
to Cape Town in November. Also, the busiest
man in magic has just recorded some more
appearances for the TV show Countdown
which will be aired during Halloween week.
MAGIC MOMENTS DAY – SATURDAY 2ND FEBRUARY 2008
The ‘Red Nose Day’ of the Magic Community!
Magic! It’s a word that holds infinite
possibility, it’s something that brings about
the power of laughter and wonder and sets
imaginations on fire.
Magic Moments Day is a revolutionary
concept where magicians across the UK can
bring a moment of magic into the lives of
others on a specified day of the year. The
next Magic Moments Day is Saturday 2nd
February 2008. By downloading a
sponsorship form from our dedicated
website, raising money for your chosen
charity and performing to an audience of
your choosing on that day, magicians
nationwide can raise funds, smiles and
awareness of magic and charitable causes.
Magicians we need you! To take part in Magic Moments 2008 please
visit our website (launching 17-11-07) where
you will find full information and support to
help you raise money through performing at a
venue of your choice. Perhaps you are a
children’s magician and would like to perform
at a local children’s hospital to raise funds for
new equipment? Maybe you are a silent
magic act and a home for the elderly would
welcome your skills? Perhaps as a close-up
magician you could perform at a local
restaurant raising money for your chosen
charity? No matter whether you are a novice
or full-time professional, Magic Moments
2008 needs you!
Full information, sponsorship forms,
support, fund-raising ideas, hints and tips are
all on www.MagicMoments08.com. We will be
covering all of the events taking place that
day so make sure you inform of us of where
you are performing and your chosen charity.
www.MagicMoments08.com – Launching
17-11-07. Check it out and see what shows
have already been planned!
Magic Moments is a non-profit concept.
Become a Friend of Magic Moments – visit
www.MagicMoments08.com.
THE SESSION 2008!Andi Gladwin and Rob James inform us that
Chad Long, Tom Stone and Matthew J.
Dowden have already been booked for The
Session on 26-27 Jan 2008. More names will
be announced soon, so visit:
www.sessionconvention.com for regular
updates!
magicseen Issue No.17 November 200726
Q: How important is it to be versatile? Can you
make a decent living as a specialist in one
area of magic?
I think it is very important to be versatile as
people I think demand much more for their
money, plus the more you can offer the more
chance of being busy as I always am. I do
think you can make a decent living as a
specialist, but you must be at your very best.
Q: You do everything from juggling, kids, cabaret,
stand-up, illusion - how do you manage to juggle
that lot? Are you ever conscious of being seen
as a ‘jack-of-all-trades’?
Being busy doing all kinds of things makes
life very interesting as one day I can be
working a large venue as a cabaret stand-up,
act the next day I could be doing a child’s
birthday party, to me it’s all work and I enjoy
all of it, so yes I am a jack-of-all-trades.
Q. What are your views on agents? Do you
market yourself?
Agents, a good question! I have worked for
very good ones, and yes as everybody knows
some bad, but sometimes you have to go
with it, but most of my work comes from
recommendations, which is very flattering. I
think it is very important to be a member of
equity as I have been for many years.
Q: How would you sum up your own performing
style?
I like to think my performing style is fast,
fresh and funny. I was told by a very good
magician to use your magic as a way to
entertain, but let your personality come
through.
Q: Best night ever? (magic only, Paul!)
One of my best remembered night would be
working close up to a room full of millionaires
with just me, a pack of cards, some coins
and rope and bringing the house down! What
a good night… but there have been many.
Q: Worst night?
Worst night, I try not to have them.
Q: Where do you see yourself in five years time?
In 5 years I hope to still be working as I am
today, but maybe in TV, have my own TV
programme…films…who knows?
Q: Who are your own influences?
My own Influences would be Paul Zenon by a
long way. I just love his style. I would so much
like to be able to meet up with him!
Also people like Ted Lumby and the late
Len Blease both played a big part for me.
Ted Lumby has always been there for me,
always ready to help and what a great pro he
is. Thanks Ted!
Q: Favourite magic book?
Fav magic book? It has to be Mark Wilson’s
complete course in magic, such a good book
to get you started in magic.
Q: Favourite magic DVD?
I have to say The Art of Hopping Tables, by
Mark Leveridge, because there is so much
magic, and the art of performing to people on
their terms. You can learn so much from that
DVD. A must have.
*Please note, Paul Pleasants and Mark Leveridgeare not related!
Paul Pleasants is one of the busiest working professionals in the business. A past
winner of The Hickson Cup for Stage Magic as a member of the Ipswich Magical Society,
where he is still a member, Paul has been described as a ‘human dynamo’ and is an
accomplished and versatile magician. We managed to grab five minutes with Paul, just
before he nipped out to do another show….
PAUL’SREADY FORANYTHING!
PAULPLEASANTS
Paul Pleasants may have found the career
direction he is happy with, but there are many
out there who are uncertain. We asked Paul
Zenon to give us some potted advice for
those performers just starting out on the
professional ladder.
I think that anyone starting out should try as
many types of magic as possible in front of as
many audiences as possible - there is no
substitute for 'stage time'. A major factor is
finding an individual style and character that
plays to your strengths. I'd suggest getting a
close friend, preferably several (separately), and
ask them to be genuinely honest, if not brutal,
about what they think are your strengths and
weaknesses in terms of personality, social
interaction and dress. Also what they think sets
you apart from their other friends. This should
give you a good idea of how you actually appear
to the world rather than how you think you do.
You've only got to see a videotape of yourself
caught doing your 'cool' expression to realise
that it might actually look like you've got a
nervous affliction. Sadly, although many
performers are David Copperfield, Lance Burton
or Derren Brown in their heads, they might more
closely resemble Joe Pasquale or the geek
magician from League of Gentleman in reality.
There's nothing more ludicrous than a middle-
aged bloke with a paunch doing that illusionist
leg-flick thing to a Phil Collins soundtrack or a
seventeen year-old doing mentalism as a
brooding Lord of the Rings sage-type character.
At the end of the day, your stage persona should
really be an exaggerated version of the real you,
minus some of the bad bits. Simple though that
sounds, it's hard to do as it's almost impossible
to be objective about yourself. Once you've
discovered your character and what sets you
apart from other performers, then the props and
costume that you might be wearing should
almost suggest themselves. And the tricks -
that's by far the easiest bit! ms
magicseen Issue No.17 November 200730
Still a priest by title, Mark is certainly
doing all the right things to market his
new career, as both The Financial
Times and The Independent newspapers
recently carried his story and news - publicity
usually only reserved for Derren Brown or
stuntmeister David Blaine!
Mark told magicseen of a series of new
projects. “I have another book soon to be
published, called: The Wizard’s Gift - with a
Foreword by Kenton Knepper. I am also now
a member of Kenton’s S.E.C.R.E.T
school which means he, I, and his other
handful of students, occasionally bring out
new mentalist / hypno material for the
magical fraternity.”
‘The Church’s Uri Geller’, as he is known,
is soon to begin a twelve month series in the
Budget (2008) called Magic of Soul and is
also in the early stages of organising a Magic
of Soul lecture tour for 2008. Rave reviews
greeted his first performance of the lecture at
the Hereford Society of Magicians recently,
and it sounds like Mark has a winner on his
magical hands!
Says Mark: “I will be sharing many new
and very different mental effects and
routines and also offering advice on subjects
like ‘Finding / Creating your Magical Persona’
and ‘Using Failure Creativity.‘
Mark already has a few well respected
fans, including Eugene Burger, who says:
“Mark’s style of magic is concerned with
bringing wonder back to life. He combines his
own priestly traditions with magical effects and
ancient myth and metaphors, thus creating
performances that touch people deeply”.
“I know I have a ‘message’ that could
help unlock hidden dreams and untapped
magical talents in aspiring performers. I see
what we do as ‘vocational’, not in a religious
way, but in the sense that we have a really
deep and beautiful role to play in
our disenchanted and screwed up world. We
can re-connect our audiences to their own
inner magic. What could be more of a
privilege than having that as our role in life?”
But how does Mark’s wife Jodie feel
about this change of occupation? “I have
always known that Mark is as much a
magician as he is a priest. I’m with him all
the way! Yes it’s kinda scary at times (we’ve
only just got married and we will soon have
nowhere to live and very little money) BUT I
believe in him and his MAGIC. He is able to
make miracles happen for so many people,
so now maybe it’s our turn.”
If societies/organisations wish to find out
more details, email Mark:
via his website www.magicofsoul.com
A Country Lifeby Brian Viner
‘Mark conducted a harvest festival service,
and when he opened his Bible, lots of paper
butterflies flew out’
Some years ago I had a book containing
some of the strangest problems ever
submitted to agony aunts and advice
columnists, and one of them, I remember,
was from a bus driver who wanted pointers
on how to become a shepherd.
I thought of this interesting career move
the other day when I met Mark Townsend,
the 40-year-old former vicar of
Leominster, who a couple of months
ago resigned from the clergy to
become a full-time magician.
Actually, ministering and magic
have more in common than buses
and sheep. There are some who
MARKTOWNSEND
Priest Prays for success as professionalMind-Magician!
Around a year ago, magicseen carried the story of Mark Townsend whocombined mind-magic with his everyday duties as a priest. Since then, family-man Mark has thought long and hard about his future and decided to take theexciting and bold step of leaving the Ordained Priesthood to pursue a career asa professional mind-magician.
www.magicseen.co.uk 31
reckon that Jesus himself must have been a
nifty illusionist, among other things, and if
that seems blasphemous, there is no doubt
that some of the tricks used by magicians
through the ages have also been used by the
more evangelical preachers. When I lived in
Atlanta, Georgia in the mid-1980s I went a
few times to Ebenezer Baptist Church, where
Martin Luther King had been ordained and
where his funeral took place. The then-pastor,
Joseph Roberts, was a remarkably dynamic
speaker with hypnotic powers; it was not
unusual to see visitors to Ebenezer Baptist
rising from the pews and walking forward, as
if in a trance, to receive his blessing.
Moreover, Mark himself used to deploy
sleight of hand during wedding ceremonies,
taking two pieces of rope, representing the
bride and groom, and making them one. I’d
love to have seen that. When I think of some
of the marriage ceremonies I have sat
through, a little bit of magic would have come
as a blessed relief.
Mark also conducted a harvest festival
service for my children’s primary school at
the village hall a few years ago, and when he
opened his Bible, lots of paper butterflies
flew out. The kids were agog, indeed our
friend Jane was moved to tears to see their
little faces aglow with wonder.
Clearly, Mark never exactly matched the
prototype of the country vicar: an earring and
the short, wiry frame of an ex-footballer
instead of pince-nez and comfortable pink
rotundity. Nor did some people approve of his
interest in magic; even now he occasionally
gets cranky anonymous letters from someone
accusing him of satanism, and only last week
there was a letter in the Leominster Journal,
denouncing him as a heretic.
To make up my own mind I invited him
round to my house, and it took me all of a
minute to conclude that he is full of the milk
of human kindness, to use a biblical
expression. He is also, to use a non-biblical
expression, one hell of a spoon-bender. I
once had a private spoon-bending
demonstration from the doyen of that
profession, Uri Geller (outside whose home in
Berkshire there is a sign saying ‘Bend in
Road’ on which some wag once scrawled
‘nice one Uri’), and I can report that Mark
does it just as well.
Anyway, he is still a committed Christian,
but left the Church because he wanted to
convey “what I feel about life to a bigger
audience”. As well as doing standard magic
shows he will be going to Christian retreats
with his unique combination of spiritualism
and conjuring, and insists that they are
perfectly in harmony. “I see life as a total
mystery, full of magic and wonder,” he told
me. His website is called magicofsoul.com.
I called one of his former parishioners at
Leominster Priory, a man called David
Russell, who regretted Mark’s departure very
much. “As a vicar he was very inclusive, very
open-minded, always saw the good in
people,” Mr Russell told me. Apparently, he
used magic sparingly in sermons, but did
once recruit Mr Russell to help him with an
illusion involving a laundry-basket and some
fishing-wire, which required crouching out of
sight behind the pulpit. Mr Russell therefore
had to hide himself well before the service
began, and was spotted only by the choir,
who, used to a certain lack of convention,
showed few signs of surprise at the spectacle
of a man in an overcoat crawling up the
pulpit steps.
I suppose there were those in the
congregation - including the poison pen letter
writer, perhaps - who thought that such tricks
had no place in church. On the other hand,
Leominster Priory also houses the last
ducking-stool used in England, which might
be considered similarly irreligious.
Whatever, I can’t help feeling that
magic’s gain is the Church of England’s loss.
*Reproduced with kind permission of The
Independent.
JAYSANKEY
Jay Sankey has one of the biggest followings in the world of
magic. There are several reasons for this: He performs cool,
original effects with razor sharp wit and infectious enthusiasm,
he’s a brilliant innovator, releases quality tricks and possesses
something quite rare these days – charisma. Not only that, he
loves magicseen. The guy’s bloody perfect!
With his trademark cry: “BOOM!” he is still fresh, original and
unmissable after many years at the top. We are delighted to
bring you an exclusive interview with Jay Sankey, conducted for
magicseen by the brilliant David Acer…
IT’S THE REMARKABLE
Jay San34 magicseen Issue No.17 November 2007
DAVID ACER: First of all, I have to start by
asking you if you realise there’s a spelling
mistake in the title of your new educational
kidshow.
JAY SANKEY: [nods] I think, as more viewers
watch the show, they’ll get comfortable with
both ‘L’s.
DA: Is this the first TV you’ve ever done?
JS: [laughs] There’s a leading question. No, it
is not.
DA: What else have you done?
JS: [pauses to think]
DA: I remember there was that episode of
Matlock.
JS: [laughs] Well, when I used to do stand-up
comedy I taped a few different one-man
shows up here in Canada.
DA: “Up” relative to the U.S.
JS: Up relative to the Earth’s core. I also had
a bizarre weekly character on a national talk
show called Friday Night with Ralph
Benmurghi. I played this weird guy up in a
corner of the studio who was called… I forget
what he was called. I was a character who
was apparently in control of all the sound and
lights in the studio. Sort of like Radar O’Reilly,
but a cyber-guy.
DA: How long did that last?
JS: Too long.
DA: And that would be…
JS: I think about three, four months.
DA: But you didn’t do magic in that.
JS: No. No magic in any of that stuff.
DA: What about magic on television?
JS: The usual collection of, probably, twenty
or twenty five spots over the years. Everything
from breakfast television to telethons to talk-
shows as a magician, then later I did many of
those same shows as a comic. These are four
or five minute walk-on spots where you’re
doing a little magic or a little comedy.
DA: So when every magician with the means
is approaching broadcasters to get a David-
Blaine style show on the air, you decided to
pitch a kid’s show.
JS: That’s after pitching a David Blaine style
show… And a magic documentary show, and
a let’s-get-to-the-basis-of-wonder
documentary/psychology/sociology show,
trying to look at what is people’s experience
of wonder. When they find a goose in the
newspaper box they open that morning and
they know there’s no way that goose should
be there, what do they do with that? So I
pitched all these shows. And even the kids
show - I mention it to magicians and they go,
“Oh yeah, that must have been an easy sell.”
Nope. That wasn’t an easy sell either.
DA: So how did it finally sell?
JS: My dear friend and creative partner in
this show, David Peck, he’s always saying,
“well you know it comes down to
relationships”, and of course there’s more
truth to that than not in my opinion. And the
proof of that would be that he approached a
few different production companies and
when he approached GAPC he got a good
vibe off them, then he worked very diligently
over many months developing a relationship.
DA: Did he approach them initially about this
series in particular, or about doing a series in
general, then, through his relationship, came
to shape a series they would be interested
in? In other words did the relationship evolve
from the series or did the series evolve from
the relationship?
JS: The series evolved from the relationship,
because the first thing we used as a calling
card was my Amazing Magic Anybody Can Do
[a DVD on beginner’s magic that Jay put out for
the public]. They were impressed with me on
camera and thought I would be good with kids.
DA: So they wanted to develop something for
kids about magic.
JS: Right. And the rest of it was really about
brainstorming. That’s where we got the mix,
which in retrospect seems so obvious -
historical segments, teaching segments,
wacky magic segments. Different kinds of
things. So it was very much a collaborative
effort creatively, and it began with David
watering the relationship.
DA: How many episodes did you shoot?
JS: In the first season we shot 13 half-hours,
which, after previewing, they decided to
whittle down to one thirty-second spot.
[both laugh]
JS: No, they decided to cut them up into 26
11-minute shows.
DA: That’s an odd format. Do they have other
11-minute shows, or do they pair you up with
a really long shampoo commercial?
JS: GAPC and the broadcaster – TVO – have
other segment shows. Short segment, fast-
paced, for kids. That’s a style they’ve developed.
DA: Who’s Bridget?
JS: Bridget is my 16-year-old co host, and
JAYSANKEY
magicseen Issue No.17 November 2007 36
Pictures from left to right:
1. Early promo shot.
2. Performing at an outdoor corporate
gig for the Labatt’s Brewing company,
1989.
3. Jay with his son, Mason, 2005.
4. Working the streets in Toronto, 1980.
5. Lecturing at the U.S. magician’s
convention ‘Close Encounter of the
Magic Kind’, 1983.
Any number of adjectives could
be used to describe my old
friend Jay Sankey – intelligent,
creative, funny, unpredictable –
but even I would have to stretch
to get to “children’s entertainer.” Nothing in
his past, his performances, or his surgical use
of profanity would suggest a predisposition
for kidshows. And yet, despite this, he is now
the creator, producer and host of a brand new
Canadian television series called Spellz that’s
dedicated to teaching kids about the art of
magic. Naturally, this opens the door to a
variety of questions, like “is this one of the
Seven Signs of Armageddon?” While Biblical
scholars research the latter, let’s explore the
former via this interview conducted six weeks
after Spellz hit the airwaves.
www.magicseen.co.uk 37
she’s very much a co-host, because maybe
80 percent of the show takes place with
Bridget and me on set. The remaining 20
percent is either me or Bridget alone.
DA: What’s the show’s demographic?
JS: Fetus to sophomore.
DA: Are there a lot of fetuses watching?
JS: There’s a new kind of cable hook-up.
DA: Why have a co-host?
JS: We all seemed to agree that a young,
female co-host would help attract female
viewers, but also bridge the gap – excuse the
pun, because her name is Bridget – in age.
DA: So instead of teaching the viewer the
tricks, you teach Bridget and the viewer
learns with her.
JS: Repetition is a big part of helping kids
learn and make an emotional investment.
There are three or four different kinds of
segments in every show. It’s not like we
spend the whole show teaching tricks. I show
Bridget a trick. Bridget is impressed by the
trick. The second part is I teach Bridget how
the trick is performed. i.e., where you hold
your hands, when you look someone in the
eye, what you say and why you say it. Then
we cut to black-and-white footage, like old-
time movie footage, kind of grainy and
scratchy, of the Amazing Bridget, and she
now performs the trick for the camera.
DA: What if it’s a colour-change?
JS: [stares stone-faced]
DA: Okay, what kind of tricks do you teach?
JS: Standard beginner tricks we all learned
from Uncle Moses - two straws that melt
through each other, bending a spoon against
a table, rubbing a coin on your elbow and it
vanishes, the wobbly pencil. Tricks that are
visual, simple. Also, what’s clever and is
going to appeal to the imagination of a nine-
year-old.
DA: The wobbly pencil is a whole trick?
JS: Totally. The segments are fast. When I
perform a trick, it can be as short as 20
seconds but no longer than 45 or 50
seconds. They’re single, quick effects, and
only one per episode.
DA: What’s the difference between teaching
a trick and exposing a trick?
JS: Oh, everything. The difference between
educating and revealing is in the spirit in
which you do it, and it’s also in what the
viewer takes away. If the viewer takes away
knowledge of the methodology of a trick, but
no increase of respect, no increase of
comprehension, no sense of how to perform
the trick, it can only hurt magic.
DA: How do you stay true to that?
JS: We have historical segments where we
talk about the history of magic and I, my god,
was asked to act – I’m Dai Vernon, I’m
Houdini, I’m Malini. And there are also 30-
second segments where it’s just me talking
about things like patter, timing, practicing –
real psychology aspects of performing magic
for people. It’s very comprehensive and
extremely respectful of magic.
DA: Did the producers ever do, or shoot, or
ask for anything you vetoed?
JS: One of their cool ideas was to ask a
whole lot of kids in the Ottawa area to come
in and show us some tricks, and they taped
them. So they’ve got these total amateur,
sweety-pie, awkward, funny, overly serious
kids doing these tricks at the end of every
11-minute episode. Now if they flub them we
don’t use it, but on one of them a kid used a
thumbtip, but for two seconds, you could see
it, and it took us a long time to get the
production company and the network to
understand that that could not be kept in at
any price, that I would literally leave the
show. That’s an example of exposing without
education.
DA: My experience with young kids and magic
is, once they learn a trick – any trick – they
tend to think they know all tricks. Given that,
do you think you might be making the job of
kidshow magicians in Ontario harder?
JS: They asked me to do a promotional thing
for the show at a book festival here in
When they find agoose in thenewspaper box theyopen that morningand they knowthere’s no way thatgoose should bethere, what do theydo with that?
>>
magicseen Issue No.17 November 2007 38
JAYSANKEY
To them, the magic is not an end in itself. It’s
a means to an end. In fact, in the first season
we had a segment called Worldly Magic
where Bridget was the “empowered” one, and
she would teach Jay some stuff about
different kinds of magic that exists in the
world, like chameleons changing colour, and
how long do elephants live. But that segment
has been cut out for Season Two because
they have other shows that cover that kind of
stuff.
DA: Nature, or science, or natury science…
JS: More like scientific nature.
DA: So what’s new for Season Two?
JS: We’re adding a segment called “Make
and Do,” where kids at home get to make
things related to magic.
DA: Like what?
JS: Zig Zag Illusion… Asrah… Gimlet…
DA: Finger or head?
JS: Neither…
DA: Ouch!
JS: No, stuff like get a shoebox, put some
black felt on top, put a couple of dividers
inside, and voila, you’ve got your own magic
case you can bring around and perform on,
and apparently, Hank Lee is interested in
carrying these.
DA: [laughs] Are you worried about running
out of tricks?
JS: No.
DA: Why not?
JS: Because we haven’t even cracked open
the Mark Wilson book yet…
DA: [laughs]
JS: This reminds me of when people ask me
if I’ve created as many tricks as I can create.
There’s no shortage of magic material in the
world. Magic is an infinite well.
DA: But there’s a difference between material
that you create yourself and material that you
cull from the public domain, especially in
terms of what’s accessible for kids. Do you
plan on, at some point, creating original
magic for the show.
JS: Well, as I recall, in Season One we did some
stuff with a key card that was pretty fresh…
[both laugh uncontrollably]
JS: I have a trick called “Floater” [from
Sankey Panky, Kaufman, 1986] where you
make a deck of cards float that we’ll be using
in the second season.
DA: What else is going to be different in
Season Two?
JS: During the first season, I did a lot of
wacky, improvised stuff, and they kept very
little of it in, but then the broadcaster saw
some of it and they’ve specifically asked for
more of that in Season Two.
DA: How about getting guest magicians on
future shows?
JS: Like who?
DA: Michael Rubinstein?
JS: I think we have a mandate to use only
magicians with a Z in their names.
DA: I’ll call Ken Krenzel.
[both laugh]
DA: Usually when someone teaches magic on
TV, there’s some percentage of the magic
community that takes umbrage, or offense,
or whatever. Have you had any feedback of
that kind so far?
JS: I assumed there would be angry people in
some corner of the magic world once they
heard that I was sharing the secrets behind
the wobbly pencil. The show’s been on now
for almost two months and I did a count
three days ago of how many e-mails I
received from magicians complaining about
the fact that we reveal secrets.
MS: As a former stand-up comedian, do you
ever feel the desire to get back out
there doing your comedy?
JS: Since the day I walked off the stage of that
last comedy club I have never
missed it, not even for a moment. I learned an
enormous amount during the 8 years I went
from sweating through the 4 minutes of my
first amateur night to the excitement of closing
shows three or four nights a week, delivering
50 minutes as a seasoned headliner. But
there came a point when I either had to move
to Los Angeles or put my efforts in another
direction. And I never stopped doing magic
the entire time I did stand-up, so taking my
magic to an even deeper level of commitment
seemed like the natural thing to do. As for my
"comedy," I do that every day, and not just
during my magic performances. I do my
comedy when buying a cup of coffee, bumping
into someone at the gym, hanging out with
friends, meeting new clients, etc. I’ve come to
understand that my sense of humour is a
fundamental part of myself, at least as much
as my magic. Ultimately, they are two quite
similar perspectives (in form, if not content) as
well as coping mechanisms and ways of being
in the world.
MS: What did you most enjoy about ‘stand-up?’
JS: I love challenges. I love learning and
becoming stronger at something. I'm the sort
of person who, for better and worse, doesn't
enjoy being just OK at something. Whatever I
Mason, Jay & Lisa, 2005.
We got a bit jealousof David Acer askingall the questions, sowe decided to askJay a few ourselves.
Toronto. We had signed photos and all this
stuff and kids showed up. At one point I took
out a deck of cards and six kids shouted, “I
know this one.” I think that’s a reflection on
children, on knowledge. To me that’s not an
indictment on sharing magic. If nobody ever
shared the methods – and the method in
magic is not the invisible thread. That’s part
of the method. The method is the
presentation, the method is the personality,
the method is all these things. If nobody ever
shared any of this stuff, particularly in a
respectful spirit, magic would die. There
would be no magicians on the planet in 60
years. Surely the question is not, do we
share. The question is how do we share. So
one side is that magicians in Ontario may
have to deal with kids in their audience who
are more precocious, or more savvy, but on
the other side, five or ten years from now
there may be more amateur and professional
magicians enthusiastic about magic in
Ontario than ever before. I think that would
be a wonderful thing for magic.
DA: It seems like the mandate of both GAPC
and TVO is education, so they’re not interested
in pointless exposure. Is this basically just
another kind of science show for them?
JS: That’s right.
www.magicseen.co.uk 39
try my hand at, I'm driven to do whatever it
takes to excel. And from my very first
stand-up sets (where I was absolutely
horrible!) I loved the challenge of the craft.
The discomfort, the nerves, the flop sweats,
the “bombings.” All of it. And believe me, it
hurt a great deal. And that was a good thing
because it meant I really cared and risked
and tried. And I failed, many, many times.
But of course, the only real failing is in not
trying (someone, hit the gong!) so even
at the time I realised that I was succeeding
insofar as I was rising to challenges and
growing as a performer. As for what I enjoyed
about stand-up, well, really rocking crowds
was of course a lot of fun. I also loved trying
out new material and having it do well. There
was always a delicious sense of risk and
success with that.
MS: You’ve got £50 to spend as a total
magic novice. What do you buy?
JS: I'd suggest a real range of stuff. In the
beginning it's about finding material that
speaks to you, that for whatever reason
stokes your fire. To find that special material,
I think the complete beginner would do well
to expose him or herself to a bit of everything
and then really focus on the material that
excites and inspires them. So, buy a close-up
magic dvd, and a book about magic theory,
and a few decks of cards, and a mental
trick, etc. Try a bit of everything...and then
commit yourself, at least for a time, to a
single area or style of magic performance.
Focus is one of the true keys.
MS: In the bunker with Jay Sankey: There’s
a nuclear war under way, and besides your
family, you have time to take five objects
with you in to your shelter. What do you
take, and why?
JS: 1. Mason's "first year" dvd. Irreplaceable
and precious, and not just so my wife and I
can enjoy them, but also my children when
they are adults.
2. Madelaine's "first year" dvd. (See #1.)
3. One of my "magic ideas" folders.
4. One of my "cartoons" folders.
5. One of my "magic ideas" folders.
DA: And how many was it?
JS: Counting yours, none.
DA: Ah, but that’s before I sent the Magic
Circle episodes one through six.
JS: [laughs] I’d like to think that I’ve established
enough street cred so I can’t easily be written
off as some guy just trying to expose and exploit
magic. Maybe that’s why I haven’t received any
e-mails. Or maybe they’re just waiting.
DA: Or maybe their TVs don’t go up to
channel 850.
JS: That could be it.
DA: What about merchandising? Like Spellz
wobbly pencils.
JS: Absolutely. We’re working on the usual.
The website’s underway, DVDs are in the
works, t-shirts and mugs…
DA: Do kids buy a lot of mugs?
JS: They loves their Kool-aid smokin’ hot.
DA: What about a Spellz magic kit?
JS: I very much doubt it.
DA: Why?
JS: Because I hate them. They’re always filled
with the same plastic crap. What I would like
is a DVD that maybe comes with a deck with
the Spellz logo on the back.
DA: That’s not a kit. That’s a freakin’
promotional giveaway.
JS: Well what are you going to put in a magic
kit that has real, long-term learning value?
DA: Slush powder?
JS: No, I remember the kits I had. They’re fun,
but they lean more toward toys and novelties.
I mean, if I can come up with some really
special things from molded plastic, maybe,
but my temptation is to say no. Whatever
products come out will be the products I
think are the best way to really inspire, and
share, and teach magic, and I suspect it
won’t involve the pierced coin. ms
It’s competition time!!!We have four sets of Jay Sankey effects to be won which include: XL, About Face, Hundred
Dollar Miracles (DVD) and Paperclipped (special edition). There are some crackers here!
To win a set of these, visit Jay’s website and answer the following question: According to
Jay’s website – how many uses does the ‘Gemini Pouch’ have? Visit
www.sankeymagic.com and you will find riches beyond your wildest dreams.
Or something like that. Email answers to: [email protected] by midnight,
November 20th.
The method is the
presentation, the
method is the
personality, the method
is all these things.
magicseen Issue No.17 November 2007
Take out the four Kings from the
deck and table them in red,
black, red, black order.
Ask three spectators to
choose three cards and control
the three selections to the top of
the deck.
Hold the deck face down in
your left hand Dealing Grip. Obtain
a break below the top three cards
of the deck and hold it with the tip
of the left little finger.
Pick up the four Kings and
hold them face up in your right
hand in a Biddle Grip (right hand
palm down, thumb at the rear
short edges, fingers at the front
short edges).
Peel the top King onto the
deck, using the cards left in the
right hand to flip it face down
and then push it back under the
pile held in the right hand. Flash
the underside of the pile to show
the face of the first King again.
Now bring your right hand
above the deck to peel off the
second King, but as you do so
secretly steal the top three cards
of the deck below the first King.
This is simple because of the left
little finger break.
Peel the 2nd King off the top
of the right hand pile, turn it face
down as before and slip it under
the right hand cards. As you do
this, make sure that you obtain a
thumb break between this card
and the others. Flash the face of
the 2nd King.
Peel the 3rd King, turn it face
down, push it below the right
hand cards and flash its face.
Bring your right hand above
the deck to peel the 4th King,
but as you do so secretly drop
the two cards below the right
hand thumb break onto the top
of the deck. Without a pause,
peel the 4th King, turn it face
down, push it below the right
hand cards and flash its face.
Table the deck face down.
Hold the ‘four Kings’ face down
in your right hand Biddle Grip.
Peel the top three cards one by
one into your left palm reversing
their order and then turn face up
onto these cards the double card
which remains in the Biddle Grip
to show a King. Turn this double
face down and deal the top card
only onto the table.
Hold the ‘three Kings’ face
down in your right hand Biddle
Grip. Peel the top two cards one
by one into your left palm and
turn face up on these cards the
double card which remains in
the Biddle Grip to show a second
King. Turn the double face down
and deal the top card onto the
table in a row next to the first
tabled ‘King’.
Hold the ‘two Kings’ face
down in your right hand Biddle
Grip. Peel the top card into your
left palm and turn face up on this
card the double card which
remains in the Biddle Grip to
apparently show a third King. Turn
the double face down and deal
the top card onto the table in the
third place of the row of cards.
Hold the last King (it is really a
double card) face down in your
right hand Biddle Grip and flash its
face to show the ‘fourth’ King and
deal the double card as one onto
the table below the row. (You have
actually placed the ‘four Kings’ in T
formation. The top three cards are
the three selections and the fourth
card King is really a double King.)
Hold the deck face down in
your left hand dealing grip.
Say: ‘I will deal three cards onto
each King.’
Push the top three cards
into your right hand and square
these cards above the deck and
simultaneously secretly drop the
bottom card back onto the deck.
Drop the three (really two cards,
the two Kings) onto the double
King card(s) at the base of the T.
Push off the next three
cards of the deck and drop them
onto the first ‘King’ in the row so
that they are overlapped. Drop
three cards onto the second
‘King’ overlapped and drop three
cards onto the fourth ‘King’
overlapped. (I would like to thank
my friend Szabó G. Gábor for the
overlapping idea.)
Take the first four card
packet, turn the top three cards
face up and insert FACE DOWN
between them the bottom card
(the spectators think that it is
the King) so that this reversed
card becomes the second card
from the top of the pile.
Square the cards and turn
the pile over. Snap the pile and
then perform an Underground
Elmsley Count (the fourth card
goes to the bottom of the packet
rather than on top) to show four
backs. It appears as if the first
reversed King has vanished from
the pile. Table the first packet.
Repeat the above procedure
with the other two packets.
So, the Kings have vanished.
Turn face up the fourth packet at
the base of the T to show that the
four Kings are there all together.
‘But in each of the other
three packets there were four
cards. Do you know which cards
were there instead of the Kings?’
Spread the top three
packets to show that the three
selections are now face up
between the other three face
down cards. ms
MASTERCLASS#1
40
ASSEMBLYBy Jozsef Kovacs
DAVIDCOPPERFIELDAct clever by telling your
friends some of these
interesting facts about
David Copperfield!
1. While at college, David
starred in the lead role for
a production of a musical
titled: Magic Man!
2. Four nations have featured
the master illusionist on
their postage stamps.
3. It is estimated that David
Copperfield's TV shows
have been viewed by over
3 billion people. That's
more than at the
Blackpool convention,
almost!
4. David has appeared (and
probably disappeared) in
over 40 different
countries.
5. David performs over 550
shows each year. It's no
wonder he's good, with all
that practice!
MAGIC FACT!Orson Welles, the actor and
great film director, had a
lifelong interest in magic.
During World War II he had
his own evening magic show
that he presented for
members of the U.S. armed
forces. It was performed in a
large circus tent and his
assistants at times included
such stars as Rita Hayworth
and Marlene Dietrich.
www.magicseen.co.uk 41
MASTERCLASS#2
The Trick:Close-up, the magician openly
removes a note pad and pen,
and asks the audience to loan
him a number of their personal
items, which are placed onto the
table. These are all different,
and range from a watch, ring,
necklace, key, money clip,
glasses, cigarette, cufflink, to
any other small items.
These are randomly placed
onto the table. Now any
spectator is asked to volunteer
and assist in the effect. You tell
him/her that you are going to
force him/her to select a
particular item on the table.
Furthermore, you are going to
inform all the other spectators
what that item is, so that they
can follow exactly what is
happening. The volunteer,
however, will not be aware what
the force item is.
At this point you take a pen
and note pad, and write on it,
"You will choose the", exactly as
in Figure 1.
This is done in front of
everyone, including the volunteer.
Now the volunteer is asked to
turn around, and then, under the
word, "the" the prediction item is
written, e.g. "Money"
Once the spectators have
clearly seen what has been
written, the paper is folded up.
Only now is the volunteer asked
to turn around again. The folded
up prediction is then placed into
a black capsule which is given to
the volunteer, who seals the
capsule with the lid and keeps
hold of this.
Now the elimination of the
various items on the table begins.
However, during this process, the
money is eliminated as well,
leaving for example, the cigarette.
Imagine for a moment, the
audience's reaction to this. They
know that something has gone
wrong, and you are reacting
accordingly, yet no one wants to
let the volunteer know what has
happened. This can be most
entertaining.
The cigarette is left. Rather
hesitantly the magician asks the
volunteer to open the capsule
and remove the folded up
prediction inside, and then to
unfold it and read out loud what
is written there.
Now for the incredible
surprise!
The volunteer unfolds the
paper, and the word money has
been crossed out, and
underneath it has been written
the word, cigarette, as in the
diagram!
Props & Preparation:The requirements for this trick
are; a black camera film capsule
and lid; one Vernet thumb tip. You
will also need a pen and a two
pieces of paper approximately
6cm square - a small note pad is
perfect. Preferably one of those
‘Post It’ pads.
Place the thumb tip into the
capsule. Now write on one sheet
of paper, "You will choose the
money cigarette", as in the
diagram above and cross out the
word, ‘Money’. This piece of
paper is folded up as small as
possible, and placed into the
capsule between the thumb tip
and the inside of the capsule, as
in the Figure 2.
From the diagram it should
be clear that when you remove
the thumb tip, the folded piece
of paper remains behind in the
capsule.
Performance:To begin, you have the capsule
which contains a thumb tip, and
the folded up surprise prediction.
The lid is on the capsule.
Ask the spectators to loan
you various personal items,
making sure that among these
you have a cigarette and a
money note, as these are your
prediction items. I am just using
the above as random samples,
you can select and prediction
items you wish, e.g. a watch and
ring, etc.
Make sure that you receive
quite a number of items on the
table. Now take note! If the
number of items on the table is
ODD, YOU START. If the number
of items on the table is EVEN,
the VOLUNTEER STARTS.
Let us assume that there
are eight items on the table,
then the volunteer would start,
as there are an EVEN number
of items.
Let us assume that all these
items where placed onto the
table, and you are going to force
the cigarette. As in the
description of this effect, get a
volunteer to help you and sit
beside you. Now take the note
pad and write on it openly, "You
will choose the", as in the first
diagram. Once this has been
done, ask the volunteer to turn
around while you write the
prediction on the slip of paper.
Now only once he/she has
turned around, do you write the
word, "Money", making sure that
everyone sees this. You can even
hold up the money note as well.
Of course the volunteer must
see nothing of this!
Now fold up the prediction,
at the same time telling the
spectator to turn around. Now
only, remove the black capsule
from your pocket, or you could
have had it standing on the table
all along. Remove the lid and
hold the capsule in the left
hand, tilting it towards you so
that no one can see inside it.
Now, with your right hand,
take the folded prediction
between your right thumb and
index finger and place it into the
capsule. Actually you are placing
the paper into the thumb tip. Let
the thumb follow suit into the tip,
and then remove both thumb
and tip as one.
Reread the above!
This must all be done
openly, slowly and naturally.
It must appear as if you
have simply folded up the
prediction and placed it into the
capsule. Remember, no one
knows what is about to happen,
so there is no way anyone could
suspect a thumb tip, even
magicians! Immediately after
withdrawing the thumb and tip,
give the capsule to the volunteer
so that he/she can see the folded
[duplicate] prediction inside. Ask
SURPRISE PREDICTIONBy Wolfgang Riebe
Youwill choose
the
Youwill choose
themoney
cigarette1. 2. 3.
ThumbTip
Folded Paper
Photo Capsule
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the volunteer now to seal the
capsule with the lid, and hold
it tight.
Everyone is now looking at the
volunteer sealing the capsule, so
you do not have to worry that
anyone will see the thumb tip. You
even have enough time and
misdirection here to place the
thumb tip into your pocket,
although I would do this casually
later on during the effect.
Now the force. This is known
as the PATEO Force. A little
earlier I listed a number of items
placed onto the table; watch,
keys, glasses, ring, wallet,
necklace, money, pen and a
cigarette. This is an ODD number,
therefore YOU START.
You now explain to the
volunteer that both of you are
going to eliminate the items one
at a time as follows. You will name
two items, from which he/she will
select one, then the volunteer
names two items, from which you
will select one. This will be
repeated until there is only one
item left, your prediction item!
Basically, you always mention
two items, but never any two
which include the cigarette!
Thus the volunteer can never
choose the cigarette. If he/she
mentions the cigarette, they have
to mention another item as well,
which is the one you choose!
Being an ODD number, YOU
START. This results in you having
the final selection with only one
item left. In other words, the
volunteer ends up giving you a
choice between the cigarette and
another item. Obviously [?!?] you
choose the other item, so that the
cigarette is left!
Let me take you through an
example. You start, and call out
the watch and pen. The volunteer
selects the watch. This is
removed. He/she now mentions
the necklace and money. You
choose the necklace. This is
removed. You now mention ring
and keys. He/she takes the keys,
and mentions the cigarette and
the glass. You naturally take the
glass. You now mention the
money and the ring. He/she
takes the money.
At this stage the audience
either snigger, or feel sorry for you
that the trick has now gone
wrong. You hesitate, but
nevertheless carry on. The
volunteer now mentions the ring
and the pen, you take the pen.
You now mention the ring and the
wallet. He/she takes the wallet,
and mentions the two items
remaining, i.e. the ring and the
cigarette. You obviously choose
the ring.
If there is an EVEN number
of items, you follow exactly the
same procedure, except that the
volunteer starts.
Now you are left with the
cigarette and everyone thinks
you have messed up real bad!
If the volunteer doesn’t take
the initial predicted item when
offered the first time, keep on
repeating it until they do. This
will just add to the effect.
Imagine you have given the
volunteer three chances to
eliminate the money, and they
never do take it away. It’ll make
the rest of the spectators really
believe that you are controlling
the situation. And when they
eventually do take the money –
then the psychological effect is
so much stronger and makes the
whole effect so much more
believable.
Ask the volunteer to open
the capsule, unfold the paper,
and read to everyone what is
written on it. Imagine the
volunteer, and everyone else's
surprise when they see the word,
"money" crossed out, and the
word, "cigarette" written
underneath it! Enjoy, and
treasure the secret! ms
MASTERCLASS#2CONT...
By the time you read this, Dom Wood, TV presenter and
magician, will have completed the Great North Run to
raise money for Myeloma UK, the charity which helped
to support the family of his wife Sandi, whose father
died of cancer of the blood. Even though the run has
now ended (unless Dom is particularly slow), you can
still donate to the cause by visiting:
www.justgiving.com/dom. Well done that man!
DOM WOOD’S BIG RUN!
NEWSQUICKIEFORTHEMAGICIANONTHEGO
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magicseen Issue No.17 November 200744
So I approached the group and did the
usual ‘opener’…
(‘Has anyone dropped a red knife? No?
What about a blue one?’ WARNING: Don’t try
this line in Brixton – it turned out someone
had dropped a red knife which kind of
ruined the classic colour-changing knife
intro. Someone had also dropped a gun. The
court case is next month.)
…which actually doesn’t involve a trick.
To be honest I’m not sure how you can get a
group of strangers to like you by instantly
performing a trick as an opener with no
verbal introduction to justify why you’ve just
interrupted their conversation? What other
event in your everyday life would you
approach ‘trick first’? We interact with new
faces and groups of people everyday and
begin with a verbal introduction to gain their
immediate acceptance, so why when
performing for people would this be any
different?
I’d like to see the outcome of
approaching your local Northern Rock bank
manager to discuss business and instead of
going in with a smile, handshake and verbal
pleasantry try the colour-changing knife
‘opener’. You’d have people lying face down
on the floor and metal shutters slammed
down around you before you could shout ‘Is
my money really safe?’ (Best stop there - this
isn’t a political article).
So I approached the group and was told
that one of the guests at the table was blind.
I thought that this was an interesting
challenge as we could do something
different and allow the guest to feel the
magic. That’s the great thing about having
adaptable routines. If the audience can’t
actually see you then your card to wallet is
going to go down like a lead balloon. So with
the usual banter and not wishing to be
offensive and ignore the blind spectator, I
offered them the role of examining the props
prior to the magic (this stopped the other
guests asking to do this anyway). A selected
card finally appeared in the blind guest’s
hands which freaked everyone right out. Due
to the structure of the routine, it also
freaked the blind guy out.
A week later… …I approached a table
and after asking for names, one guy had
refused to even look up. Another guest told
me he was deaf. This was said as if this
person was an outcast and couldn’t possibly
enjoy the entertainment. I tapped him on the
shoulder and we communicated and he
played a vital role in the trick.
So what does this prove?
1. By selecting strong, versatile, easy-to-
follow magic which has an ending that
can be appreciated as magical no matter
what a persons’ disability then you will
still be able to create a magical
experience even in the harshest of
circumstances. Go through the latest
releases of tricks that can never be
performed in the real world (a quick look
through most magic dealer websites will
give you more than enough options.
Sadly) and ask yourself if a person with a
real disability could still enjoy the moment
of magic?
2. It shows the power magic can have over
almost all other forms of entertainment.
The blind person couldn’t appreciate the
caricaturist at that particular event, and
the deaf chap couldn’t appreciate the DJ
later that evening. But both could enjoy
the feeling of magic.
Performing certainly does make you
think on your feet. The above two instances
happened within one week of each other.
Other instances could fill a book; I tossed a
THINKTANK
The following is trueThou shall not see magic. Thou shall not hear magic.
Pic
ture
Cre
dit:
Jen
nife
r A
llen
ww
w.a
rtby
jen
.co.
uk U
sed
with
per
mis
sion
.
church and thereby risking court martial. He
explains that the ace stands for the one God,
while the two reminds him of the two
Testaments of the Bible. The three
symbolises the Holy Trinity, while the four
represents the Evangelists (Matthew, Mark,
Luke and John), the five the wise virgins and
the six the number of days taken to create
the world, with the seven as the Sunday. The
eight is for the righteous people (Noah and
his family) who were saved in the flood, nine
the number of ungrateful lepers, ten the
commandments (what else!), Jack the Devil
and the Queen the Virgin Mary, with the King
bringing us back to God again. All a bit
random, but there you go.
He also explains that the deck of cards
serves as his almanac, depicting the 52
weeks of the year, with the four suits as the
seasons having 13 cards each – the number
of weeks in a quarter. He then goes on to
say (and I’ve just been checking this on my
original 45 r.p.m. vinyl, so this is a direct
transcript) : “When I count the number of
spots on the pack of cards I find 365; the
number of days in a year.”
Hang on a minute, Wink my old pal.
Each suit adds up to 91, and four of those
make 364. They don’t even make a leap
year of 366. It sounds better your way, but it
ain’t necessarily so. In fact, I reckon your
whole tale was just a cover-up for gambling
on the back pew during a boring sermon, but
it was a good try.
Hearing of my deliberations, a magic
friend called recently with another stunner on
the 52 theme. Not only does the word ‘fruit’
appear 52 times in the Bible (what?!) but,
getting back to the immortal Bard, if you add
Shakespeare’s birthday to his deathday you
get 46 (23+23). Turn to Psalm 46 (the Bible
again), count 46 words and you will come to
‘shake’. Count another 46, from the end this
time, ignoring the final ‘selah’ or ‘amen’, and
you will find ‘spear’. Join them together to
make Shakespeare!! Although it’s a bit fiddly,
there could be a patter
story there . . . but
what really gets me is
who on earth
thought of trying
this out in the
first place? ms
www.magicseen.co.uk 45
deck of cards to a spectator who appeared
to have two hands, but it turned out that one
was artificial and couldn’t catch. How does
that one look to others? Magician appears
at table (bloody brilliant opener!) and then
throws a deck of cards at a disabled guy.
Not a good start. Luckily, as I always use a
verbal opener the throw came off as funny
because the spectators had had a few
minutes to get to know a little about me, why
I was there and my style. Had I shown up
and asked who dropped a knife (we’ve just
lost our deaf guy), made it change colour
(there goes the blind guy’s interest too) and
then threw it at a chap with one hand the
outcome may have involved a night in the
local cell (if they could find an empty one –
but hey, this isn’t a political article).
Working on the spur of the moment also
has its benefits to produce startling magic.
As one chap was mixing the cards for me,
after he had ‘checked them out’ I noticed
that he had accidentally turned the 5D face
up during the shuffle. As I was talking to
cover this dead spot, I noticed that nobody
had seen, not even him! So instead of going
into the routine I had planned, I took
advantage of this cock-up and through a
quick verbal force of red or black, heart or
diamond etc, managed to reach a diamond
reasonably quickly and apparently freely. The
chap is still holding the deck at this point
and I asked him to show us a trick using the
other guests ‘freely’ selected 5D. With a few
lines to set up the effect of a freely selected
card facing ‘the other way’ in an examined
deck the pack was spread between the guy’s
palms face down. The ‘selection’ was the
only card facing up. To be honest, the effect
was so strong that I then went into a
completely different trick not even using
cards as it couldn’t be topped.
Nope, there was only one trick to top
that. Reaching into my jacket and removing
an object I asked ‘has anyone dropped a red
knife?’ The blind and deaf guys left. ms
Jay Fortune
The Think Tank also appears on
RadioMagic.co.uk’s forum along with
pictures of Russian girls looking for love.
You can respond to this article by
shouting out loud at the pages, emailing
the magicseen office or logging on to
www.RadioMagic.co.uk and posting a
reply. RadioMagic.co.uk sponsored by
magicseen and RussianLoveBangers.com
Entire contents copyright Jay Fortune 2007.
Being a rather sad
individual with nothing
better to do, I was recently
reflecting upon the
significance of the number
52 in the world of magic.
Since the middle of the
nineteenth century, a full deck of playing
cards has comprised 52 pasteboard without
the jokers, and for this reason a magician is
sometimes said to have 52 assistants –
although Chung Ling Soo held up his fingers
and reckoned he only had 10.
The figure 52 also has a rather more
sombre note to it, however.
Although not strictly a necromancer,
William Shakespeare was a weaver of spells
through his words, creating the witches of
Macbeth to chime with Scot’s Discoverie of
Witchcraft, transforming Bottom into an ass,
bringing the statue of Hermione to life and
inventing the magic island of Prospero along
with the ghost illusion of Hamlet. He passed
away on 23rd April, 1616, at the then
respectably old age of 52. With the
impeccable timing of a true dramatist he died
upon what was believed to be his birthday –
which also by happy coincidence happened to
be St. George’s Day. We have records to prove
that he was baptised on 26th April, and this
traditionally occurred three days after birth.
Alexander Herrmann, the archetypal
conjuror who inspired Soo (William
Robinson), among others, died in December
1896; even in those days at the
comparatively early age of 52.
Harry Houdini, whose name is still
synonymous with magic, died on hallowe’en
in 1926; again at the age of 52.
The innovative Canadian sorcerer Doug
Henning also died at the, by now, young age
of 52.
Since then, sadly, we have learned of the
dead of Tommy Wonder; again at the age of 52.
Just how weird is that?
I suppose, on the brighter side, there are
thousands of magicians who have not passed
on at 52, but it does make you think . . .
In 1959, a character called Wink
Martindale (and what sort of a name is that
when it’s at home?) recorded The Deck of
Cards; recalled from my youth as a perennial
hit with listeners to Housewives’ Choice and
Family Favourites on the radio. In this
cleverly-constructed ditty-cum-monologue,
Wink adopts the persona of a soldier boy,
attempting to justify having a pack of cards in
THE NUMBERS GAMEby Brian Lead
magicseen Issue No.17 November 200746
Reviewsmagicseen takes a look at what’s hot and what’s not!
MITOX by Phill Smith
166pp, approx. 6”x8”, soft-bound;
Available from
http://mitox.phillsmiff.com
Price: £27.50
In case you’re wondering, Mitox is
the name of a Zoroastrian
demon, an obscure supernatural
being who would lead mankind
away from the path of
righteousness through lies,
falsehoods and deceit. Mitox is
also the name of a Somerset-
based garden machinery
company, and it is now the name
of East Midlands-based mentalist
Phill Smith’s new book of
mentalism routines. It is, of
course, from the first definition
that Smith draws his title; the
mentalist-magician being the
primal trickster, enticer, and
masquerader. This is not a book
about strimmers and
lawnmowers.
This Mitox is a collection of
twenty routines, a couple of
essays on creativity and
performance, and, most
intriguingly, a series of premise
ideas – actually Smith gives full
scripted narratives – which
enable the performer to go some
way towards answering the
audiences’ questions of how and
why he does what he does,
beyond the morally dubious, “I
am genuinely psychic,” or the
increasingly hackneyed, “I use my
five senses to create the illusion
of a sixth.” Some of these stories
might read too hokey for some in
the cold light of day, but Smith’s
intention is to place the
performer at the centre, and not
the trick; so these premises seek
to logically embed the magic you
do within a tantalising and
absorbing theatrical portrayal.
So what of the effects and
routines themselves? There is
standard fare such as the book
test, bank night, one ahead and
drawing divination plots in the
mix, but at the heart of many of
the routines are psychological
forces, giving them a pure and
somewhat bold Banachek-style
sensibility. One effect in particular
– Atypical, where the performer is
able to divine the visuals and
details of a scenario imagined by
a spectator – got me thinking,
and I imagine there’s lots of scope
for variation with its pleasingly
audacious methodology.
Smith’s comprehensive
descriptions and patter lend a
relevance and vibrancy to the
routines, and a humour
throughout; I laughed out loud
more than once at the author’s
playfulness. This, together with a
smattering of British cultural
references that will puzzle our
American friends for a change,
made me warm towards this
book. (There is also a funny
graphic depicting famous
performer’s beards – The Maven,
The Salem, The Brown, and The
Burger; but, alas, no Leveridge).
This is a quality publication
all round, and although I’m too
stupid to understand why the
book’s cover design looks like it’s
a close-up of a public urinal wall,
it’s the content that matters, and
the content is slick, smart and
modern mentalism with the
minimum of fuss. DL
WHAT’S HOT: Written with humour,
and full of no-nonsense routines.
WHAT’S NOT: A number of
psychological forces utilised that
may conspire against you.
STAR RATING: ★★★★
THE REAL SECRETSOF MAGIC DVD - VOL.2 by David Stone and Jean-Luc
Bertrand
Available from: Your Favourite Dealer
Price: £25.00 (approx)
Just over a year ago in iss.10
(Sept.06) I had the pleasure of
reviewing the first Volume of this
title and at the time I said that I
couldn't wait until Vol. 2 became
available. Well, the wait is over as
the second part is now out and
having had a chance to watch it,
I'm going to tell you how it
compares and/or supplements
the original DVD.
Although I can't be exactly
sure, I get the impression that the
footage for this volume was shot
at the same time as that from the
original DVD. This means we see
★ - poor
★★ - OK, but could be better
★★★ - reasonable middle of the road value
★★★★ - good product
★★★★★ - outstanding/exceptional
URI GELLER’SSTILL BENDINGSTUFF!Israel’s top mind-reader &
metal bender has been talking
to the Daily Mail newspaper in
the UK about his financial
doings! The financial section
of the newspaper asked him
about his most indulgent
purchase. “In 1976 I bought a
Cadillac Fleetwood. It was a
meaningless, stupid
indulgence,” says the master
of cutlery mayhem. “However,
today it is worth a hundred
times more, for I have made it
into a piece of art. There are
now 5,000 pieces of
contorted cutlery attached to
the car’s body. Among these is
cutlery that belonged to John
F. Kennedy, Sigmund Freud,
Muhammed Ali and Albert
Einstein!”
Uri also tells of the time
he made a lady’s watch
(“worth a quarter of a million
dollars”), work again by the
power of his mind after no
less than seven experts could
not repair it. They should all
get a ticking off. We couldn’t
resist that terrible gag!
Uri also says that in the
past he has often tipped a
waiter $1000! There’s
obviously money to be made in
this bending lark.
NEWSEXTRA
WHAT’SHOT - WHAT’SNOT
www.magicseen.co.uk 47
WHAT’SHOT - WHAT’SNOT
familiar faces amongst the
audience members and similar if
not identical 'sets' for the
performance pieces. The style of
the DVD is also very similar. David
is seen at outside locations and
talks to camera about a range of
issues to do with commercial
close up performance. He covers
a number of different topics not
detailed on the first DVD including
audience management,
techniques for getting tips, how to
generate applause, coping with
hecklers, ways of dealing with
both predictable and
unpredictable audience reactions,
plus more. I got the impression
that there wasn't quite as much
'meat' in the advice section this
time as most of the big points
had been covered in Vol. 1, but
David's comments are still very
well worth considering.
Interspersed amongst the
advice segments are the tricks.
There are 15 routines this time
(there are about 20 in the first
volume) and a bit more variety in
terms of props used. Yes, there
were card and coin effects (David
handles both extremely well, of
course), but it was nice to see a
smattering of other props such as
bank notes, rings, cigarettes and
even a goldfish! When reviewing
Vol. 1 I stated that the magic is
often quite angly and this is very
true again. Although you see
David performing tremendous
sleight of hand effects with the
audience very close to him, you
would not be able to perform
these effects yourself under the
same conditions without exposing
various aspects of the method to
some of the onlookers.
Experienced performers will
recognise this and either adjust
their body and handling
accordingly or will simply not use
the tricks in certain
circumstances, but those with
less experience should not
imagine that all the angles are
covered, as they certainly are not.
One of the unique features of
both volumes of this DVD work is
the sense of zany humour which
keeps popping up at unexpected
moments. Vol. 2 has less of these
moments but there are still a
number of surprises, including
one which should have an 18
rating since I suspect it will shock
those of a more sensitive
disposition. You have been
warned! But I do love the wacky
side of this as it stops the DVD
becoming too pretentious and it
makes the whole thing very
watchable and entertaining.
The trick explanations are all
done without any speech again.
The handling for each effect is
simply pointed up by David
visually. Some of the routines on
this DVD are a little longer and
slightly more complex than those
on Vol. 1, and I felt that this
method of 'explanation' did get a
little laboured at times. I thought
there were occasions, for
instance, when a move was
repeated several times
unnecessarily, which slowed
everything up. But I very much
liked the use of a glass table so
that you could view things from
underneath, and also the use of a
split screen to show simultaneous
views both from the front and also
from above or behind.
I do wonder slightly who this
DVD is actually aimed at. The
advice is good but there is
nothing new and particularly
innovative about any of it. Anyone
who does this type of work
already will probably not learn
anything that they don't already
know or that has not already
been covered by others. So in
that respect, the DVD is most
suited for beginners or relative
novices. The magic revealed, on
the other hand, is often
technically quite difficult and
some of the material would
therefore be way beyond a novice,
particularly when he is trying to
embark on this type of
performance initially. So, the
magic itself would perhaps suit a
more experienced performer.
Maybe it will therefore be fine for
both, but on the other hand it
may not entirely please either!
On balance, I would say that
anyone who has bought and
enjoyed the first volume will want
to get this second one. The
production standards are high,
the material is interestingly put
across with good moments of
humour, and David's magic will
occasionally fool you too - I got
caught completely with the
performance of his card under
glass for instance. I think the
David Stone team will do very
well indeed with this second
volume and the two DVDs
together constitute a rich source
of information and sleight of
hand visual magic. ML
WHAT’S HOT: highly entertaining
way to put across some good
advice and strong magic
WHAT’S NOT: level of advice and
difficulty of the magic perhaps
don't go together
STAR RATING: ★★★★
THE MAGIC BUSINESS by Michael Bailey
Available from:
www.peterscarlett.com
Price: £50.00 (Post Free)
There are very few areas of
commercial magic which still retain
a certain mystique, but I would
suggest that Trade Show work is
one of them. Performing magic at
exhibitions and trade events as a
crowd drawing and message re-
inforcing tool is rightly considered to
be one of the more difficult sides of
our art to master, and there are still
relatively few magicians who have
made a big success from it.
One of the most celebrated
trade show magicians over the
last 30+ years is Michael Bailey.
Starting out his working life in
advertising, he gradually turned
his magical skills to corporate
events, and from 1971 onwards,
earned an increasingly good living
from this type of specialised
work. When the original version
of The Magic Business was
published in 1998, it caused a
huge stir. Here, probably for the
first time, a trade show magician
was lifting the lid on exactly how
to work corporate events. In over
300 pages Michael Bailey
explained everything that an
aspiring trade show worker
needed to know to have a chance
of making it in the tough world of
exhibition events, and the book
rightly received huge plaudits
from all quarters.
The book has been out of print
for some time now, but fortunately
Peter Scarlett has now released an
E-Book version of the original work
thus making it available again for
today's magicians. Supplied on one
disc as a pdf file, The Magic
Business E-Book package
comprises of the book itself plus 4
Windows Media Player video files
for you to watch. The disc contains
hyperlinked indexes in the
Bookmark tab to help you to get
around the disc, but I suspect that
most people will just sit and read it
from cover to cover at the outset.
Michael writes in a very engaging
and entertaining way - he manages
to put across his points modestly
and yet with great authority - and
despite the fact that the book is so
long and will undoubtedly require
several reading sessions to get
through it all, no one who is even
slightly interested in this subject will
find it boring or long winded.
The price may raise an
eyebrow or two, but I for one feel
that such important and valuable
real world information should be
valued, and that means it should
come at a premium price. If
nothing else, the cost should
ensure that the information only
falls into the hands of those who
genuinely wish to learn, rather
than the merely casual. >>
magicseen Issue No.17 November 200748
WHAT’SHOT - WHAT’SNOT
Each disc is personalised to
the buyer by Peter Scarlett and is
delivered post free to anywhere in
the world. This work is an
outstanding treatise on trade
show magic and should be
essential reading for anyone
seeking to get involved with
corporate events, and for those
who missed the original book
release, this is an excellent
opportunity to obtain all of
Michael's vital information. ML
WHAT’S HOT: extremely thorough
expose of trade show work
WHAT’S NOT: maybe the price to
some potential buyers
STAR RATING: ★★★★★
CALCULATAIONSby Stephen Tucker
Available from:
www.stephentuckermagic.co.uk
Price: £24.00
There have been many
mathematical geniuses throughout
history – Archimedes, Isaac
Newton, and Stephen Hawkin to
mention a few. But could Stephen
Tucker really be the Albert Einstein
of the 21st Century? Well let’s take
a look...
For all you eagle eyed proof
readers out there, no we haven’t
made an error in the spelling of
Stephen’s latest release
‘CALCULATAIONS’. Even Stephen
himself apologies for the mispelling
in his instructions that accompany
this effect, but as this is Stephen’s
new ‘Any Card At Any Number’
(ACAAN) effect he wanted to
incorporate the letters into the title.
Here’s the basic effect. You
explain that you are conducting a
survey for experimental purposes
and are asking everyone you
meet to name ANY card and ANY
number from 1 to 52 and then
recording their answers on your
calculator.
You say that the last person
you asked said the Queen of
Clubs and the number 42 and
that you amazed him by dealing
down to the 42nd card in the
pack revealing the Queen of
Clubs. As an afterthought you
once again ask the spectator
their card and number. When
they themselves deal down to the
number they thought of it is the
exact card they also thought of.
At first glance the method
behind this effect looks extremely
daunting to say the least.
However, fear not, the scientific
calculator supplied with this
effect does all the hard work for
you, so all you have to do is
concentrate on the presentation.
There’s also a crib sheet
(supplied) that prevents you from
having to cram this formula into
your brain if needed.
The mathematical principle
behind this version of the classic
(ACAAN) routine is amazing really
and I can only imagine how many
hours were spent by Stephen to
crack the code!
As with many other versions
of ACAAN, there can be a lot of
dealing going on, especially if
high numbers are called, so you’ll
need to get your thinking heads
on for some original patter to fill
in the inevitable downtime.
If you have a Harry Lorayne
type memory and decide to
commit the formula to your head
then this same effect could easily
be performed using a borrowed
mobile phone, as most nowadays
have calculators built into them.
Having said that, however, this
does not make this effect totally
impromptu as there is a stack
needed for it to work, so you will
need your own prepared deck.
There is also a reset time needed
for repeat performances so
it’s maybe not ideal for table
hoppers unless you have a
number of packs ready prepared,
of course.
All in all this is a good, well
thought out version of a really
powerful effect.
So, referring back to the ‘Is
Stephen Tucker the next
mathematical genius’ question.
I think you should all make your
own minds up by buying this. PS
WHAT’S HOT: Well worked out
version of a classic effect.
WHAT’S NOT: Quite pricey and you
need to supply your own pack of
cards.
STAR RATING: ★★★★
GEORGE MCBRIDE -THE DVDProduced Big Blind Media
Available from:
www.bigblindmedia.com
Price: £22.99
Mention the name ‘McBride’ to
anyone interested in magic and
they’ll instantly assume you’re
talking about the legend that is
Jeff McBride.
Well not any more. Now
there’s a new McBride on the
block - George McBride, and he’s
brought to us by the guys who
seem to be able to do no wrong,
Big Blind Media.
Emerging from the Glasgow
underground scene, where he
earned his reputation and the
respect of some of the top names
in magic, George has teamed up
with the BBM gang to produce a
DVD with some cracking card
magic on it.
Here’s a list of what effects
are on this DVD: Ace de
Triomphe, Bar Room Blues,
Cutting the Aces, Double Swap
Sandwich, Open Assembly,
Reversal of Fortune, Immediate
Ace Spelling, Hotel Mystery,
Discrepancy Assembly, Flight
Path and Triola.
Here’s how a selection of
them go. ‘Bar Room Blues’ is a
great colour changing deck
routine that starts off with three
freely chosen cards from a red
backed deck. Each one is shown
individually only to instantly
change to a blue backed card.
After all three selections have
changed colour the rest of the
deck changes to red. This is a
relatively easy routine to master
although George performs this
seated at a table so one of the
transformations will need altering
if you plan to perform this in the
hands. It is possible though.
‘Immediate Ace Spelling’
completely baffled me when I saw it
performed for the first time. The
deck is handed to a spectator, Dave
Forrest in this case, to be shuffled.
Then on return, an ace is spelled to,
and guess what, it’s the correct
ace. The occurs twice more with
two more aces, then the final ace is
spelled to by the spectator.
Cracking! Even watching the
explanation I was baffled as was
Owen Packard who accompanies
George in all the explanations. To
quote Owen regarding one of the
sleights George utilises in this
effect “that makes me feel sick’.
Me too! You’ll have to watch it to
see what I mean.
‘Flight Path’ I think has to be
my favourite from this volume
and I think that most of you who
also watch this will be grabbing
for the double sided tape and
scalpel to make the simple
gimmick needed, immediately.
The basic effect is simple. The
four aces are each signed by a
spectator and one by one travel
THE MAGIC BUSINESS CONT.>>
www.magicseen.co.uk 49
WHAT’SHOT - WHAT’SNOT
to George’s jacket pocket with
incredible ease. This really is a
belter. You are even left clean at
the end - what more could you
ask for?
I don’t think there’s actually
one bad effect on this DVD, in my
opinion. Every one of the eleven
card miracles presented here is
really usable.
And, if you’re not satisfied
with the eleven effects, there’s
even a bonus sleight on there too
- Twist Shift. This is definitely
worth a viewing. Even when you
see how this shift is done it’s still
virtually invisible.
As usual, BBM have done a
great job with the DVD’s visual
appearance. The menu graphics
are really nice making navigation of
the disk a breeze.
This is a great first DVD from
George and another top job from
the ‘New Force in Magic Media’.
Highly recommended! PS
WHAT’S HOT: Cracking card
material that you will use.
WHAT’S NOT: Nothing I can think of
STAR RATING: ★★★★★
ZED+Produced World Magic Shop
Available from:
www.worldmagicshop.co.uk
Price: £17.99
‘It’s cool to fool with the old school’ is
the strapline that has been given to
ZED+, World Magic Shop’s Z-fold
wallet and I couldn’t agree more.
I’d forgotten how much fun I’ve
had over the years with the version
of this wallet that I purchased many
years ago.
For those of you that don’t know
what a Z-fold wallet is, it is also
known as a switching wallet,
because that is exactly what it does.
By either turning the wallet secretly
upside down or opening it on
opposite sides, whichever you prefer,
you can exchange, vanish, make
things appear and much more...
Here are a few ideas that the
ZED+ can be used for (as listed on
World Magic Shop’s website):
• Secretly exchange two cards in
your wallet;
• Swap-out written billets;
• Exchange almost any flat object,
including sugar packets, credit
cards, business cards;
• Make items appear—or disappear;
• Create drawings or words to
appear on blank pieces of paper;
• Exchange bank notes;
• Finish clean after packet effects;
The ZED+ wallet has been
manufactured from the best Italian
leather making it look and handle
really nicely.
As most people who have
purchased this type of wallet before
will know, there are some really poor
quality versions available and usually
you have to pay a pretty high retail
price for a decent one. So at just
£17.99 (approx $36.00) the ZED+ is
a great buy.
The main problem I’ve
encountered with Z-fold wallets in
the past (although a minor point) is
they are not always folded
squarely, meaning that you can see
the flap on the other side when the
wallet is placed on a table. Not
with ZED+ though, it’s folded really
well so there’s nothing to worry
about on that score.
The wallet comes nicely
packaged in a box and it also comes
with a FREE trick and specially
printed card, on Bicycle stock, to get
you started - Jazzy Joker, and if
you’re still not satisfied they’ve even
thrown in a matching Bicycle deck.
If you are looking for a new
switching wallet, at a reasonable
price, the ZED+ could be for you. PS
WHAT’S HOT: Nicely made at a
good price
WHAT’S NOT: The wallet could be
slightly smaller.
STAR RATING: ★★★★
PARTY ANIMAL DVDMatthew J. Dowden
2 DVD set available from
www.alakazam.co.uk
Price: £27.99
Having personally met and seen
Matthew J. Dowden perform first
hand at the IBM convention in
Southport, I knew I was in for a
treat when he handed me a copy
of his DVD ‘Party Animal’ for
review. But did it live up to my
expectations? ...Definitely!
Whatever your reasons are for
buying an instructional DVD, be it
to pick up ideas for new routines,
watch another performer’s
handlings on an effect you already
perform or even just for the sheer
entertainment, ‘Party Animal’
ticks the boxes on all accounts.
What’s nice about this DVD is
that all the routines are performed
live in a real bar/walkabout
environment and it is a joy to see
how Matthew handles the dreaded
‘awkward spectator’ with ease.
This alone is probably worth the
price of the DVD as, any working
pros will know, there’s nothing
worse than a spectator who’s just
not playing ball.
Here’s a brief look at what
else you can expect to see on
‘Party Animal’:
‘Shrinkage’ is a great visual
routine that ends with a selected
card visually shrinking in mid air
as it lands on the spectator’s
hands. If you’re not satisfied with
just that, Matthew also teaches
several other variations of the
same effect, a nice one being a
stick man drawn on a card
visually jumping off the card into
the waiting hands of the
spectator. Very magical.
Matthew’s ‘Card At Any
Number’ routine is a great
combination of two classics, ‘Card
at a Number’ and ‘Card Under
Box/Beer Bottle’ and utilises a
very effective and deceptive two
card peek control which is also
taught in detail. Trust me when I
say you will use this at every given
opportunity!
‘Repeated Card to Mouth’
is a masterclass in entertainment
and misdirection. I know it’s been
around for years but it is one of
those routines that you could go
into at anytime with maximum
effect. What’s more, Matthew’s
version ends with a complete
deck vanish that will catch out
even the most astute spectator.
‘The Walkaround Anniversary
Waltz’ is Matthew’s take on ‘The
Anniversary Waltz’ and probably
already in most working pro’s
repertoire, as it’s the perfect
wedding trick. This version allows
the spectators to handle the cards
making it really powerful.
‘X Marks The Spot’ plays
really well and is a great variation
on the ‘Chicago Opener’ using a
marked card with an X on its back
instead of the standard different
coloured back.
Also taught in great detail are
various sleights that Matthew
uses throughout the many
routines taught on this two disk
DVD. The ‘One Handed Top Palm’,
Lennart Green’s ‘Windmill Move’,
‘Classic Force’ and the ‘Rub A
Dub Vanish’ to name just a few...
I think this is a great debut
DVD from one of England’s up
and coming stars. I’m sure we’ll
be seeing a lot more of Matthew
J. Dowden. Well done fella! PS
WHAT’S HOT: Excellent debut DVD
with plenty for everyone
WHAT’S NOT: Nothing
STAR RATING: ★★★★★
magicseen Issue No.17 November 2007
MEL MELLERS - 2 DVD SETProduced RSVP Magic
Available from www.rsvpmagic.co.uk
Price: £19.99 per DVD
To be honest, I had only heard
the name Mel Mellers a couple of
times before seeing these DVDs
and they have been on the best
sellers list for a month or two
now, as they were released just
after our last deadline.
Mel Mellers is a kitsch, slightly
camp performer who probably
works regularly on cruise ships
and holiday centres. He is
obviously a seasoned pro and has
honed his comedy presentation
skills over the years. His timing is
excellent and several of his
routines are given a quirkiness
that makes them appealing.
However, the real strength in these
DVDs is Mel performance, not in
the effects themselves – even
though there are some very good
ones in the sixteen included here.
Before a live crowd (as opposed to
a dead one, of course!), Mel
performs his act and then talks
through the method after each
effect. Produced by RSVP magic,
this is well up to their usual high
standard, although I did find the
‘clown’ really annoying between
sections. Those with this DVD
already will know what I mean!
‘Mass Hypnosis’ sees Mel
convince the whole audience that
he can hypnotise them and relies
on a colouring book to do the
trick. The premise of hypnotism
works well and this routine is a
good example of how his
showmanship always beats the
ultimate effect of the trick.
Volume One contains no card
tricks at all, which I think is always
a good sign, and mentalism is
given good coverage. His Birthday
Revelation, where he guesses an
audience member’s birthday in a
routine with billets works well, and
his ‘Shirt Prediction’ is one of the
best bits on either DVD. This is a
powerful and very commercial
routine where a prediction
appears on his shirt. It reminded
me a little bit of the Paul Zenon
prediction, which he reveals on
his arse!
An unusual feat of ‘memory’
called ‘Business Cards Warm-Up’
provides a great routine with Mel
providing details of randomly
selected cards from over a
thousand in his briefcase. Mel
also explains a "number-adding"
mentalism effect that refreshingly
provides a fun theme and reason
to perform it.
‘On A Roll’ is Mel’s comedy
bank note creation utilising a
common object that most of us (
should ) own! All-in-all, there are a
lot of very entertaining,
commercial effects on this DVD
set, including balloons, rope,
coins, cards and more. The key
message here is: Don’t try to be
Mel Mellers - but quite a few of
these effects work well because of
Mel’s personality and style. He
himself makes them into excellent
routines, and it must be said that
most of these effects are quite
easy to master. I thoroughly
enjoyed these DVDs, and even my
girlfriend, who was reading in the
background while I watched them
commented, “What was that? It
sounded really good!” And she
doesn’t like magic! GH
WHAT’S HOT: Lots of variety.
Something for everyone, as
they say!
WHAT’S NOT: Mel’s glasses remind
me of the annoying children’s TV
presenter Timmy Mallet!!
STAR RATING: ★★★★
NEWSQUICKIESFORTHEMAGICIANONTHEGO
The 36th International Magic
Convention is being held from
23rd to 25th November in London.
Once again the setting is the Shaw
Theatre and Novotel Complex in
Euston Road. As always the bill
promises a blend of "big hitter"
known names and a number of
performers who will be making
their English debut. Darwin Ortiz
(USA) and Al Schneider (USA) lead
the close up talent, and both will
be lecturing and performing. It will
be the first time Al Schneider will
be appearing in London and it is a
great chance to see the man who
invented the "Matrix" concept
which has lead to countless
variations and techniques over the
years. Darwin Ortiz, noted author
of "Strong Magic", "Cardshark" and
"Designing Illusions" and hailed as
one of the leading card magicians
in the world will be lecturing too.
This year they continue their
reputation with Francis Menotti
(USA), whose close up and stage
performances set a new standard
for theatricality and performance
skills, Juan Ordeix (Argentina) the
top prize winner in the Mentalism
category at FISM with
presentations that had everyone
talking and baffled at both FISM in
Stockholm and the SAM
Convention in Dallas earlier this
year, Dana Daniels (USA), one of
the leading stand up comedy
performers in the US, Just Alan
(USA) who is a regular contributor
to Jeff McBride's Mystery School
presentations and literature and
the excellent Mr Daba (Argentina).
Alongside these new
performers to the UK the
Convention is also welcoming back
Jade (USA), past winner of the IBM
Gold Medal Award for performance,
Mahka Tendo (Japan) previous
FISM Stage Manipulation award
winner, Voronin (Ukraine) whose
silent clowning embodies the work
of Jacques Tati and Buster Keaton,
and Svetlana (Russia) whose
unique act has been featured at all
the major night spots of the world.
Representing the UK will be
Anthony Owen, who will be
repeating his hit mentalism
lecture from Magic Live! in Las
Vegas this August, James Long
whose award winning illusion act
will appear in the Gala Show and
Noel Britten who will be MC-ing
the evening show.
Registrations are available for
each day or the full weekend
(www.internationalmagic.com).
Tickets are available also for just
the Evening Gala Show (repeated
on the Saturday and Sunday
nights), so a great chance to
bring friends and family, who may
not wish to attend the other
events, to a spectacular evening
of Magic and Variety.
The Close Up Competition that
is held on the Saturday morning
has the greatest number of
international participants in the
Competitions 23 year history
Sounds like a great event!
TOP NAMES AT THE INTERNATIONAL MAGIC CONVENTION!!
WHAT’SHOT - WHAT’SNOT
50
You show up for your show a little early
so you can set up and start promptly
at the scheduled time like all
professionals should. You’re ready to begin
your performance and the client informs you
that they’re running a little late. You’re told
that your show will be delayed slightly. Ten
minutes go by and you still haven’t started
yet. Your clients keep holding you back until
they’re ready. Although you wish to
accommodate your client, your time is
precious and your schedule may not be able
to accommodate delays.
What do you do?
We bring this up because, no matter how
long you’ve been in the business, delayed
shows happen all the time. In fact, this
happened to Elliott again just a few weeks
ago. The problem is that most clients don’t
seem to realise that postponing a
performance at the last minute can prove to
magicseen Issue No.17 November 200752
WORKYOURMAGIC
HandlingDelays
be a major inconvenience for you. You may
have other shows afterwards and any delays
could make you late for your next
performance. Such a situation is completely
unacceptable.
Every now and then, colleagues have
asked us what we do in these situations. One
friend in particular told us he feels very
uncomfortable when this happens because,
on the one hand, he wants to do his show
and get paid for it, but on the other hand, he
doesn’t want to cause delays at his following
gig. His difficulty lies in confronting the client
and explaining his situation. He is so
concerned with maintaining goodwill with his
client that he lets himself get cornered into
delicate situations.
The question remains, how do you deal
with this situation? Firstly, you should have a
contract with a provision for this situation.
Our standard contracts contain a clause saying
that the performance is not to begin later than
ten minutes past the scheduled time.
If the performance begins later than ten
minutes past, we reserve the right to cut the
program short and finish at the originally
scheduled time but still get paid for the full
amount. It’s an easy and effective way to
ensure that you get paid for your work and
still stay on time.
If you wish to be a little more extreme,
your delay clause could state that any delay
beyond ten minutes immediately deems the
show to be cancelled by the client and must
be paid in full. This might seem harsh to
some, but it is in fact quite beneficial to
everyone involved. It keeps the client on his
toes and on time. Once a client reads such a
clause, he immediately understands that
your time is precious and cannot be wasted
for fear of losing you. This clause serves as a
deterrent to ensure that your client respects
the established schedule.
Is such a harsh clause always
necessary? That depends on how busy you
get. Our general attitude is to adopt the first
ten minute clause (the one where the show
can be cut short) most of the time, and the
severe ten minute clause (the one where the
show is cancelled) during the Christmas
season. Why do we use it during Christmas?
It’s simple.
We average anywhere from five to eight
shows a day on holiday weekends. There is
absolutely no way we can be late for
anything, so we must be strict.
In case you worry that your client hasn’t
read the contract properly or has forgotten
about this particular clause in your contract,
it’s always useful to remind them of this
condition during your confirmation call. (You
do make a confirmation call don’t you?) Your
confirmation call should be placed within the
week prior to your show. This call gives you
By Elliott Smith & Ian Quick
www.magicseen.co.uk 53
the opportunity to review all of the details of
your performance including the location, type
of show, fee, payment terms, special
requirements, cancellation policy, as well as
the scheduled starting time. This is where
you remind them of the delay clause.
It also gives the client one last opportunity
to adjust his schedule now if he foresees any
delays. If such is the case, you may now adjust
your terms accordingly rather than be faced
with the situation at the last minute.
It’s been our experience that, on
occasion, clients are so impressed with the
consequences of their delays that they ask
us what happens if WE are ever late. That’s
answered easily. We are never late. We are
professionals and therefore always on time.
Of course, one never knows when
unforeseen circumstances such as a flat tire
or severe weather conditions can cause a
delay beyond your control. We therefore
inform our clients that should such
unforeseen circumstances occur we will
contact them immediately via cell phone and
inform them of the delay. We will also adjust
our performance time or fee to their
satisfaction. Of course, don’t let this one
delay offset your entire day.
If you don’t have a contract (shame on
you) things become a little more delicate.
The best approach is always the most
direct and honest approach. Be professional.
Inform your client that although you can
delay your performance slightly, you are on a
tight schedule and cannot stay past a certain
hour as you cannot be late for other clients.
They will usually understand and try to hurry
things along or accept a shorter set. DO NOT
accept less money for a shorter set. Even
though your performance time has reduced,
your fee has not. You were present on time
as per your verbal agreement and should be
paid for that.
If your schedule is more flexible, that is
to say that you do not have pressing
engagements after this particular show, you
may want to better accommodate your client.
A little goodwill often goes a long way. Feel
free to start your set at your client’s leisure.
However, there should still be a limit on
what is an acceptable delay. If your clients
are running more than a half hour late and
you agree to stick around for the full set and
start late, it is acceptable to renegotiate your
fee in accordance with your extra time lost. In
these situations, we usually add a small
surcharge for that extra half hour or even full
hour of waiting around. Charge whatever you
feel comfortable with.
No matter which way you go, always treat
your client professionally and with respect.
You’ll find some clients are more difficult
than others. Learn to read your clients and
figure out when it’s worth pursuing the
matter of your fee, and when it’s better to
keep it to yourself and accept the delay. The
tips given above are general guidelines that
you must use when practical. Let’s face it, if
you have a steady client that always pays
well, you don’t want to create a stir over one
little delay. Explain your timing situation with
them (if there is a problem) but do not ask
for more money. This may hurt your long-term
relationship with your good repeat clients.
When all is said and done, you want to
remember two things: 1) Assert yourself as a
professional. Your clients have to know your
time is valuable; 2) Respect the relationship
you have with your client. Do not forsake long
term business for one immediate
performance. The trick is to find a balance
between the two aspects.
Elliott Smith and Ian Quick are the authors
of Highway to Success: The Entertainer’s
Roadmap to Business
www.happymediumbooks.com
HAPPY MEDIUM BOOKS © 2004
magicseen Issue No.17 November 200756
It is debatable if there ever was a golden
age for magicians, but you could certainly
argue that if there was, then it was
probably the early 1950s.
Britain was recovering from the austerity
of the war years, there was a new mood of
optimism, and the people wanted
entertainment. Television was still in its
infancy, few homes could afford a set, and so
the variety halls were packed. And among the
top attractions were, of course, magicians!
There were plenty of them, too. A variety
directory from 1950 lists more than 40
magicians, all relentlessly working the big
circuits like the Moss Empire, Collins Music
Halls, the Stoll circuit, the Howard and
Wyndham theatre chain, nightclubs, town
halls, even circuses. Some were big stars,
playing venues like The London Palladium
and making Royal Variety appearances.
Others never made the big-time, but were
still popular entertainers who could fill halls.
Can anyone recall The Great Benyon, Voltaire,
Rayanne The World’s Wonder Girl, The
Amazing Fogel, ‘Think-A-Drink’ Hoffman , or
La Petite Carmo?
Among the big-name magicians popular in
Britain in the early 1950s were two legends.
The first was David Deveen, known as
‘The Distinguished Deceiver’. Born in London,
Deveen conquered America and Australia
with his spectacular illusions, usually aided
by his beautiful assistants, the New York
Blondes. One of the first magicians to appear
on television - he demonstrated his skills for
John Logie Baird in 1936 – Deveen also
appeared in films and wrote several magic
textbooks.
Television was still inits infancy, fewhomes could afforda set, and so thevariety halls werepacked. And amongthe top attractionswere, of course,magicians!
The other major star of the time was
Jasper Maskelyne, whose stunning magic
earned him FIVE Royal Command
performances while he was still in his 30s.
Maskelyne was a clever illusionist whose
skills had been utilised by the Government
during WW2. With inventive use of lights, he
created fake cities in remote areas to deceive
German bombers!
The early 1950s also saw a future star of
magic in the making – Tommy Cooper. Initially,
Tommy wanted to be an impressionist but
when an agent saw him perform, he told him
he was awful, and to go away and find
another act. Tommy opted for magic and
comedy, and soon found himself in demand.
His first appearance was in 1948, and by the
early fifties, he was doing top cabaret venues
and major variety tours, though his greatest
fame was to come decades later.
One of the most impressive magic acts of
the 1940s and 1950s was created by The
Great Benyon, born in New Zealand but
spending much of his time touring Britain and
Ireland. His huge travelling revue involved
transporting 30 tons of illusions and scenery!
THEGOLDENAGEOFMAGIC
The
Golden Age of Magic
By Nick Fletcher
Jasper Maskelene Tommy Cooper David Daveen
www.magicseen.co.uk 57
Another ‘great’ at that time was The
Great Nixon. No, not David Nixon, who was a
famous TV magician in the 1960s, but Victor
Nixon, born in Berkshire, whose ‘Miracles in
Mentalism’ act packed halls in Europe, India
and Japan.
Robert Harbin was another top name of
the day, playing major London venues and in
1949, touring Canada as a supporting act to
George Formby.
Some artistes used just a single name –
among them Verdini, Waldini, and Raydini.
Cire (Sydney Burton) was a popular magician
with another claim to fame, having invented a
walking robot in 1936! Another one-namer
was Murray, an Australian with a Houdini-
style act which attracted great publicity in
Britain. Among his feats was being
suspended 100 feet above Piccadilly Circus.
And what about Raoul (actually Ralph Chart
from Surrey!) who was a member of the Inner
Magic Circle, and who performed an entirely
silent magic act, billed as ’Wonders Without
Words’. And there was the aptly named
Voltaire, whose act consisted entirely of
electrical illusions.
There were also many other novelty
magic acts on the circuit at that time.
Clement Minns mixed magic and
ventriloquism, so too did Claude Chandler. A
certain Donald B. Stuart claimed to be the
tallest magician at 6ft 8ins, and always
started his act by hanging his hat on a peg
almost 10 feet off the ground!
Charles ‘Think-A-Drink’ Hoffman
specialised in instantly creating a variety of
different drinks, and billed himself as The
Worlds Highest Paid Bartender. The Amazing
Fogel (Maurice Fogel from London) had a
mind reading act so astonishingly accurate it
was officially investigated by The War office.
There were many others too. Who can
recall Chris Charlton, from Stoke-on-Trent,
who entertained King George V and George
VI, who performed his act in 40 countries
and in several different languages? Or Jack
Le Dair from Devon, who created the
vanishing violin bow trick? Or Francis Watts,
who claimed he could perform a trick with
absolutely any random object handed to him?
There were two notable female
magicians on the circuit too. La Petite Carmo
(Rita Cameron) staged her own touring magic
show after her husband Henry (stage name
Carmo) died in 1944. And Rayanne, (real
name Winifred Martens-Moore, from
Birmingham) who was billed as ‘The World’s
Wonder Girl’ and presented a superb mind-
reading and escapology act, and wrote
several books, including Mind Over Matter.
Oddly enough, the act with the best
name in magic – The Mysterious Mysticus –
wasn’t a magician at all! The title was used
by Alan McKelvin from Inverness, who was a
quick-change artiste, switching outfits at
amazing speed.
The early years of the fifties were a great,
busy, colourful period for magicians and
other entertainers, but it was to be short-
lived. The 1953 Coronation prompted
millions of people to buy their first TV set,
and that signalled a rapid decline in variety
shows. Over the next few years, the trend for
stay-at-home entertainment closed many
venues and forced many magicians into early
retirement, or to take up ‘proper’ jobs.
In some ways, it seemed a great ‘magic
spell’ had been broken. ms
Robert Harbin
TOP NOTCH MAGICAT THE IBMThe IBM convention at Southport, England,
provided some amazing magic for the many
attendees. The David Williamson lecture was
a highlight for many, along with the
sensational Gaeton Bloom from France. Many
brilliant acts provided the entertainment, and
the event was proclaimed a success!
magicseen photographer John Mather was
there to take the pics.
NEWSQUICKIESFORTHEMAGICIANONTHEGO
magicseen Issue No.17 November 200758
CONJURING FOR
caninesBARKINGMAD
We’ve all seen some kind of animal on stage
being involved in a magic act: Doves, Dogs,
Ducks, Chimpanzees and I’m sure you’ll have
seen something I haven’t. But it’s always
aimed at humans! I feel that the animal
community is missing out on the whole
magical experience!
A few months ago I was doing the usual
‘sitting around playing with a deck of cards’
that a lot of us are so fond of doing. One of
the family dogs came over, presumably to see
if I was holding some food, so I thought I’d try
and impress him with my card “skills”. I
sprung the deck of cards from one hand to
the other. The reaction was not quite what I
was expecting (I was expecting no reaction at
all of course). The puppy started barking and
jumped up to try and grab the deck in his
mouth. 3 seconds later I’ve got another 2
dogs next to me barking away so I thought I’d
try it again. Another card spring leads to
more barking and attempts to grab the deck;
boxer dogs, it seems, make really bad
hecklers!
Anyway, this got me thinking about what
magic tricks a dog might fall for. Later on,
after they’d calmed down a bit I thought I’d
try something else. I called one of the dogs
over and pointed at the playing card in my
hand with the usual “What’s this? What’s
this?” (A line guaranteed to grab any dog’s
full attention). Then I back-palmed it. “Where
is it? Where is it?” and he looked confused
and started hunting round the room for the
card that had disappeared. I thought this was
absolutely fantastic and could only wish I got
similar reactions for performing the same
sleight for human folk. So there we have it,
dogs can be confused by vanishing a playing
card. But what else can we do…?
I thought I’d test the intelligence of a
Pomeranian. Holding a treat in my left hand,
the dog sat patiently in front of me waiting for
me to give it to him. I moved my right hand
over to the treat and did a French Drop,
moving my hand away closed as if it
contained the treat. The dog went straight for
my right hand. For the sake of accurate
research I did the same thing another 4 or 5
times, each time he went for my right hand.
And I thought dogs were supposed to have a
good sense of smell!
I tried out some other things to see how
dogs would react to them - Colour Changes:
no reaction, although I think it was the snap
sound of the snap change that prompted the
dog to eat the playing card.
Ambitious Card Routine: went to
reinvestigate the contents of the food bowl.
“Mind Reading”: doing the mentalists
hand on forehead and frowning bit only
resulted in me getting licked in the face.
So there we have it, dogs are impressed
by magic, in a way. So for anyone reading this
who has a dog, grab some cards and see
what they like. Try it out with other animals
too. My “research” has only been with dogs,
but who knows, maybe cats will really
appreciate a good linking rings routine or a
hamster might be able to select the only face
down card in a face up deck. ms
(aka: Magic for Mutts. aka: Prestidigitation forPooches. aka: Disappearing things for Dogs)By Lawrence Turner
I thought I’d test theintelligence of aPomeranian. Holding atreat in my left hand,the dog sat patiently infront of me waiting forme to give it to him. Imoved my right handover to the treat anddid a French Drop...
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magicseen Issue No.17 November 200762
WELCOME TOTHE CLINIC
Dear Kevin,
Unfortunately real-world performing situations
offer unexpected situations and it is always a
good plan to have a number of visual pieces
you can perform to different groups of people
that fall into more challenging categories,
such as the elderly and the very young. Card
tricks are often not suitable for either of these
groups for the very reasons you mention. Why
not opt for having cards signed, so your
revelation will be of the signature, rather than
the card itself? You may choose to use low-
vision large index cards or, under certain
circumstances, depending on the routine,
jumbo cards. Alternatively, effects such as
‘cut and restored rope’ or ‘handkerchief’ may
be more suitable and will be visible to a wider
audience. Also, there is nothing to challenge
the memory of the onlookers. They simply
relax and enjoy the performance. Obviously
you are going to encounter various difficult
performing situations throughout your career
and the best way to handle this is to be aware
of all the pitfalls and have a suitable
contingency.
Dear Dr. Normansell,You know the situation…you’ve just got half
way through your most stunning effect in a
restaurant - and the waiters bring the next
course out and plonk it down in front of the
diners. What do you do? Carry on, letting
their food go cold? How do you handle this?
Martin Harries, Brighton via email.
Dear Martin,
As in all restaurant performances, dinner
itself will always take precedence over the
performer. The best time to perform is at
coffee time, after dessert. However, since you
have a presence in the restaurant you may be
asked to perform at any time. The secret is to
have routines that can be either lengthened
or shortened at will. Try to make your routines
segmented so that each segment offers a
suitable climax that can be expanded upon. A
good plan is to introduce yourself and then
follow by doing one short effect, bearing in
mind that anything could happen at any time
throughout your routine. Be prepared to move
on, leaving the spectators with the
knowledge that you will return at a more
suitable juncture where they will be slightly
more relaxed, possibly more receptive and
will have a longer time slot available. You are
acting as a goodwill ambassador for the
restaurant and sometimes you are not really
required, in certain situations, to perform
endless strings of routines. The very fact that
you had acknowledged and spoken to the
customers in some cases is enough. It’s not
always about the magic! People will
remember the way you made them feel.
Dear Dr. Normansell,I am tempted to try out some of my material at
a comedy club open-mic spot. I am concerned
as to what type of material to perform and how
many items I should do, and for how long. Also
what to do should I not be going down very well.
Brian, Manchester
Dear Brian,
Whilst comedy clubs are a good place to try
out new material, remember that whilst the
audiences are generally very receptive they
can be extremely critical and what you have to
offer has got to come up to scratch. With
regards to performing magic, from my
experience I usually concentrated on one
routine that can be built upon with plenty of
appropriate funny patter and, more
importantly, audience participation. Make sure
that the material is strong, extremely direct
and doesn’t go on forever. Unfortunately a lot
of magicians who perform at comedy clubs for
the first time fall into the trap of doing overly
complicated material and going on for too
long. It may be noted that people have gone to
a comedy club to have a laugh and be
entertained. Always, but always, bear this in
mind. Depending on the length of time you are
booked to do, one or two routines is more than
adequate and ‘less is more’.
Dear Dr. Normansell,Please could you tell me the secret to your
brilliant effect: Jinx?
George Resny, Toronto
Dear George,
No. ms
Dear Dr. Normansell,I recently performed close-up magic for a
50th wedding anniversary party - the first
time I’ve ever done one. The people
attending were nearly all 70 years old or over
and, without being rude, many of them had
either forgotten their glasses, forgot the card
they were trying to remember, or were
partially deaf! To remember a card, they
insisted on passing the card around the table
so that every person had a good look at it,
which certainly interrupts the flow of the
trick! Not the best situation to be in as a
performer, as you can imagine. What’s the
best way of performing for the older crowd?
Any advice would be appreciated!
Kevin Jeffers, Sheffield.
Dr Normansell,a renownedspecialist inthe art ofmagicalperformanceand trickery,
will attempt to cure thosewho apparently possess aweakness in the area ofentertainment. The commonillness of ‘MagicMalfunction’ will soonbecome a thing of the pastonce the kind Dr. has givenyou the wisdom of his infiniteknowledge. Remember,ladies and gentlemen: thereis a cure. Now pleasedisrobe, and we will begin…
DR.NORMANSELL
magicseen Issue No.17 November 200764
Reported by Stuart Bowie
Illusions, the U.K’s only Magic bar, has just
opened for business in Bristol and of course
magicseen’s reporters were at the VIP night
to tell you all.
The operation is the brainchild of Mark
Bennett and combines his expertise in the
hospitality business with a talent as a
professional magician. “ For some people
magic can be scary,” says Mark “so I wanted
the bar to be warm and friendly, a bit like
walking into your own front room.” Illusions
certainly lives up to the aspiration. Located in
a lively shopping area, close to the university
and a host of other attractions, an existing
bar has been transformed. Comfortable sofas
are gathered around low tables and the deep
red walls are decorated with magic
memorabilia and signed photographs from
the likes of Doc Eason, Paul Zenon and
Derren Brown.
Look to the right as you come in and
sitting next to a beautiful baby grand piano is
a small curtained stage, providing for cabaret
and parlor magic. In a special area to the
back sits the custom built magic bar which is
surrounded by high bar stools. This is head
magician Matt Colman’s domain which
provides room for small groups of twelve to
fourteen at a time to enjoy the amazing close
up on offer. Even though the main bar area
was busy the intimacy for close up magic can
be maintained. Judging from the reactions -
whoops of delight and gasps of “Oh
noooooo!” - the magic went down a treat.
The bar operates seven days a week
serving drinks, food, special cocktails,
including the challenging Magic Wand
cocktail – five pints served in giant magic
wand. With close up performances at the
bar from 6.30 till after midnight, Matt
Colman has really been earning his keep!
The pressure was relieved a little on opening
night by guest performances from visitors
James Brown and Dave Jones. For those into
a quieter and more mystic experience, the
resident Tarot reader was kept busy by a
steam of beautiful young women eager to
learn the future.
“Performing at the bar is great experience
and really develops performing skills,” says
Mark. “To encourage younger magicians we
hold an Open Mic spot on Wednesday nights.
It is an opportunity for performers who do well
The U.K’s only Magic Bar to make a further appearance on a busy
Friday or Saturday night.” Illusions also has
several established magicians using the
venue to entertain potential clients. Pop in
anytime and you may well catch a host of
local and national performers strutting their
stuff at the bar. If you wanted a break from
magic, and who would, there is also live
music Friday and Saturday and an open mic
night for musicians on Tuesdays.
Clients who book a party event at
Illusions get their own special evening, soon
to include the dubious privilege of the non-
speaking part in the guillotine illusion! Future
plans include cabaret nights, including
special events with a well known name
headlining on the small cabaret stage.
Bristol is a busy town with lots of
entertainment on offer and to survive a new
business has to offer something different.
The location, the ambience and the great
magic certainly makes Illusions different. The
concept for Illusions is Mark Bennett’s.
There are no corporate backers waiting in the
wings, just the innovation, energy and
initiative of Mark and his partner Sylvie. At
magicseen we’re biased of course, anyone
who loves magic would be, but we wish
Illusions a long and successful life. All the
people we spoke to at the opening really did
feel “Wow, this was something different!”
Think that you’re up to performing at
Illusions? Give Mark a call on 0117 9093405
or 07974 005280
Illusions Magic Bar2 Byron Place, South Triangle, Clifton,Bristol BS8 1JTwww.illusionsmagicbar.co.ukwww.myspace.com/illusionsmagicbar
MAGICBAR
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66
MAGIC FACT!Matthew Buchinger, one of the premier Cups and
Balls performers of the 18th century, was born
without arms or legs and was 29 inches tall. Despite
all that, he was a master magician, a calligrapher
and a musician who played the flute, trumpet, bagpipes and
dulcimer. He married four times and fathered 11 children.
magicseen Issue No.17 November 2007
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L&L PUBLISHING IS PROUD TO PRESENT: 20 ROUTINES PLUS 5 BONUS TRICKS PLUS “BILL’S TIPS”L&L PUBLISHING IS PROUD TO PRESENT: 20 ROUTINES PLUS 5 BONUS TRICKS PLUS “BILL’S TIPS”
