100 Tricks You Should See Before You Die

the magic

THE MAGAZINE OF THE MAGIC CIRCLE

Features 105 108

Tributes to Patrick Page – by John Fisher Fisher and others others 101 Tricks to See Before You Die: Part 1 – by Graham Reed

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Regulars 98 98 100 100 101

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102 103 104 112

President’s View News Letters to the Editor Obituaries Cheeky Dog Chicanery – Davi David d Tomkins Tomkins The Magic Circle Cares – Rev Rev.. Pe Peter ter Liddelo Liddelow w 40 Years of TMC at FFFF – Antho Anthony ny Brahams Brahams Notes from a Working Magician – Step Stephen hen Ablett Ablett A Rich Cabinet Cabinet of Magical Curiositi Curiosities es – Dr. Edwin A. Dawes

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Club Night Events – Mandy Davis, Convenor of Reports

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Cover 101 Tricks to See

Published by The Magic Circle 12 Stephenson Way London NW1 2HD VATT Reg No 233 8369 VA 8369 51 All enquiries T 020 7387 2222

Circular Mentalism – Ian Rowl Rowland and Adopt, Adapt and Improve – Walford Taylor Magic in the Regions – Eliz Elizabeth abeth Warlock Warlock In Review Council Minutes Forthcoming Club Events – Brian Sibley and Mandy Davis

EDITORIAL 07910 317 902 EDITOR Matthew Field [email protected] 102 Priory Road Hastings East Sussex TN34 3JE ASSISTANT EDITOR Tim Reed ASSOCIATE EDITORS Anthonyy Braha Anthon Brahams, ms, Dr Edwin Edwin Dawes, Dawes, Scott Penrose, Ian Rowland, David Tomkins CONVENOR OF REPORTS Mandy Davis [email protected] OBITUARIES Alan Snowden, 5 Folkington Corner, Corner, Woodside Park, London N12 7BH 020 8445 7607 PROOFREADERS Cheryl Bell, Paul Bromley, Julie Carpenter, Barry Cooper, Tim Reed, Lionel Russell, Mary Stupple

DESIGN 020 8521 2631 ART DIRECTOR John Hawkins [email protected] 104d Grove Road Walthamstow E17 9BY PHOTOGRAPHERS John Ward ADVERTISING 07767 336882 BUSINESS AND ADVERTISING MANAGER Scott Penrose [email protected] 17 Berkeley Berkeley Drive Drive,, Billericay Essex CM12 0YP MISSING AND BACK ISSUES 01923 267 057 Michael Candy Sound of Music, Harthall Lane, Hemel Hempstead, Herts HP3 8SE PRINTED BY Perfect Imaging Ltd 020 8806 6630

Copyright © 2010 by The Magic Circle. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission of the Editor of The Magic Circular. Views expressed in The Magic Circular are those of the contributors and do not necessarily represent the views of The Magic Circle unless specifically stated. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of all information published shed in The Magic Circular, Circular, the Editor, Art Direc Director tor,, Staff and The Magic Magic Circle cannot cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions. Contributions must reach the Editor six weeks in advance of publication if it is essential that they should appear in the second month following’s issue and should be sent via email, on computer disk or on CD whenever possible.

Issue 1125 Volume 104 APRIL 2010

Circular reasoning

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he de deat ath h of Patrick Page hit me very hard. Although Pat had been ill for two years, he managed to keep his spirits up, and he had a table at last year’s year’s Blackpool Convention and The Magic Circle Dealers’ Day in November. Still, I was overwhelmed at the passing of the person I considered to be the most knowledgeable about all facets of magic. I am very very grate grateful ful to have been close to Pat and to have earned his trust although that in itself was not easy. When Graham Reed and I first spoke about his idea for an article on “101 Tricks to See Before You Die”, I was unsure unsur e about his desir desire e to list list the performers of the tricks rather than the finally ly came came to the conclus conclusion ion creators. I final that, as fine as the tricks may be, it’s the performance that makes magic memorable. The proof of this is that you can watch loads of magicians do card tricks, but when David Berglas performs, those tricks become miracles. Of course, even the best performer benefits from first-rate material, and that is, I think, what we have included here. Confession: Next month’ month’ss instalment of this series is written, but the final chapter is open for your suggestions. Send the name and brief description of the effect you wish to nominate, as well as the performer you saw performing the effect and why it warrants inclusion, to Graham Reed, 26 Hobbs Close, St. Albans, Herts. AL4 0TH, UK, or e-mail [email protected].

Circular news

President’s view President’s view The Magic Circle is a Church n a democr democracy acy,, a ruling council is is elected. elected. If a council consists of say, say, ten members, you often get 15 different opinions. For that reason, it has been suggested that a council of one is best. It has also been said that a council setting out to design a horse will inevitably come up with a camel. What normally happens with a properly elected council is they decide on a compromise. With most problems, there are two extreme possibilities with a grey area in the middle, and the majority decision ends up right there. Every now and again someone gets up and voices their concerns over what The Magic Circle is all about. Are we just another magic club, or are we the pinnacle of perfection in the world of magic? Or are we perhaps somewhere in the middle? I would like like to ask you to look look at the problem from a totally different angle. For some of us, magic is so deeply lodged in our psyche that it has become a religion. If that is so, could TMC be its church? In its widest sense, a church is not just a building. A broad church is a group of people brought together by a common belief. A religion seeks to educate its followers until as many as possible achieve such perfection that they become saints. What can we learn learn from this? this? No church is made up of all saints. It is wrong to think think it ever likely that there there would be universal perfection. A church may well have one or two saints and indeed a few sinners, the two extremes. But the majority of the congregation will consist of followers who

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are doing their very best and should not be criticised for being somewhere in the middle. A chur church ch educates by providing providing a building where its adherents can meet and discuss their mutual interest. It provides information by the way of books and talks by knowledgeable teachers. It nurtures development so that everyone reaches his or her full potential. The church itself is not perfect. Its congregation is not perfect. The congregation strives for perfection bearing in mind its own limitations, and the church shows them the way. So, is The Magic Circle perfection in the magic world? No, but it can help magicians to reach the very height of their ability and thereby elevate the art of magic in the eyes of the real world. I can’t claim claim to be an expert on religions religions but guess most of them preach respect for one another. In magic, we should not be looking at each other as rivals in some great competition. I don’t wish to confuse this with stage or close-up competitions; they have their place and should be treated as a fun way to improve impr ove one’s one’s perfo performance rmance.. We shoul should d be big enough to help fellow magicians in any way we can so that magic benefits as a whole. I may have got this this wrong, wrong, but it seems seems to me that there there is a new swathe of magicians magicians who think that success in magic is learning to do the most horrendously difficult sleights better than one’ one’ss peers. Some of the best magic is quite easy to perform; the difficult bit is to put that magic into a perfectly fashioned act, totally in keeping with the personality of the performer that brings forth a storm of applause from real people who have paid real money to see it. That is where the competition lies – in the marketplace. Let’s all join together and have fun in helping each other to improve our acts so that whenever lay people hear the word ‘magic’ they get a feeling of warmth from the pleasurable anticipation of having a good time. The Magic Circle church is non-racist, nonsexist, non-classist, non-political and nonreligious; except for magic of course. See you in church.

Jack Delvin MIMC [email protected]

98 THE MAGIC CIRCULAR APRIL 2010

Jack Delvin Receives Murray Award from Blackpool Magicians’ Club Our President, Jack Delvin, was the co-recipient of the 2010 Murray Award from the Blackpool Magicians’ Club,

s i v a D y d n a M : o t o h P

Jack Delvin with Murray Award

Semi-Circles Former Magic Circular Editor books ks are amo among ng Peter Eldin’s boo the top 25% of borrowings from public libraries in the UK, according to the Public Lending Right. What is unusual about this is that Peter’s books are non-fiction for children, and the majority of books in the list are fiction for adults. It should be mentioned that Peter also writes material for adults! ... Jeff McBride called it the “show of my dreams” as he was featured as star performer in February at Il Ballo del Doge in Venice, Italy, the grandest of all the masquerade balls to lead off Carnevale in Venice ... Patrick Martin and Genevieve were in Rome in February finishing up their engagement at the Olympic Theatre in the show Supermagic ... Supermagic ... Member Adam Silverstein is an academic in Oxford and has just published a book, Islamic History: A Very Short Intro Introducti duction on (OUP, 2010). He contributed a piece to the Oxford University Press blog comparing the work of a historian with that of a magician. He says, in part, “Western “Wes tern magici magicians ans have been www.TheMagicCircle.co.uk

along with Member John Pye. Michael J. Fitch. Judges for the The award is given “for contests were John Pye, Eric outstanding service to the Eswin, Joan Caesar and Obie Blackpool Magicians’ Club and O’Brien. Derek Lever was once for distinguished dedication to again the convention conv ention organiser, the art of magic”. Also in news and the event sold out from the Blackpool completely. Convention, which was held from 19-21 February, John van John Fisher’s Fisher’s der Put took Third Prize in the Jus’ Jus’ Lik ike e Tha hat t British Magical Close-Up John Fisher’s show Jus’ Like Championship, and David That: A night out with Tommy Tomkins finished Second in the Cooper has been revived and is Children’ss Entertainer Children’ touring the UK, having opened International Championships. on 14 February in Cheltenham. Among those appearing at the Clive Mantle, from TV’s convention were members Russ Casualty , now plays plays the part of of Stevens, David & Dania with a the man in the fez. A review by brand new act, and Wayne Freddie Whittaker said that Dobson who began his lecture Mantle “not only looks the with a tribute to Pat Page part in ill-fitting suit and fez, before being interviewed by but seems to have perfected

Patrick Martin and Genevieve

Peter Eldin

www.TheMagicCircle.co.uk www.Th eMagicCircle.co.uk

Roger Dreyer

the mannerisms, voice and slapstick genius of Tommy Cooper ... If the beginning of [the] tour is anything to go on, the success is set to spread across the country”.

Scott Penrose is Special Effects Advisor for Love Never Dies Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Love sequel to the Never Dies, the sequel smash hit show Phantom of the Opera had its first London preview on 22 February. The Magic Circle’s Vice President, Scott Penrose, is in charge of the special effects in the show. With music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyrics by Glenn Slater and book by Ben Elton, the show stars Ramin Karimloo as

the Phantom. It is set to open at the Adelphi Theatre in London’s West End on 9 March, with a Broadway premiere at an as-yet-unnamed theatre on 11 November and an Australian debut in 2011.

guilty of Orientalism and I’m not just thinking here of Tommy Cooper’s Cooper’s fez. Since the Middle Ages, magicians have been ‘going East’ in search of magic and exploiting the Orient’ Orient’s mysti mystique que to add allure to their acts”. You’ll You’ll find the full essay at http://blog.oup.com/2010/02/ islamagic/ ... former Magic Circular columnist Thomas Solomon performed escape stunts on 14 February in New York City at what was billed as an “Anti-Valentine’s Day Vampire Vampir e Ball” at the downtown Club Element ... Member Stuart Fell (Taro the Jester) had a repeat broadcast of his appearance on BBC TV’s Priceless Antiques Roadshow on 9 February featuring his collection of spinning tops ... On a recent trip to New York City your Editor had the chance to visit the Fantasma Magic Shop owned by Member With th a Roger Dreyer. Wi dperformance stage and lots of l e i Fdisplay room, Roger has w e hinstalled exhibits on Houdini t t a(including a figure that M : odescends from the ceiling!) and t o heven has a card card table set set up for P magicians to show each other

Solomont

the latest moves. The store’s store’s website is www.FantasmaMagic.com ... Member Richard Steven Cohn was featured in a frontpage article in The Park Slope Courier in New York City with his wife Alexandra Baltarzuk Cohen in their report on the sold-out “Night of Magic” in Januaryy at the Brooklyn Januar Brooklyn Society Society for Ethical Culture. Among others on the bill was Member Meir Yedid, and magicians in the audience included Eric DeCamps, George and Nina Schindler Schind ler,, and Michael Chaut.

APRIL 2010 THE MAGIC CIRCULAR

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Letters to the E the Ed d itor Good Works by TMC!

Kudos and a Recommendation

This is just a quick note to publicly thank those members of The Magic Circle who so readily gave of their time and talents on a completely voluntary basis to provide our servicemen and women with a truly magical evening on 24 February at our HQ. Tickets For Troops (T4T) provide free tickets to a number of sporting and cultural events and I suggested to Council that we should offer a Meet The Magic Circle evening evening to them. Council Council agreed and T4T were very excited about the prospect. Over 700 servicemen applied for just 63 pairs of ticket and, whilst we had some late drop-outs drop-outs due to service commitments, commitments, our guests had a truly magical magical evening evening.. The Close-up team of Fay Presto, Tim Shoesmith, Gordon Drayson, Steve Lobley, David Weeks and yours truly entertained in the first half and then after a talk by our President, Jack Delvin, and a short break, the stage team of Richard Pinner, Romany and John Styles compered by James Fortune gave of their very best. A mass massive ive team team of technical, technical, cateri catering, ng, bar, bar, shop, front of house, museum, cloakroom and reserves all played their part in the evening and are gratefully thanked. Bar and shop takings were brisk which means the evening would have made a small profit for the CMA but the publicity committee are working hard to maximise the real benefit to TMC. Thank you everyone. Clive Hyams AIMC

Congratulations to Carol Cooper and her team of lady presenters for a superb show, show, “Here Come the Girls” on 1 February. A truly excellent evening in every way. I would also also like to recommend recommend the book On the Road by Frank Skinner for detailed information about building an act. The book is published as an Arrow paperback for £7.99. Graham Reed MIMC

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Email [email protected] or telephone 0845 006 2502


Obituaries Dennis Collins MIMC 1924-2010 It is my sad duty to report the passing of Dennis Collins MIMC. As ‘Uncle Dennis and Auntie Jean’, Dennis and his late wife entertained hundreds of thousands of children in East Anglia and on the South Coast with their holiday and schools road safety shows, the latter featuring their living marionettes. Never one to blow his own trumpet, Dennis was one of the best children’s entertainers around and remained well known long after his retirement. Indeed a recent archive photograph of one of his shows in the local paper elicited a big response of warm memories and he was often approached by people who recognised Uncle Dennis from their childhood. A stalwart of The Pentacle Club and inspiration to many a fledgling magician, Dennis will be missed by many. Alan Maskell MIMC Henry Smi Henry Smith th MIMC 1936-2010 Henry Smith passed away on Thursday 11 February, having previously been diagnosed with cancer of the liver. As a youngster he was a member of the Boys’ Magic Service of Wales and performed at church and social functions. Henry was a Major in the Salvation Army and later became an evangelist, often introducing magic into his sermons. Although he was a very accomplished children’s children’s entertainer, Henry was best known as a Gospel magician and was a founder member of The Fellowship of Christian Magicians, attending and lecturing at their annual conventions. For ten years he edited The Gospel Column, contributing his own gospel rou routine tines, s, in the pages of Supreme Magic’s Magigram and he edited two books on the subject as well as performing gospel magic on a commercial video which sold to the public. Ian Adair MIMC www.TheMagicCircle.co.uk www.Th eMagicCircle.co.uk

David Tomkins MIMC

How long do you spend at a party?

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can remember many years ago when children’s birthday parties sometimes ran for two and-a-halfhours. If an entertainer was hired, it would mean working a full hour before the lunch / tea, then another full hour afterwards afterwards.. The childr children en would eat for half an hour in between, then charge back into the room where the entertainer would have to calm them all down again. It could be hard work, especially if occasionally the children only needed 15 to 20 minutes to eat and returned early. The entertainer would have to fill in the extra time. Fortunately these days a two-hour party has generally become the norm. There are still exceptions such as when they’ve hired a bouncy castle and want to extend the party so the children have extra time to play on it after the entertainer has finished. (When ther there’ e’ss a bouncy castle I always insistt on it being deflat insis deflated ed before before I start the show). It’ It’ss puzzling when clients hire me to do a two-hour two-hour party party and still book a bouncy castle as well, leaving very little time overall for the children to play on it. Whilst of course, like many other performers, I’ll accept a two-hour party booking if that’s what they want; we can’t pick and choose these days. I perso personally nally prefer prefer doing just the hour show, (or 45 minutes if for under-5s). You arrive and set up. The children are seated and once you have finished the show, either they go off to eat while you pack up or, if you are working the last hour, hour, by the time you’ve finished the parents are there to collect their little darlings. With the two-hour party show show,, once the children have finished eating, back they come recharged with energy and you have to get them back under control all over again. (Familiarity breeds contempt!) A good strong strong visual story trick works well for recapturing their attention and getting them settled. (Giant Dwarf or The 3 Spacemen Spacemen & the


Moon Monster are good examples.) I can always remember remember the the longest non-stop children’s show I ever did was many years ago at a company Christmas party for Xerox. I’d arrived to set up at 1pm. The children were coming at 2pm. I’d been asked to start the show a few minutes after that time when hopefully most of the guests would have arrived. At 2.10pm all 150 children were sat ready watching. Just as I was about to begin, one of the organisers came rushing over to me to say that they’d just had a phone call from the caterers. The food was going to be delayed so the children wouldn’t be able to eat till 4pm. (If you haven’t worked that out, I was going to have to fill 1 hour and 50 minutes!!) So that’s just what I did! Of course I paced myself and lucky for me they weren’t weren’t an overoverdemanding audience. (I had a few children childr en wander off off to the loo during during my ‘marathon’, but that was to be expected.) Another company I worked for over about three Christmases always insisted on a three-hour three-hour party. party. Plus Santa. Each year I’d suggest that they cut the length down, but no! The customer’s customer’s always right, aren’t they(?). Performance time worked out at TWO one-and-a-quarter hour sessions with a half-hour tea break in the middle. (That’ (That’ss TWO 75-minute shows.) The client would always make sure that the children arrived in good time prior to my start. Father Christmas would turn up right at the end of the three hours, so there was never any leeway for me to “waste a bit of time”, so to speak. However, the fee was very good and whilst I did what they booked and paid for, I always felt it was overkill, too long for me and for the children. After the third year year,, I promised myself that if the client rang again for next year, I would only take the booking on again if they agreed to either cutting the overall party length down a bit or, if not, to allow me to book a second entertainer to cover half an hour or so, to give me a break and to give the children a change. Some performers may have chosen to plod

themselves each year (and consider the material consumption!). However, by that time I had decided it was much better to give the children the variety of two performers than to risk the plain repetition of just one, no matter how good the show might be. They agreed. Having to pay the other entertainer, my own fee was reduced and whilst money is important, on this occasion it wasn’t everything! Whilst I normally do a 45-minute show for under-5s, have you ever taken a booking where the client specifically requests only a half-hour show for young children? In your mind you think, “That’ll be a cinch!” This happened to me. I’d set up my show in one room whilst the children ate lunch in another. another. At 2.30pm Mum popped her head round the door and asked ifif I was ready ready.. I was. In crep creptt my audience, just FOUR four-year-olds four-year-olds who simply sat in a row on the floor nearby staring up at me with great big eyes. I sensed I’d have to play the show very gently and low key. To cut a long story short, for half an hour they just sat there, eyes glued. Don’t misunderstand me, they were enjoying the show, smiling very occasionally, but there was no feedback, even though I tried to encourage it. There was full attention, but complete silence throughout. It was hard work and the longest half hour show I’d ever done, but Mum and Dad were delighted!.

APRIL 2010 THE MAGIC CIRCULAR 101

by Peter Liddel Liddelow ow AIMC The Magic Circle Chaplain and Welfare Officer It has been a sad time for The Magic Magic Circle, for a number number of our long-standing and treasured members have passed on. In February we said farewell to Dennis Collins MIMC, Henry Smith MIMC and Patrick Page MIMC and at their Funeral Services we celebrated their lives and gave thanks for their friendship, faithful service and for all the fun they have given over the years to so many through their magical skills. Their families are special to us and we remember them in their sorrow. Several friends of The Magic Circle are far from well, frail or infirm whilst others, in their twilight years, are finding life somewhat of a struggle. In particular spare a thought and prayer for: convalescing scing at home home following following a Fergus Anckorn MIMC – convale spell in hospital. undergoing going hospital hospital treatment. treatment. David Baldwin MIMC – under undergoing going medical medical treatment. treatment. John Calvert MIMC – under hospital al tests and treatment. treatment. Charles Reynolds MIMC – hospit Frances Gilbert (Ron’s widow) – who is blind and her daughter, Susan, and son, Craig, are ill. awaiting ng the result result of medical tests. tests. Andrew Webb MMC – awaiti Also continue to remember the following members and their families, mentioned in the March Circular , who are are still unwell unwell,, for their ongoing treatment: Bobby Bernard, Nick Cohen, Peter D’Arcy, John Derris,


John Dudley, Sue Fisher (John’s wife), Wayne and Kathleen Mattox, Jerry O’Connell, Ilona Scarlett (Peter’s wife), and Roger Withrington. Contact addresses: High Street Street,, Barbara Grey (niece of Dennis Collins) 75, High Somersham, Huntingdon, Cambridge PE28 3JP. 3JP. Thames Drive Drive,, Kathy Smith (widow of Henry Smith) 78 Thames Taunton, Somerset TA1 2TE. Venner Road, Janette Page (daughter of Pat Page) 32 Venner Sydenham SE26 5EF. Fergus Anckorn 16 Hollingworth Way, Westerham, Kent TN16 1BS. Hills, NJ 07078 USA David Baldwin 40 Twin Oak Road, Short Hills, John Calvert 1031 Richland Way, Bowling Green, KY 42103 USA Talbot Park, Frances Gilbert 7 Woods View Road, Talbot Bournemouth, Dorset BH9 2LJ Charles Reynolds 3 Grove Court, New York, NY 10014 USA Andrew Webb 249 Whitley Wood Road, Reading, Berkshire RG2 8LE If you hear of members or their families who are unwell or facing difficult times please let me know so that I can get in touch and send them a Magic Circle card or get-well gift. Peter Liddelow (Chaplain and Welfare Officer) 23 Kings Road, Barnet, Herts., EN5 4EF T. 020 8441 8441 2968 E. Chaplain@TheMagicCir [email protected] cle.co.uk


Princess Anytime by Anthony Brahams

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his month Fechter’s Finger Flicking Frolic celebrates 40 years of annual conventions devoted to close-up magic, with attendance by invitation only. ‘Chief Forker’ Obie O’Brien has always welcomed magicians from abroad and The Magic Circular celebrates this great institution with seven bimonthly columns (this is the last) featuring the magic of some of those TMC/FFFF attendees. For more information about Fechter’s Finger Flicking Frolic, check out www.FFFFmagic.com.

Our contributor this month is Anthony Brahams, magician, author and, with his Cairn Press (www.TheCairnPress.com), (www.TheCairnPress .com), publisher of some excellent books on magic. Anthony writes that the major attraction of Fechter’s for him “is the opportunity to spend four days with magicians who are are friendly friendly,, even if I did not know some some that well. There There is an atmosphere of enjoyment and pleasure of being with each other, other, talking with each other and performing close-up magic. My first visit was in 1978 and though sadly it was Eddie Fechter’s last, at least I was able to spend a lot of time with him as he frequently called me over to perform some of his superb card material for me (an Englishman was a rarity then and he was also


MIMC

delighted that I had performed for HRH Prince Charles!). I had been used to large British Conventions where close-up was minimal and an ordinary youngster (comparatively) like me never got to speak with any of the “Stars”. This was so different”.

Princess Anytime by Anthony Brahams

MIMC

I have received received e-mails e-mails from lay people people with a trick whereby the faces of six cards are shown on a computer screen and the viewer asked to think of and remember one. On a later screen five cards are seen – the selected selected card card is missing. missing. This is the Princess Card Trick – the original one, as another trick involving hands of five cards dealt has the same name. [The original was “The Prince’s Card Trick” by Henry Hardi Hardin. n. Ed. ] ] The secret is that the five cards seen in the denouement denoue ment are not among the six shown at first. This, of course, is easy to do using frames on the internet, and there have been many methods, over many years, using fake cards in some form. There have been a few versions with regular cards but complex and difficult to perform. Set up an ordinary pack of cards (but do not use those words in your patter!) as follows: From the top of a face-down pack six cards all face-up, or you can have them face down and turn them face up, it depends how you like to work. These are: King of Hearts, Jack of Clubs, King of Spades, Queen of Diamonds, Queen of Clubs, Jack of Diamonds; next a facedown indifferent card, Ace of Hearts face up and finally five face-up cards: King of Diamonds, Queen of Spades, Jack of Hearts, King of Clubs and Queen of Hearts. Hold a left little finger break under the Queen of Hearts. Fan the top six cards face up and ask the spectator to think of and remember one of those cards. Square the six cards on top of the deck and apparently turn

them face down. You do this but turn all the other cards above the break as well. There will still be a face-down card on top. Say, “Before you actually name your card I’ll make it disappear!” Gesture as if you are taking out a card and throwing it in the air. Ask, “ For the first time tell us – what was your card?” Rapidly deal the cards singly from the top, turning them face up as they are placed on the table on top of one another,, saying, “One, not the ‘Jack of another Clubs, Two, not the Jack of Clubs…” and so on until you have dealt all five. Announce you know what they were thinking of. After a slight pause say, “If you are thinking the Jack of Clubs is back on the pack, it is not… that’s that’s the Ace of Hearts!” You have just performed an applicable handling of Marlos’ Marlos’ss KM move. The two two cards on top of the pack pack are the Ace of Hearts, Hearts, face face down, followed follow ed by the indifferent indifferent card face up. Push them off, squared so they are held by the right thumb tip on top and the tips of the right first and second fingers beneath. Pull the cards, still aligned, off the pack from the right long side so that the left second, third and fourth fingertips can press against the back of the indifferent card. Immediately the cards clear the pack (all part of the same movement), the right hand moves upwards, making a clicking sound with the Ace of Hearts as it hits the bottom of the left thumb. Simultaneously the left fingers push the indifferent card face down on to the top of the face-down pack. Note: I sometimes use the Braue Addition for the Switch but the effect then does not have the character although the sleight is very good. This and many other Switches may be found in Card College. I al also so rec recom omme mend nd looking at Roy Walton’s Walton’s “Pocket Princess” in Hierophant 6.


What Kind of Entertainer Are You? by Stephen Ablett

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here is an argument amongst the magic community about what is the best style of entertainer for children. Some adults seem to think that a quiet, reserved entertainer is best. They have watched a one-minute promo by a quiet magician and think that’ss the way their entire show lasts. that’ The problem with this is that the magician probably recorded their act twenty times, and you only saw snippets of the best take. I have watched hundred of children’s children’s shows by some famous and other notso-famous magicians and one of the few things I have learnt is the quiet, calm entertainers don’t last long. Their shows are short and they mainly specialise in close-up for adults, while only performing the occasional kid’s party to supplement their income. You visit their websites websites and it’s it’s all about them as an adult entertainer and you look at their material which is either extremely old or not suitable for the age group they are performing for. for. I have been told told several several times that that I treat my adult audiences like kids. I cannot help this because 95% of my shows are for children. But the same conditioning mistake can be found in the calm magician, where he treats the children too much like adults, so that they don’t understand the humour humour,, jokes or entertainment in the show. I saw one kid’s magician perform the

knife through arm. Another performed the seven-foot French guillotine. Both were at a children’s show and both have released a DVD. The children undoubtedly had nightmares after witnessing these effects. This is the perfect example of an entertainer performing his adult cabaret show for children and thinking he can get away with it. These are highly unsuitable props for this age group and, in my opinion, have no place in an adult show, never mind a kid’ kid’ss one. Children demand laughter, they want to shout out and be an active participant in the show. The tricks you choose should motivate the kids to shout back and get involved in the trick. Even if it’s just giving them an opportunity to say the magic words, that is enough for the kids to feel they played played a part in the effect effect and helped make it work. That is what the kids want. The quiet magicians who simply show off their skills quite frankly bore the children and most often they will let the magician know what they really think of him! An interesting thing to note about videos from this style of performer is that their DVDs are all recorded in a school. For child control, that is the perfect place as there are teachers present and a child knows that, if they misbehave, they get detention. Therefore, it doesn’t matter how bad an entertainer you are, you will get good footage because the kids are forced to behave. A proper show should be presented in a normal village hall or

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MMC private home as it truly shows what the entertainer is capable of. Only then can you see how the children respond when given the freedom to run about. These are the real challenges we face, like talking parents and overly excited children. In these parties, I find it is the loud and exciting magician who encourages the children to shout back who survives the event and lasts a full hour or two. Being able to control the children when encouraging them to shout is, of course, a required skill, which many entertainers don’t have. If not handled wisely,, it can look like you are wisely are losing control and you will not make a good impression on the parents. You You have to utilise an arsenal of shut-down lines to stop the hecklers hecklers before before they take the jokes too far. I have several tactics at my disposal and my favourite is to redirect the heckle into something more productive. Some of you will know that I wear a frog frog on my head, hidden hidden under the hat. If I feel the children are screaming too loudly and won’t settle so that I can continue with the next trick, I simply take off my hat. The children instantly shout out, ‘There’s ‘There’s a frog on your head!’ I then put the hat back on, hiding the frog and the children shut up. I can then continue on with the show. This method of redirecting the heckles to something I have complete control over is a vital tool in playing the loud magician. In the past I have used balloon modelling as a reward system for those who remain quiet. I have also blown my whistle to get them to stop. But nothing works better, and looks more professional, than redirecting the joke while keeping the laughter level high. You might not want to wear a frog on your head, but if you have your own running gag that features throughout the show, you too can use this as a tool for child control and with the weapons in place, you too can be the exciting magician the kids and clients want.


d n u o P p i l i h P : o t o h P

PATRICK PAGE

MIMC

17 March 1929 – 11 February 2010 by John Fisher MIMC

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0 1 0 2 r e h s i F n h o J ©

hen I was very, very young one of my treasured books was an anthology of short stories for children that included the classic account of a small boy’s visit to a magic shop by H. G. Wells. It conjured up an atmosphere of anticipation and mystery upon visiting such an emporium achieved nowhere else else in literature. literature. Several years later I would enter just such a shop and meet just such a magician. The shop was that of Lewis Davenport and Company opposite the British Museum in London’s Great Russell Street, the magician was Patrick Page. Pat did not possess the supernatural ability of Wells’ creation to conjure his stock out of thin air or the disconcerting knack of magically transporting his customers from inside the shop to the pavement outside, but in other respects he did not disappoint. On an early visit I recall him causing a lighted match to disappear in his bare hands and making a matchbox open and close by remote control as a prelude to crawling over his hand like a trained mouse. There was nothing this slight, but stocky man was not prepared to demonstrate, no question he would not answer for you, short of explaining how a match feasibly could dissolve into nothingness or the secret of whatever miracle had teased your imagination. Many of the wonders that I saw him perform


behind that counter in my younger days I know now to be attributed to his skilled use of an old Davenports stand-by, the ‘Topit’ Vanisher. This had been a speciality of the great George ‘Gilly Gilly’ Davenport, whom Pat succeeded as the presence behind the counter in the firm which George’s father, father, Lewis had established. His quicksilver proficiency with this trademark item alone would have qualified him as the natural successor to this position. No magician that talented could be held behind a shop counter for long and Pat with all his Scottish resourcefulness would in time break away. His ability to hold a commercial audience in the palm of his hand with the most basic tricks is legendary. His expertise with ‘The Miser’s Dream,’ for example, was on a level with that of his great idol in magic, Al Flosso. Not long ago I saw a reference to Pat as Britain’s answer to Dai Vernon. That did not do him justice. As a teacher and catalyst for the good of magic Pat could well have stepped into the Professor’s shoes. But his knowledge and experience had been obtained in the hard cut and thrust of performing commercially for the public in a way that Vernon never really came to do. Pat was more than a walking encyclopaedia of magic and magicians, rather a human CD-ROM of unbounded capacity upon which  everything appertaining to the art, however


important, however practical, however fascinatingly trivial, had been stored. I question whether there has been another magician in the United Kingdom in recent times with a working knowledge of magic as immense. His ability to communicate can be measured by the text of one of the great unsung magic books of recent years. The Big Book of Magic caused much controversy when it appeared in high street bookshops in the midseventies. It will come to be seen as one of the best books on the standard magic of its day ever written, explaining in brisk, no-nonsense language not merely the ‘how’ of magic but the ‘why’ and the ‘wherefore’. This style was carried through in a series of more specialised works published exclusively for magicians and in a long-running series of instructional videos and DVDs

which, alongside those of Johnny Thompson, are in my opinion the best to be found in the business. He extended his writing talent into two practical books on visual and physical comedy techniques, an area about which so little has been written. With his friend Matthew Field he was working on what will prove to be his magical magnum opus at the time of his death. Over the years as a dealer in his own right, Pat marketed many of his own routines and devices. None proved more popular and commercial than his ‘Card in Wallet’ routine. This came complete with gags and bits of business that had been honed by years of experience. Inevitably it found its way into several professional acts, not least that of Paul Daniels. No one could fail with that routine, but no one performed it better than its originator. And like Daniels, Pat had an

ability as an entertainer that went beyond the scope of his magic. His pawky sense of humour was in direct line of descent from a great tradition of Scottish humour. To spend time in Pat’s company was a cherished experience. You always came away having learned something. Above all else he was a modest man. That should not stand in our way in recognising him as one of the great national treasures of recent British magic and certainly the best thing in legerdemain to come out of Scotland since John Ramsay.

[Patrick Page leaves behind a daughter Janette and her partner Philip, son Jeremy, a grandson, a sister in Canada and companion Karina Manninen, as well as hundreds of admirers and magicians to whom he gave his nonpareil expertise. See his cover feature in the April 2007 Magic Circular for details about his life. Ed. ] ]

The following tributes to this great magician and gentleman of magic are from Members who were some of Pat’s closest friends. Patrick Page was so much more than a friend to me ... he influenced almost everything I have done in magic for the last 45 years. He had a special gift for finding that ‘little twist’ that every good magic trick needs ... not only that ... he was a fine magician and the world has lost a Great Master!!! My only hope now is that I can make his magic live on through the work that I do in the future ... I will miss him .... Colin Rose MIMC When I visited Pat the week before he died, I was worried. He had lost weight, was very tired and his voice had gone. But all he could think about was going to the Blackpool Convention. To be honest, getting to the bus stop would have taken a big effort, but Pat did not recognise the problems, he WAS going to Blackpool. He had shown such spirit throughout his illness and had lived for the last few months on will-power alone. What a character! What a wonderful, generous character who was universally liked and respected, but who had time for everyone. John Alexander AIMC Now that Pat is no longer with us, he will be remembered and appreciated by many of the magic fraternity from his books, lectures and marketed routines. Those lucky enough to have known him


have lost a generous friend. But his work as an entertainer was also outstanding. In his own field, projecting his enthusiastic personality with routines of great skill, he was a master of ‘the art that conceals art’. Audiences warmed to him. He made it look so easy and such fun. It can’t get better than that. Larry Parker MIMC Although I could well have met Pat before, my first vivid recollection of meeting him was in the mid-1960s when he was behind the counter at Davenports when they were situated in Great Russell Street. What a demonstrator! He was certainly on a par if not better than Jack Chanin or Ken Brooke. He could certainly sell, and an Eskimo would have happily bought a refrigerator from Pat, BUT only if Pat felt it was right for him. He would never sell you a trick or a book

Pat receives the AMA Master’s Fellowship

just for the sake of making a sale. It had to be right for you. He was rarely without a Topit, and could work miracles before your very eyes. He was always kind and thoughtful and more importantly generous, not only with his knowledge which was second to none, but also with many a kindness in sending along a photograph, a letter heading or some other piece of relevant ephemera if it was needed for a literary project. When I organised single-handedly the Flying Sorcerers’ Convention for Goodliffe in 1968, it was Pat who persuaded Keith Clark to give his very first lecture ever, never seeking any acknowledgement or recognition. He was a great friend, advisor and Stage Manager to Maurice Fogel and often added that little extra finishing touch that made all the difference to several of his choice items. He entertained at our engagement in 1969, and with [his late wife] Margaret he was at our wedding, as well as entertaining at our daughter’ daughter’ss wedding, too. ‘Easy Money’ is his greatest legacy to table hoppers; there is no finer piece of highly visual instant re-set close-up magic. Last March we enjoyed seeing him in good sprits and performing brilliantly at his surprise 80th birthday party. For once he was at a loss for words! They used to say about Max Miller, “There will never be another”. Well it is the same for Pat – there really will never be another quite like him.

www.TheMagicCircle.co.uk www .TheMagicCircle.co.uk

Aldo Colombini kisses Pat at FFFF

To Janette and Jeremy we send our thoughts and prayers at this difficult time, and also to Karina who is truly an angel looking after him so well in his last difficult months. Chris Woodward MIMC and Nadine With the passing of Pat Page, the world of contemporary magic has lost one of its truly great men and, incidentally, one of its unsung geniuses. The qualities that most defined Pat were his modesty, his generosity and his creativity. Pat spent most of his life in magic as a magic dealer, author, lecturer and consummate performer of great wit and charm. If one word could be found to characterise Pat’s approach to magic, it would be ‘practicality’. Pat knew what worked and what didn’t and why. He learned it the hard way not only as keen observer of the magic scene and close friend to most of the major magicians of his time, but from working virtually all the venues available to a professional magician, from gritty working men’s men’s clubs where, more often than not, he shared the bill with the obligatory stripper, to playing upscale cabaret engagements at the top hotels and clubs of London. He also appeared on television and in films where he frequently functioned as an advisor and magic consultant. He even appeared as a David Devant-like illusionist performing the Mascot Moth on one episode of the popular Hercule Poirot television series. Though Pat was a man of many talents, one at which he did not excel was that of self-promotion. He was content to make an adequate living as one of magic’s great generalists. For those of us who have amassed sizeable libraries and references


on magic that we regularly refer to in our work, probably the most valuable thing we possessed was Pat’ Pat’ss telephone number. He was always full of valuable insights and creative ideas and, of course, was generous in sharing them. When one thinks of the startling change of blank pieces of paper to real currency (in my opinion, one of the greatest close-up tricks of all time), one thinks of Fred Kaps who popularised it. When one thinks of the beautiful and poetic levitation of a girl on water fountains, one thinks of Doug Henning who, with Pat’ Pat’ss blessing, introduced it. Similarly, the highly entertaining stand-up version of Matching the Cards is a high point of the club act of Raphael Benatar, and was taught by Pat in his lectures to magicians. But these are only a few of literally hundreds of Pat’ss magical concepts. Pat’ One of Pat’s best pieces of advice to his fellow magicians was, “Don’t trivialise the magic”. He never did, and many magicians were smart enough to take the ideas that he so freely shared and to make performing gold out of them. In April, 2008, Pat was honoured with the prestigious Masters Fellowship awarded by the Academy of Magical Arts at Hollywood’s Magic Castle, putting him in the company of a very select group of great magicians who received it in the years before him. Pat was justly proud of that award and certainly deserved it. What he did not deserve was that, in the short period of his life remaining, he would be plagued by an incurable illness. Characteristically, up until the last few months of his life, this did not slow him down. He continued playing club dates, lecturing for magicians in the US, Europe and South America, working on his final “Big Book,” attending the London West End shows of Derren Brown and Arturo Brachetti and even, with his devoted companion Karina, to making a last trip to

Ali Bongo and Pat

Paris for the circus season. Pat’s magical legacy lives on. Though he would be the last to admit it, he was one of the truly great magicians. Charles Reynolds MIMC As many of you know, I worked very closely with Pat for the past two years on what will be his final book. I had approached him several years earlier with a question about whether he was working on such a book, with no desire to work on it myself. Pat said he had been writing the book for some years, and I told him I was glad, because other than The Big Book of Magic , Bell’s Magic Book, Patrick Page’s Book of Visual Comedy, Slush and books for the public under the Whizz Kids brand (Card Games & Tricks and The Jokers’ ), most of what Pat wrote Handbook ), were small booklets (such as Patrick’s Pages of Magic and lecture notes) which he sold at his dealer table at conventions and lectures and were hard to find. In January 2008 Pat knew he was ill and I think that motivated him to get his material edited into a form for publication. I agreed to take on the job, mentally calculating that that I had just given up my weekends. At our first meeting he handed me a huge carrier bag of what he had written. That was augmented by lots more as time passed. “I just remembered something”, he would say with that elfin glint in his eye. He found working on the book pretty boring, so when I was at his flat in Camberwell, London, he would often have a DVD or video he wanted to watch, or a new trick he would show me, or tell me what was wrong about so-and-so’s act, or he’d bring out old Punch & Judy figures he’d want to talk about, or a discussion of music would ensue because Pat knew I had been a folksinger in the ‘60s and knew something about old-time music, which he loved. He was honest, sometimes brutally so, but his generosity to fellow magicians was legendary legendary.. The title of my interview with Pat in the April 2007 Circular was, “I Enjoyed Every Minute”, and Pat really did. The book will eventually be published, and I can honestly say that working with Pat, befriending him and seeing him so often, is something for which I will always be grateful. Matthew Field AIMC


Several books have recently been published with similar themes: 501 Places to Visit Before you Die, 1001 Movies to See Before You Die, and so on. I thought that “101 Tricks to See Before You Die” could be an interesting article. What to put in was the first problem, but following a fruitful harvest of suggestions from TMC members, the problem became what to leave out! I decided to focus on tricks and illusions which have the ‘wow’ factor – ideally linked with specific magicians, living or dead, but I planned to include only people the contributor had seen in person. If you feel strongly about the omission of your favourite trick and performer, send your suggestions to The Circular and we will try to publish your comments. According to Graham, the following list, the first of three parts, is in no particular order. order. A reminder that the names following the effects are the performers, not necessarily the inventors. We are grateful to David Hibberd for providing many of the images in these articles, depicting the performers (if not always the actual tricks) from The Magic Circle Archives. Ed.


TRICKS TO SEE BEFORE YOU DIE Part 1 of 3 by Graham Graham Reed MIMC MIMC

ZIG-ZAG ILLUSION – Robert Harbin This incredible 1 illusion, in which the centre of a female assistant is visibly moved (!), took the magic world by storm. When the method was published, several performers included it in their acts but nobody did it better than the originator, Robert Harbin, who was a prolific inventor of practical ideas.

chop-cup routine is to see a magical superstar at the top of his game.

FLYING – David Copperfield Man has always 2 wanted to fly and no illusion creates this dream better than David Copperfield’s ‘FLYING’ ‘FL YING’ in which the performer soars around the stage and inside a large transparent ‘box’ without any visible means of support.

CHEATING THE GALLOWS – Maurice Fogel The ultimate ‘Just Chance’ stage illusion in which five rope nooses are shown. Four are genuine but the fifth pulls apart; they all look identical. A spectator selects a noose which is suspended from the fullsize gallows – 4 the performer stands on a chair, puts his head in the noose – and jumps! Thankfully the noose pulls apart and the performer survives. Maurice first performed the illusion in 1961. His favourite patter line was – “If this trick fails I will not hear your applause – so can I have it now please”! For full details about this great performer performer,, don’t miss Maurice Fogel – in Search of the Sensational by Chris Woodward and Richard Mark.

CHOP CUP – Paul Daniels Paul has taken a close-up trick and turned it into a mini stage ‘illusion’ with which he has amazed, and amused, theatrical audiences worldwide. Paul’ Paul’ss routine, perfected over many years, is a lesson in the value of 3 presentation – it’s not what you do, it’s how you do it. To see Paul performing his

GOLD MEDALLION PREDICTION – Al Koran Many great 5 ideas have been created by Al Koran and none more popular with fellow performers that his brilliant prediction in which a number freely chosen by members of the audience is found to be “inscribed” on a gold medallion. The trick was inspired by the old classic ‘Borrowed www.TheMagicCircle.co.uk www .TheMagicCircle.co.uk

Coin in Ball of Wool’. Since the original was marketed several variations have been sold with the prediction on hotel key tags, identity bracelets and so on. The trick is fully described in Professional Presentations and Al Koran’s Legacy both by Hugh Miller and there is an excellent version in Professional Secrets by Geoffrey Durham.

THINGS THAT GO BUMP IN THE NIGHT – Doug Henning This is a classic 6 illusion which, in the Doug Henning version, had an extra-powerful ending. The performer is standing in a small cabinet. He holds a large cloth which seems to come to life and cavort around the stage. This is repeated two more times then the performer retreats into the cabinet. Two of the dancing figures reveal themselves to be glamorous women – and the third cloth is thrown away and it’s Doug Henning himself! Doug gives the cabinet a twirl, opens the door and inside is a huge tiger!! TOTAL COINCIDENCE – Juan Tamariz There are some 7 incredible card tricks, but this routine of several remarkable coincidences will take your breath away. It’s It’s based on an effect by Luis Garcia and it’s fully described in Sonata Vol. One by Juan Tamariz. Thankfully there are no complicated sleights and no gimmicked cards – two hours of practice and it’s yours – add another two years to achieve a polished presentation. OUT OF THIS WORLD – Harry Green This must, surely, be the greatest ‘selfworking’ card trick of our time. It was created (in 1942) by Paul Curry when he and John Scarne were having a session together trying to improve Walter Gibson’s ‘Pay Off’. It was with this trick that Harry 8 Green famously amazed Winston Churchill. From the spectator’s point of view, www.TheMagicCircle.co.uk

the trick is a genuine miracle because they seem to divide a shuffled, facedown, pack of cards into red and black suits – the magician hardly touches the cards. See Paul Curry’s Worlds Beyond by Paul Curry.

CHINESE STICKS – Roy Benson The forerunner 9 of this trick can be found in The Discoverie of Witchcraft by Reginald Scot (1584). The basic design, used today, is credited to Carl Brema. It is a trick which many of us have bought, tried, and then discarded. It is a trick which seems deceptively simple to perform – but proves to be quite the reverse! The Roy Benson routine uses three sticks and it is baffling and great entertainment, too. Fully detailed in Roy Benson by Starlight by Levent and Todd Karr. THE VANISHING BIRDCAGE – Harry Blackstone Jnr Throughout this 10 list you will find examples of relatively ‘small’ tricks which, thanks to a powerful presentation, have been built into stagefilling ‘illusions’ – and there is no better example than Harry Blackstone Jnr vanishing a birdcage. He starts by vanishing the birdcage in the traditional manner and then walks off stage to get ‘another one’! Holding the birdcage he asks for young volunteers to help him – the kids are asked to each place a hand on the birdcage and in an instant the birdcage vanishes – under extremely difficult conditions. IN FLIGHT – Nicholas Einhorn The performer 11 steps inside an empty cardboard box and, mysteriously, starts to levitate! It’s spooky and it seems to be absolutely impossible. At the end of the trick the box is shown to be totally free from deception. Nicholas created this one-man illusion in 1999 for a competition at The Magic Circle. There are very few pack-flat illusions which

can be performed surrounded. Paul Daniels adapted the idea and created his own version of In-Flight in which the cardboard box has cut-out windows front and back.

FLOATING TABLE – David Berglas Forget everything you know about the old table-turning trick beloved by crooked mediums. When David Berglas ‘floats’ a table it levitates – it dances – it moves in the most inexplicable way. And these are heavy tables – ordinary tables. David has been performing his table routine for over fifty years under every kind of condition – including at 12 the side of a swimming pool on a luxury cruise ship. On television he has levitated a table with a celebrity lying on it – petrified! On another occasion he accepted a challenge from a wealthy businessman to float his own table in his own home – David did it, and was given a £1000 cheque for charity. KNIFE THRO’ ARM – The Amazing Johnathan Once again we have a simple stunt which many performers ‘throw away’, but in the hands of The Amazing Johnathan it becomes a show-stopping, heart-stopping feature with audiences laughing and screaming. 13

SYMPATHETIC SILKS – Paul Potassy Even a gentle 14 trick can have the ‘wow’ factor if it’s performed well – and nobody performs The Sympathetic Silks better than Paul Potassy. In his hands the silk scarves become knotted, and un-knotted, in a delightful way … they seem to melt through each other – pure magic! The trick is described in The Magic of Paul Potassy by Schenk and Sondermeyer Sondermeyer.. STACK OF FISH BOWLS PRODUCTION – Jack Gwynne Described in programmes as ‘Crystal APRIL 2010 THE MAGIC CIRCULAR 109

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Pyramid’, the production of a stack of fish bowls (complete with water and fish!) was a major feature of Jack Gwynne’s act. During The 1930s/1940s he even performed the trick in the centre of nightclub floors – virtually surrounded by his audiences. The original set he used was given to him by Houdini as a ‘thank you’ for various props Jack made for Houdini. For a full description read Jack Gwynne – the Man, his Mind and his Royal Family of Magic by David Charvet. 15

FLOWER PRODUCTION – Dinardi A most 16 incredible act – once seen you will never forget it! And the act consisted of one trick repeated over and over again. When the curtains opened there was a large trunk on top of a table. Dinardi tipped the trunk forward to show it to be completely empty – and then he proceeded to produce huge bouquets of (feather) flowers. Just when you thought it was impossible to find any more they kept coming – dozens of then – completely filling the stage. Unbelievable! THUMB TIE – Richard Pinner Another magical classic which is rarely seen these days – which is a shame, It’s a spectacular trick and, from the performer’ss point of view, it packs small performer’ and plays BIG! Richard Pinner has created a powerful 17 routine in which his thumbs are convincingly secured with plastic cable ties – he catches several hoops thrown by members of the audience and, for his finale, catches a savage looking ring of barbed wire! It combines mystery with some nice touches of humour. RISING CARDS – Devano/Samuel Hooker We tip our hats to two inventors/performers for this classic card trick – in which selected cards mysteriously rise from a pack of seemingly


ordinary cards. The Devano Rising Cards, invented by Mitch Devano, is a beautiful trick performed by countless thousands of magicians worldwide. To see a card rising from a pack which is isolated in a wine glass, well away from the performer, is to experience true magic. The Samuel Cox Hooker Rising Cards seems to baffle 18 virtually every knowledgeable magician who has seen it being performed. Theo Bamberg described it as “the most perfect and most incomprehensible trick I ever had the pleasure to witness”. In recent times, John Gaughan performed it at the L.A. Conference on Magic History (2007) and fooled everybody. For a full description see Jim Steinmeyer’ Steinmeyer’ss article in the April 2008 Genii .

THE DRUM THAT CAN’T BE BEAT – Harry Blackstone Jnr Harry 19 Blackstone Jnr looked, and sounded, like a magician, and his ‘The Drum That Can’t Be Beat’ has been described as the perfect example of ‘big-stage misdirection’. The patriotic theme guaranteed enthusiastic audiences wherever it was shown in America. From a previously shown empty ‘drum’ the performer produces the flags of all the American states and then Gay Blackstone appears dressed as ‘Liberty’ – and just when you think this is the finale you realise that, on stage, there is a donkey and an elephant – where did they come from?! THE HYDROSTATIC GLASS – Geoffrey Durham Another example of a simple trick made into a show-stopping finale by a top professional magician. Geoffrey first performed Hydrostatic Glass in 1976 but realised that if 20 he used props that were far larger than normal he would have a powerful miniillusion. A skilled glassblower made a glass and jug to Geoffrey’s Geoffrey’s unique design (the glass holds four pints and the jug six

pints!). The first performance, with the new props, was on The Best of Magic in 1989.

TWO-PERSON MINDREADING – The Piddingtons Only readers of a certain age will remember the massive impact that the husband and wife team of Sydney and Leslie Piddington had with their radio shows. And their incredible stunts of telepathy – did they use trickery or were they 21 genuine? The Piddingtons were, without any doubt, the most publicised people in the entire United Kingdom. Their full story is told in The Piddingtons by Russell Braddon. THE BACKSTAGE ILLUSION – Dante This classic illusion has been featured by many performers including Paul Daniels and David Copperfield, but it is usually associated with Dante. When the curtain goes up, the audience see a backdrop with an audience painted on it and Dante performs to this simulated audience with his back to the real audience! Dante explains that he is taking us all backstage to show how 22 an illusion works, and we see his assistant MoiYo Miller being hidden before she is then produced – but when she appears it’s a different girl – and Moi-Yo Miller has vanished – we’ve been deceived in a very clever way. CONFABULATION – Alan Shaxon Alan’ss truly incredible prediction was Alan’ originally inspired by George Grimmond’s ‘Triple Forecast’ 23 and Al Koran’s ‘Dream Car Prediction’ but Alan experimented with various different methods and, during the 1960s, had the brainstorm of using a smaller pad and sealing the prediction inside a zipped wallet. This eliminated all the moves and shortcomings of the earlier versions, enabling the trick to be performed closeup or completely surrounded in a cabaret. www.TheMagicCircle.co.uk www.Th eMagicCircle.co.uk

The trick was first published in Alan’s My Kind of Magic in 1970. It was marketed by Ken Brooke and is currently sold by Paul Stone.

TORN AND RESTORED CARD – Guy Hollingworth There have 24 been numerous variations of the T&R Card theme but Guy Hollingworth raised the bar with his ‘Reformation’. Inspired by J C Wagner’s method in Seven Secrets, Guy developed an effect which is truly magical – the tearing and piece-by-piece restoration of the card is without any suspicious moves – it leaves audiences totally dumbfounded. For a detailed description see Drawing Room Deceptions by Guy Hollingworth. KNOTTED HANDKERCHIEFS – Slydini The 25 handkerchiefs are tied – they are tugged tight – very tight – and then they virtually dissolve apart. Yet again another trick with a simple plot but made into a feature item with good showmanship. Slydini’s name is linked with ‘The Knotted Handkerchiefs’ but several magicians have mentioned that the trick was also performed by Charlie Edwards – a street magician of yesteryear yesteryear.. EDUCATED GOLDFISH – Scott Penrose Let us give 26 Scott Penrose a standing ovation for recreating David Devant’s ‘Educated Fish’, which was first described in Our Magic by Maskelyne and Devant. The effect is unique to say the least: a water-filled, bell shaped, glass aquarium is in a threelegged stand, within which four goldfish happily swim in the water wa ter.. Twenty six small tablets are shown, a letter of the alphabet is painted on each tablet, and they are all dropped into the water. A word is chosen from a newspaper and, thanks to the endeavours of the goldfish, the appropriate letters float to the top of the water spelling the chosen word! The www.TheMagicCircle.co.uk www.Th eMagicCircle.co.uk

original apparatus described by Devant had to be completely re-designed to suit modern working conditions. The mechanism is complex, but Scott has retained a plot which is simple yet baffling.

SLAP ACES – Michael Vincent Michael first saw ‘Slap Aces’ being performed by Richard Kaufman at Tannen’s Jubilee in 1982. Michael expressed interest in the trick and Richard told him to buy a copy of Dai Vernon’s Tribute to Nate 27 Leipzig by Lewis Ganson. Michael did so and says the advice was ‘a wonderful gift’, as he learnt from the book that you could develop a close-up trick into a powerful stage presentation. Performed by Michael, the trick is a polished Four Ace routine which is beautiful to watch. LINKING FINGER RINGS – Billy McComb To a lay audience, linking three borrowed finger rings is 28 inexplicable. Billy McComb performed it with disarming humour which didn’t in any way dilute the magic. Let us give credit to Richard Himber who gave birth to the trick – eventually to be performed by countless thousands worldwide. See McCombs Magic – 25 Years Younger by Billy McComb. KNIFE THRO’ COAT – Bob Read Borrowing something from a spectator and then apparently damaging it is an old plot in magic, and nobody performed the Knife Thro’ (borrowed) Coat/Jacket better than the late Bob Read. Bob was a classic example of 29 misdirection by laughter. His audiences were always in tears of laughter – and applauding the magic they were enjoying. Don’t miss Thanks to Pepys by Bob Read.

powers – or was it all a trick?! Some will argue Uri doesn’t belong in this article, but why not? He is a true man of mystery who has achieved international fame. Some have tried to expose him – others have tried to copy him – but there is only one Uri Geller. 30

LOTTERY PREDICTION – Derren Brown Arguably we should only include traditional magic tricks and methods in this article, but it would be churlish to deny Derren his place on the fame list. The Lottery 31 Prediction has been chosen not only because the effect was firstclass but because the ‘explanation’ was so cheeky. Well done to Derren and his team of backroom boys, particularly Andy Nyman. FLOATING VIOLIN – Norm Neilsen It takes the genius of Norm Neilsen to take the rather tired ‘Zombie’ floating ball and transform 32 it into the beautiful Floating Violin, which has been a feature of his act for many years. The violin floats, mysteriously, and at the end of the routine comes out onto the stage, on its own (!), and takes a bow!! That ends the first part of this three-part series. To suggest a candidate for inclusion, please provide the name and a brief description of the effect, as well as the performer you performer you saw performing performing the effect and why it warrants inclusion. Send it to Graham Reed, 26 Hobbs Close, St. Albans, Herts. AL4 0TH, UK, or e-mail [email protected].

BENDING – Uri Geller A worldwide sensation for decades – Uri Geller could mysteriously cause borrowed cutlery and keys to bend using his special APRIL 2010 THE MAGIC CIRCULAR 111

Edwin A. Dawes

378. JAMES WAKEFIELD, ALIAS JAMES CARL – ‘THE DERBY CONJURER’

O

ne of the early, very accomplished, provincial members of The Magic Circle was James Wakefield, who initially worked under the name of ‘James Carl, the Derby Conjurer’, a well-known and popular entertainer in that county town of Derbyshire and throughout the Midlands. James Arthur Wakefield was born in 1874 at Norton-in-theMoors, Staffordshire, a small village occupying a position between two branches of the River Trent and north of Stoke. His father was a coal miner and James was the fourth of the family of five children, three girls and two boys. The family then moved to Ilkeston in Derbyshire and by the time of the 1891 census James, at the age of sixteen, had become a boarder with the Durose family in Uttoxeter and was working as a house painter in which business he was to continue throughout his life. James married Mary Walker, the daughter of a blacksmith, in 1897 at Barrow-in-Soar Barrow-in-Soar,, a village v illage in North Leicestershire, his wife being six years his elder, and at the 1901 census, the couple were residing at 100 Chester Green Road in Derby with a oneyear-old daughter, Evelyn Jessey. He was now listed as a Master Painter and Sign Writer. A son, Alfred Chapender was born in 1905, the boy’ boy ’s second given name being in memory of Martin Chapender,, the talented sleightChapender of-hand performer who had died at the early age of twenty-five in February that same year. Precisely when James became interested in magic is not known but clearly by the time of his marriage and arrival in Derby he was a proficient performer and sufficiently in the magical mainstream to be godfather in 1904 to David Bamberg, the son of Theo Theo Bamberg Bamberg (Okito), (Okito), who later became famous in his own right as Fu Manchu. David’s mother (née Lilian Poole) came from Derby and returned there for the birth of her son which took place at 24 Sitwell Street. Wakefield commenced his conjuring career under the nom de théâtre of James Carl. Just as when George Routledge published Modern Magic he had suggested to Angelo Lewis the nom de plume of Professor Hoffmann to provide a desirable continental or American touch, so did Wakefield


believe that Carl added a suitable continental aura. He continued to use that billing until World War I with Germany when he then decided Carl sounded too Germanic for comfort and thereafter reverted to his natal name. He was elected a member of The Magic Circle on 3 March 1908 and attained MIMC status in 1912. In 1909 he issued a neat little brochure which incorporated several photographs of him in action, listed the range of audiences for whom he catered, and printed a selection of testimonials to his prowess from satisfied clients. Later in life James disclosed that while he had contemplated becoming a professional conjurer in his younger days, in 1905 he played one week at Scarborough Aquarium and that cured him of any such ambition as it was the most miserable week he had ever spent. “I left a good home, a nice wife and a little girl and a good business. I saw more poverty in pros that week than I have ever seen since. Fellows (alleged comedians) wiring for next week at thirty shillings and two pounds. I had the large sum of four pounds ten shillings and had to get to Scarborough and back. I never wanted to be a pro since.” His appearance at the Aquarium was accorded the notice “James Carl, the Modern Magician, is very good, and received warm approval”. However, later in life he did appear at St George’s Hall for Maskleyne’ss and explained Maskleyne’ expl ained “The reason I got a fortnight at Maskleyne’s was so I could put on my card that I had performed there. They offered me a month but I told them I had a business and two weeks would suit me better.” In 1911 Wakefield’s first book was published under the name of James Carl. Titled Practical Conjuring, it comprised 27 pages in pictorial boards and cost two shillings. George McKenzie Munro in his ‘Book Notes’ in the October issue of The Magic Wand that year, after “hurriedly glancing through its contents”, noted that it was written for those already versed in the conjuring arts to whom the knowledge disclosed would be advantageous but he was displeased with the quality of the illustrations and considered that for fidelity half-tone photographs should have been used. Carl was also dealing at that time, and in the book offered for sale all of the apparatus described therein as well as advertising


MIMC

At St George's Hall

lessons in sleight of hand. George McIntyre (1977) in his Magic British Magical Dealer’ recorded as No.55 Circular series on ‘The British a list issued by Carl in 1911 which might well be identical with that printed in the book. Practical Conjuring contained a section on Tricks with Cigars, including New Sleights, three methods for Vanish and Recovery, and To Make One Cigar into Two. This field of manipulation became a specialty of Wakefield and in 1927 he published a monograph on his favourite topic titled Original Tricks with Cigars. It was mimeographed with printed paper covers and comprised 21 (unpaginated) pages. During the First World War Wakefield served in motor transport and entertained a battalion of the Sherwood Foresters on the first anniversary of their service at Christmas 1915 and subsequently gave many other shows to the troops and to the wounded in hospitals near the front line. Following his demobilisation in 1918 the June issue of The Magic Circular announced that James Carl was resuming his magical activities but would in future be known by his real name, James Wakefield. Under the title of ‘Are New Tricks Necessary?’, in 1921 he continued a discussion in The Magic Circular initiated by Leon Berkeley on the desirability of originality in magical presentations. He opined it was not so essential for the drawingroom conjurer to be original as it is for a professional, but none the less it was pleasant to have something that you know the audience has never seen before. But he did not agree with Berkeley’s contention that to improve old tricks is not art, and in illustration cited a modified method for performing the vanish of a canary taken from a cage and placed in a paper bag, which he ventured to say is art. His appeal to members for their views does not appear to have elicited any response. The dealer Wilford Hutchinson of Ashton-under-


Lyne advertised in the December 1924 issue of his house magazine Conjurers Chronicle a trick by James Wakefield titled ‘Upside Down’, which in effect was a miniature version of Devant’s ‘New Page’ illusion. A mahogany box (cigar box shape and size) is shown empty and two dolls are introduced. One doll is placed in the box standing upright and the box closed, while the other is placed in an upside down position on the table. When the box is opened the doll inside is now seen to be upside down. The lid is closed and the doll on the table is turned upright and the doll in the box is found to have followed suit. The original price of 30 shillings was reduced to 20 shillings by arrangement with Wakefield in March 1925. It was in November 1924 that, as previously mentioned, Wakefield featured his ‘Drawing Room Magic’ for two weeks at St George’s Hall for Maskelyne’s. The report in The Magician discloses that he commenced with his favourite cigar manipulations, followed by an original trick with a borrowed ten shilling note, and one with a borrowed watch, and concluded by drawing the outline of two rabbits with white chalk on a sheet of black tissue paper stretched on a wooden frame. He then plunged his hand through the tissue and produced two live rabbits. The reporter commented that cigar tricks did not show up well in a big hall. A few years after Wakefield’s death in 1955, Wilfrid Jonson, reflecting on ‘Rabbits and Hats’, commented that the last magician he knew to do the trick, including the multiplication and the rolling of two rabbits into one, which Devant had described in Our Magic (1912), was James Wakefield. He mentioned that the Derby Conjurer bred his own rabbits and, in his opinion, used them before they were really old enough to be taken away from their mother.


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However, in Devant’ However, Devant’ss ’Silver Ball’ routine which Wakefield performed, the rabbits have to be small enough to fit inside the Silver Ball and the table top compartment, factors that undoubtedly determined the age at which they were used. In the borrowed ten shilling note trick its serial number was noted prior to it being placed in an envelope. The loaner of the note was offered a cigarette from a case that clearly contained only cigarettes and then the envelope and its content was burnt. As a consolation the lender was offered another cigarette and when the cigarette case was opened the borrowed note was found inside. In connection with his watch trick, Wakefield recounted to Francis White the occasion in Nottingham when, on asking for the loan of a watch, a man at the rear of the hall threw his pocket watch over the heads of the audience to the stage. With an instinctive reflex reaction he thrust out his hand and miraculously the watch stuck! He also contributed another amusing incident to The Magic Circular (1930) which was preserved in the text of a local newspaper and headed ‘How are the mighty fallen!’ It arose from a performance he had given for children and which he prefaced with the moral don’t leave your baggage within range of prying eyes or fingers, especially when entertaining youngsters. AN EXPOSURE A story reaches me which seems to prove that conjurers are not so clever after all. Only the other day, Mr J. Wakefield, that master of deception, was unmasked by a small country boy. The lad

had seen the conjurer perform to the village school children of Sutton Bonington and was deeply puzzled at the ease with which rabbits were created out of nothing. So he kept an eye open for Mr Wakefield’s next visit when he performed to the old people at a dinner given by Sir Cecil Paget. He made a search, noticed a box among the conjurer’s possessions, and with a whoop of delight announced to an admiring throng of youngsters that he had solved the problem. “He brings the rabbits with him” he declared decl ared disgustedly. disgustedly. The Magic Circle Country Members’ Night at The Circle in 1926 was reported by H.B. Denham who lamented the fact that, despite practically every Country Member being written to and invited to contribute to the entertainment, only a few responded, none of whom wished to participate. This statement galvanised Wakefield into action and he fired off a salvo to the Circular . “Are there likely to be any replies if members are not invited? I, for one, have never been invited to perform at any meeting since the War. I have been looking at my first badge, which says ‘1908’. Perhaps I am such an old member that they have forgotten me. He [Denham] also says “that disposes of the contention that Country Members were eager and indeed anxious to display their prowess in David Bamberg (Fu Manchu), godson of James Wakefield

London”. So you see that does not dispose of that contention. At the same time I do not say that they are anxious or eager to come. What I do say is, ask them to perform at some affair which is something; say the Grand Séance or the Circle Dinner instead of trotting out the same performers with the same old tricks.” This letter received support from Bill Stickland and a response from J.G.G. Stone on behalf of the Watch Trick Entertainments Committee setting out their guiding principles, the necessity of knowing the ability of a performer for the Séance and Dinner, and suggesting that an invitation to Wakefield might have gone astray in the mail. The latter acknowledged that ability was paramount and suggested Stone looked at back issues of the Circular for the name of James Carl. He had made his point and ere long was participating in The Circle’ Circle’ss mainstream activities. Appropriately, the first of these was the Country Members’ Night on 4 July 1930 when it was reported he enhanced his reputation as a magician with a really excellent show as the final magical act on the programme. He opened with his customary cigar manipulations, then shattered a borrowed watch with a hammer and eventually restored it intact to its anxious owner. The



parasol trick and the vanish of a glass of water completed the act. On 26 March 1931 Wakefield lectured to a large audience of Circle members on ‘Tricks of the Trade’ with George Johnson, Editor of the e The Magic Wand , in th chair.. He commenced chair c ommenced by giving a typical entertainment and then explained the details of the tricks. A report of the lecture James Carl with Rabbit

by T.B. Donovan was printed in two issues of The Magic Circular and he observed that it was almost unnecessary for the lecturer to mention the tricks were the result of thirty years’ experience, the performance running on such well-oiled wheels that it was obvious that many years of the practice which makes perfect had gone into its making. “The experiments chosen by Mr Wakefield enabled him to display a thorough command of sleight of hand, and his skill Carl Performing in mis-direction was particularly admired….Every move, every phrase, was so studied that, sitting within a few feet of the performer, no suspicious action was observable.” The tricks demonstrated included his cigar productions, a version of the mutilated parasol involving a handkerchief borrowed from a lady, the burnt and restored pound note, a couple of unidentified coin tricks from Modern Magic , and a candle that could be extinguished and re-lit by a pistol shot via the medium of a tiny electric bulb, a battery in the base of the candlestick, controlled by a small switch on the latter. latter. Wakefield’ Wakefield’ss lecture was enthusiastically received. Wakefield was on the bill for the 25th Annual Grand Séance at the Rudolf Steiner Hall in 1932, sandwiched between Cecil Lyle’s noted ‘Magical Milliner’ act and George Davenport’s ‘Modern Magic’. He had been requested to present some classics of magic chosen by the Entertainments Committee but as a prelude featured his cigar production act in which some dozen cigars materialised at his finger tips, which he followed by filling an empty cigar box with more cigars, some of which were distributed to the audience. There followed comedy with a youngster and a handkerchief that was successively transformed into a long strip and into pieces but was finally discovered restored inside a lemon. The Sun and Moon and the misadventures of a borrowed watch which eventually turned up in his helper’s pocket completed the act, the tricks of which reporter T.B. Donovan wrote were “all performed with the skill of which the artiste gave us a demonstration at his lecture last year”. Later, in October 1932, Wakefield appeared at the Order of the Magi’s Annual Night of Magic in Manchester when he www.TheMagicCircle.co.uk www.Th eMagicCircle.co.uk

presented his usual act, opening with the cigar productions as previously described, and in July 1933 he was back at The Circle for Country Members’ Night. On this occasion he opened with a sequence of knot effects with a length of curtain cord, followed by a masterly presentation of ‘The Miser’s Dream’ using halfcrowns. Next he transformed three indifferent cards successively into the replica of one chosen by a member of the audience, and back again. Then, he presented an amusing variant of the ‘Cap and Half-pence’ with half-crowns, half a match box and a ball of silver paper, culminating in a lesson in conjuring for a boy from the audience who was treated to a demonstration of the elusiveness of a half-crown in the conjurer’s nimble hands. He concluded with a padlock which, having been demonstrably locked, fell open at the instant when the key hole on a pictured replica was erased. He was praised for his technical skills and showmanship. For coin manipulations he used silver half-crowns and also similar coins which had their reverse (tail) sides burnished smooth for ease in palming a quantity, but retaining their milled edges. These were described under No.267 in J.B. Findlay’s Conjurers Coins Medals (1964). The ‘Haunted Padlock’ effect was the subject of a subsequent letter Wakefield wrote to the Editor of the Circular on 7 October 1933, relating to a problem of general interest: Could I ask the Hon. Reporter through the Circular to state in his reports whether an effect has been shown before at the Circle? The last time I performed there (July 1933) I showed a distinct novelty in the ‘Haunted Padlock’, a feat that has not been performed since Verbeck’ Verbeck’ss time. I never saw Verbeck (I am too young). Anyway, a certain dealer who is a MIMC, told me some time after that it was a fine trick and they were having a dozen made up for sale. I am not greatly annoyed about it, but if ever I performed that feat again at the Circle I should not like the members to think I am the copyist. It makes me wonder whether it is wise to show novelties at the Circle. I maintain that if I had not shown the padlock there, there would have been none on sale. I would like to say that my old friend ‘Heriot’, of Oldham, made the padlock specially for me. When I first received it I could only perform it once without leaving the stage; with my improvement I can show the effect fifty times without going off. In the interests of the Art of Magic I hope you will publish this. With kind regards, etc James Wakefield. Interestingly, the provenance of the ‘Haunted Padlock’ was taken up by the knowledgeable Hugall Benedict in the following issue. He pointed out that he had seen the Padlock Trick performed by Dr Lynn, a son of the celebrated Dr Lynn, in the Winter Gardens, Bournemouth, in April 1918. And in a further letter Benedict noted that the Padlock Trick was listed over forty years previously in the catalogue of the Parisian magic dealer De Vere, from whom Verbeck may well have purchased it; the price was 35 shillings. (To be concluded )


Mandy Davis MIMC Convenor of Reporters, John Ward

Carol Cooper

Mandy Muden

Jayne Loughland Mandy Farrell

Monday 1 February 2010 Here Come the Girls – Carol Cooper AIMC and Company Reported by Russell Levinson This was an evening that featured an enjoyable show which would have benefited from avoiding some duplication of effects. Carol Cooper introduced compere Mandy Muden, whose cheeky charm has made her a highly successful professional and who managed to coax some response from the jaundiced Monday night crowd. Mandy Davis opened the show with calm assurance, performing a rope routine and a three card divination. For her first performance on The Magic John Ward Circle stage, the genial Natalie Cro was surprisingly relaxed. She did a rope routine, a burnt and restored banknote, a comic bill switch and a snowstorm finale. Jayne Loughland, half of the illusion act Safire, gave us a glamorous routine using silks, candles, and the production of a bottle of champagne. Mandy Farrell, in a thoroughly over-the-top 20s dress and head feather, gave us what she calls her Handbag act, although it was actually based around her footwear.


Mandy Davis

Natalie Cro

Mandy Fletcher

Fay Presto

It featured the production of a giant wand, business with her stockings, and used her stiletto heel to stab the last chosen card from a card fountain – great fun. Last was Mandy Fletcher, with a Scottish-themed act, tartan-edged outfit, tartan silk effects, Big Country music, a nice floating ball routine, torn and restored blue and white napkins to saltire, and a snowstorm. She proved to be a confident and graceful young performer with obvious potential. Fay Presto produced a champagne bottle from silks, and her card routine featured her amusing rabbit puppet Harvey and a rising snake from a basket finding chosen cards. [The Pre-Show Hands-On Session featured John Ward.]

45s) competed against Peter Scarlett’s extended Professor’s Professor’s Nightmare, with Peter’ss trick more polished from continual Peter’ performance. Round Two was a ‘Paper Trick’ with prospective member Eli Bosnick against Fay Presto. Fay’s routine was excellent and deservedly won most of the votes. The third round, ‘Mentalism with Cards’, saw Neil Henry vying with President Jack Delvin. Both tricks were strong, although Neil’s seemed better suited to the stage setting. The fourth round was titled a ‘Floating Trick’ and saw Christian Lee’ Lee’ss floating

James Fortune, Mandy Davis and Lee Hathaway

E l i B os n i c k

Fay Presto

Christian Lee

Clive Hyams

Monday 8 February 2010 It’s Them or Us! Contest Reported by Joe Stone This competition saw a clash of the generations, pitting the over-45s against the under-45s – would youthful enthusiasm overcome experience? Six rounds of magic would decide.The evening was compered by Mandy Davis, who introduced team captains Lee Hathaway and James Fortune. In the ‘Rope Trick’ category Jake Banfield (under-

James Fortune John van der Put Rob Cox


AIMC

Photographers convenor of Photograph Photographers ers

table against Clive Hyams’ Hyams’ss chair suspension. Christian carried the day. The penultimate round was two Bill in Lemon routines, with Lee Hathaway against James Fortune, and Lee’ L ee’ss strong routine won. In the final ‘Free Choice’ round, John van der Put performed his ‘Flaming Straw’ and Rob Cox introduced us to an unseen card revealed over the telephone. Rob won the vote. The prize was awarded to the over-45s who won most of the rounds. Overall, a very entertaining evening, hopefully to be repeated, with credit due to Mandy, the team captains and all the performers.

Jake Banfield

Peter Scarlett

Hands” inspiring a generation of enthusiasts including Alan. We already know that Robert Harbin was one of Alan’s greatest Alan Shaxon heroes and influences. Alan has always had a love of illusions, and The Great Levante was one of the last to tour a show of this nature. Raoul, a pupil of David Devant, presented a colourful act which featured in the shows of Maskelynes during the 1940s. Alan saw his summer season in Whitstable in 1950. Maurice Fogel was the great showman mentalist during the last days of the variety theatres. He lived dangerously,, featuring his Russian dangerously Roulette, and presented a show of hypnosis along with his renowned mentalism. Al Koran was another great hero and an outstanding magician who found fame as a mentalist. He is still revered today by magicians for the legacy of his direct and telling presentations.

John Booth, who passed away so recently at the age of 96, was one of magic’ss most remarkable people: magic’ magician, adventurer, pastor, and author of innumerable books on a variety of subjects. His two initial magic books were an enormous influence upon Alan in his early years. Of course David Nixon brought magic to TV in the UK, his charm and wit making him a favourite with the public and magicians alike. Alan and Anne’s first guest appearance on his TV shows exposed their ‘moonlighting’ activities to Alan’ Alan’ss Christian Lee banking employers, but also led to offers that inspired them to give up life in the City and become full-time professionals. And thus ended a fascinating insight into the influences of Alan Shaxon. [Christian Lee was featured in the Pre-Show Hands-On Session in the Devant Room.]

Saturday 13 February 2010 Ali Bongo’s Saturday Show We have photos from Katherine Rhodes of the stellar event. Wayne Wa yne Fox and Nei Neill Henry Henry Jack Delvin Delvin

Monday 15 February 2010 My Influences – Alan Shaxon MIMC Reported by Mandy Davis Alan Shaxon gave a well-prepared lecture about the people who had influenced his magical career. Each magician was illustrated with a trick, a photo and/or a piece of film. Alan started with details about an elderly magician, Ernest E. Noakes, who had lived along the road from his childhood home and was able to guide and help the young Alan. Edward Victor is well known to us all for his Cut and Restored Rope moves, if nothing else, and his series of books on “Magic of the

www.TheMagicCircle.co.uk

Carl Pettman

Christian Lee

Fay Presto

Richard Pinner

Peter Pinner

Richard McDougall


Magic Is Real

T

he remit for this column is for me to scribble about goings on in the world of mentalism. As my handful of readers are well aware, I usually stick to this brief poorly if at all, much like a Post-It note on its third assignment. In fact, this month I’m not going to mention mentalism at all, because I have something far more important to write about. On 12 January a massive and devastating earthquake struck Haiti. Magic Circle member Doug Segal had the idea of organising a show of some kind to raise money for Haiti disaster relief. What happened after that was truly extraordinary. Let’ss be clear: it was impossible for this event to succeed. For Let’ a start, the production budget was exactly zero. Finding a venue that could be hired for free wasn’t easy, and the organisers had to settle for a Wednesday night in a central London bar. At the risk of stating the obvious, Wednesdays aren’t ideal if you want people to turn up and support a live show. People have jobs to get home from and to get up for the next day, and there are kids and school things to worry about. The selected bar had no stage, no lights and no sound gear. In other words, everything needed to put on a live show would have to be obtained for free, delivered to the venue and then set up within a single evening. As well as trying to make this show happen, the organisers also faced the problem of persuading 250 people to actually turn up and pay to see it. All of this in three weeks flat. An impossible task. Luckily, the one thing magicians know about is how to do impossible things. A great many Circle members, magicians and friends of magic immediately rose to the challenge. Jon Randall took on the task of finding all the staging and sound equipment that would be needed. This involved a lot of dead ends and fruitless quests, but he got wonderfully helpful offers from Martin MacMillan, Ian Keable and others. Eventually, David Berglas called in some favours and obtained some ideal staging from the Earnshaw theatre school. Many Circle members also offered the use of their own PA equipment. In the end Jon was able to borrow top-flight sound gear from Steve Heliczer at QED Productions. Steve isn’t a Circle member but he likes and supports magic, and his company just happens to be the country’s leading live events facilities house. Other Circle members offered to perform at the event for free – so many that it wasn’t possible to use them all. The eventual line-up included Michael Vincent, Hiyashi, Neil Henry, Chris Hare, James Brown, Todd Landman and Lee Warren. As the intention was to put on a variety show, Neil Henry, Lee Hathaway and others took on the mantle of ‘talent bookers’, working hard and phoning round to find other acts who could add some variety to the evening. One of the first to sign up was ace comedian Adam Bloom, who doesn’t perform magic professionally but has a keen interest and has marketed some original card effects. The eventual line-up also featured Matt



Ian Rowland AIMC AIMC

Hennem, the mime and juggling genius who headlined last year’s MacMillan gala show. Circle member Darius Ziatabari and close-up magician John Morgan took it on themselves to be the marketing experts for the event. Both pretty savvy when it comes to internet technology, they advised on how to use ‘viral marketing’ and social networking sites to boost attendance, as well as how to set up an online donation website. Michael Vincent was also instrumental in the marketing campaign, persuading a friend who works as a professional events promoter to donate his services (and vast mailing list) for free. Duncan Trillo prominently featured the event on ‘Magic Week’ and many people, magicians or friends of magic, began listing the event on their websites and mailing lists. The offers of help kept pouring in. Circle stalwarts such as Martin Taylor Taylor,, who would have been a great asset to the live show, took care of relatively mundane yet vital tasks such as checking tickets on the door. Still others took it on themselves to help with logistics, loading and unloading, and running vital errands. Others (too many to list here) here) loaned their support just by turning up and bringing friends along. It was decided to hold a charity auction on the night, and many Circle members and friends of magic donated terrific auction items, including Uri Geller, Geller, Martin Breese, Spyros Melaris and Peter Willats. Rodney Piper even got in touch from Spain to offer a VIP visit to the House of Illusion, including flights and hotel. The generosity, the kindness and the good ideas kept coming in. Notwithstanding the aim to make this event happen without spending a cent, a few unavoidable expenses were incurred along the way way.. Some well-known Circle members offered to cover these expenses, although all preferred to do so quietly and anonymously. In three short weeks, it all came together. The tireless promotional efforts paid off and the venue was filled to capacity. The performers were all on top form, and the show ran almost flawlessly (with some slight over-running). The auction was highly successful, with many of the more generous winning bids coming from Circle members in the crowd. Oh, and everyone had a great time too! The event raised about £5000 for Red Cross relief efforts in Haiti. In a single night, with three weeks’ planning, with zero budget. Here’s the truth: magic is real. It lives in the hearts, talents and capabilities of Magic Circle members and their friends. It lives in their determination to show that anything can be achieved, no matter how impossible it may seem.

inviting him to change his mind as often as he wishes. Once he has settled on a number, you invite him to double it, and to add the original number to the result (if necessary using a calculator). You then ask him to circle any one digit in this new result and tell you what it is. For example, he says ‘3’. You ask him to concentrate and you then divine the remaining digits: ‘7’ and ‘2’. Correct! The whole point is that this looks and sounds as if there’s if there’s a mathematical method, which is what magicians in the room will look for. They will look for a long time because this effect, as stated, cannot be achieved via any mathematics. Real method. Find your spectator before the show and do some close-up magic for him, preferably where the patter is based around being able to remember what you see. At the end of this short short private performance, tell the spec you’d like to see if he can remember one more thing, and show him a card with ‘124’ written boldly on it. This is one of the easiest numbers in the world to remember. remember. You say that during the show you will do a routine with numbers, and that you will do your best to make him forget this number or change his mind – but his job is to stick to 124 no matter matter what, and not to be put off. During the routine, he starts with ‘124’ and the rest is just double-talk, acting and lying.

Invitation If you have items, stories, jokes or vicious rumours of interest to mentalists, please drop me a line ([email protected]). If you can’t afford Derren and want to hire a fairly good also-ran mentalist, or you just have time to kill, please visit www.ianrowland.com. www.ianrowland.com.

QUICK TRICK Here’ss a trivial idea you can use, if only as a magician-fooler. You Here’ You invite a spectator to think of any three digit number and write it down (you can’t see what he writes). You You make great play of

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Walford Taylor AIMC

A LESSO LESSON N IN TELEPA TELEPATHY?

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wo-person telepathy does not seem to be as popular as it used to be. Maybe it is because of the difficulty in finding a partner willing to devote the time to learn and practise it. If so, the following following routine routine will appeal, because it requires no memory work on the part of the medium and very little on the part of the performer. performer. What’s What’s more, I can guarantee that it is staggeringly baffling to a lay audience. The telepathic transmission of a song or tune is not at all new, but as far as I am aware this method is novel and the routine is different, involving “teaching” a member of the the audienc audience e the art of projecting a musical thought. What follows is a verbatim reproduction of a performance without leaving anything out.. You out You may may care care to try try to figur figure e out the secret.

s i n r e a n g g h t S t r e N i g h t h

Moo n R i ve r

Lan d d o o f f H H o op e p e an d d G G l lo r o r y y

Fig. 1

volunteer takes her song title and keeps like you to show it to me and then we still and silent whilst she concentrates. He will both concentrate on the tune in our genuinely does not know what tune has heads. Now please select any one at all [no force], but for the the moment don’t been selected. The pianist starts playing show it to me. Do you know the tune? If “UNFORGETTABLE”.] Is that the tune you Ladies and Gentlemen: You may have not, you may take another one. Excellent! are thi thinki nking ng of? [Volunteer (amazed at read about experiments being Show me the song, please. [Performer her own success) confirms that it is.] conducted in BCI – Brain-Computer glances at it and from then on remains Ladies and Gentlemen, would you Interfacing – at Southampton University silent and motionless as he and the please give a round of applause to our volunteer concentrate on the tune. in the UK and at the University of friend here for what I think you will agree California, Los Angeles, where thoughts Immediately the pianist, who is is a remarkable achievement in learning from the motor cortex of one individual’s blindfolded and seated with her back to Brain-to-Brain Imaging in such a short the audience, starts playing a few notes brain are transmitted to the visual period of training! falteringly but then gains confidence and cortex of another’s across the internet by the aid of electrodes on their heads. eventually breaks into the tune being Note I have been carryin carrying g out my own thought of by the Spectator –“MOON descriptio iption n contains  The above descr research, but without an interface, in RIVER”!] everything necessary for the Medium what I call BBI – Brain-to-Brain Imaging In case you think that was a to know what tune to play. – and I would like like to demonstrat demonstrate e the coincidence, let’s try it again. Choose  Spectator has a completely free choice results this evening, by trying to another song title, please. Can you of tune and there is no force. transmit a chosen tune to our pianist recognise the tune? Would you show me  Performer does not know what tune [Performer rmer looks at has been selected until the spectator here simply by thinking of it, and even the song now, please. [Perfo the title and again remains silent and shows it to him, after which he keeps teaching a volunteer from the audience motionless as the pianist starts to play the completely silent. without any previous experience, to do [Performer ormer obtains obtains the the correct tune – “MICHELLE”.] exactly the same. same. [Perf  For the last part of the effect the assistance of a volunteer.] performer never knows the title of the You have obviously got the idea! Now Here are 40 or 50 song titles. [He we’ll do it once more, and this time I’ll let chosen tune until it is played by the shows cards on which different song you go solo and try tr y and transmit the song Medium. titles are print printed.] ed.] Would you just by yourself. Please choose another song  No confederates. confirm that the tunes are all different? and make sure that I cannot see what it  Performer says nothing to the Medium. [After confirmation the Performer turns is! Have you recognised the tune? If not,  No transmitters, wires, threads or the song titles face down.] In a moment take another one. Perhaps you can think secret gimmicks. I shall ask you you to take any song song and of the song by yourself, this time.  Effect may be repeated, the song being [Performer turns head away as the different each time. when I ask you to, but not before, I’d


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THE SECRET No doubt the above will bring to mind the market marketed ed effect effect Musico (from Hamley’s (Max Andrews’) Catalogue c.1948), but that uses a force requiring a wooden card box and there is no genuinely free selection. Again, Scalbert’s Musical Mystery (in Scalbert’s Selected Secrets,, Supr Secrets Supreme eme Magic, Magic, 1981, p.116) p.116) achieves the same effect, but the performer always has to be aware of the name of the tune he has to signal and it uses a rather complicated, although ingenious, code. My version involves a code but it is extremely simple to learn and is coupled with another principle which, I suggest, to the layman makes the demonstration look like genuine thoughttransference. My idea came to me when clearing out some drawers containing old magical bits and pieces, and I came across an old E&S Mocker deck (this was one of the earliest mass marketed Reader packs, now longsince superseded by regular regular-back -back readers).

Being reluctant to throw anything away away,, it occurred to me that I could convert the deck from a playing card reader deck to a song tune reader deck. To do this, all that is necessary is to paste on to the face of each card a label on which is printed the name of a different tune. To help the spectator recall the tune I also add, when I think it may may be of help, a few of of the commencing words in brackets, brackets, e. e.g g. [There’ll be blue birds over] THE WHITE CLIFFS OF DOVER, [We all live in a] YELLOW SUBMARINE. Using a word processor the result is perfectly acceptable (Fig. 1), 1), particularly if you use a Korner Short gadget (Davenport (Davenportss and other magic dealers) to give the labels rounded corners. I employ just the 40 non-c non-court ourt card cards, s, not all 52. Of course, you can convert your Ted Lesley, Boris Wild or other treasured reader deck instead if you are willing to sacrifice it! In performance I never use the words “pack” or “deck or “card “ca rd” ” but simply simply say say, “He “Here re are the

HEARTS

CLUBS

A 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

A 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

YESTERDAY MARIA BEGIN THE BEGUINE RULE BRITANNIA WE’LL MEET AGAIN IT’S IMPOSSIBLE AS TIME GOES BY UNFORGETTABLE YOU MADE ME LOVE YOU SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN SUMMER HOLIDAY

STRANGERS IN THE NIGHT YELLOW SUBMARINE THE WHITE CLIFFS OF DOVER HEY JUDE FALLING IN LOVE AGAIN MICHELLE SECRET LOVE DAISY, DAISY FOR HE’S A JOLLY GOOD FELLOW JINGLE BELLS NOEL

DIAMONDS

SPADES

A 2 3

A 2 3 4 5

EMBRACEABLE YOU STAY AS SWEET AS YOU ARE SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW 4 MY WAY 5 ALFIE 6 BRING ME SUNSHINE 7 CLIMB EV’RY MO M OUNTAIN 8 EDELWEISS 9 MOON RIVER 9 MOON RIVER 10 RAINDROPS KEEP FA FALLING ON ON MY HE HEAD AD


OLD MACDONALD HAD A FARM APRIL LOVE GOD SAVE THE QUEEN AULD LANG SYNE I’M DREAMING OF A WHITE CHRISTMAS 6 THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER 7 WHEN I FALL IN LOVE 8 I’LL SEE YOU AGAIN 9 I CAN’T GIVE YOU ANYTHING BUT LOVE, [BABY] 10 BAA BA BAA BL BLACK SH SHEEP

names of forty or fifty popular tunes” and “Choose a song, please”. It is better to select a middle-aged to elderly person as a volunteer from the audience as he or she is more likely to know the evergreen musical standards. To signal to the Medium what tune has been chosen it is only necessary to code the name of the playing card because the Medium has a crib which gives the name of the song against each appropriate playing card (see below). Specimen Crib Sheet Normally,, concealing the crib sheet will Normally not be a problem when the medium is sitting at the piano, as it will be either within a music book or laid flat at the side of the keyboard keyboard away from from the audience. However However,, for other circumstances I have designed a different crib which I may describe in a later article. The Stack The cards are arranged according to your favourite system (Si Stebbins, Eight Kings, Charlie Chan, (TMC Feb 2008 p.40)), referring, of course, to the markings on the backs, but stacking them in reverse to the usual order when cards are stacked face-up. In fact, any order of cards can be used and recorded on the crib sheet, but a recognised stack makes it easier to reset when necessary. The working should now be clear. Against the name of each card on the printed crib sheet which the medium has in her music book or at the side of the keyboard is the name of the Song Title on the card card above it in the the stack. stack. When the pack is fanned, face down, for a selec selection tion to be made, the performer performer separates the cards (in the usual way) at the spot from which the card is withdrawn and places the upper stock underneath the remainder of the pack, thus having plenty of time to read the marking of the top card, which he then




signals to the medium using the code to be explained in a moment. Because the marking of this card refers to the identity of the card above above it and not not the card itself, neither performer nor medium has to make the mental effort of converting it to the next one in the set-up set-up sequence. sequence. For the third part of the effect, where the spectator is instructed to “go solo” and where the Performer is not shown the choice of song, he can turn his head away whilst the card is removed, so that there is no question of his seeing what is chosen. This is the convincer! The Code The Code for the Suit The suit of the card is signalled by the initial of initial of the first word of the sentence asking the volunteer if she knows the tune (see below). CLUBS

Can you recognise the song? If not, choose another one… HEARTS Have you recognised the song? If not, choose another one… SPADES Say if you don’t recognise the song. If you don’t, choose another one… recognise the the song? DIAMOND Do you recognise If not, choose another one… If the tune is unknown to the spectator the card is retrieved and placed on top of the pack, which restores the stack and a further choice can be made. The Code for the Value For the first two tests, where the performer and spectator are together concentrating on the chosen song, the value of the card from 1-10 is signalled, after the spectator has indicated that she is familiar with the tune, by the first word of the sentence asking her to show the performer the tune she has selected. Thus: [ONE] [TWO] [THREE] [FOUR] [FIVE] [SIX] [SEVEN]

I’d like you to show me the song now, please. So show me the song now, please. Can you show me the song now, please? Will you show me the song now, please? Would you show me the song now, please. Please show me the song, now. Perhaps you would show me the song now, now, please please..


[EIGHT] [NINE] [TEN]

Splendid! Show me the song, please. Excellent! Show me the song, please. Marvellous! Show me the song now, please.

Anyone familiar with Telepathy for Two in Step Eight of Corinda’s 13 Steps to Mentalism will recognise the above number code (slightly adjusted) which, for ease of memorisation, I arranged so that the medium only has has to count count the number of letters in the first word of the sentence to arrive at the value of the number being transmitted. In the case of the numbers 8, 9 and 10, it will be appreciated that the exclamatory words, “Splendid!”, “Excellent!” and “Marvellous!” need to follow on immediately after the spectator has confirmed that she knows the tune, otherwise it would sound unnatural. If for some reason this cannot be done, or if you consider that those words do not suit your style, then both you and the medium would need to learn alternative code words for the numbers eight, nine and ten, such as “Now”, “Now then” and “Just” respectively respectively,, although obviously it defeats the object of being able to count the number of letters in the word. If you now refer to the description of the effect you will see that by the time the volunteer shows you the chosen tune card you have already signalled it to the medium! As you will appreciate, the performer never addresses the Medium, and after asking the spectator to show him the tune, says nothing else at all before the Medium starts hesitantly to play the tune. You will also note that all the sentences spoken by the performer sound more or less the same so that the demonstration may be repeated a number of times if required without any obvious variation in the wording. The Modified Value Code for the Last Test (Spectator goes Solo) For the last test, where the Performer is not shown the name of the chosen song by the volunteer, volunteer, he glimpses the card card marking from the stacked deck and signals the suit to the medium, as before, when he asks if the spectator recognises the tune. To signal the value of the card, the code words remain exactly the same as before, before, but instead instead of the performe performerr asking the spectator to show him the tune, he asks her to think of it, e.g. [ONE] = I’d like you to think of the song

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here has been much magic around in the Regions during the winter months despite the arctic weather conditions, but magicians do not let things like ice and snow detract them from their magic. So it came to pass that a hundr hundred ed close-up enthusiasts enthusiasts gathered gathered in Gloucester in January for the fifth The Session organised by Andi Gladwin and Joshua Jay. Here it was good to see The Magic Circle Close-up Magician of the Year, Matthew Wright, performing great magic at a bar with some clever card and coin miracles and effects like the Three Shell Game and Cups and Balls. And of course there there were names like Joshua Jay Jay,, Daniel Garcia, Rune Klan, Brett Bishop, and Thom Peterson, all lecturing and performing. It finished with a Gala show in which some great comedy was to be seen especially from Alan Hudson with an hilarious prediction effect using coloured balloons, and Danny Butler as emcee interspersing the acts with the funniest version of the Six Card Repeat I have seen for a long time, and an equally funny routine with the Monkey Bar. He surely has to be one of the best comedy magicians around. We were saddened to learn of the demise of Joan Raffles on Boxing Day. Wife of the famous Mark, pickpocket by yourself this time, please; [TWO] = So think of the song by yourself, this time, please, etc. REMEMBER – It’s not as complicated as it looks. The medium only has to listen out for the first word of two key sentences spoken by the performer: the first key sentence, asking the spectator whether she knows the tune (where the first letter stands for the suit), and the second key sentence, asking her to show you the tune or, in the case of the last test, simply to think of the tune, (where the number of letters in the first word word of that sentence represents represents the card value value). ). www.TheMagicCircle.co.uk www.Th eMagicCircle.co.uk

Elizabeth Warlock MIMC

Mike Gancia

and illusionist, she really came to the fore when, in 1984, she and Mark took over the Wychwoods illusion act using miniature white poodles, with which which they toured extensively. extensively. She was a lovely lady who will be greatly missed. Our condolences go to Mark and the family in their great loss. Congratulations go to Mike Gancia on being given a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Blackpool Magicians Club. This was presented to him by their President Alan Coventry at their annual Xmas Party. Party. It was as a child that he had his first brush with magic when his father showed him a card trick. Years were to pass before his interest in magic was aroused, as his main hobbies then were soccer, cricket and jazz. His first love was card magic, but he realised this was not enough during the No Pianist? Even if the medium is not a pianist, she may well be able to pick out the tune with one finger (this is a telepathic test, not a piano recital!) and, of course, instead of a piano the medium can use any instrument or even sing, hum, whistle or merely announce the name of the tune. Scalbert Scalbert had the idea of having having the medium whisper the tune to a pianist to play when she was unable to play it herself, or handing the pianist the appropriate sheet music from a pile after she had “divined” the selected song. Why stack? The chosen card card could itself be read from from the markings on the back as it is www.TheMagicCircle.co.uk www.Th eMagicCircle.co.uk

1960s and 70s when close-up magic had not quite taken hold. Stage and cabaret were still popular so he concentrated on this field with an act including such effects as the Miser’s Dream, Rising Cards, Linking Rings, Burnt and Restored Note, Cards Across, and Koran’s Dream Car, all linked with some great comedy. comedy. It became a great favourite with working men’s men’s club and theatre audiences and he appeared with many famous names of the time such as Marty Caine, Lenny Henry, Michael Barrymore, Tommy Trinder, David Whitfield and Mohammad Ali, whom he had the honour of presenting with the Silver Wand of the BMS. In fact in 1976 he won the Clubland Command Performance Award for his comedy speciality act. He also appeared in television’s New Faces, becoming second in one of the heats which brought him many lucrative engagements, many of which he had to decline as he wisely decided not to relinquish his day job as a company director. When stage and cabaret work waned in the late 80s and early 90s, Mike turned to close-up magic, appearing at many prestigious corporate events. For 25 years he organised the close-up events at British Ring conventions. Although now retired from performing, he will often be seen doing a close-up spot at the BMS At BMS At

Home evenings, and is still very much involved in magic, having held a number of official positions, positions, including two years as president of the British Ring and twice as president of the BMS. He has an extensive library of videos, DVDs and books, attends numerous conventions and other magic related events. His life is truly magical. When Jimmy Carlo won the Kidabra International Family Entertainer of the Year last year in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, his magic life changed. No longer just doing the round of birthday parties and school shows, he was now in demand internationally. In January he was invited to lecture at the Magic Castle and perform over brunch at the weekend. Jimmy has been in the magic business for over 20 years, and many may recall his Japanese Sumo act which won for him the British Ring Shield in 1991 and with which he toured extensively with Ken Dodd. These days he mostly concentrates on shows for the little folk. Later this year he will travel again to Pigeon Forge where he will present a lecture at Kidabra, appear in the Gala show and perform a live show to a specially invited audience of children. I’ll be with you again soon with more News from the Regions.

withdrawn. It would then be possible to just “song titles” which are spread and dispense with the stack and for the shown to be all different before the spectator herself to shuffle the cards. My demonstration begins. view is that, first, by having a stack it means that the performer’ performer’ss head can be Conclusion turned away at the time of choice, so that I do hope that that those of you you who have have there is no question in the minds of the two-person telepathy aspirations will try audience that he might have glimpsed the out this routine. Do not be put off by the song title, and this applies particularly for length of the explanation: this is to make the third test where the spectator “goes it sure that everything is clear beyond alone” in transmitting the tune and which doubt. Unlike other systems requiring gives the baffling climax to the routine; evenings of study, study, it will be EASY to “sell” secondly,, it gives much more time to read secondly to your spouse/partner/girl friend, which the marking of the top card in a more has to be a “plus” point! leisurely fashion after the selection has Anyway,, the main object of the whole Anyway been made; and thirdly, in any event there exercise is that I haven’t had to throw is no requirement for shuffling, which is away my old Mocker Deck after all! associated with playing cards: these are APRIL 2010 THE MAGIC CIRCULAR 123

The Davenport Story Vol. 2: The Lost Legends Edited by Fergus Roy Hard cover book, 340 pages, 12 x 8.5 in, with dustjacket, illustrated with index. £68, £76 in UK postpaid (£84 in Europe, £95 in US – about $156, including postage). Exclusively from www.DavenportMagic.co.uk www .DavenportMagic.co.uk or Davenports Magic, 7 Charing Cross Underground Arcade, The Strand, London, WC2N 4HZ, UK. Reviewed by Matthew Field When George “Gilly” Davenport died in 1962, his daughter Betty sealed his office. Betty’s husband, Fergus Roy, opened the room as he was researching the fabulous story of the Davenports (this is the second of five projected volumes) and made an astounding discovery. Among the material which Gilly had purchased but never published publis hed were thre three e books by well-known magicians, and these have been collected here. And what magicians they are. We have Magic Marches On by Robert Harbin, here augmented by the series “Twelve “T welve Initialled Secrets” reprinted from Abracadabra from Abracadabra,, With Magic Hands by Edward Victor, and Mystia or The World of Magic by Magic by G.W. Hunter. Many will be interested in the Harbin material, for here was a mind of unparalleled magical inventiveness. The material, mostly for the stage, has items like The Vanishing Accordian, the R.H. Clock Dial, and 38 other effects illustrated by the great man himself. There is no Zig-Zag Lady, Lady, unfortunately, unfortunately, but the material adds immeasurably to what we know about the South African who made most of his career in England. It is of great interest. Edward Victor was the author of the Magic of the Hands trilogy, a successful performer who ended his career as a popular shadowgraphy artiste. This


fourth volume in the Victor series contains sleights and effects with cards including a force and false cut and five effects with duplicate or prepared cards, a Cut and Restored Rope routine in rhyme, Cups and Balls moves and some miscellaneous items, illustrated by Victor himself. The material is good and practical. G.W.. Hunter is probably best G.W remembered for the Hunter Knot, but he was a successful performer who played on bills with some of the tops names in conjuring in the late 19th to early 20th century.. From his backstage vantage point century he was able to make notes about the acts and workings of effects of people such as Buatier de Kolta, Charles Bertram, Charles Morritt, Alexander and Carl Herrmann, Harry Kellar and J.N. Maskelyn Maskelyne. e. The material is phenomenal – descriptive and a window to some of the the great stage magicians of all time. This section also includes eighteen effects and illusions, as well as routines from people including Servais LeRoy LeRoy.. Illustrations include drawings as well as stagebills, photos and newspaper extracts. What a bonanza! These books are solid additions to the knowledge base of magic, and Fergus Roy has done a service to our art in bringing them together in this collection. The book is very highly recommended.

John Calvert: His Magic M agic and Adventures by John Calvert 80 min. DVD. $24.95 (about £16) plus p&p via credit card from www.JohnCalvertMagic.com. Reviewed by Matthew Field When I grow up I want to be John Calvert. Here is a man who was a movie star, a yachtsman, an airplane pilot, a magician with his own touring show – a real-life adventurer. adventurer. He might be slowing down a bit these days, but at 98 years of age he’s earned it. This DVD is the story of the man, beautifully shot and produced. Each of

the eras John has lived through is introduced by histor historical ical material material to provide a context for his adventures. There are performances by John at the Magic Castle and other venues, including his cigarette act (which he so beautifully performed at The Magic Circle Centenary Celebrations in 2005), as well as the Dancing Hanks, Spirit Cabinet, the Buzz Saw, Blindfold Flight, Paper Balls Over the Head and movies of John as a young man. There are clips of John as the star of the serials featuring The Falcon included as well. Some of the stories John tells are unbelievable – except they really happened! John and his wife and assistant Tammy have been together 50 years, and she tells her story story as well. John John comments comments on things like what he thinks about contempora conte mporary ry magic magicians, ians, and his observations are well worth listening to. This is livin living g histor historyy – the stor storyy of a man man who bought and toured with his own circus, was captured by pirates on the high seas, and through it all never once lost his love and passion for magic.

Modern Marvel Vols. 1 & 2 by Mel Mellers Two DVDs, about 90 mins. each. $35 (£18) plus p&p from www.RSVPMagic.co.uk www .RSVPMagic.co.uk or your favourite dealer. Dealers contact Murphy’s Magic Supplies, www www.MurphysMagic.com. .MurphysMagic.com. Reviewed by Ian Rowland Here are two high-quality DVDs wherein Mel Mellers performs about a dozen routines in front of real audiences, plus explanations. Producer Russ Stevens has done an excellent job, as always, and Mel comes across as a likeable, seasoned performer with a genuine love for what he does. No-one would claim this is a showcase of magical creativity. Almostt every trick and Almos and


method will be familiar to most viewers, and several of the routines are essentially a dealer dem of apparatus apparatus.. This being so, the only originality on offer is that of Mel’ss presentation. Given that Mel is a Mel’ successful working performer, I assume this will be of interest to those interested in emulating his success. The explanations are less helpful to students of magic than they could have been. For example, Mel’ Mel’ss ‘Six Card Repeat’ uses borderless cards that render the counting largely pointless. Cards with borders would make the counting, and therefore the trick, visually meaningful. ‘Mass Distraction’ is a simplistic Magic Square routine followed by an incorrect explanation (Mel says the target needs to be at least 21, when in fact it needs to be at least 34). Also, Mel uses an out-dated method wherein the four ‘key’ numbers differ markedly from the other twelve. It is just as easy and more elegant to have all the numbers within a close range. The handcuff handcuff escape routine routine features features the comedic novelty of ‘an underwater escape without water’, which I admired.

However, the routine itself is simply that However, the cuffs go on, and then they come off. I think there are better ways to present escapology for modern audiences. The brilliant work of Daniel Hunt (‘Amethyst’) springs to mind. ‘Watch This’ is a comedy routine with a borrowed watch. Mel uses the Bob Cassidy microphone switch, but doesn’t do it well and gives no credit. ‘Bottle Opener’ is essentially a demonstration of a Nielsen Bottle. ‘You ‘You Could Be’ is a T&R newspaper routine without the torn part, thereby lacking any logic whatsoever. whatsoever. The routine for Magic Ian’s ‘Slice Of Hand’ illusion adds little to a dealer dem of the prop, and defies logic by creating the (unwanted) illusion that the spectator’ss hand is on back-to-front. spectator’ back-to-front. ‘Personalitree’ is a weak version of Larry Becker’ss ‘Sneak Thief’ (no credit given) Becker’ that omits the strongest strongest part of Becker’s Becker’s original concept. ‘Multum-in-Parvo’ is just a dealer dem with the ‘funny’ twist of using pretend urine instead instead of the more more usual milk. milk. Mel suggests using stewed tea as fake urine,

In 2000 the first winner was Scott Penrose; in 2002 Loki took the title; in 2004 Duncan Trillo triumphed; in 2006 Romany became the first lady winner; and in 2008 John Archer won the contest

but this becomes visibly more transparent during the routine, somewhat telegraphing the method. Performers usually use (fake) milk because it stays it stays opaque. When en opaque. Wh explaining ‘Pseudo Card Routine’, Mel says it’s it’s a Barrie Richardson trick but seems unsure which one. For the record, it’s ‘Close-up Memory Demonstration’ from Theatre Of The Mind . Perhaps none of this is important. Neither magicians nor reviewers pay Mel’s wages – audiences do. So long as they enjoy his magic, and it seems they do, that’s that’s perhaps all that matters. Finally, Mel’s brand of humour sometimes involves gags at the expense of spectators and participants. Some performers would say this is offensive, and Mel addresses this point during a ‘Q&A’’ section on Disk 1. He takes the ‘Q&A view that if he offends a few people, this is better than being bland. I disagree, but kudos to him for addressing this point on his own DVD and with evident honesty.

W H H O O W I IL L B E T H H E E E N E E X T T S T T A G M A G G E E GI I C C I I A N N O F F T H H E E Y E E A R R ? ?

The first prize is £1,000 plus a handsome trophy and the prestige of becoming The Magic Circle Stage Magician of the Year 2010 The contest contest is on Sunday 10 October October 2010



Council minutes Council minutes

Treasurer has agreed to provide a repor reportt with a running running total total of income and expenditure starting at the beginning of the next financial year in April. The bequest of £10,000 from Ali Bongo’s estate has been received for the Maskelyne Endowment Fund and both the Treasurer and The President have written a letter of thanks to Ali’ Ali’ss niece Alison Dolden. Keith also reported that the Finance Committee will soon provide a budget for the next financial year.

points made and will re-submit his draft paper to all Council members to enable the discussion to be continued at a future meeting.

9. DEALERS’ DAY Following the published December minutes, Peter Altman, who has organised the event for many years, wrote to the Secretary with statistics showing that the attendance figures for 2009 were up on 2008. It was agreed that the there was perhaps a lack of 4. MATTERS ARISING MINUTES OF THE MAGIC publicity for this annual event Brian Sibley asked that a letter CIRCLE COUNCIL MEETING and details could have been of thank thankss be sent to Gordon Gordon HELD AT HEADQUARTERS sent out to members on the 7. CMA Ltd. Drayson for his photography ON 4 FEBRUARY 2010 The Secretary informed announcements list. The Magic on Club Nights. The Secretary Council that there had been two Circle itself has had a stand in reported that this had already PRESENT Board meetings and the AGM the past but for a number of been done. In future a team of since the last Council meeting. reasons it was not possible in Jack DELVIN photographers will be used David BALL A very small small profit profit had been 2009. with John Ward acting as Rupert CONNELL (Chairman) recorded in last year’s accounts Other ideas were discussed convenor. Keith COOPER which was a good result, and matters were left with the Michael BAILEY considering the loss of £42,000 President to talk and liaise with 5. SECRETARY’S REPORT Michael CARR in the previous year. The Peter Altman. a) It was agreed that the new Carol COOPER Annual Christmas Show had Action. President to discuss members on the attached Rob COX also been a great success and with Peter Altman and report schedule be accepted. Mandy DAVIS showed a good profit. back to Council. b) On a proposal by Andrew Steve DELA Unfortunately,, due to the Unfortunately Eborn, seconded by Michael Andrew EBORN economic climate, commercial 10. BANQUET & AWARDS Bailey it was unanimously Alan MASKELL bookings are currently down After a recent meeting the agreed that Stephen Kennard Fay PRESTO by about 20%. Awards Panel put forward the be promoted to AIMC. Alan SHAXON The Chairman and the suggestion that members could c) There was one reBrian SIBLEY Secretary Secr etary had met with with in future future propo propose se names of instatement agreed by Council. Stephen Kennard, Terry Wright those who they felt would be Chris WOOD Steve Bryan from Norfolk. and Rod Gautrey from Moore worthy wort hy of an award award for d) There were no resi resignatio gnations. ns. Stephens to discuss the 1. APOLOGIES consideration. It would be on e) The Secretary was in receipt Peter Scarlett, Scott Penrose. proposed restructuring plan. the basis that any final of letters of thanks from: Rod Gautrey is of the view that decisions would rest with the Sean Brannigan on his recent 2. DEATHS the proposals should not cause Awards Panel and that no promotion, Terry Seabrooke on any VAT/Direct tax or Ray Trinder (84) Reading, correspondence or dialogue receiving the Maskelyne Derrick Speight (83) accounting complications. A would be entered into with Award, Peter D’Arcy and John Rickmansworth, new Outsourcing Agreement is anyone making a nomination. Dennis Collins (85) Huntingdon Dudley for the gifts/flowers to be entered into with Magic Some members of Council received, the families of Ray and Joan Raffles wife of Circle Enterprises Ltd to replace quest questioned ioned the procedur procedure e of Trinder and Brian Eames for member Mark Raffles. the Management Agreement choosing recipients for awards, charitable donations and the Council members paid and Public Events Agreement. but the President expressed the Salvation Army for the tribute to Derrick Speight who There are many operational view that there should not be donation in remembrance of had been a past Chairman of and accounting issues to be consultation with Council as it Joan Raffles. Council and a dedicated finalised and discussions with was possible that a member of Tammy Calvert thanked TMC the team helping with the worker for TMC in finding our Council would be in line for an for our thoughts and prayers current premises. He was the project will continue. award, and he felt secrecy was originator of the Young Magician for John and condolences came important. from the Society of American of the Year Competition and Harry Reeve had suggested 8. GROUP MAIL LIST commissioned the mural on the Magicians in respect of Derrick Whilst the Chairman had that a Certificate for Speight and via our Welfare staircase at Stephenson Way. prepared a draft paper on the ‘recognition of services’ be Council stood in silence as a Officer, Peter Liddelow, a letter subject, Council members had awarded in certain cases. A of thanks from Elizabeth Speight. not received this prior to the mark of respect. sample was shown to Council meeting. It was agreed that by the President and this is to 6. TREASURER’S REPORT 3. MIN MINUTE UTES S receiving Committee reports in be taken forwar forward d and known known On a proposal by Keith Cooper, The Treasurer distributed copies advance of Council meetings as the President’ President’ss Certificate. of the financial summaries for seconded by Michael Bailey, Bailey, it was an advantage, and The Awards Panel had October/December 2009 was agreed that the minutes although not all members look discussed the proposal, put quarter which showed receipts at their emails as regularly as of the meeting held on forward forw ard at the AGM AGM by of £21,828.63 and payments 3 Decem December ber 2009 be others, it was felt that Graham Reed, to award Ali of £36,129.21. Due to the confirmed and signed communication between Bongo the Gold Medal (MC,CC,RCx,SD,BS) not voting overlap of events in different meetings meeti ngs could be very helpfu helpful. l. posthumously posthumously.. The President quarters these figures do not as they had not been present The Chairman thought that thought that the decision to give a true pictur picture e and the at the previous meeting. there were a number of valid award Ali the ‘Devant’ was the



right one. The Secretary said this was a unanimous decision by the Awards Panel and expanded on the reasons why they had reached this conclusion. It was noted that the membership needs to have a clear clearer er understandin understanding g of the awards and it was suggested that the ‘Circular’ should feature this information. Chris Wood is to be provided with full details of past recipients to place a ‘Roll of Honour’ on the website. Further discussion was deferred until the next meeting and a paper would be circulated in advance of that meeting. The Secretary reported that the Events Committee will be meeting soon with consideration being given to holding one annual event only this year instead of a Supper and a Banquet.

It was mentioned that some members do not like appearing as ‘online’ in the members’ area of TMC website and the Chairman admitted he was one of these.

rate with a storage company for advertising that they ‘held’ the secrets of The Magic Circle.

12. ANY OTHER BUSINESS Andrew Eborn raised the question of Bank charges regarding payments made Publicity Nick Fitzherbert had circulated electronically compared with a repor reportt to Council Council prior to the the cheques. The Treasurer stated meeting; the report contained that the cost of online credit good ideas and suggested the card payments cannot be use of You Tube to give TMC a absorbed, but cheques are higher profile. It was always banked in bulk for acknowledged that this would which the charges are minimal. bring the public to TMC Andrew Eborn pointed out that website and raise awareness, costs could be saved by whilst giving control over the accepting electronic transfers. video presentations to avoid The President had previously any possible exposure. After distributed an ethics report much discussion the proposals received from the Society of were accepted by Council and American Magicians and asked Brian Sibley was asked to thank that Council should take on Nick for his report. board some of its findings. The Chairman suggested that Development Committee the Ethics Committee should The Development Committee take a look. reported on a lengthy meeting during which alternatives to 11. COMMITTEE REPORTS The meeting closed at Close -Up Competition 2010 Summer School and MTMC 9.10pm Next Meeting Andrew Eborn reported that evenings were discussed. The Thursday 4 March 2010 there are seven finalists for this Summer School proposal was year’ss Close-Up Competition on passed to the Club Night year’ New members elected on 22 March. Committee but no conclusion 4 Feb Februa ruary ry 2010 regarding an additional MTMC Christian FLETCHER Trade Marks evening was reached. The Swan, 12, Swan Street, The President reported that Alvechurch, member Luis de Matos from Worcestershire Worcesters hire B48 7RP Club Night Committee Portugal had confirmed to him Brian Sibley stated that the T 075 07595 95 66233 662334 4 Humph JAMES that a company there was next programme of events is already using the name ‘Magic almost complete. 69, Wroughton Place, Cardiff, Circle’ for which it holds the Council was informed of the South Wales CF5 4AB ‘trade mark’. The President is decision to replace Summer T 077 07720 20 83661 836616 6 awaiting advice from School with ‘Cogs’. The idea is John PARKIN Murgitroyd & Co. Andrew that multiple choice themed 48, Highcliffe Road, Two Gates, Eborn mentioned that licensing evenings will allow members to Tamworth, Staffs. B77 1EE cannot proceed until The gather into small groups T 018 01827 27 70572 705722 2 Magic Circle holds the trade depending on their particular Andy REAY mark rights. field of interest. Brian requested 90, Packenham Road, that the ‘fixture list’ be put on Basingstoke, The Maskelyne the agenda for the next meeting. Hampshire RG21 8XX T 012 01256 56 41581 415812 2 Endowment Fund With the death of Derrick Barry SMITH YMC Speight a new Trustee Trustee was Mandy Davis informed Council 11, Elizabeth Close, Thornbury Thornbury,, needed. Michael Bailey that numbers have increased to Bristol BS35 2YN proposed that Alan Shaxon 75-80 participants each T 014 01454 54 85176 851762 2 should be made a Trustee, Saturday workshop and the Marianne STAFFORD seconded by Andrew Eborn. shows following on in the 96, Harrington Road, South The decision was unanimous. evening eveni ng are well supported. supported. Norwood, London SE25 4NB T 020 0208 8 656 656 5844 5844 John ZEE Internet & Technology Museum Archivist David Hibberd had 3, Woodside Cotts, Dunkirk Committee Chris Wood reported that a provided prov ided his annual report report and Road North, Boughton, free database was being the Chairman wished to record Nr.Faversham, Kent ME13 9NY sought for the Museum online his thanks to David for the T 012 01227 27 75165 751652 2 system. He also informed extensive exten sive report report and for the Council that the computers in excellent and vital work he is New AIMC with Silver Star the HQ require regular network doing. Storage at Stephenson elected on 4 February 2010. Joe TURNER and system maintenance. The Way is becoming a serious IT Committee is unlikely to problem and the President 39 Wesleyan Place, Dallas, have the capacity to deal with wondered if it would be GA 30132-9250, USA this at present. possible to negotiate a reduced T 404 644 679 6791 1 www.TheMagicCircle.co.uk www.Th eMagicCircle.co.uk

New AIMC elected on 4 Feb Februa ruary ry 2010 2010 Avrom SURATH

7, Boyles Street, Beverly, Beverly, MA 01915, USA T 978 922 248 2482 2 Reinstatement to MMC, 4 Feb Februa ruary ry 2010 2010. Steve BRYAN

Row Hill Farm, Hindringham, Fakenham, Norfolk T 078 07876 76 15005 150057 7 Promotion to AIMC. 4 Feb Februa ruary ry 2010 2010 Stephen Kennard Alterations to Records No. 404 October 2009 – January 2010 Stephen BAKER

14, Lorne Gardens, Knaphill, Woking, Surrey GU21 2Q Carl BUCK

18, Sunbury Rise, Countesthorpe, Leicester LE8 5XP Martin HOBBS

The Annexe, Sissinghurst Place, Biddenden Road, Sissinghurst, Kent TN17 2JP T 015 01580 80 72035 720357 7 Sebastian HUNT

3, Town Orchard, Southoe, St.Neots, Cambridgesh Cambr idgeshire ire PE19 5YJ Graham JOLLEY

The Old Stables, Lower Hale, Farnham, Surrey GU9 9RP T 078 07850 50 78019 780191 1 Michael MANDER

22, Oakfield Park, Much Wenlock, Shropshire TF13 6HJ T 019 01952 52 72723 727232 2 RAJAN

27 Odeon Parade, 480 London Road, Isleworth, Middx. TW7 4RL James SANDYS-RENTON

2, Ivy Cross, Shaftesbury, Dorset SP7 8DW T 017 01747 47 85008 850080 0 Eddie SHAUGHNESSY

25, Huddlestone Road, Willesden Green, London NW2 5DL T 020 0208 8 459 459 1892 1892 Stephen WELTON

The Old Rectory, Church Road, Newick, East Sussex BN8 4JZ


Forthcoming club Forthcoming club events Club Night Committee: Brian Sibley, Chair; Mandy Davis, Secretary

Find books, magazines, ephemera, cards, silks, magic sets, magicians and more 05601 259596 All available for sale online at www.magicianslibrary.com

The Headquarters are open on Club Nights from 3:00pm until 10:30pm. Unless otherwise stated, events start promptly at 7:30pm and are scheduled to finish between 8:45pm and 9pm. Club Nights are principally for Members, so entry is by Membership Card. A bona fide magician guest may attend any evening that is not marked ‘Members Only’ on condition that he or she is able to show membership of a magical society. A non-magician guest may only attend evenings that are marked as ‘Show’. Guests may only attend two evenings a year. No guest may attend unless the CMA is told in advance, so if you wish to bring a guest please do not contact me but phone (020) 7387 2222. There is a limit of ten guests per night. All guests must pay an entry fee of £10 at the door and respect our Conventions. Indeed, it is your duty as their sponsor to ensure that they do. The Magic Circle reserve the right to refuse entry. Information in this column will always supersede the Fixture Card. See our website or subscribe to Big Reminder (free weekly emails) for any last minute changes to the schedule. APRIL 2010 Tuesday 6 YMC ENTERTAINS – Hosted by Mandy Davis, MIMC The Young Magicians Club will be entertaining you with some ‘works in progress’. Some are previous prizewinners and all are definitely going to be among the magical names of the future. Monday 12 KOSTYA KOSTY A KIMLA KIMLAT T A lectu lecture re by widely acclaime acclaimed d card-magic card-magician ian (‘The Roadrunner Cull’ etc) also noted for his non -card non-card effects ‘Post-it Prestidigitation’ and a new ‘hot’ favourite with performers ‘!WARN ‘!WARNING’. ING’. Saturday 17 ALI BONGO’S SATURDAY SHOW Great close-up and stage magic. Doors open 5.15. Show finishes 8.30. All invited. £8 from TMC Box Office in advance. Monday 19 ILLUSIONS OF GRANDEUR – John Palfreyman, MIMC John shares memories of the pleasures and pains of creating illusions for various TV performers. Illustrated with clips from shows and a display of working plans and memorabilia. Monday 26 MAGIC’S ROOM 101 – Roy Marsh, MIMC, finds out out what magica magicall people, props, patter and paraphernalia Geoffrey Durham, Fay Presto, and Darryl Rose would consign to the darkest recess of Room 101! Change of address? Contact Secretary David Ball, [email protected] Officer, Member in need? Contact Chaplain and Welfare Officer, Peter Liddelow, [email protected]



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