Issue No.54 Vol. 9. No.

6 January 2014

NATHAN KRANZO:
THE KRANZILLA IS HERE!
MATT STERLING:
MORE THAN A STUNT!
SCOTT PEPPER:
PERFORMING FOR DISNEY... PLUS:
CLUB LAND
AVOIDING
THE REPEAT
PERFORMANCE
PROS AND CONS
MASTERCLASS
REVIEWS
AND MORE...
RRP $6.00 US/CAN ISSN 2163-0550

THE GENIUS OF
DAVID WILLIAMSON
MAGICSEEN: HELPING TO RUIN XMAS SINCE 2005
 WELCOME

Issue No.54 RRP £5.50 Vol. 9. No.6 January 2014

e like to get this January approached a table and suddenly realised

W issue out of the door just

before Xmas, so if you have
received this before the 'big
day', Happy Christmas from all the slaves at
that you're not sure if you've entertained
these people already? We tell you how to
avoid the pitfalls of a rubbish memory in
Avoiding The Repeat Performance.
Magicseen Towers, and if Christmas has NATHAN KRANZO:
THE KRANZILLA IS HERE!
already gone by the time you read this, well But issue 54 has even more to offer - John MATT STERLING:
MORE THAN A STUNT!
SCOTT PEPPER:
Happy New Year! Derris helps us to explain why 'KISS - ing' is PERFORMING FOR DISNEY...

good for you, we present live reviews of

PLUS:
We're starting 2014 with a really big star on shows at Smoke And Mirrors in Bristol, the CLUB LAND
AVOIDING
THE REPEAT
PERFORMANCE
our cover, none other than the legendary Masterclass features ideas from Andy PROS AND CONS
MASTERCLASS
REVIEWS
David Williamson. David is that rare breed Nyman and Ian Adair, and there's comedy THE GENIUS OF AND MORE...

of entertainer who can combine excellent with a tale that many children's entertainers DAVID WILLIAMSON
sleight of hand with broad slapstick humour, may well be able to relate to! All this plus
MAGICSEEN: HELPING TO RUIN XMAS SINCE 2003
and we are honoured to welcome him to our product reviews, news, letters and other fun,
humble pages. David is kept company by festive stuff to keep you going during the VOLUME 9 No.6 ISSUE 54
mentalist/hypnotist Matt Sterling, who when holiday period and beyond.
he isn't putting people 'under' is probably to THE TEAM
be found fighting The Rock or falling off a Finally, as we conclude with this issue both a Editor: Mark Leveridge
Deputy Editor: Graham Hey
building (you need to read the article to calendar year and also a Magicseen volume,
Design Editor: Phil Shaw
understand that!) and by awesome comedy a big 'thank you' to all our readers,
Advertisement Enquiries: Mark Leveridge
performer Nathan Kranzo and top cruise advertisers and contributors who have [email protected]
ship entertainer Scott Pepper. helped us to put out some cracking issues in Website Design: Number 23
2013. Graham, Phil and I and everyone else Circulation: Sarah Logan
Circulation Assistant: Jessica Culver
If you are a children's entertainer, do you who pitches in to produce your favourite
Contributors: Andy Nyman, Ian Adair
display all the props needed for your show magazine look forward to being in your
Reviewers: Mark Leveridge, Phil Shaw,
or do you keep them hidden in your roll-on company again throughout 2014. Paul Preager
until required? We give you 10 suggestions Magicseen’s management board consists of:
for which is best in Pros and Cons. If you are Mark Leveridge Graham Hey, Mark Leveridge & Phil Shaw
a strolling magician, have you ever General enquiries and comments:
[email protected]
Thanks to: David Williamson, Nathan Kranzo, Matt
Sterling, Scott Pepper
WHAT’S INSIDE
5. Welcome SUBSCRIPTIONS
6. Letters USA/Canadian subscriptions (one year) are available from our
7. News Distribution Partner in the States - www.lybrary.com/magicseen.
PDF + Printed version $29.90, PDF only $22.00. Subscriptions
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15. Dealer Shout Outs 4PA, UK. £30.00 for annual subscriptions, Europe £42.00,
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17. Syd & Fanny Copyright. The views and opinions expressed in this magazine
are those of the individual contributors and do not necessarily
20. Matt Sterling reflect the views of the publishers. All rights reserved.
Reproduction in whole or part is strictly prohibited without the
24. The Christmas Show prior consent of the publishers. Colour transparencies,
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the company nor its agents accept any responsibility for loss
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MSM Issue 54 5
 If you have anything you would like to
tell us, whether it’s about the magazine
or anything magic related, please email:

LETTERS [email protected]

JUMBO JUMBO!
Dear Magicseen,
I am determined to put an effect
into my act using jumbo cards.
Can you recommend any tricks
which might be suitable?
Greg Thomas
CRAP!
Hi Greg, here are a few I was amused/alarmed/
that might be good for horrified (delete as applicable)
you. A bit more research to read in issue 53, both in the
required, but try: Don boldly printed heading and the
Alan’s Big Deal...freely main body of the text on page
selected card from regular 14, a reference to Lawrence
deck matches a jumbo Olivia! Presumably this was
prediction card - trick then supposed to be Sir Laurence
repeated with a jumbo (later Lord) Olivier? A letter in
31/2 Clubs surprise finish. the same edition had pointed
Also Billy McComb’s out inconsistencies in the
McCombical Prediction in spelling of ‘Philip’, while
jumbo size is a brilliant another article spoke of Darren
effect. Brown and there was confusion
THE WRIGHT STUFF! over the spelling of ‘there’ and
Dear Magicseen, ‘their’. What really took the
Excellent piece on Matthew Wright in the last issue. I had a chat biscuit was the conclusion of
with him at the last Blackpool magic convention, and he was a very the ML review of Ian Adair’s
likeable guy. He took the time to give me a little advice, when I latest book which stated ‘typos
knew he was really busy. It’s always interesting to know more and errors could easily have
about magicians’ personal lives than just their magic as it helps to been eradicated with a proof
understand their path to magic. I’m so glad Matthew didn’t go reader.’ Hmmm . . . ironic, or
down the wrong path and end up in prison, like several of the what?
crew he mixed with. Keep up the good work on the mag!
R. Jessop, Dunfirmline, Scotland I don’t want to appear too
critical as it’s still a great read,
but I really was surprised that
were really great shows, lots of and beyond. But do not the Olivier howlers got past you
varied acts, close-up, stand-up despair, we learn that twice!
and illusions. It really is a shame there is to be a new series Brian Lead (Blackburn)
that they don’t make them like of that very show made
that any more. Just sat in for a major TV company in Dear Brian, you are right!
amazement at the Pendragons the US. Hopefully it will We apologise, as we had
in all their glory! Absolutely eventually broadcast in to urgently move a
brilliant! the UK. And don’t forget deadline and several pages
WORLD’S Ray Hartford, London that at Xmas, you can be went through without
GREATEST sure there will be a Tommy being proofread. We have
MAGIC Well Ray, you are right Cooper special (complete since put a new action-
Dear Magicseen, about the quality of those with annoying ‘talking plan into place which
I was recently watching a few shows, and they heads’ in the middle of involves physically
old VHS recordings I made of introduced the UK to a routines), and also the 50 harming anyone who
The World’s Greatest magic whole host of top Greatest Magic Tricks makes spelling or
Shows from Las Vegas. These performers from the US ...EVER! grammatical errors.

6 MSM Issue 54
 NEWS
Dear Annoyed. We
apologise for being so
crap! We are delighted to
feature the hilarious
fellow in this issue - and
even better news for UK
readers is that the
Kranzilla is going to be in
England for two weeks
next year, (May 2014)
DON’T TRUST
doing a series of shows ANDREW MAYNE!
around the UK. He will Andrew Mayne is to star in his own magic TV series on A&E from
also be doing a few January. The brilliant illusionist and magician said, “I’m unbelievably
lectures. At the time of excited to share with you a project that I’ve been working on in secret
going to press, he has two over the last year. It’s a big one for me. I can’t wait for you to see the
THE lecture nights available. show. It’s like…well…it’s very me!”
KRANZILLA! Interested societies
Dear Magicseen, why has it should contact Mayne has produced many excellent effects over the last 10 years and
taken you so long to feature [email protected] specialises in one-man illusions, and really quirky stuff! You can check
Nathan Kranzo? The guy is for details asap! out the first promo for his show here:
amazing! facebook.com/DontTrustAndrewMayne
Annoyed, New Millford
Connecticut, USA
"HELP! MY SUPPLY TEACHER IS
STILL MAGIC" WINS BAFTA
HANDS OFF! work and in the end the "Help! My Supply Teacher is
Dear Magicseen. I recently magician names the chosen Still Magic" has won a British
bought both copies of Wayne card only to find that the Academy of Film and
Dobson’s ‘Look No Hands’ books entire deck is blank. This Television Arts award for
- and brilliant they are too. I’ve excellent effect is in his best entertainment
been trying to find other great Skinny Notes lecture. children’s show.
tricks where the magician doesn’t Another highly
touch the deck - any ideas from recommended source is The top rated CBBC series,
the Magicseen crew? Thanks. Woody Aragon’s book made by Objective
Lucy Laidlaw, entitled: ‘A Book in English’, Productions in London sees four magicians John Archer, Katherine
Norway, via email which has several Mills, Fergus Flanagan and James Went go in to schools as supply
devastatingly good effects teachers and convince a class full of children that they are magic.
Hi Lucy - good question! within! Oh, and don’t forget The series is presented by Iain Stirling. The winning team are Anthony
Glad you like the Dobson X-Ray by Ben Harris - a trick Owen, who created the series and who is Executive Producer, Nick
books, the lad’s not bad! where the magician is not Hutchings who is the Series Producer and co-writer, and Anthony
Here are some more ideas - even in the same room when Waldron, who is the Producer. John Archer is also a co-writer on
and we’ve had some good the cards are cut and a card the show.
fun trying to find some selected. How cool is that!?!
effects to recommend! Try: Big Blind Media have a This is Executive Producer Anthony Owen's third BAFTA win having
Nick Trost’s “Spectator’s couple of excellent DVD previously won for DERREN BROWN - THE EXPERIMENTS (2012)
Card Trick” (aka Daryl’s releases entitled: ‘Ultimate and THE QUICK TRICK SHOW (2001).
“Untouched”). Also,John Self-working Card Tricks’
Lovick does a routine with a which feature several belters Anthony said "The team are thrilled to have won the award for best
blank deck of cards where - including Simon Aronson’s entertainment at the Children’s BAFTAS. We are immensely proud of
the audience does all the Shufflebored effect. the show”.

MSM Issue 54 7
THE
KRANZILLA
IS HERE!
THE COMEDY MONSTER THAT
IS NATHAN KRANZO
T here are not many really
hilarious magic acts around the
world, but Nathan Kranzo is
one of them. Kranzo has a
reputation for performing really cool
effects, with huge doses of quirky
comedy. At Magicseen we’ve been
big fans of his for a long time, even
though he’s a bit weird! So, let’s
meet this brilliant performer. Graham
Hey asks the questions...

Nathan was born just outside of Detroit

where his father worked as an engineer at a
local radio station and taught engineering at
the local EDS school which is a company
that had contracts with General Motors. “My
dad then went on to work for GM - as did
most of Michigan - and retired from there,”
says Nathan. “My dad helped design some
of the under the hood stuff on the Corvette
which is pretty cool.

“My mum stayed at home when we were

little but did work often and still works at a
law office,” continues Nathan, who looks like
he’s always a couple of words away from a
gag. “We moved when I was young about an
hour north to a town called Flushing and he worked at a magic shop called the When did your sense of humour
that’s where I was raised and graduated Cuckoo’s Nest. “A great shop run by Tom reveal itself?
High school. My parents still live there and I and Linda. That was not my first exposure to “I’ve worked really hard to be funny,” he
live just a few miles away currently...” magic. But it was my first magic gig, so to laughs “...and that may sound odd but I’ll try
speak, and what a great place to learn. I and explain. I have always been naturally
After high school the Kranzilla attended the soaked up so much there. Read every book funny. But It took me years to refine it and
Art Institute of Pittsburgh and that is where and learned every trick.” cultivate it. I’m still really learning a lot. Since

8 MSM Issue 54
 NATHAN KRANZO
I was a kid I always had the ability to make
people laugh in my own way. But translating
that to a performance situation is completely
different. I think most people have some
natural comedic talent. You just gotta tone it
like a muscle. It’s taken a lot of time in front
of an audience learning how to just be
myself and figure out what works for me.

You’ve released a couple of books

which contain some really great
off-beat humour. How would you
describe your own sense of humour?
“I’m sarcastic and silly and a little naughty.
Oh and sometimes amazing....and a very
real person on stage. No top hat or glitzy
suit. Just me and a few tricks and stories
about my life. If I can get the rhythm of the
performance right, the character is very fast
“Anyone can recycle and recite a funny
paced and over the top persona-wise. Rick line written by someone else and get a
Maue described me as the Bob Saget of
Magic. I thought that was too kind but laugh. But the timing, the rhythm, the 6th
somewhat right on. Other influences would
be Johnny Carson, Richard Pryor, David
sense, the ability to simplify and
Williamson, George Burns, Greg Geraldo,
Mitch Headberg, Jeff Hobson and so many
summarise universal truths.....jazz riffing
others... etc, is something you either have and can
Did you have early experience of hone, or you don’t.”
magic clubs?
“When I was 16 or so I attended my first IBM
meeting at a local old pizza joint. I was totally “Yeah....I have definitely had some stupid someone else and get a laugh. But the
blown away by this new world hidden in the people f**k up my tricks or try and heckle or timing, the rhythm, the 6th sense, the ability
back of a smoky Italian restaurant. I saw my mess with my show. In those cases it really is to simplify and summarise universal
first REAL card guy and coin guy and just got their fault! But it is still YOUR show. It’s your truths.....jazz riffing etc, is something you
my ass handed to me. I was fooled really responsibility to be a pro and recover. If either have and can hone, or you don’t.”
badly and fell in love with the atmosphere of someone messes you up or the audience is
the meeting and the brotherhood of it all etc. just DEAD and non responsive, even Who makes YOU laugh?
then...you still have to do what you can to “I mentioned my influences earlier so I
“I mentioned earlier working at the Magic make it a success. Even if you blow out a tire would name all of them again. Jay Sankey
shop the Cuckoo’s Nest in college that was you still gotta try and make it to the end of makes me cry whenever we hang out. So
my first real magic gig and then literally just a the race.” does Aaron Fisher and Lee Asher. They
few months after that I started doing aren’t known so much for their comedy but
restaurants and private parties. Just strolling Do you think that someone without a they are both hilarious guys who have
and/or close up. natural funny bone can do comedy? inspired me so much over the years. I can’t
“Yes. Look at most of the US sitcoms!!! : ) thank them enough. Mike Scutt is great and
“After I finished college I started street Honestly I don’t think so. I mean sure YOU makes me laugh a lot. Jon Stewart and
performing in the resort town of Petoskey, CAN if you just want to be comedic. But if Steven Colbert, Harry Anderson, Graham
Michigan. I did this for the summer and it you want to make people enjoy a comedy Jolley, LOVE GRAHAM. Louis CK, Steve
was quite a learning experience. experience that is truly unique and in the Mayhew, God I love Steve. I put Steve
moment at a HIGH LEVEL I think you need Mayhew up there with David Williamson,
Someone once told me ‘never blame to be born with the timing and comedic Steve Beam and Chad Long. They can all
your audience’ - which I have come instinct. There will always be elements you make you cry laughing and destroy you with
to realise is not good advice! How do can emulate. Ways to cheat. Anyone can sleight of hand...”
you feel about it? recycle and recite a funny line written by

MSM Issue 54 9
 NATHAN KRANZO

KRANZILLA QUICKIES
Your favourite visual gag? the longest. Hmm. And last would be Led
There are so many! One of my favourites Zeppelin because they rock so hard.
is my Joint to Donut. It’s a gag that can be
found on one of my YouTube stand up What do you do to relax?
vids I believe... Run, I run every morning. Yoga as well.
Play music, I drum to relieve stress. And
Where do you think a lot of sleep. I love sleep, it’s great. You don’t
magicians go wrong? have to do anything.
Absolutely NO self awareness and no
sincerity. Plus. Most don’t relate to their Tell us 3 things about yourself that
audience. people will not know!
You can’t write if you can’t relate. Beck I was in the movie Reel Steel the Robot
You’ve released quite a few effects said that in I’m A Loser and it’s sooo true. with Hugh Jackman. I have a scar on my
over the past few years. Which are arm from a burning marshmallow my
your favourites? The key skills you need to do brother threw at me. I played the drums in
“One called Spirit Eating where a popsicle or stand-up are? three different rock and metal bands.
candybar eats itself! I’m proud of my Moving Hmm. Human likeability. Not needed but
Tanline and No Smoking Zone as well. Both helps. Ability to relate. Social awareness. When you finally peg it, what
are extremely visual and have been Self awareness, flexibility, timing and ballz. would you like written on your
performed on TV by several magicians,” he And most importantly the ability to bomb, gravestone?
says enthusiastically. “‘Instant Everything’ is then pick your ass up and do it all again Be cool, be kind, live hard, and if you
another one of my favourite effects. It is an the next night. can't, there is a pill for that.
effect where several objects appear all at
once, in both hands, in your mouth and The biggest lesson you’ve learned Are you working on any new
sticking out of your pocket. about performing is? effects?
Don’t ever involve drunk women, or small Yes!!!!!! I have a new book coming out
“I have a couple of effects that have not children, or small drunk children. Always called the PEEK BOOK for card guys out
been released that I’m very excited about. be prepared. If you are prepared you there. Also working on releasing a very
One where a borrowed cell phone vanishes won’t be so nervous. Nerves are human. It cool effect with a set of borrowed keys.
and appears inside of a baked loaf of bread. means you care. Linking rings in your pocket.
NO assistants! And the other is coming out If you care they will care.
soon. It is a very visual effect where a If you smile they will smile. Fav one-liner?
cigarette morphs into a piece of gum while They want you to do a good show. I could eat a bowl of Alphabet soup and
held at the fingertips. Inspired by my effect If you do a good show you will feel good, S**T a better heckle than that!!!
No Smoking Zone...” and they will feel good. So do a great
show. Size of TV?
Finally, as our time comes to an end, It doesn’t matter. It’s how I use it.
and I’ve run out of questions, I come If you could choose 5 acts to
up with: Is magic actually cool? In perform on the same bill for you, Size of Couch?
the UK, we have Dynamo who is who would you choose, and why? Pretty big. I love couches. I have one of
quite cool, who’s the coolest in the Wow man that’s hard. David Devant. those big L shaped couches that takes up
US? Such a fan of his ideas and performance the entire room. I’d say...well I’m bad at
It doesn’t take a second for Nathan to style. All done by kindness...that’s so guessing but about a half a kilometer.
answer. “Dynamo is crazy! I remember when good. Thurston and Leipzig because they
all the clothes he owned he wore on him. I were both such strong performers and the Least favourite relative?
met him years ago on my first trip to stories of Leipzig and his ability to charm. Hmm. thats a tough one. Most are really
England. He was this annoying kid who had Richard Pryor. Just because he makes me cool. My cousin Ryan is an a**shole
the most enthusiasm I’d ever seen. Now he’s laugh and cry in the same show. More though.
this annoying kid with super models. than anything I would just like to party
A**hole!” AFTER the show and see who can hang

10 MSM Issue 54
 NEWS
LU CHEN IS THE MOST
WATCHED – EVER!
The Foundation for Promoting the Art of Magic has awarded its
International Magic Award to Lu Chen the undisputed superstar of
modern magic. Lu Chen is a multi award winning magician based in
his native Taiwan. His television shows have achieved viewing figures
of 1 billion making him the most watched magician in history.
This prestigious award was conceived by David Berglas and has been
presented annually since 2007 when it was awarded to The
MacMillan Family for their work in producing the International Magic
Convention successfully for over forty years. Other recipients since
then have included David Copperfield , Juan Tamariz , Derren Brown
and Uri Geller.

BLAINE IS BACK!
ABC Television has high hopes for magician David Blaine this autumn.
Blaine’s special “David Blaine: Real or Magic,” aired on November
19th. As we write this, reviews so far have been excellent!

As we have come to expect, throughout the series, he will have

several A-List celebrities on-hand to be amazed and serve as a defacto
committee for viewers at home.

Among the stars will be Jamie Foxx, Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Ricky
Gervais, Katy Perry, Woody Allen, Robert DeNiro, Kanye West,
Harrison Ford, Will Smith and Olivia Wilde. He even meets up with
Stephen Hawking whilst in the UK.

GHOST STORIES IS BACK!

Just when you thought it was safe to go
back into the theatre… Ghost Stories is the
smash hit play written and directed by top
geezer Andy Nyman and Jeremy Dyson.
With a previous sell out 13 month run in
the West End before playing in Toronto
and Moscow, the show has now terrified
over 300,000 people.

This cult show is coming back to the West

End from February next year in a new
production with an entirely new cast and a
couple of new ‘special moments’ that
promise to be more intense than ever!

Are you brave enough to book? For tickets

call 020 7836 8463

12 MSM Issue 54
 BIG BLIND MEDIA
Big Blind Media are pleased to be able to
offer all Magicseen readers a video
routine plus a free DVD download! To
watch the video routine simply go to the
Magicseen website
(www.magicseen.co.uk) and enjoy the
video clip routine. Then, follow the link
HERE ARE SOME from there and you will be able to
SPECIAL 'EXTRA' download the full title of the DVD of
Awesome. Included on this DVD are the
ANNOUNCEMENTS following effects:
FROM A FEW OF • 'Your Aces Are Marked' by Terry
OUR REGULAR Legerould (Ultimate Self Working
Card Tricks Volume 1)
ADVERTISERS... • 'Doctored Daley' by John Bannon
(Bullets After Dark)
• 'Heads or Tails' by Greg Wilson (The
School Of Cool)
• 'Cagey' by Cameron Francis (The
MERLINS OF WAKEFIELD Merlins have their latest 16 page Omega Mutation)
Preview out now. Available as a printed copy or PDF directly from their website. For a '• Relentless' by Alan Rorrison (Fingers
printed copy email them your address to [email protected] They have also had a Of Fury Volume 1)
fantastic response to the 2014 Range of Tenyo items. (see details elsewhere in the • 'Visual Voodoo' by Liam Montier (The
magazine) and they are now back in stock. For details of the Limited Edition Magic Wicked World Of Liam Montier
Wagon items that are still available, please check out their website Volume 1)
www.merlinswakefield.com Once gone, they will not be available again! • 'The Fingerprint Trick' by David
Solomon (The Card Solutions of
They are now busy sorting new items for the Blackpool Magic Convention in February Solomon)
and will be having a triple booth there for the first time! Merlins of Wakefield, • 'Ring Thing' by Alex Ward (The Elegy
www.merlinswakefield.com Shift)
• 'Snibbets is Acaan' by Stephen Tucker
(Twister Continuum)
• 'Heightened Senses' by Joshua Jay
(Methods In Magic)

Episode #5 of BBMTV (featuring 'Killer

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OUTS PAGE IN A FUTURE ISSUE PLEASE CONTACT
[email protected] FOR MORE DETAILS

MSM Issue 54 15
 THE BEST OF 2013
It has been a great year for new releases, and here we have listed some of the most popular effects as
given to us by a variety of magic dealers. There may be some effects here that have passed you by – but
go and check them out, as all the ones in our Best of 2013 have proved to be very successful in the last
twelve months. These are in no particular order, as they say…

ENVY-LOPE flip over her freely selected card and it made this a winner with magicians around
Brandon David and Chris Turchi matches your prediction EXACTLY. the world. We’ve seen this in action, and it’s
A signed a real classic, with so many possible
playing card is ACE applications…
lost in a deck of Richard Sanders
cards. Instantly Two joker INFERNO
the deck playing cards Joshua Jay /Card Shark
transforms into are openly A named card
a little white placed onto a appears in a
envelope, spectator's matchbox. No
containing the hands and two deck, no riffle
spectators signed playing card. A simple jokers are force, no
plot, visually striking magic and an easy placed into the complications.
method has made this a winner with working magician’s Just one card in
magicians. hands. The magician just touches his jokers play, inside the
to theirs, and all the playing cards transform matchbox...the NAMED card.
PERFECT OPEN into aces! Ace by Richard Sanders uses a
PREDICTION very simple sleight of hand technique with a Sound too good to be true? What if we told
Boris Wild clever gimmick, so it's ideal for total you that this effect was easy to do, easy to
PERFECT OPEN beginners to magic. It's a wonderful reset, and was entirely self-contained. You
PREDICTION is an moment, when the playing cards transform. can perform without sleeves or pockets or
incredibly powerful Richard’s effects are always of a high preparation. A great little trick which has
and EASY prediction standard, and he’s done it again with this. been getting terrific reviews.
routine. FISM card
champion Boris Wild ELECTRIC TOUCH + CLARITY BOX
has cleverly devised a method to openly Yigal Mesika David Regal
predict a selected card that eliminates ALL Electric In typical David
sleight-of-hand. The cards are dealt BY THE Touch Plus Regal style, we
SPECTATOR. The decisions are made BY allows you to have a practical
THE SPECTATOR. And because it looks like use the force and stunning
the real thing, it will fool magicians and non- of electricity addition to any
magicians alike. so you can table, or stage
deliver an magician’s act.
Shuffle a deck of cards and place ONE card electrostatic A wonderfully
face-up on the table. (Let's say it's the 8 of shock that crafted prop that is hard to find anything
clubs). will course wrong with! A folded playing card that has
through your body to your finger tip. been on display in a CLEAR BOX, IN FULL
Now, ask your spectator to deal the rest of Imagine reading someone's mind and they VIEW the whole time is tipped out to show it
the cards onto the table, flipping each one FEEL the thought leave their mind as if it is the spectator's signed, selected playing
face-up until she feels the time is right. At were zapped from their body. Electric Touch card! Clarity Box is appearing in magicians’
that very moment, have her place the "right" + was a major improvement on the original working acts around the world and its
card face-down and finally finish by device that was a massive worldwide performance 'in the trenches' shows just
continuing to deal the rest of the deck face success with magicians. The range of uses how useful this item is to working
up on top. The big finish comes when you and the reactions it gets from spectators has professionals.

16 MSM Issue 54
WAY OUT
Marc Oberon
Marc Oberon's Way
Out is a versatile
utility item that
enables a single,
folded piece of plain
paper to contain the
outs for anything up
to twelve different
predictions. It can be SYD & FANNY
instantly opened to reveal only the desired
one, with no fumbling or suspicious WHERE ARE THEY NOW??
handling. A great addition to the world of Way back in the very first ever Terence was offered a teaching job at the
mentalism. issue of Magicseen, we featured University of Central Lancashire in 2007. He
Syd Selby & Fanny, an ageing is now Course Leader on the BA Acting. He
magical duo who came out of has moved into directing theatre and still
retirement for one last shot at manages to fit in some acting work. Julia is a
hitting the big time! Over the self-employed actor, working in many
years we’ve had quite a few letters different areas of the business, particularly
from readers asking about the street theatre, which has taken her up and
dynamic duo from issue one, but down the country, and overseas, over the
to be honest, we’ve ignored them. last 5 years or so.
However, seeing as it’s over eight
years since we featured them, and Currently, we are planning our daughter’s
had some available space in this birthday party. We’ve booked a magician.
issue, we thought we’d give you an He goes by the name of The Amazing Syd
update on their magical Selby....
movements!
Syd and Fanny update
Syd & Fanny were played by actors As for Syd and Fanny, they embarked on
Terrence Mann & Julia Rounthwaite, a another fairly extensive tour of their
couple of mega-talented folk with a Christmas Turkey around the North and the
twisted love of magic. This is what’s Midlands the year after they met you (2004).
happened to Terrence, Julia – and their Having appeared in Magicseen, their
superb creations Syd & fanny! reputation preceded them and the tour was
a virtual sell-out... they even made a couple
Terence and Julia update of TV appearances.... Whilst this was
Following the Syd and Fanny tour in 2003, wonderful, and they remain grateful to
we undertook a longer sell out tour of Magicseen, it also proved quite exhausting,
There have been many other really “Christmas Turkey” in 2004, and had a particularly for Fanny, and following the tour,
good releases, and below we have wonderful time. In 2005, again for our they decided to call it a day and retire for a
listed several more which have made company Motion Loco, we wrote an second time. They now live in Morecambe,
an impact. One or two of these may entirely different show called “Me and where they can often be seen strolling along
have crept under your radar, but all The King”. This was a tragic-comic tale of the promenade, occasionally stopping to
are worth checking out... one man’s quest to find an identity as he sign the odd autograph. Syd was recently
• Wedge - Jesse Feinberg moves into a new flat and opens the door approached to perform at the birthday party
• Clean Cash by Marc Oberon to an extraordinary world of ghosts, social of a certain little 7 year old girl. When asked
• Jon Allen's Rule Of Three clubs and an unhealthy obsession with how he felt about performing again after
• Greg Wilson's Unleashed the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. Me and The nearly 10 years, Syd said “It’s nice to have
• Scott Alexander’s Super Fly King toured in 2005 and 2006. In late the opportunity to take the act to a new
• David Forrest's CUBISM 2006, our wonderful baby daughter generation, and who knows, I might be able
• ATM by Michael Murray arrived on the scene and we slowed down to persuade Fanny to dust off her sequined
• Crusade by Atlas Brookings and Andrew the touring work in order to be with her as dress and climb back into the Cabinet of
Brown much as possible. Doom.”

MSM Issue 54 17
 MATT STERLING

20 MSM Issue 54
 TT IN G
A L
MTER R MAN
S GE N
bullied at
school and how I
used to use magic to win

A
them over. No way. I was always
the biggest and the loudest – and those

D
two traits haven’t really changed!

So how did your career progress?

Tell us a bit I developed my close-up magic and then
about your naturally went into the mentalism side of
background... magic once I had qualified as a stage
My dad is a builder, and my mum hypnotist, as they kind of ran hand-in-hand,
used to work for a company that as people tend to think that you have some
counselled young children and adults. My kind of mental power when you have the
brother is in the business and trained as an power to put someone into a hypnotic
As a actor. He does the occasional bit of TV & state! After I qualified, I really
magician, theatre work. I trained at the Italia Conti began the process of learning
mentalist and Academy of Performing Arts from 16-19 my art, and I started
hypnotist, Matt Sterling learning to sing, dance & act. From there I learning routines at
had forged a successful career was lucky enough to get an agent and I soon work and on
for himself performing started performing on tours including: The set.
throughout the UK & beyond, Real Monty, Happy Days, pantomimes and
but what we didn’t know is that TV adverts....
Matt was also working in the
exciting world of movies as a Were you performing magic at a
stunt man! Whatever he does, young age?
the annoyingly cool fellow I’m not going to give you the
seems to make a success of it, sob story about how I
so we thought we’d try and get was the boy being
some advice from the man they
love to beat up in the movies...

MSM Issue 54 21
 MATT STERLING
What advice would you give to
someone thinking of training in
hypnosis?
If you want to learn stage hypnosis, don’t go
to any ‘fly-by-night’ company. Do your
research and please don’t learn it from
DVDs! I found a gentleman based in
Bournemouth called Malcolm Drinnan who
was a registered hypnotherapist. I read up
on his career and looked into the National
Hypnotherapy Society. I also read the ‘bible’
of stage magic – The Encyclopedia of Stage
Hypnosis by Ormond McGill. A bit dated
now, but it breaks the process down for the
layman and is a great read. Malcolm took me
through the complete course and did a great
job. I loved every minute of it...

“You mostly have no idea what you’ll be doing What are the personal traits you
need to succeed in hypnotism?
from day-to-day. One day you could be fighting I believe that you need to be a genuine
with the lead actor, the next – maybe crashing a person who can put people in a relaxed state
of mind before you even start the process of
car or taking a bullet!” induction. Also, you need to believe in your
own ability because if you don’t then the
process is never going to work. It’s not like a
card trick which is performed the same each
time – you are dealing with different people
with different personalities and intentions,
AND pre-conceptions of what they think
hypnosis actually is.

Didn’t you once work with Paul

McKenna?
Yes, it was years earlier when I didn’t know
much about hypnosis – and I was convinced
stooges were used until I got free tickets to
the show and my girlfriend at the time went
up on stage and was the star of the show.
That night I questioned her about how she
felt and what she remembered of the
experience. I decided there and then that I
wanted to learn it!

After about six months of this, I thought ‘I insulting people. I told all my mates and work Which performers are your
really need to put on a show and really test colleagues, and in less than two weeks we favourites?
myself in front of an audience with multiple sold out, and the small studio was packed with There are lots of great performers out there,
volunteers.’ 250 people. It went down a storm and I with lots of different styles. Derren Brown
learned so much. Three months later I did has given mentalism a new twist and really
So, I contacted a mate who was running Ealing another show, and it was another sell-out. brought it to life, and another person I think
Studios, and he gave me the use of one of the is great is Paul Zenon – he’s so unorthodox
old sound recording studios. I put together a I tried to make my show entertaining AND and casual!
show featuring a first half of mentalism, educational – I didn’t want to perform a
followed by the second half of hypnosis -with hypnosis show that was crude and had So how did you get into being a stunt
routines which I felt were funny without sexual content... man?

22 MSM Issue 54
 MATT STERLING
I began training in 1994, and qualified in
1999, and I’ve been professional ever since.
At the time I was training, I was on tour with
different shows, so it was hard work. You
have to train in 6 skills, which fall into certain
categories: Skill & agility, Water, Horses,
Fighting, Cars & Bikes, and finally a ‘Falling’
category. All the skills you require have to be
at a high level (County level or higher, or
teaching level). I specialised in Skydiving,
Scuba Diving, Judo, Fencing, Gymnastics,
Trampolining and Swimming – alongside
some Water Skiing and Horse Riding.
But being qualified doesn’t mean you get
work...

That’s right. You have to try and get your

name around until someone gives you the
opportunity to perform. I was very lucky
because my first big job was on Blade2. You
mostly have no idea what you’ll be doing
from day-to-day. One day you could be
fighting with the lead actor, the next –
maybe crashing a car or taking a bullet!

We’ve researched that you’ve now

been in more than 40 movies?
Yes, that sounds about right! I was in all 5
Harry Potters (doubling Grey Back Hagrid,
and playing one of the Death Eaters). I was
also in The Bourne Ultimatum, Batman
Begins, Kick Ass2, The Da Vinci Code,
Pirates of the Caribbean, and most recently,
in Fast & Furious 6 – getting the hell
smashed out of me by The Rock (Dwayne
Johnson).

...And you are a regular on ‘Game of

Thrones’, we hear! This is a MASSIVE The pay can be great, but when you’re not And finally, how are your family with
show - what’s it all about? working, it’s not great! You have to save for a you putting your life on the line for
Well you’re asking the wrong man here! I’ve rainy day – but I keep myself busy with the the sake of entertainment?
worked on several episodes but still haven’t close-up magic though. It’s funny that I My family are fine with it. However, my mum
seen any of them or read the books. might be doing a late close-up gig, and they wasn’t too keen when I was learning to
According to my friends who watch it, it’s think, ‘oh, he’s just the magician’ when skydive!!! But that’s what mums do I
brilliant. However, one of my mates can’t earlier that day I could have been throwing suppose. Yeah, they’re cool with it all, and
watch it any more as I ruined it for him when myself off a bridge... it’s funny when you get on a show that they
I popped up in one of the episodes! watch. I did ‘Sherlock’ & ‘Life on Mars’ – and
Is there a ‘Stuntman Directory’ or my mum loves both of those. She was very
What parts do you tend to get? anything? proud of me being killed in both of them...
The thug, the killer, assassin, murderer, or In the UK we have the British Stunt Register,
‘heavy’ parts. I don’t know why? and you have to be registered with them in *Matthew Stirling’s Mind Magic show is
order to perform stunts on TV & film – or in the prestigious CUTTY SARK STUDIO
And does the pay compensate you any other media. But it’s not a big register – THEATRE, LONDON – in the ship’s
for being smashed to a pulp by The there are still less than 400 performers on it cargo hold on Saturday, February 20th
Rock? in the UK. 2014. Visit: rmg.co.uk/studiotheatre

MSM Issue 54 23
 e glanced down at the hand Turning up the collar of his jacket, he flung the Nobody came over to greet Eustace, in fact,

H scribbled map again which he was

precariously holding against the
centre of the steering wheel and tried to
car door open, narrowly missing a startled 4
year old girl and her grandmother who
happened to be passing at that moment, and
nobody paid him any attention at all, so he
tentatively started to enter the body of the
room hoping that someone might realise that
make out the name of the road which had leapt out, straight into a huge puddle. Ignoring the white rabbits all over his tie meant he
been etched there presumably by a spider as the feeling of cold water seeping through his was the magician. Narrowly avoiding injury
it had crawled across the map since no socks Eustace squelched noisily up the path when two fighting boys nearly rolled into
human could possibly think that it was and in through the portal of light which was him, he reached the centre of the room and
sensible to write such an important road beckoning him invitingly. Once inside, he tried realised that he would need to approach
name so incredibly small. What did it say? to brush off the large blobs of rainwater which someone himself. Spotting an old lady
festooned his jacket and which had left dark cowering at one side with a cup of tea held
Beggar Road? Butter Road? B*gg*r it road? stains on his trousers, but eventually gave up in her trembling hand, Eustace skirted round
He knew that it was next to the church so the unequal struggle and instead marched the mother who was trying to scrape her
giving up on the map he peered out through towards the double swing doors ahead of him. daughter off her leg so that she could
the rain soaked windscreen and tried to spot abandon the child and escape the building,
a large building with a spire or a tower on Pushing them open he was immediately met and approached the lady to see if he could
top. Ah, there was something on the right. by a blast of noise, colour and confusion. find out where he should set up.
Lights on, doors open, small children being Little children were running round and round
hurried in to try and escape the rain - must on the wooden varnished floor creating a “Hello, I’m the magician.”
be it. Ignoring the loud honk and unpleasant deafening sound over which clusters of “Sorry? What did you say.”
digital gesture from the ‘seasonally adults were trying to carry on conversations. “I said, I’m the magician.”
challenged’ bus driver who he cut across to At the far end of the hall he spotted a “Oh, that’s nice, are we having one?”
get to the required building, Eustace pulled traditional stage area off which a group of 5 “Yes, and it’s me.”
up on the double yellow lines outside the or 6 boys were jumping, and to one side a “Oh, and who are you?”
hall. He really did wish he’d brought his number of wobbly tressle tables were being “I’m the magician.”
raincoat, but it had been sunny when he’d erected presumably for the tea, the food for “Well done, dear. Would you like a cup of
left home, so how was he to know that it which was piled up in the serving hatch of tea?”
might rain on a December afternoon? the little kitchen area in the corner. “No, thank you, not really, I need to set up

24 MSM Issue 54
my show because I have to start in less than For the next 45 minutes he romped
10 minutes.” through all his favourite material, working
“Oh, well you’d better get set up then. What
instrument do you play?”
“No, I’m not a musician, a magician....oh,
sometimes to 15 children, sometimes to
6, sometimes to 3, just depending on
who felt like staying and who would
NEWS
never mind.” rather get up and go over to see what
was being put out on the table for tea.
The lady went back to dunking her Rich Tea Eventually, the ordeal was over and
biscuit in her tea and Eustace decided to ignoring the sweat he could feel running
take matters into his own hands. Retreating down his back under his shirt, Eustace
back out into the rain (pity the wind had got packed his stuff away. Now to find
up now), he opened the boot of the car and someone to pay him.
started to unload his 5 boxes and cases.
Three trips was all it took to drag the whole Wading through the sea of squabbling
lot into the hall and he decided to install children who were now fighting over
himself in front of the stage. As soon as he who should sit on the chair nearest the
started to unpack he became surrounded by pile of chocolate fingers, Eustace saw a
interested children. woman who was busily dispensing both
advice and plates to a series of willing
“What’s in that box?” helpers. Ah, thought Eustace, she looks WE ALL LOVE LUIS!
“Can I help?” like she’s in charge. With renewed Congratulations to international
“Bet you’re not a real magician.” confidence, Eustace walked up to her. illusionist Luis de Matos who has
“I always have Uncle Tricky for my parties.” been honoured with the 2013 David
“Did you do Sally’s party the other day?” “Hello, I was wondering if you knew who Devant award by The Magic Circle. In
“I’ve seen you before. You were rubbish.” I should see to get my money?” 1999 Luis was nominated ‘Magician
“I can’t find my Mummy!” “Money for what, dear?” of the Year’ by the Academy of
“Will you do up my shoelace?” “Well, for the magic show I’ve just done.” Magical Arts in Hollywood. In 2010
“What does this wand do?” “Oh, is that what you were doing? Why he was again honoured when fellow
“I feel sick.” did you do that?” magicians around the world voted
“What do you mean, why did I do it? him ‘Illusionist of the Decade’.
After several minutes of trying to fight off Because you booked me to!”
inquisitive eyes and prying fingers, Eustace “No, dear, sorry, we didn’t book any Luis is a household name in Portugal where
managed, mainly by shouting at the children magician. We just have Santa later on. he’s hosted and produced over 150 highly
and giving them a whole succession of filthy That’s as much as we can afford.” successful and award winning television
looks, to create a cordon around his work shows. Last year, UK audiences saw Luis in
area in which he could finally complete his Eustace couldn’t believe what he was action on ‘The Magicians’ the hit BBC One
get ready. He noticed that some of the cards hearing. show which put magic back on Saturday night
from his Who’s Who At The Zoo had television for the first time in over 20 years.
somehow got wet when he’d brought the “This is St. Martin’s Church Hall, isn’t it?”
boxes in, but hopefully the way the cards “No, that’s down the other end of the Renowned for the grandest of illusions, Luis
were starting to fray and split at the corners road, this is St. Swithuns.” de Matos is the man who made an elephant
would not be noticed too much. disappear in under five seconds, and a
As Eustace dragged his boxes back out to Ferrari melt away whilst surrounded by
Apart from a number of adults who were the car he was cheered by the fact that at members of the audience. He made a six ton
staring at him from a distance, no one still least the rain had stopped, although it Renault truck appear in front of an invited
seemed interested in coming to speak to hardly made up for the fact that he had a audience of executives (in the company’s
him, so looking at his watch and noting that yellow clamp round his driver’s side own building!) and when Disney launched
it was a few minutes past his start time, he wheel and a fixed penalty notice stuck the Disney Channel in Portugal it was Luis
decided to wade in and get going. After 3 or ostentatiously to his window. Oh, the joy who magically produced Mickey Mouse in a
4 minutes of shouting and wild arm waving of Christmas shows. spectacular illusion so he could switch on
he eventually managed to assemble a motley the TV channel for the very first time! More
selection of about 15 of the 55 children importantly than any of the above
present who sat in a wide straight line in achievements, Luis has also featured on the
front of him. The rest of the children seemed cover of Magicseen. And we are pleased to
content to continue their deafening wooden report that he is a lovely guy!
floor stomping.

MSM Issue 54 25
 together at the legendary Egyptian Hall in

CLUB LAND Piccadilly.

After many years of temporary homes, The

Magic Circle finally purchased the freehold
Mark Leveridge on a property just one minute from Euston
Station known officially as ‘The Centre for
the Magic Arts’, and it’s frequently referred
to as ‘The House of 10,000 secrets’.
The UK is famous for its large network of magic clubs, most towns and
cities boasting at least one and sometimes two organisations. In many
ways magic clubs have been the lifeblood and heartbeat of the national A stunning helical staircase runs all the way
magic scene for many decades, and so we thought it would be good to to the top of the building, which has become
showcase some of the clubs in one of the most sought-after venues for
order to illustrate how important corporate events, winning a number of
they are to magic in the UK. If you awards. A series of murals depict the history
would like YOUR magic club to be of magic as you climb the stairs, which leads
featured in a future issue, contact to a series of different rooms.
editor Mark Leveridge
([email protected]) On the ground floor is The Clubroom and it
to say that your club would be is here that members relax and share tips
willing to take part, and we will be
and tricks. The walls are filled with honours,
happy to consider your society for
posters of classic magicians, portraits of past
a future feature.
Presidents and interactive illusions.

The basement holds the Library which

houses 12,000 books covering every aspect
THE MAGIC CIRCLE of the history and practice of magic. David
Devant’s collection of magic books formed
the nucleus of the library when the Society
Fact File: was formed and it has developed since to
Founded: 1905 include psychological and sociological
Meeting Place: studies of the magician’s craft and books on
The Magic Circle, allied arts (including juggling, puppetry and
12 Stephenson Way, Current President - Jack Devlin ventriloquism).
London NW1 2HD
Website: www.themagiccircle.co.uk
Current secretary: Steve Price MIMC History
[email protected] A meeting of 23 magicians at Pinoli’s
Meeting Nights: Every Monday restaurant in London on July 1st, 1905 saw
Start time: The Headquarters open at 3pm the foundation of a society that would allow
Joining fee: £100 the magical fraternity to meet and discuss
Annual subs: start from £50 their secrets in private. Their aim was also to
Current President: Jack Delvin ensure the protection of those secrets and to
No of Members: around 1500 promote and advance their art.
Racing legend - Nigel Mansell.
Junior Section: The Young Magicians
Club is open to everyone from 10 - 18. More Initial meetings were held at the Green Man
information is available from our website. pub, before moving to rooms above the And Another Thing...
Main interest of members: We famous St. George’s Hall in Langham Place. Highlights from The Magic Circle calendar
encourage all magicians from every area of The Society’s first president was David include The Magic Circle Close-up
our art-form to apply for membership. Devant. Described on his death as ‘the Competition, The Young Magician of the
Prominent members past and greatest magician of all times’, Devant Year, The Magic Circle Christmas Show, The
present: HRH Prince of Wales, Paul produced and starred in magic and illusion Magic Circle Dealers’ Day and The Magic
Daniels, Debbie McGee, David Copperfield, shows at St George’s Hall along with his Circle Stage Magician of the Year. There are
Hans Klok, Nigel Mansell, Dynamo, Lance business partner and inventor John Nevil also many lectures featuring all of the top
Burton. Maskelyne. The pair had previously worked names in magic from around the globe.

28 MSM Issue 54
 DAVID GENIUS
WILLIAMSON
ver the past thirty years or so,

O David Williamson has

achieved pretty much
everything a person can in the magic
world. He’s been awarded virtually
every magic honour available,
performed for royalty, appeared on
magic TV shows and specials, plus,
he’s also worked as a consultant for
stars such as David Copperfield and
David Blaine. His own performances
are hilarious and unique, and he is
held in the very highest regard by his
fellow magicians. Wayne Dobson calls
him a true genius and a genuinely
good guy. And who are we to argue?
Graham Hey puts David Williamson
under the Magicseen microscope...

David grew up in a rural area of Southern One of David’s earliest memories of magic “My eyes were opened to the wider world of
Ohio, and his father was a farmer who was when he was fooled badly by a magician magic and the crazy, wonderful people who
eventually ended up working in a factory, who visited his school when he was in the inhabit that world. We would sit around
while mother worked for the local university. fourth grade. “The magician was Sheppherd picnic tables in the evening with everyone
His two brothers, one older and one the Great!” continues David. “Walter performing magic by lantern light. I’d never
younger, both ended up working in L.A. Sheppherd was wonderful, he fooled me been around such a diverse group of
doing editing and special effects for movies badly with the colour changing plumes. I people. Here were judges and post-men and
and television. So where did David’s love of didn’t even know what plumes were, but teachers and business men, people from all
magic come from? “I got a magic set for they changed colour!” He pauses, then walks of life coming together in an Amish
christmas at age 8. My youngest brother, adds, “I still don’t know what they are.” Dairy field to share their beloved hobby!
Gary took to magic faster than I did. But he
took to everything quicker than me. It wasn’t long before David attended his first “We pitched our tent in a low spot and it was
Juggling, sports, playing music… he was a magic convention. “My mother found out flooded after an afternoon shower. All of our
natural,” says David. “I made him stop doing about the annual Abbott’s Magic Get- clothes, supplies and most importantly,
magic because it was the one thing that I Together in Colon, Michigan from a magazine magic purchases - mostly books - were
was good at!” he laughs. “That and art. I had article and drove me there in the summer of ruined. A fellow camper, I don’t know who
a talent for drawing and painting, in fact at 1974 and dropped me there with another kid this was but I remember that he was a
one point I thought I might be an artist. I from my area with a pup tent. We camped mentalist, backed his car into the flooded
wanted to make animated cartoons. I out in the dairy field and attended the field and helped us salvage our belongings.
majored in Art in college. That quickly went convention. It was the most wonderful Then he did something that I’ll never forget -
out the window when my passion for magic weekend of my life. I saw Karrell Fox, Monk he replaced all of our ruined books with new
and performing grew and grew over those Watson, Duke Stern, Tom Mullica, Gene copies from the dealers. That act cemented
early years. I was lucky that I had a Anderson and Jose De La Torre to name a my fondness for the art of magic which I
supportive mother and she made it a point to few. I remember seeing Nile Foster perform realised early on wasn’t about the tricks, or
feed our interests.” the Zombie… it was real magic to me. the secrets or the props… it was about the

30 MSM Issue 54
 DAVID WILLIAMSON

“That act cemented

my fondness for
the art of magic
which I realised
early on wasn’t
about the tricks, or
the secrets or the
props… it was
about the people
who breathe life
into the art and
carry it forward and
gift it to those next
in line. The art
became sacred to
me that weekend.”

MSM Issue 54 31
 DAVID WILLIAMSON

32 MSM Issue 54
 DAVID WILLIAMSON
people who breathe life into the art and carry
it forward and gift it to those next in line. The
art became sacred to me that weekend.

“When I got home my brain was on fire and I

knew that I wanted to grow up to be a
professional magician. I had no idea how to
get there, but there was no question in my
mind that it was my destiny. With the help
and encouragement of some of the people I
met that weekend and the many more I met
subsequently I was a able to cobble together
a career!”

At about the same time, David found out

there was a local IBM Ring in a nearby town,
and tells me how a kind couple saw him in a
candy store trying to hustle the counter girls
with 3 card monte and were appalled!
“That’s not what magic is for!” they
explained! Continues David, “Dave & Marcia
Richley were a couple of amateur magicians “When I got home my brain was on fire
with a little mail order magic business. They
took me to the ring meetings and groomed
and I knew that I wanted to grow up to be
me to be their demonstrator at local a professional magician. I had no idea how
conventions. At Ring 5 meetings in Dayton
my education continued. Lecturers came to get there, but there was no question in
through often. I met John Carney when he
was 18 years old, I was 15 then. He blew me
my mind that it was my destiny.”
away with his natural skill and casual
manner. Here was a serious student of the
art. I had never seen sleight of hand So who makes you laugh, I ask? “There are magic convention bookings from that. That
performed so convincingly. He became my so many!” he considers. “Sitting with Mike helped me get out and meet more people.”
magical idol, and to this day he is, for me, an Caveney or John Carney or Mac King at a I ask David if there is one performance that
example of how to be a magician, on stage dinner table always ends in fits of laughter. sticks out in his memory? “Hmmm, not
and off. I consider him to be my magical big My favourite comedians were George sure...” he contemplates, “but one might be
brother and we have been friends ever Carlin, Richard Pryor and Steve Martin. But I the first OperaCadabra benefit I organised
since.” grew up on a steady diet of the Three ten years ago to raise money for some local
Stooges the Marx Brothers and then Monty charities. I invited John Carney and Mac
When did you first realise that you had a Python came to our shores.” King to do a stage show with me in
talent for comedy? “My brothers and I were Cedarville, Ohio. It was in an old Vaudeville
always doing schtick to make my mother It’s all very well having the talent, but often House that was being restored and little
laugh. I’d have to say that that was my first there is a pivotal moment when you seem to used. None of us made any money but they
training ground. My mother’s family all had move to the next level in your career. I ask came anyway and we did a crazy, wild show
great booming, screaming laughs. They David if he recalls a particular moment for with lots of gags and a big over-the-top
laughed hard and loud. So we did anything himself? “Not sure, there have been several finale. My brothers were backstage, my kids
we could do to get that going from Mom events that helped me move on to the next and nephews were on spotlights and most of
and her sisters at family gatherings. We were phase of my career. Possibly winning the the audience were Williamsons - my Dad
pretty inventive with silly routines that we 1981 IBM Close Up contest. Michael Ammar had 13 brothers and sisters so imagine how
still call back to this day to get a reaction talked me into entering. After that I did a many extended family are about! We raised
from them. I’m sure it’s the same for most performance in Ken Klosterman’s Suite at some money and had a wonderful weekend.
families. But we really pushed it, we were the convention hotel. Bill and Irene Larson It’s since become an almost-annual event
competing for attention and got good at it. were there and invited me to work at the and we’ve had Mike Caveny. Bill Herz. Tina
Until we’d go too far and it would end up in Castle and Joe Stevens invited me to work Lennert, David Kaplan, John Ekin, Rob
a fight or with hurt feelings!” his Dessert Seminar in Las Vegas. I got a few Torres, Glenn Singer, Tim Wright and

MSM Issue 54 33
 DAVID WILLIAMSON
is where the best stuff comes from. Luis
knows me well enough that he can expertly
prime the pump!”

So what’s it like working with Luis? Is he is

monster? (laughs)”Luis is an amazing person
in so many ways. He’s driven but he wants
to take you along for the ride. He’s a
perfectionist but it’s not a handicap, for him
it’s how he operates. I’m in total awe
watching him and his incredibly dedicated
team tirelessly push ambitious project after
ambitious project out the door.

“Whether it’s a large scale touring show, an

international television series, organising a
FISM convention, producing annual street
magic festivals, building his own studio,
creating political events, producing a world-
wide online conference… many of these
Charlie Frye & Company. The community I know you are about to launch a new project being planned and executed simultaneously.
here always looks forward to the show.” with Luis de Matos, what can you tell us “My head reels. So for him to dedicate a
about that? “I haven’t wanted to put out week to get this DVD project up to his high
So where are most of your gigs these days? another instructional video. But Luis standards was no small thing. I knew that he
“Well, for the last 25 years or so it’s been convinced me that there was a deeper story would spend as much time and energy to
mainly corporate shows, thanks to Bill Herz to tell and he was the right man to help me get it right.
who kept me very busy all those years. tell it. We spent a week at his studio going
During that last economic downturn the deep into the magic I’ve been performing “After the FISM that Luis ran in Lisbon he
corporate work really dropped off. I tried a and enjoying all my life. With the help of invited me back to Portugal to film some
couple of cruise ships, (which I had been David Britland we took the necessary time to funny insert bits that would appear in his TV
previously avoiding) and found that I was a document and explain and explore material series airing at the time. We jumped in a car
pretty good fit, especially on the Disney that I hadn’t considered sharing before. with a camera crew and literally drove all
Cruise Line. For that past 3 years or so it’s over Portugal filming in every part of the
been mainly Disney Cruises and I’m loving “Luis and David are what I like to call country. We’d begin at 7am and drive for a
it. Jan 2014 I’m going to be joining the cast ‘organised thinkers’ which is something that few hours, film all day in a location, find a
of The Illusionists Live touring Australia and I’m not. It was an intense week for me hotel where he made an impromptu editing
Europe. I’m really looking forward to that.” because they methodically dug deep into my suite on the dresser and we’d watch the
psyche and memories to tease out thoughts footage and clock time code for hours. After
The Illusionists tours seem to have captured and notions that I would never have been a few hours sleep we’d get up at 6 and do it
the imagination of audiences around the able to articulate without their help. all over again every day for a week!
world which can only be good for magic, but
what are your personal views on the current “I was emotionally drained by the end of the “I was exhausted! But this is how this man
state of the industry? “I got into it in the late process but I’m glad we did it. I hope that lives. That’s when I knew I was dealing with
60s and early 70s. For a long while the art people who already have some of my a maniac! And this is him off stage. On stage
seemed to be dominated by old men....” he material take a look at this new project I find him just as amazing. He has gone
stops to take a drink. “...I often felt that I was because we go deeper into some of my through so much material in his career that
the youngest one in the room. Now there “standard” tricks that people know of mine he has an incredible eye for what works for
seems to be an explosion of interest from all and we also have lots of never before seen him. He has the charm of a movie star and
demographics. The internet has changed the material and ideas. the comic timing of a stand up comedian. A
way we share. There’s arguably good and true showman and I respect him for that as
bad in that, but I think any time people come “Luis interviewed me at length and allowed well. He and Vanessa have become very
to magic with a positive attitude and me to go off into tangents of unexplored close family friends. There is much love
enthusiasm, it’s good for the art... I just saw territory that only this long-form format there...”
Derek and Helder’s show in New York. I’m would allow. I know that when I lecture live
optimistic about the future of magic.” and go off into temporal tangents, often that

34 MSM Issue 54
 DAVID WILLIAMSON

QUICKIES:
Biggest influence?
Four names: John Carney, Tom Mullica,
Albert Goshman and Del Ray… and
everyone else I’ve met in magic.

Biggest mistake?
Agreeing to answer these questions.

Which magic creators do you most

admire, and why?
Why are your questions so hard to answer?
Too many to name! Juan Tamariz has
exploded the notion of what card magic is all
about. His methods are devious and
opaque. Tommy Wonder always kept the
story foremost, but would go to any length
to tell it. Gaetan Bloom has a wonderfully
evil, creative mind. In any other life these
guys would be planning bank heists.

What are the things you REALLY

need to know about doing stand up? parents and the people who cared about me Blackpool convention, he and I travelled
People want to like you. Give them a chance to figure out how to make a living doing around Ireland visiting magicians and
to know you. Also, you have to be a brutal magic. He was right and those words musicians that we know there. It was a
editor, if something isn’t working, fix it or motivated me to get more serious about the fantastic week of great music and magic.
take it out. Listen to the audience. “business” side.
The last time you cried laughing?
What do you feel, 30 seconds before Also I remember Paul Gertner reminding me Probably at one of many lunches with
going on stage? that when you start believing what they write Carney or Caveney.
I really do have a little visualisation ritual that about you, good or bad, you’re in trouble.
I go through. I think “This is the reason I’m But I’ll never forget screaming with laughter
here… give these people something Your hero is? at a German magic convention in the 80’s
unexpected” and also “I’ll avoid the shrimp Passed- Del Ray. Living- John Carney while watching Tom Mullica dealing with a
tonight, it gave me the cramps last week.” Zither player who didn’t speak English and
The last book you read? wouldn’t stop playing during Tom’s act. I
Favourite effects you’ve performed Magic Book- Mike Caveney’s Wonders. It’s couldn’t breathe! It was pandemonium and
in your career? the culmination of his life in magic. It’s the audience was roaring.
I always loved the cups and balls. To me it’s probably the best magic book I’ve ever read.
the essential sleight of hand routine. There is Even if you don’t do any of the magic it’s Tell us 3 things about yourself that
plenty of room for each performer to pour in inspiring. He’s been another life long friend people won’t know…
their own personality. I’m doing a twist on and he and Tina have been a big part of my 1. When I walk my 3 dogs, my cat joins us.
the McComical Deck on the ships these life. I could write another essay about my 2. As a teen I was a competitive archer.
days and I’m having tons of fun with it. love for them. 3. Rudy Coby and I almost killed Billy
McComb on a cruise ship 25 years ago by
What do you think are your great Non Magic - lots of time to read on the ships slipping a Hustler magazine under his
attributes? And your weaknesses? so I just finished the Game Of Thrones cabin door. He didn’t come to breakfast
My fingernails grow at a tremendous rate, series. Loved it. the next day and at lunch he said “I think
but I can only smile with half of my mouth. someone is trying to kill me!”
Favourite memory from the last 12
Best advice you’ve ever been given? months? What’s under your bed?
Darwin Ortiz took me aside at an early My son Ben is a wonderful musician, he Meir Yedid’s finger
convention and told me that I owed it to my plays traditional Irish music. Before the last

MSM Issue 54 35
 PROS AND CONS
IT'S ALL A MATTER OF OPINION
Mark Leveridge

“Displaying children's show props -

a valuable idea or a waste of time?”
Here are 10 reasons for and you do it! Showing you have the are included in the show. No real need
against the idea. Have an opinion financial clout to purchase several tables for lists or memory work.
yourself not expressed below? full of apparatus will be worth nothing if 7 Having to put out all the show props in
Feel free to share with us by you still don't provide a great show advance of the performance means you
emailing using them. It's the performer not the have to arrive that much earlier at the
[email protected] props that count. venue, and so if you get delayed en
3 With the props all out on the tables, it route, it adds an extra level of stress.
3 Children's props are often attractive and makes it easy to find the bits and pieces 3 By putting out the props pre-show, it
colourful and making a display of these that you need to perform each trick. No helps to give a mental check of whether
builds the excitement of the children for fumbling around and ducking down all the required props are there before
the magic that is going to be part of the behind some wall of a roll on table. It the show begins, rather than going into
show. means you can maintain your presence a box or case for a prop during the show
7 If props are displayed and then for some in front of the audience at all times. only to discover you had forgotten to
reason they are not used in the show, 7 If the table surfaces are covered in pack it.
the kids may ask awkward questions apparatus, it may make it difficult to use 7 If you get children up to help during the
about why they haven't seen the magic the table to 'work' on. Even picking up show, there's a danger that a clumsy or
with the 'cut out dog'. and putting down objects might prove over-excited child may knock into one
3 A big display of props shows the booker awkward or a bit fiddly, especially early of the tables and spill the props onto the
that they are getting value for money as on in the show when the tables are floor causing at the least some delay
the performer has clearly brought along covered to their fullest extent. while you pick things up, and at worst
lots of equipment for the show. 3 If the props are out in view it makes it so damage to those valuable pieces of
7 It's not what you do, but the way that much easier to remember which tricks apparatus.

38 MSM Issue 54
 Pictured: Shaun McCree in full flow.

AVOIDING THE REPEAT

PERFORMANCE
How to remember which tables and groups you've done
Mark Leveridge

ost strolling magicians are For a small event this might not be a problem be puzzled by why this should be an issue.

M faced with the same little

dilemma every time they
perform at an event. They have been
and if the length of the show is
commensurate with the number of people
present (in other words, if the time allocated
After all, if you've been to a table you'll
immediately recognise the fact that you have
already worked that table and those people
booked to entertain a certain number will enable you to physically cover the total earlier, won't you? Well, yes, often that is the
of people, either seated at tables number of attendees), experience will soon case, but if you are entertaining at a big,
during a meal or in a mix and mingle tell you how long you can spend with any bustling event, and you have a lot of tables
situation during a more informal group or table. But the challenge faced by all to cover, you'd be surprised how sometimes
function, and their job is to make close uppers is how to remember which you will look at a particular table and for the
sure as many people as possible get tables have already been entertained or, in a life of you, you just can't remember whether
to see some magic. The challenge is more informal situation, which people you you've worked for them or not!
to try to make sure that as an have already seen.
entertainer you manage to do just After years of grappling with this issue, I
that - perform for most, if not all, of The Big Issue thought it might be useful for me to pass on
the guests. If you've never worked a big event, you may some tips and hints about how I and other

40 MSM Issue 54
 AVOIDING THE REPEAT PERFORMANCE

regular workers have sought to get round the other performers' toes by working one of
these difficulties. their tables in error.

Working Lunch Another way to mark off the tables was

First let's deal with a sit down meal scenario. suggested to me by the late Bob Ostin. He
On the face of it this should be relatively had worked out a simple ruse with a file card
straightforward. Most if not all events of any that eliminated the need to get a pen out Fig 1
size will number or label their tables, so in each time to mark off the completed table.
theory this should be an easy call. If the He took a piece of file card and made a
tables are numbered, you could simply start series of small cuts all around the edge of
at table number 1 and work your way the card. Fig.1. Then he would write each of
through them chronologically. That would his table numbers in a section between the
certainly make life fairly easy. cuts. Fig.2. Once he had completed a table,
he just tore off the little file card section that Fig 2
However, there are reasons why you may contained the number and dropped it on the
not want or be able to work the tables in floor. Fig.3. Gradually the table numbers
numerical order. For instance, if you are would be removed from the card and any
entertaining during the courses of a meal, that were left would be ones still to be
you may finish one table and the next worked.
numerical table could be just receiving their
food, in which case you can't go and 'I Am Not Just A Number'
entertain them at that point. This means you Unfortunately the above systems will not Fig 3
need to move to an area of the room where always work. Some events don't number the
the diners are not actually eating, and that tables, they give them names. If this is the “Another way to mark
immediately scuppers your numbered case, you will need to go round prior to the
sequence. show and write the names of every table on
off the tables was
your file card and be careful to note which suggested to me by the
Timing of your approach to tables during a
meal is hugely dependent on the speed with
table you are approaching each time in order
to spot whether you have worked it or not
late Bob Ostin. He had
which tables are serviced by the waiting staff, (assuming that you don't recognise the worked out a simple
the order in which they serve and clear people or the table's position in the room). ruse with a file card that
round the room, and how quickly individuals This is a bit more fiddly but the file card
at the tables finish each course. These factors system still will do a job.
eliminated the need to
are far more important than the numerical get a pen out each time
order of the tables, so working them in But.....at some functions, once everyone is to mark off the
numbered order is not going to work. sitting down, the table numbers are taken
away! They are usually mounted on tallish completed table.”
So, if the tables are numbered and you need stands and these can be a nuisance to the
to take them in a potentially almost random people sitting round the table as it can block
order, the best way to make sure that you the view of the person sitting opposite, and When I have finished at a table I peel off one
cover them all is to take along a small piece so either someone on the table will remove it of these stickers and I stick it to the back of a
of file card and to write down on it all the and put it on the floor or lie it down flat on lady's chair. I try to choose a lady's chair
table numbers you need to cover during the the table, or the staff will take the numbers rather than a man's because if men are
evening. Then as you finish each table, you away. wearing jackets, they often take them off
simply cross off the table number on your once they sit down and hang them on the
card and this gives you an up to the minute If this happens any system that you have back of their chair. This either means that the
check on which tables you've done, and devised which relies on the table numbers chair back is already not available for use, or
which are still to do. This simple system is will be a bit redundant. So here are two other if it is, it may be that after I have attached the
particularly helpful when working a big ways to try and get round this problem. One sticker, the jacket will be removed and then
event with other magicians where the tables of my favourite ruses uses small white self placed over the sticker thus hiding it.
have been divided up amongst the adhesive stickers. I carry these with me for I try to attach the stickers to chairs that are
performers. It ensures that you stick to use in marking cards or coins with spectators' basically all facing the same way in the room.
working the tables allocated just to you and initials during tricks, and so I carry sheets of This means that I can stand in one place and
that you don't accidentally tread on any of these with me at all times. survey the tables and see the stickers all

MSM Issue 54 41
 AVOIDING THE REPEAT PERFORMANCE
Photo: www.123photography.co.uk

around you. The more au fait you are with

your material, and the more relaxed you feel
when performing, the more likely you are to
be able to concentrate on remembering the
people in front of you.

There is no particular short cut to this,

although there are memory books which can
no doubt give you some pointers about how
to remember faces and names, but it is a skill
that you would do well to foster in yourself
through consciously working on this aspect
of what you do. It is an important part of
putting on a professional performance as it
will enable you to smoothly work a mobile
group of guests without repeating a
Pictured: Mark Waddington in action. performance to those who have already
seen you, and will give you the best chance
facing me, rather than me having to walk group of 4 people in a completely different of covering just about everyone in a group of
right up to tables and perhaps walk all round part of the venue, it could be that 2 of the guests.
them looking for the sticker! people in this new group were actually
originally part of your earlier 6 people group. Incidentally, you may wonder why good face
Another approach is used by my good friend So if you don't realise and you start recognition is not the answer for working
Stuart Bowie. He takes a file card and stands performing some of the same magic, these 2 tables. After all, if you get good at it you
in a particular position in the room and guests will have already seen the magic, would only need to remember one or two
draws circles on the card to show the which is not good on a number of levels. faces from a table to know whether you have
position of the tables as seen from that performed at that table or not. Well, I do use
vantage point. He then crosses through the Firstly they will be wise to what is going to this a lot at tables too, but the only slight
circles as he completes the tables. By happen (never a happy situation!), secondly caveat about this is that often you will have
standing back in the original position and they may be disappointed to see the same worked the drinks reception prior to
surveying the room from there he is then stuff again, and thirdly, while you're 'wasting' entertaining at the tables, and so while you
able to work out which tables he hasn't time performing for them for a second time, probably won't have seen all the guests in
approached yet. you are NOT elsewhere working for people the pre-meal session, you will have
you have yet to approach. entertained plenty of them. This means that
Face Recognition when you approach a table, several faces
So, marking off tables in one way or another The only way to avoid this is to get really will seem familiar. The problem may be that
is relatively straightforward because the good at face recognition. Some people are you won't quite remember whether you
table itself remains in the same place memorable. For whatever reason, because recognise them because you have
throughout the meal, but when you are of the way they look, or behave, they will entertained at that table already, or whether
entertaining at mix and mingle events, you stick in your memory. But there are others, it is because you saw them in the drinks
have no such luxury. especially in a group of say 6 or more, who reception!
will possibly remain invisible to you - you
At reception style functions people are all simply won't clock them and so your The Devil Is In The Detail
standing in various sized groups. Those memory may not retain their face. Being a really good commercial close up
groups can change both in size, position in magician means you have to bring together a
the room and also in the people who make What you need to do is to get good at wide range of different skills - it's not just
up the group. For strolling magicians this can consciously taking in the faces of the people about the ability to perform magic close up
be a bit of a nightmare if you need to get you entertain. For inexperienced performers to people. Operating smoothly at a function
round a lot of people, as your audience is this may be more of an issue than for those relies on attention to small details, and I
mobile. who have worked this type of function for firmly believe that tactics such as those
years. If your brain needs to be thinking too discussed in this article help to make us all
The problem is that you may entertain a much about the mechanics of the tricks better at what we do. I hope you agree.
group of 6 people in one part of the room themselves, you are less likely to be looking
and then later on when you approach a up and taking in carefully the faces of those

42 MSM Issue 54
 C
Wizard Craft Magic

Th_ Trilogy
Th_ Book is out. Trilogy _n]omp[ss_s
t_n y_[rs of i^_[s, workshops, r_fin_-
m_nt, p_rform[n]_s [n^ l_]tur_s. Two
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WWW.WIZ@[email protected]
 SCOTT PEPPER
CARRY ON CRUISING!
F or the last 5 years, UK
illusionist Scott Pepper has
been forging a brilliant
reputation for himself on Disney
Cruise lines. Now performing on
their ships: Magic, Wonder, & Dream,
he is contracted up until 2015.
Magicseen grabbed a few minutes
with the only UK illusionist currently
working on the Disney ships...

Where have you been performing recently?

"I have been performing on the Disney
Magic which is sailing out of Barcelona," says
Scott. "The Magic comes over to Europe
once a year for 3 months. The majority of the
time the ships sail out of Port Canaveral,
Miami, Vancouver and Galveston. They
dock in mostly Caribbean or bohemian ports
including Grand Cayman, Nassau, Cozumel
and their own private island; Castaway Key." character and making their piece of paper a good mood, so it's a great environment to
What does your workload consist of? "Well, into a paper aeroplane before flying it live and work in. Plus, where else can you
whilst on board I perform my large scale towards the stage! say hi to Mickey Mouse every morning
magic and illusion show once a cruise in the before breakfast!!
'Walt Disney Theatre'. As well as the theatre I also try and involve the crew in the show
show I also perform a show exclusively for and recently on the Disney Wonder turned a "Disney are a very professional company and
the adults. This is a more intimate show in Ken doll into the captain of the ship! (see this translates into every area of the ship, so
the night club and involves more close up photo). when it comes to my performance I feel I'm in
magic, mentalism and comedy effects. I also the best hands with the most professional and
run a magic workshop for the families, "It’s been fun designing the shows for knowledgeable stage crew and technicians.
teaching them how to do some basic magic Disney as you can really have fun with the
tricks..." effects in the show. I use multiple illusion "Its been a huge accomplishment for me, as
builders for my effects. Recently I have had performing for the Disney company has
What makes working on board Disney cruise equipment built by; The TwinsFX, Guy been a goal of mine for a long long while.
ships different to other ships? "Choosing Barrett and at present I am in talks with Bill Ever since I was a child, my parents took me
illusions for the Disney ships is very Smith in Las Vegas for a brand new illusion. I to the theme parks and I knew one day I
important, but what’s more important is the also like to involve designers on the props as wanted to work for Disney. So when I
routines that surround them," he continues. well, because appearance is everything on started performing magic I made performing
"We are playing to all types of age groups at the Disney ships. One of my original illusions on the Disney Cruise line one of my top
once so each routine has to have something was designed by Mark Parker and my most priorities. For me this is all a dream come
for everyone. The show is a mixture of recent illusion was designed by David Starr true, going from being a 10 year old Disney
magic, comedy and illusions. We use a lot of in the USA." fan to creating new illusions for the most
audience participation, even involving the magical company in the world has been an
whole audience for one particular effect. What s the best part about performing for amazing experience..."
This routine ends up with the whole Disney? "There is always a fun atmosphere
audience writing down their favorite Disney on board the ships and everyone is always in www.scottpepper.com

46 MSM Issue 54
 SCOTT PEPPER

"It’s been fun

designing the
shows for Disney
as you can really
have fun with the
effects in the
show.”

MSM Issue 54 47
 MASTERCLASS
CHAIR METHOD:

SWINDLE The secret to this simple little

effect is extremely easy. You
Andy Nyman merely require two partition
envelopes that have both paper
(Extracted from Fight Dirty, Andy's predictions inside!
lecture notes, which are available
from www.alakazam.co.uk) To make these envelopes you
simply take one A4 envelope
and cut off the address side,
EFFECT: removing the back and flap and
A spectator is invited on to the discarding them. Fig.1. Trim
stage and asked to sit down. round the four sides of this
There are two chairs for him to envelope piece until it is the FIG 1
choose from, and you tell him right size to easily slip inside a
to sit in whichever chair he feels second complete envelope.
more drawn to. As he is about Fig.2. This then creates a
to sit in his chosen seat you ask compartment inside the
if he is sure that's where he envelope with two sections.
wants to sit. He changes his Repeat this process with a
mind (or not) and eventually second envelope.
reaches a decision. Once he is
sitting down you tell him to You now take two pieces of
reach under his chair and paper and write big and bold on
remove a large envelope that them "I made you choose this
you had previously stuck there. chair." With the address side of
You open the envelope and the envelopes facing away from
allow him to slide out a piece of you, insert one of these into the
paper that's inside, asking him front compartment of each
to read out what it says. envelope. FIG 2

"I made you choose this chair." Now take two more pieces of
As the applause dies down (?), paper and write "I made you compartment is wide open and
you point out that this would be choose the OTHER chair" on the rear compartment remains
an easy thing for you to them and insert one sheet into hidden. Get him to reach in and
engineer. The more astute each of the rear envelope withdraw the prediction paper.
spectators will realise that you compartments. That's it, the You can show the envelope is
could simply have had envelopes are ready. otherwise empty. Get him to
envelopes under both chairs Before your performance attach read out the prediction.
with paper inside saying "I made one of the envelopes to the
you choose this chair." At which underside of two chairs using Explain about how you could
point you reach under the gaffer tape or wide sellotape. have had two identical
second chair and bring out an predictions and then remove
envelope. However, when the When the spectator eventually the envelope from under the
spectator slides out the paper selects a chair, get him to reach second chair and bow open the
inside, it reads "I made you under it and pull out the rear compartment so that when
choose the OTHER chair." envelope and hand it to you. he removes the only visible
Open the flap and bow the piece of paper inside he will
envelope open so that the front read out the second prediction.

48 MSM Issue 54
   



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CARD with a fringed end. Take a card

MARK that matches the card stock of

the deck you will perform with
Ian Adair and apply some paste or glue to
the back. Then stick it to the rear
EFFECT: side of the bookmark, preferably
"You've all heard of a bookmark, " at a slight angle. Now trim off the
the performer remarks, "what I excess card. Fig.1 shows the
have here is what I call my finished book mark gimmick.
'Cardmark'. Instead of marking
pages in a book, it marks cards. To WORKING:
be correct, it marks the position of Let's assume that you intend
cards, as you will see." performing a prediction type
effect. Have your written
The performer displays a leather prediction revealing the name of
bookmark and a deck of cards. the chosen (forced) card inside a
The cards can be handled by a sealed envelope, and either
spectator who is asked to shuffle display it or hand it to a spectator
them. to look after.

"Cut the deck anywhere you A spectator is now handed the FIG 1
like," requests the performer. The deck of cards and asked to
bookmark is placed on top of the thoroughly shuffle it. He or she is
bottom pile, the remainder of the further asked to rest it, face
cards placed on top. "You see, down, on the palm of their left
you've marked the cards at the hand. The performer then asks
position you have freely chosen." the spectator to cut the deck
anywhere they wish.
When the cards are fanned, the
card next to the Cardmark is This is the point at which the
displayed to the onlookers. Yet, performer displays the bookmark
this card is always a forced one. (plain side towards the audience,
of course), remarking that he
COMMENTS: calls it his cardmark. The
FIG 2
So many different effects can be bookmark is placed on top of the
performed using this method bottom section of the cut deck,
which is based on an idea by and the upper section is placed
Lubor Fiedler. In fact, that same on top. The spectator is asked to open duplicate of the force card in the
marked card can mysteriously the sealed envelope, remove the deck itself, the selection will be
vanish from the deck only to be Retrieving the deck from the prediction slip, and read out discovered to have vanished
found later in the performer's spectator, the performer what it says. when the deck is searched
wallet or anywhere else he commences to fan the cards, through. A duplicate of the
wishes. backs towards the audience, and The same procedure can be selection can then be found in
in doing so lines up the card applied for the vanish of the any impossible location you
REQUIREMENTS: portion attached to the selected card. Once the card is choose. - in the performer's
A regular deck of cards. bookmark. When the fanned revealed, the bookmark is wallet, for example, or in a Sand
A special bookmark. The type I deck is turned faces towards the removed, thus taking away the Frame or some other type of
use is of the leather variety and is audience, the forced card is seen card section attached to it. apparatus which can be
in the shape of a strip, complete to be next to the bookmark. Fig.2. Provided that you don't have a previously shown to be empty.

MSM Issue 54 49
 ★ - poor.
★★ - OK, but could be better.
★★★ - reasonable middle of the road value.
★★★★ - good product.

REVIEWS ★★★★★ - outstanding/exceptional.

improvements, that the contents explorations, but more so for like these are rare, with most
of this book are based. the recreational maths buffs out methods crawling with algebraic
You should know from the start there. A nice touch is how each equations, tables and
that this book hasn’t really been effect is rated for ease of incomprehensible mathematical
written with magicians in mind. performance, whether any set ‘babble’ to the uninitiated.
Not unless you are magician up is needed, how much This is more of a good maths
with a keen and curious mathematics is involved, and book using card tricks to explain
mathematical mind, and a how well it appeals to a general the maths and in that regard
degree level understanding of audience. mathematicians will enjoy it. I’m
applications of algebra, The author, a maths Professor of not convinced it will work the
combinatorics, discrete maths course, is more than keen to other way round. Max Maven
and probability (hold that explain to the very depths, the no less contributes the foreword
thought in your mind for a mathematical principles and invites you to grab a deck
MATHEMATICAL moment). involved in every trick. This is and jump in. By all means do
CARD MAGIC The content includes 52 card obviously his delight. Indeed and this may well be right up the
Colm Mulcahy tricks explained and 13 chapters many are brand new street of Martin Gardner and
Available from each contain four effects, mathemagical principles, but Arthur Benjamin fans, in which
www.crcpress.com generally starting with simple unless you have a case this book will keep you
Price: £19.99 applications of a particular comprehension of algebraic busy for a very long time and
mathematical principle and terms, equations and formulae, turn you into a budding
Colm Mulcahy won’t be a ending with more complex and some people have mathemagician. PP
familiar name in the magic world ones. To quote the publicity, the apparently, you will find this
but his by-monthly column Card author explains the mathematics more useful for inducing a self WHAT’S HOT: Masses of new
Colm has appeared on the as needed in an easy-to-follow hypnotic trance. principles for the mathematically
website of the Mathematical way (?) (remember those There are tricks where you will inclined maths buff
Association of America for thoughts from the first two be able to skip the mathematical WHAT’S NOT: Almost
nearly 10 years, so I’m sure his sentences?). analysis by avoiding eye contact impossible to comprehend for
profile in the Maths world is far He also provides additional with any equations and sticking the rest of us!
better known. It is on his MAA details, background, and to more understandable text ★★★
column, with revisions and suggestions for further when you can find it, but pages

(MR) routine that requires is a nice routine and will fool even what the deck actually is. Once
minimal sleight of hand. knowledgeable magicians. you get to grips with the deck
and how it works you will be
The deck itself is not a new idea. The downside to this deck is the able to manufacture your own
In fact, it has been around for reset. You will need a few routine should the one taught
years but is rarely seen moments in private to put the not quite suit your needs.
nowadays. What Liam has done deck back in order before you
is bring this bang up to date can perform the routine - so this All in all, this is another solid
with great routining. is maybe not ideal for release from Liam and BBM and I
MRD DECK tablehoppers? recommend you pick this up. PS
Liam Montier This release is ideal for the less
Available from your local dealer skilful magician as you can As you would expect from a Big WHAT’S HOT: Nice
Price: £19.99 perform a routine that otherwise Blind Media release the routine/handling.
The Multiple Revelation Deck would take months of practice. production quality is excellent. WHAT’S NOT: Reset time
(MRD) is a gaffed deck of Having said that this should not Liam goes in to great detail of the deck may put some
cards that enables you to be overlooked even if you already while running through the people off?
perform a Multiple Revelation perform a MR routine as it really explanation of the routine and ★★★★

50 MSM Issue 54
 
 



















 






 



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envelope can be clearly seen to how I needed to assemble damaged or bent, and at the
enter and leave via this hole. everything. price asked, this could turn out to
Three blank Jumbo cards are be expensive if you like it, want
openly shown, squared, and slid However, once I had sorted it to use it, and then soon damage
inside the envelope. Moments out, I found the working of it it. There is a re-set after each
later, the cards are clearly extremely easy and, as already performance, of course, and
removed and are now seen to be stated, the illusion is pretty much naturally the envelope cannot be
printed with regular card faces, perfect. With a switch device examined, but it works very well
and the envelope looks such as this, there are plenty of and performs its switch in a
otherwise empty. plots and effects that it could be clever, fooling manner. ML
TENYO 4D used for. The product comes
PRINTER The concept of this special with a number of blank Jumbo WHAT’S HOT: loved the
Hiroshi Kondo envelope is very clever, and cards (these are a bit smaller than ingenious envelope principle
Available from: works extremely well. The normal Jumbos, measuring as WHAT’S NOT: wouldn't
www.merlinswakefield.com illusion of being able to see cards they do about 9.5cm x 14.5cm), withstand a lot of regular use,
Price: £21.95 entering and leaving the three matching regular card which could make it expensive
As someone who has spent a lot envelope via the hole is perfect, Jumbos, a card with Happy ★★★
of time working magic with and it makes the magic really Birthday printed on it and
gimmicked envelopes I was baffling. another card with a not
particularly looking forward to particularly well printed birthday GOT AN ITEM
investigating this particular 2014 When you first unpack this cake on it.
FOR REVIEW?
new release from Tenyo as it product there is a very small The possibilities of this set are
uses a special card envelope amount of assembly of the only briefly explored in the Items for review can
which enables you to seemlessly envelope required before you instructions, but really anyone be sent to any of the
following addresses:
switch a card or cards. And I'm can begin, and I must confess who uses a bit of magical
pleased to report that it's really that the instructions don't really imagination should soon be able
Graham Hey:
sneaky! make this process very easy. I to work out a number of different
6 St Everilda’s Terrace,
found there was not enough ways to employ it.
Everingham,
You show a thin blue card precise detail of how it should all
York YO42 4JE.
envelope which has a fit together and so it took me The gimmick is made from thin
rectangular hole cut from its quite a while to work out what blue card which will require fairly Phil Shaw:
front. Anything slid into the needed to happen and therefore careful handling if it is not to get 23 Stock Close, Norton,
Malton YO17 8BE.
Mark Leveridge:
deck which is still in a random stock so is great quality and
13A Lyndhurst Road,
order. The cards are placed back you are also supplied with a
Exeter EX2 4PA.
in the box, given a shake and DVD explaining various
instantly the cards are back in handlings with the deck. The
Please also supply
new deck order. The spectator’s DVD is short, but clear and
information on
signed card is still in the deck precise, and really doesn’t
price, postage
and is in its correct position. need to be any longer.
and where your
product can be
This is a great visual effect and is The deck could also be used
purchased
OCD DECK super easy to perform. The deck for other effects given some
from. If you
Will Tsai & Andrew Gerard supplied is heavily gimmicked thought. Recommended!PS
have a digital
Available from your local dealer and allows you to show the deck
image (JPEG, TIFF, PDF) of
Price: £28 (approx) mixed one minute and then in WHAT’S HOT: Visual effect
your item too that would be
A card is selected from a new deck order a second later. WHAT’S NOT: Deck can’t
appreciated, but not
shuffled deck. The card is be examined.
essential.
signed and returned to the The deck is printed on USPCC ★★★★

MSM Issue 54 51
 ★ - poor.
★★ - OK, but could be better.
★★★ - reasonable middle of the road value.
★★★★ - good product.

REVIEWS ★★★★★ - outstanding/exceptional.

When half of the cards' length obvious. So this makes the performer, and that much of
has been pushed in in this whole thing seem very their range appeals to the rank
manner, the container is taken suspicious and as a result hobbyist who is perhaps often
away and opened to reveal that magically unconvincing. I notice not even a practising magician,
the pile of cards is now a pile of on YouTube a dem showing the but if someone like me who
'half' cards. cards apparently penetrating a does magic all the time is
table top, which is a marginally struggling to make it work,
Unfortunately I have to say that better plot premise, but it's still quite frankly the casual
I think this is one of the worst not great. purchaser has no chance.
Tenyo tricks I have ever seen. It
TENYO GHOST works - just about - but it is The second thing wrong with The trick comes with the plastic
CARD incredibly contrived, not the trick is the method. It's container, the card gimmick, the
Lubor Fiedler particularly convincing, and I clever enough and it does regular cards, plus another set
Available from: cannot imagine anyone ever actually work, but I found it of half cards which you are
www.merlinswakefield.com performing this outside of their really difficult to even set it up supposed to use as a potential
Price: £23.95 own practice room. just to do a run through and I follow on where you can
Lubor Fiedler has a reputation can forsee a lot of difficulties in apparently remove the missing
for devising many off-the-wall There are two main things getting it just right in order to card halves from your neck.
ideas, and certainly the plot of wrong with the trick. The first is actually perform it for anyone. Hopelessly impractical, no one
this effect falls into that the actual magic effect. It's a very delicate and fiddly should ever even contemplate
category. You show a little Everybody knows you can't gimmick which I feel could doing this. The English version
container which comprises of a push a pile of cards into your easily 'unset' itself unless you of the instructions are
folded-in-half piece of plastic, face, particularly through the handle the props very carefully rudimentary but adequate with
the back and spine of which are sealed end of a plastic at all times. I can't see that you plenty of line drawing
opaque black, while the front container! So all attention is could carry this around in your illustrations. One to miss, I
side is a bit translucent - by this thereby focused on the plastic pocket before performing it, for think. ML
I mean you can see through it container itself. Once the instance, as it might disturb the
but it is not completely clear. illusion has been performed, set up. WHAT’S HOT: nothing really
the container cannot be WHAT’S NOT: Regrettably,
On opening this odd container examined, in fact you can't I appreciate that Tenyo's just about everything
you reveal a pile of playing really allow it to be seen for too products are not aimed ★
cards which can be removed long or the faking may become necessarily at the commercial
and displayed as a selection of
about half a dozen cards of
various values. The container greatest magicians. Fate is has some angle issues.
could be examined if you wish Manuel Llaser’s offering.
at this point. You are supplied with a
Having performed Ed Marlo’s booklet describing the
Reassembling the pile of cards version for many years myself I handling and also a link to
they are put back into the was intrigued to see how download a video
plastic container which is closed Manuel’s handling differed. The performance and explanation.
around them. The face of a King short answer is very little. The
can be seen through the FATE setup is virtually the same and If you like the OP plot then
translucent front of the Manuel Llaser the only main difference is the this is worth a look. PS
container, which is then turned Available from your local dealer switch at the end. A sleight is
and the end placed against the Price: £20 (approx) needed to achieve Manuel’s WHAT’S HOT: Nice version
side of your face. With a push, The Open Prediction (OP) plot version whereas the original is WHAT’S NOT: Not the
the illusion is created of the is a classic in card magic, and much easier. Manuel’s version easiest sleight to master
cards inside the container being there have been lots of does actually look cleaner but ★★★
visibly inserted into your face! variations by some of magic’s the switch is a little knacky and

52 MSM Issue 54
 Merry Christmas - 01843 850036

www.zanesmagicshop.com

performance of it, the only You will then need to adapt this something to bear in mind. In
slight difference you might to fit the currency you wish to the old days when you could
notice is that at the end of the use. The instructions do do it all with £1.00 notes, it
transformation of blank pieces attempt to explain how you can didn't seem so bad!
of paper into bank notes, the do this, but the English is not
notes can be dropped casually great and you'll need to re-read So, not a huge fan of this
onto the table. it several times to make because I'm not sure it offers a
The original idea and handling absolutely sure that you are whole lot more than any of the
you can read in Patrick Page's getting it right! In England you other single paper or multiple
TENYO MONEY book Magic Page By Page. This probably can make this with a paper versions. But it is simple
SHOCK marketed version uses a very £10 note. and ends quite clean, so you
Kenichi Komiya similar set up but with one small might think it's worth it. ML
Available from: addition which does leave There's quite an investment
www.merlinswakefield.com things looking very clean at the with this trick, because apart WHAT’S HOT: ends clean
Price: £23.95 finish. from the cost of purchasing the WHAT’S NOT: not sure it's
This is yet another variation on trick itself, you also need to any better than any of the
Patrick Page's Easy Money, You are supplied with some supply about £60 worth of other zillion versions out there
and if you watch a specially prepared blank paper. currency notes, so just ★★★

and it re-emerges yet again visually changes into the performing and there is barely
enabling a deck to instantly turn envelope and inside is the any reset. You can if desired
into an envelope from which a signed card. The deck is found easily switch the gimmick back
previously signed card is in your pocket. out for the real envelope at the
removed. end, although the originators
The DVD teaches both a claim nobody has ever wanted
Here the bare handed change straightforward handling and to examine the envelope.
from deck into an envelope is variations. You receive one
particularly visual and because gimmick but it seems to be hard You can carry it on you to do
it’s unexpected, the surprise wearing and should last a long whenever you want by just
factor counts for a lot. The time with care. It’s made of a adding the gimmick to the pack
change from a 3 dimensional heavily coated paper which can you are using. Everything is well
deck of cards to a more or less 2 be cleaned with a damp cloth. taught on the DVD and this is a
ENVY-LOPE dimensional envelope also nice modern style ‘stunt’ trick
Brandon David & Chris gives it an added impossibility At first you might feel self that’s pure magical eye candy.
Turche factor. conscious holding the gimmick It’s a good trick for your show
Available from: in full view but you will just reel video and should get great
www.worldmagicshop.com There are a few different have to get confident with it, as reactions. PP
Price: £31.99 routines that can be done here you will with the change of the
Way back in the 1980s Paul but the main one is showing an deck into the envelope. It’s not WHAT’S HOT: Nice piece of
Harris had a gimmick that empty envelope and placing it a difficult move and the visual magic that is a big
enabled a bare handed vanish in a pocket. A card is chosen gimmick achieves the illusion surprise. Perfect for walk
of a full deck of cards. In the and signed whilst you turn away very nicely. around style performance.
1990s Steve Bedwell used the and then returned to the deck. The gimmick may not withstand WHAT’S NOT: Only one
same principle for his trick Re- The magician claims the card intimate inspection but that’s gimmick for the price?
Boxed where a deck morphed will appear in the envelope in not something that the ★★★★
back inside the card box. your pocket but suddenly the presentation encourages. It’s
Twenty years down the road deck in the magician’s hand ideal for walk around

MSM Issue 54 53
 
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numbers on the top of each performance IS2 has now

dice match exactly! been engineered to work
perfectly in any situation,
You can repeat this as many even close-up.
times as you like, and you will
always know which number the IS2 also removes all the hard
spectator has positioned on top work that was involved in the
of the dice. You can also do a original making it much easier
similar effect with a playing card to perform without fear of
TENYO which the spectator leans messing up.
MAGICAL MRI against his side of the frame,
Toru Suzuki and you will be able to reveal The book is excellently
Available from: the name of the card. ISABELLA typeset and has clear
www.merlinswakefield.com STAR 2 illustrations throughout.
Price: £23.95 The secret is simple yet quite Peter Turner Broken down into various
When I think of classic Tenyo brilliant. It is extremely easy to Available from: sections, each process of the
magic I imagine some ingenious do, and although you wouldn't www.magicbox.uk.com routine is explained
plastic prop with which you can necessarily want to offer the Price: £39.99 extremely thoroughly. There
do something fairly amazing or plastic frame and metal sheet With a limited run of just 300 are also additional ideas
at the very least hugely out for close examination, if copies of its first printing, throughout the book from
puzzling. Magical MRI is someone grabs it they are Isabella Star 2 (IS2) - The Star Michael Murray, Kenton
another new release for 2014 unlikely to find anything amiss. Goes Supernova - is mentalist Knepper and Alain Nu.
and it falls precisely into that The principle this works on is Peter Turner’s reworking of
traditional mould, and it's a very subtle and I would be very his original Isabella Star A small amount of DIY work is
fooler. surprised if it didn't seriously concept. necessary but the only thing
fool every magician you show it you need to buy is a notepad
You display a black plastic to, never mind lay people. Imagine being able to tell a and you are set to go.
frame. It's a bit like a small complete stranger their star
picture frame but without any The frame measures 12.5cm x sign and their exact date of This isn’t an effect you will be
picture in it. Next you show a 9cm and so is small enough to birth without asking any doing 10 minutes after
flat sheet of metal which is carry in your pocket. There is questions. Sounds reading it but if you give this
inserted into the frame via slits no set up or reset, and the unbelievable...well that’s routine the time it deserves
on the frame's side so that it is handling is extremely clean and exactly what you can do with you will have something little
now impossible to see through very convincing. You will need IS2. This is about as close to short of a miracle at your
the frame. The whole frame is all of your audience to be sitting real mindreading as you can disposal.
then stood upright in a simple in front of you, so you can't get. It’s not limited to one
plastic stand. work this surrounded, but that spectator either, you could I’m really looking forward to
is the only disadvantage, in use this on as many giving this a go and for the
You sit on one side of the frame every other way this is a little spectators as you wish and it price of £39.99 it’s an
and a spectator sits on the masterpiece of clever thinking works every time! absolute bargain. I suggest
other. The spectator takes a and construction. ML you buy a copy now while
small dice and places it on the For those unfamiliar with the you can. Who knows
table immediately behind the WHAT'S HOT: totally fooling original concept, the book whether there will be a
frame on his side. The dice is idea, well constructed and starts off by explaining Peter’s second print run? PS
completely hidden from your thought out original Isabella Star routine
view by the metal sheet in the WHAT'S NOT: some angle and then moves onto the new WHAT'S HOT: Possibly the
frame. You then take a dice and issues and improved version. closest thing to real
place it on your side of the ★★★★ mindreading.
frame. Sliding the metal sheet Where the original was WHAT'S NOT: Nothing
from the frame reveals that the geared more towards a stage ★★★★★

54 MSM Issue 54
SMOKE & MIRRORS BRISTOL
LIVE REVIEWS
Kockov stop battery of ad libs so fast it’s hard to keep up with them, as well as
his thirst for improvising situations on the spur of the moment.

The whole act is edgy form start to finish. There is a massive amount
of energy as he presents a variety of magic effects including a Cards
Across, Invisible Deck and a particularly manic Chop Cup routine.
Mind reading effects seem to be quite a favourite of Kockov’s, which
led to a feature effect in the second half that required some
concentration to follow, with coloured pens, pen tops and drawings,
which all came out right in the end and possibly the only time in the
evening that Kockov became more thoughtful and less manic.

Topping off the evening was the daring Russian roulette with live
pistols. Again the tension mounted with each gunshot as it was fired
making a fitting climax to this whole evening of Kockov magic. PP

HOUSE MAGICIANS -
RICHARD NEWMAN &
MARK BENNETT
Saturday 23rd November 2013

“House Magicians” is the title for

Smoke and Mirrors’ night featuring
their home grown magicians who are
often regular Illusions Bar magicians
from the company’s sister
establishment.

Congenial Rich Newman opened the

Mark Bennett
evening in relaxed style and revealed
KOCKOV a card in ‘tossed out deck’ style using a Rubik card cube. The classic
Returning for his second visit to Smoke and Mirrors, by popular egg bag scored well thanks to Richard’s skill in its presentation and he
demand, is the former Eastern Bloc master mind-reader Vladimir followed this with the impressive Bill Abbott card routine Smart Arse
Dimitri Kockov. A more heavily accented tight leather trousered, and the now popular long balloon swallow.
mullet hairdoed magician from Kiev you couldn’t wish to meet. He is
also wonderfully, if not a bit scarily, outrageous and rude at times, A selected card was found in Rocky’s ‘unusual’ place which required
something which works very well coming from this surreal rubber gloves for its removal, the game of Cluedo provided the theme
characterisation by Jasper Blakeley. and plot for some more predictions before finally a toy paint gun
provided the safer option for a ‘bullet catch style’ signed paint ball in
It’s funny how an over the top character can be completely mouth. Rich presented masses of magic in a confident style that
outrageous in a way that a real person could never get away with. I pleased the lay audience.
suppose because we know it’s an act and not a real person we can
accept it’s not for real. Think of a crude Russian version of The Great Owner Mark Bennett then introduced himself as the second half act,
Soprendo who swears a lot! The audience were not so much in the starting with a virtual magic trick using his phone. The vanishing
palm of his hand but more too scared to leave the room! bandana, a nice torn and restored tissue into hat and a chick pan
routine were popular with the lay audience as was Dippy Duck who
I find Kockov quite unnerving at times as it feels he is so close to the found several chosen cards in comical style, bringing to a close
edge of doing something quite dangerous and I know who he is! another House Magician night offering plenty of magic, entertainment
Behind this manic characterisation is a quick wittedness and a non and good value for the audience. PP

MSM Issue 54 55
 KISS-ING IS
GOOD FOR YOU
WHY KEEPING YOUR MAGIC SIMPLE
IS THE BEST WAY TO GO By Mark Leveridge

I f there is one attribute that more

magicians have perhaps than any
other, it is a propensity for
making things over complicated! You
going to dip into the pages to lift out some of
the gems that John has included.

Gem No. 1 - “People pay

only have to sit through a magic club you for what they see -
evening of member performances to not what you do.”
see that many of them have allowed
themselves to get embroiled in That quote comes from Aldo Colombini and
routines that are too long, too full of it sums up in a way the truth of why some
moves, and which quite frankly leave performers do well, while others seem to
you at the finish wondering exactly struggle. It’s all down to how you sell
what the plot was! yourself as a performer, what’s your USP,
what makes you different/better/more
Top performers, as a rule, tend to be bookable than anyone else?
completely the opposite. Rather than try to
find the most devious and complicated way Identifying your core strengths is important.
to achieve a given effect, they will Top names don’t always get it right initially.
painstakingly search for a method that is Did you know that Al Koran originally did an
practical and then they will ruthlessly strip act called ‘Song and Sorcery’ in which he
away unnecessary moves and presentational sang “Zip-a-dee-do-dah” while performing
clutter so that in time what they are left with patter and presentation that you use, the Miser’s Dream? Or that Graham Jolley as
is a better, more memorable piece of magic. through to how you publicise yourself. a young man did manipulations? Or that
There’s a well known acronym for this Maurice Fogel used to do impressions?
The late American entertainer Karrell Fox approach which is KISS - Keep It Simple Interestingly, all three of these notable
empitomised this simple approach. Read any Stupid - and it makes for an excellent entertainers went on to be star mentalists!
of his excellent books and you will guiding principle.
immediately be struck by how simple, at Identifying the real you and then putting that
times almost simplistic, his methods were. So we thought it would be interesting to across can be core to becoming a truly
But he knew that they would work under look into this more, and to do this we will be successful performer. Once you have boiled
almost any performing circumstances and referring to an excellent book by John Derris it down to what fits you, then you can put
would achieve exactly what the audience called The KISS Principle, which sets out to together the magic material that fits that
needed to see. And that is the key - explain how you can harness this idea in personality. And that’s where KISS comes in
performers who work for lay people know everything that you do as a magician. Before again, because some of the best and most
that it is the effect that counts, not the he retired, John Derris both worked for, and memorable performances come from great
method. also had his own, advertising agency in performers presenting simple magic to
which he used the KISS principle to great devastating effect.
The general principle of adopting simplicity success. Once he left work and
need not just apply to trick methodology concentrated on his magic more, he applied Think of Jeff Hobson - presenting a stunning
either. It can be a guiding principle for the same set of values to his act and to his 30 minute act on a London West End stage
everything that you do as a magician, own self promotion and his book sets out to using just the Egg Bag and Card in Mouth.
stretching from how you look, to the type of explain how you can do the same. We are Or how about Wayne Dobson’s stellar

56 MSM Issue 54
 KISS-ING IS GOOD FOR YOU
ideas and ways of doing things to find
methods that are well within your
“If you have ever had a truly great night at performance comfort zone. Make good eye
a gig you will know that you almost float contact and use facial expressions, develop
your character and presentation. These are
out of the venue and the buzz you get the elements which will help you to succeed
more often than you fail. You are selling
from it is addictive. Putting on a yourself to the audience, not the tricks.
performance that leaves your audience Gem No. 4 - Spectators
amazed and applauding is a sensation that should not need to
decode our effects
is hard to beat, and it is often this which
drives us on to look for opportunities to In most commercial performing situations
the magic that scores best comprises of
repeat the experience.” tricks which are visual or where the plot is
easily described and/or understood. John
suggests that one way to work out whether
your magic is visual enough is to think that if
performance in 1989 at the Royal Variety to achieve this, but it’s the only way to you were performing it on TV and the sound
Show when he practically launched a career relieve your brain of the burden of thinking went off, would the effect still register?
with a sponge ball routine allied to a bit of about the trick and thereby give it the
vent and Frank Bruno and Harry Carpenter freedom to concentrate on the presentation. When you think about it, most of the magic
as unwitting on stage stooges. that is considered truly great and which has
Gem No.3 - Magical stood the test of time, tends to be visual.
Top people learn what makes them euphoria and how to Cups and Balls, Linking Rings, Rising Cards,
appealing and the magic can then be simple achieve it these are all effects which magicians have
and uncluttered so that their personalities turned to, in one form or another, since time
shine through. Is it the same with you? Given that magic can be stressful to present began, and it’s because they are visual and
in public, and that most people to a greater memorable. Your job is to find the magic that
Gem No. 2 - or lesser extent experience some form of is memorable to your audience and which
Presentation - the nerves or anxiety pre-performance, it begs fits your personality and which uses a
ingredient that ensures the question, why do we all do it? We could method that is simple enough for you to
you will be successful simply stay at home and watch TV, there’s perform without undue concentration on the
no stress in that! technique - not too much to ask, is it?
As John explains in his book, a good magician Paul Daniels once said: “I get the trick, read
doesn’t look at what he’s doing, doesn’t The reason is that a good performance the instructions and then throw them away
concentrate on his hands, but looks up creates in us a wonderful feeling of post and play with the apparatus until I find the
directly at the audience and engages on a show euphoria. If you have ever had a truly way that suits my style of presentation. Once
personal level with them, making friends with great night at a gig you will know that you I’ve done that - it becomes mine!”
his personality. It’s a bit like driving a car - you almost float out of the venue and the buzz
don’t consciously think about how to change you get from it is addictive. Putting on a Simplify your magic and then make it truly
gear, it becomes automatic, and so it is with performance that leaves your audience yours - it’s what KISS is all about really.
top performers. The actions and technical amazed and applauding is a sensation that is Concentrate on your personality and
moves they need are done without apparent hard to beat, and it is often this which drives presentation, not just on the technical
thought, and this frees up the performer to us on to look for opportunities to repeat the aspects of your tricks, and you will reap the
concentrate more on eye contact with the experience. benefits helping you to reach consistently
spectators thus ensuring that the audience that post-show euphoric state. As John says
relaxes and enjoys the show. Of course, you only get this euphoria when in his book, “It’s nearly as good as sex!”
things go well, and that is why it is important
In order to give full attention to your to hone your performances to a point where
presentation you will need to familiarise they succeed regularly. How to do this?
yourself with the actual magic you intend to Simplify. Edit out extraneous moves or
present, to a point where it becomes sleights that are there simply because you
automatic. A lot of practice may be required happen to like them. Challenge traditional

MSM Issue 54 57
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