Magic at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Hi folks

Edinburgh is becoming a bit of a magical city with the upcoming Edinburgh International Magic Festival taking place next month and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe always having a good deal of magic in it.

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe programme was released yesterday and, as always, there's a good chunk of magic in there. Actually, this year sees the most magic that I can remember in many years! I've put them in order as they are found in the brochure and each listing has the title of the show (this may or may not contain the performer's name), venue, the blurb about the show and finally the dates and times and ticket price of the performances. Tickets to all these shows can now be booked over at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe website

Now, remember that there are a lot of magic, and magic-related, performances this year so get yourself comfortable. Ready? OK, here goes...

Children’s
The Amazing Bubble Man
C too, St Columba’s by the Castle, Johnston Terrace
Breathtaking bubbles, people-inside-bubbbles, square bubbles, amazing bubble colours, sculptural bubbles, special effect bubbles. A show for kids of all ages to thrill, laugh, love and learn about the world of Bubble-Ology. Book early.
Aug 5-6,16,23-24: 12:30 (45m) £7.50 (£6.50) (£5.50 C)
Aug 5-6,16,23-24: 13:30 (45m) £7.50 (£6.50) (£5.50 C)
Aug 7-10,14-15,21-22,28-30: 12:30 (45m) £9.50 (£8.50) (£7.50 C)
Aug 7-10,14-15,21-22,28-30: 13:30 (45m) £9.50 (£8.50) (£7.50 C)
Aug 11-13,18-20,25-27: 12:30 (45m) £8.50 (£7.50) (£6.50 C)
Aug 11-13,18-20,25-27: 13:30 (45m) £8.50 (£7.50) (£6.50 C)

The Classics of Magic!
Laughing Horse @ The Counting House, 38 West Nicolson Street
Peter Campbell-Wells bravely attempts the most famous illusions in the history of magic. Magicians worldwide spend years perfecting these classics. Pete didn’t have time to practice but what could possibly go wrong? Free show. www.parlourmagic.co.uk
Aug 19-29: 14:30 (1h) (Free Non-ticketed)

The I Hate Children Children’s Show
Zoo Roxy, 2 Roxburgh Place
Fun-filled romp with Unkle Paul Nathan: magician – comic – curmudgeon. See Paul perform the most dangerous magic trick in the world. Hear! Laughter and applause. Smell the seat cushions.
Aug 6-30: 12:00 (1h) £5.00

Prince of Cringe Gag Reflex Management
Gilded Balloon Teviot, Bristo Square
A simple story with a sideshow twist. Flying axes, walking on raw eggs and a trick with balloons that will leave you speechless or gagging. ‘The Prince of Cringe’ promises to entertain young and old alike.
Aug 5-7: 12:15 (1h) £5.00
Aug 8-12,17-19,23-26: 12:15 (1h) £7.00 (£6.00)
Aug 13-15,20-22,27-29: 12:15 (1h) £8.00 (£7.00)

Comedy
Ali Cook: Pieces of Strange
Gilded Balloon Teviot, Bristo Square
Star of Channel 4’s ‘Dirty Tricks’ and Five’s ‘Monkey Magic’. Award-winning TV magician Ali Cook returns to Edinburgh after his sell-out debut. ‘A sharp irreverent magician’ (Daily Star); ‘Immensely funny’ (Daily Telegraph). www.alicook.com
Aug 4-6: 21:45 (1h) £6.00
Aug 7-8,13-15,20-22,27-29: 21:45 (1h) £12.00 (£11.00)
Aug 9-10,12,16-17,19,23-26,30: 21:45 (1h) £11.00 (£9.50)

Barry & Stuart – 98% Séance
Underbelly, Cowgate, 56 Cowgate (entrances on Cowgate and Victoria Street)
Experience a mind-blowing séance hosted by ‘genuinely remarkable’ (Sunday Telegraph) Scottish BAFTA nominated magicians as they raise the dead for fun and profit; ‘Pure magic’
(List). www.barryandstuart.com, www.bbc.co.uk/barryandstuart
Aug 5-6: 22:20 (1h) £6.00
Aug 7-8,11-12,18-19,25-26: 22:20 (1h) £10.00 (£9.00)
Aug 9-10,13-15,20-22,27-29: 22:20 (1h) £12.00 (£11.00)
Aug 16-17,23-24: 22:20 (1h) £6.50

Carole Jahme Is Bio-diverse!
Zoo Southside, 117 Nicolson Street
A comedy exploring evolved differences between men and women. A gorilla and a Stone Age man will be summoned up before the dramatic finalé. Carole Jahme is the Guardian’s Evolutionary Agony Aunt, ‘Ask Carole’. www.guardian.co.uk/science/series/ask-carole
Aug 6-7: 19:45 (55m) £6.00
Aug 8-30: 19:45 (55m) £8.00 (£7.00)

Comedy Mentalist Hank Stone
Columcille Centre, 2 Newbattle Terrace
‘You have to see it to believe it!’ Critics have called his show, ‘smart, funny and entertaining’. From Los Angeles to Las Vegas, Vancouver to Toronto and now here in the UK. He will
amaze you!
Aug 7-8: 18:00 (2h) £3.00 (£2.00)

Devil in the Deck
The Zoo, 140 The Pleasance
Dealing cards and cheating death... This innovative pairing of theatre and magic by actor/magician Paul Nathan and guitarist John Anaya brings you the life of Jack Swindle: lover,
adventurer, con-man. ‘Beautifully executed magic...’ (SF Chronicle).
Aug 6-15: 22:50 (1h) £10.00 (£8.00)

Frisco Fred’s Comedy Hour
Laughing Horse @ The Counting House, 38 West Nicolson Street
From San Francisco to the Great Wall of China to the Fringe! A fun-filled hour with the world’s only nearsighted comic, magician, juggler, escape artist and tightrope walker.
Aug 5-16,18-29: 21:00 (1h) (Free Non-ticketed)

I Said I Wouldn’t Do This Again!
The Zoo, 140 The Pleasance
Ian Kendall returns in his nineteenth year with one show. Book early for the only chance to see his ‘slick, stylish sleight of hand’ (BroadwayBaby.com). **** from pretty much everyone who matters. www.IanKendall.com
Aug 21: 22:50 (1h) £9.50

The Late Late Show with Paul Zenon & Mikelangelo
Assembly @ George Street, Assembly Rooms, 54 George Street
B*****d sons of ‘La Clique’ present the Fringe’s essential late night comedy show. Join lounge wizard Paul Zenon and Black Sea songbird Mikelangelo on a mattress overstuffed with dreamy
special guests.
XAug 5-6: 00:15 (1h45m) £5.00
Aug 7-8,10-15,17-29: 00:15 (1h45m) £12.50 (£10.00)

Legend of the Card Ninja
Assembly @ Assembly Hall, Mound Place
Comedian, magician, ninja, Jav Jarquin debuts with a show that combines his acclaimed stand-up and his dazzling card ninja act. Hard-hitting comedy and feats with cards you would have never thought possible.
Aug 5-6: 21:15 (1h) £5.00
Aug 7-8,13-15,20-22,27-29: 21:15 (1h) £11.00 (£10.00)
Aug 9-12,17-19,24-26: 21:15 (1h) £10.00 (£9.00)

Lies, Trickery and Deceit: A Magic Show! – Free
Laughing Horse @ The Newsroom, 5-11 Leith Street
This is literally where the magic happens. It’s lies, sure, but good lies. An intimate evening of astonishing, honest to goodness trickery. Embrace the deception, welcome to wonderful.
Aug 15-29: 19:30 (1h) (Free Non-ticketed)

Mages Thru the Ages – Free
Laughing Horse @ The Newsroom, 5-11 Leith Street
Three magicians whisk you on a whistle-stop tour of magic past, present and future. Doves appear, needles are swallowed and time is paused, as we cram 100 years of magic into 60 magical minutes. www.freefestival.co.uk
Aug 23-29: 12:00 (1h) (Free Non-ticketed)

Magicians! Behind the Magic!
Just The Tonic at the Caves, Enter from The Rowantree Bar (under South Bridge), 253 Cowgate
Fabuloso and Dupont present an intimate lunchtime soirée of love and toast and magic.
And magic. A charmingly riotous tale of spangly leggings, French accents and bad hair. Sometimes, magic is a four-letter word.
Aug 5-6: 12:00 (1h) £5.00
Aug 7-8,13-15,20-22,27-29: 12:00 (1h) £8.50
Aug 9-12,17-19,23-26: 12:00 (1h) £7.50

Mandy Muden: Sleight of Tongue
The Voodoo Rooms, West Register Street
Award-winning magician Mandy Muden will be performing an hour of comedy and magic. ‘The
lovely Mandy updates magic with a campy bitchy comedy slant. She’ll win you over in a flash’ (Attitude). ‘Superb’ (Evening Standard).
Aug 9-15,17-22,24-27: 18:05 (1h) (Free Non-ticketed)

Marc Salem’s Mind Games
Assembly @ Princes St Gardens, West Princes St Gardens, Princes St
‘Surefire “you-gotta-see-this- show”’ (Variety). World renowned mentalist takes his audience on a captivating excursion into the possibilities of the human mind through hilarious, astounding and
mystifying mind games. ‘Quick-witted family fun’ (New York Times).
Aug 16-18: 18:15 (1h) £13.00 (£12.00)
Aug 19-22: 18:15 (1h) £14.00 (£13.00)

Mind-Reading for Breakfast
Sweet Grassmarket, Apex City Hotel, 61 Grassmarket
What does a psychic want for breakfast? You! ‘Psychic’ Psychologist, Rob Bailey, demonstrates ESP, predictions, lie-detection or just clever psychology? ‘…very funny… very engaging,’ (Oxford Times). Free coffee/croissants. Prizes for best nightwear; come in your pyjamas. www.psychicpsychologist.co.uk
Aug 5-22: 10:35 (1h10m) £8.00 (£7.00)

Morgan & West: Time Travelling Magicians
Gilded Balloon Teviot, Bristo Square
Great Scott! Victorian magic duo Morgan & West travel 100 years into the future presenting baffling magic, unparalleled precognitive powers and a totally genuine ability to travel through time. Sell-out show, 2009.
Aug 4-6: 15:45 (1h) £5.00
Aug 7-12,16-19,23-26: 15:45 (1h) £8.50 (£7.50)
Aug 13-15,20-22,27-29: 15:45 (1h) £9.50 (£8.50)

Nothing Up My Sleeve!
The Voodoo Rooms, West Register Street
International comedy magician Paul Dabek delves into his box of tricks with a quick wit and theatrical flair that will leave you spellbound! ‘Paul Dabek is quite simply superb!’ (Stage).
Aug 9-10,12-17,19-24,26-27: 21:15 (1h) (Free Non-ticketed)

Paul Zerdin – Sponge Fest Revisited
Assembly @ George Street, Assembly Rooms, 54 George Street
Arguably Britain’s most talented and leading ventriloquist and comedian, as seen on ‘Royal Variety Performance’ and recently on ITV’s ‘Comedy Rocks’. ‘Technically immaculate’ (Guardian); ‘The best ventriloquist Britain has discovered for many years’ (Times).
Aug 5: 20:25 (1h) £10.00
Aug 6-15: 20:25 (1h) £15.00 (£14.00)

Paul Zenon – Lounge Wizard
Fringe at Le Monde, 16 George Street
See TV’s legendary snake-oil salesman up close and personal in his natural habitat – a bar. A happy-hour priced cocktail of cons, conjuring and comedy. ‘Countdown’s wild man of the wand’ (Independent).
Aug 4-5: 21:15 (45m) £5.00
Aug 6-8,10-15,17-30: 21:15 (45m) £5.00

Pete Firman: Jokes and Tricks
Pleasance Dome, Potterow, 1 Bristo Square
Be amazed and amused by Britain’s leading comedy magician, returning with ‘the best tricks in the universe’ (Independent). Sell-out 2007- 2009. ‘Funnier than most comedians... more magical
than Dumbledore on a good day’ (Time Out). www.petefirman.co.uk
Aug 4-6: 19:10 (1h) £6.00
Aug 7-12,17-19,23-26,30: 19:10 (1h) £12.00 (£10.50)
Aug 13-15,20-22,27-29: 19:10 (1h) £14.00 (£12.50)

Phil Knoxville/Laughing Horse Free Festival
Laughing Horse @ Espionage, 4 India Buildings, Victoria Street (entrances on Cowgate and Victoria Street)
Join Phil Knoxville on a rollercoaster ride of comedy and twisted magic. Proving a mild-mannered comedian can possess superhuman powers. If variety is the spice of life then this will blow your
pants off!
Aug 6-15: 19:45 (45m) (Free Non-ticketed)

Piff the Magic Dragon: Piff-tacular 2 – Get Rich Or Die Trying
Just The Tonic at the Caves, Enter from The Rowantree Bar (under South Bridge), 253 Cowgate
Lock up your princesses! Piff’s back with brand new tricks and a magic performing Chihuahua... This time he means business. ‘Unbelievable’ (BBC1). ‘Standing room only’ – **** (BroadwayBaby.com).
Aug 5-8: 15:15 (1h) £5.00
Aug 9-12,16,18-19,23-26: 15:15 (1h) £6.00 (£5.00)
Aug 13-15,20-22,27-29: 15:15 (1h) £7.00 (£6.00)

Psychic?
Laughing Horse @ City Cafe, 19 Blair Street
Peter Campbell-Wells returns to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe to blow big raspberries at the serious po-faced world of psychic entertainment. Mind reading and clairvoyance is absurd
and Pete’s show revels in the daftness of it all! Free Show. www.petesmental.co.uk
Aug 16-29: 23:30 (1h) (Free Non-ticketed)

Shrink: The Outrageous Hypnotist
HMV Picture House, 31 Lothian Road
Outrageous and definitely not for the easily offended, hypnotist Shrink is back with more late night lunacy. Astounding, mesmerizing mind control. Absolutely f#%*ing hilarious. Come and laugh your arse off. Strong language, adult content – over 18s only.
Aug 13,21,28: 23:55 (2h5m) £13.50

Strassman: Duality
Pleasance Courtyard, 60 Pleasance
The world’s dark master of ventriloquy returns! This original world premiere performance reinvents ventriloquism as Strassman battles his alter-ego puppet for sanity. Radical and
compelling, not to be missed! Total sell out in 2005. ‘Brilliant’ (Guardian).
Aug 4-5: 19:00 (1h) £5.00
Aug 6-12,16-19,23-26,30: 19:00 (1h) £13.00 (£12.00)
Aug 13-15,20-22: 19:00 (1h) £14.00 (£13.00)
Aug 27-29: 19:00 (1h) £15.00 (£14.00)

Thought Thief 2.0
Sweet Grassmarket, Apex City Hotel, 61 Grassmarket
Is your mind safe? Learn the true story of Peter Antoniou’s journey into the merky world of ‘psychic’ espionage. See him demonstrate his amazing abilities, and learn how they are already being used against you. **** (ThreeWeeks).
Aug 18-30: 14:55 (1h) £7.00 (£5.00)

Exhibitions
Reveries
Cafe Andaluz, 77b George Street
Magic, flavours and illusion as never experienced before by your senses. Taste the exquisite Spanish cuisine at Café Andaluz and enjoy magic from the hand of the best magician in the world. Enjoy your evening with loved ones... dare to dream.
Aug 6-30 (not 19): Sun-Thu 20:00-22:00 £30.00; Fri-Sat 15:00-17:00 £15.00

Theatre
Babbling Comedy: The Perfordian Show
C central, Carlton Hotel, North Bridge
No words, but laughs for everybody. Using mime, magic, juggling, beatboxing, this high-energy show will have you looking at ordinary objects in a whole new way! Captivating hit physical
comedy from Korea. www.perfordian.wordpress.com
Aug 5-6,16,23-24: 17:00 (1h) £8.50 (£7.50) (£5.50 C)
Aug 7-10,14-15,21-22, 28-30: 17:00 (1h) £10.50 (£9.50) (£7.50 C)
Aug 11-13,18-20,25-27: 17:00 (1h) £9.50 (£8.50) (£6.50 C)

Reality Vaccine – Free
Laughing Horse @ The Newsroom, 5-11 Leith Street
Volunteers required for a psychological illusion experiment. Mentalist Ian Souch is about to commit surgery on your mind! Aided by his psychiatric nurse Nikki, come and enjoy magic,
suggestion, psychology and fun. Be brave, it will only hurt a little... www.mentalmagicman.co.uk
Aug 5: 18:15 (1h) (Free Non-ticketed)
Aug 6-15,17-23: 18:15 (1h) (Free Non-ticketed)

S1L3NC3: Mind Reader
theSpaces @ Surgeons Hall, Nicolson Street
An underground artist whose canvas is your mind. An encounter you will never forget. Disturbing? Always. Predictable? Never. You will be stunned into ‘S1L3NC3’. Time Out London Critics’ Choice. ‘F**k me, that’s twisted’ (Pete Doherty). www.RealityAbuse.com
Aug 6-7: 22:10 (50m) £6.00
Aug 9-12,16-19: 22:10 (50m) £8.50 (£7.50)
Aug 13-14,20-21: 22:10 (50m) £9.50 (£8.50)

The Seven Wonders of Magic
C aquila, Roman Eagle Lodge, Johnston Terrace
All magic, from appearances to transformations, is composed of only seven elements. This breathtaking and original show is a rare opportunity to witness them all. ‘Charming and hugely impressive’ (FringeGuru.com). ‘A virtuoso’ (List). www.lewisbarlow.com
Aug 15,20-22,27-30: 18:15 (55m) £10.50 (£9.50)
Aug 16-17,23-24: 18:15 (55m) £8.50 (£7.50)
Aug 18-19,25-26: 18:15 (55m) £9.50 (£8.50)

Time Warper – Free
Laughing Horse @ City Cafe, 19 Blair Street
Magician-turned-time traveller Oliver Meech takes you on an amazing adventure through time. Like ‘Back to the Future’, but live! History is altered, clocks are stopped, and we holiday in 2060AD. Time waits for one man! www.magicmeech.com
Aug 23-29: 15:45 (1h) (Free Non-ticketed)

Looks like I'll be making a few trips through to Edinburgh over the coming couple of months.  If you manage to make it up, I hope you have a great time.

Speak soon.

The Cardman :-)

Helping Friends

Hi folks

Magicians who read this blog will undoubtedly know the names of Aldo and Rachel Colombini.  I have been lucky to know both Aldo and Rachel for a number of years - even before they met and then married a few years ago.  Well, now these friends are in need of help, so I thought I'd pass on the information to try to spread the word.

Basically, Rachel is in need of open heart surgery due to the return of a life-threatening infection that she contracted some 3 years ago.  The cost of the surgery is somewhere in the region of $200,000 (yes, TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND dollars!!!).  Now you might sit there and say "haven't they got health insurance?"  Well yes they do, but it is limited and that, along with loss of earnings due to both Aldo and Rachel being self-employed, puts the surgery out of their financial reach at the moment.

So, how can we help?  Well, there are 3 options - and you can choose any or all of them.

• First, you can visit magic4miracles.com, a site set up to keep everyone posted about Rachel's progress and for people to donate money to the fund.
• Second, pay a visit to Aldo and Rachel's online store and treat yourself to a few of their products.  Everything is $10 - tricks, DVDs and books - and they are also offering a "buy one, get one free" offer.  So, choose 4 items and pay for 2.  Choose 20 items and only pay for 10!  You get the idea.
• Finally, pay a visit to Lybrary.com and buy "Wild At Heart", an e-book that has been compiled by 13-year-old Kyle MacNeill with all the and that contains magic from some of the most creative people in magic, including Peter Duffie, Ben Harris, Gary Jones and many more.  What's even more amazing is that Kyle doesn't even know the Colombinis!  He has created this project purely because of their joint love for magic.

You can also read a frank interview with Rachel about her condition over at the IBM's website.

I don't know if Aldo or Rachel will read this, but I'll write this bit anyway.  Rachel - please take care of yourself and get yourself well soon.  And don't rush it!  Aldo - you take care of that wife of your's and make sure you look after yourself!  I'll see you both sometime soon.

If you can afford to, give them a little help.  You know it's the right thing to do.

Speak soon.

The Cardman :-)

Crowded House in Glasgow

Hi folks.

I'm Peter and I'm a Crowded House fan.  There, I said it and I am neither ashamed nor embarrassed by it.  Actually, I'm proud to say it - especially after their recent concert in Glasgow.

This was my second time getting to see them live - the first being about 2½ years ago in Hall 4 of the SECC.  This time, it was the Clyde Auditorium (aka "The Armadillo") which is part of the SECC complex.  The support act was Conan Mockasin who, at the time, I thought were a different enough to be interesting and to merit a second listen.  Upon finding some of their music online, to be honest, I'm still to be convinced.

After a wee break to re-set the stage, on came Crowded House.  Opening with "In My Command", their set contained a large number of classic songs as well as a number of songs from their upcoming album "Intriguer" (all of which are excellent) which comes out in the UK on 14 June.  The band themselves were making fun of the fact that they were doing the tour before the album came out.  It was a very relaxed night with Neil Finn holding conversations with members of the audience - something that he couldn't really do the last time they played Glasgow simply because bands can't hear what people are shouting at them too well.  In The Armadillo, however, the band members were able to hear requests being shouted during quiet moments between songs.

Another thing to be mentioned is the wide age range that was present at the concert.  There were children as young as 7 or 8 with their parents all the way up to people in their 50s and everyone - EVERYONE! - was having a great time.

I've always been one to shout out for the odd song or 2 at gigs in the hope that maybe, just maybe, the band will hear my request and play it.  On this night, in this venue, it was quiet enough and I was loud and clear enough to be heard.  At one point, Neil Finn was sat at his piano after playing "Archer's Arrow" from the new album (excellent song!) when things went nice and quiet.  I shouted out for an old Split Enz song called "Message To My Girl" but there was no response.  Someone a few rows behind me shouted for it too - still nothing.  A few moments later, I thought "sod it" and as loud and as clear as I could I yelled "MESSAGE TO MY GIRL".  Finn's reaction was "oh, alright then" and he went straight into it.  Yep, Neil Finn of Crowded House played one of my all-time favourite songs.  I still smile just thinking of that moment.

Normally, concerts have one or 2 moments that live with you for a long time.  This one had many.  Too many for me to write about here.  Suffice to say, I thought then - and still think now - that it was the best concert I have ever been to.  Considering that I've been to one or 3 concerts, that's a pretty lofty statement but I really do feel that it was that good.  Actually, no.  It was better than that!

Set List

In My Command

I Feel Possessed

Saturday Sun

World Where You Live

Four Seasons In One Day

Silent House

Amsterdam

When You Come

Either Side Of The World

Isolation

Sacred Cow - a snippet before Neil decided it was a rather depressing song!

Sister Madly - a quick blast of the chorus

Better Be Home Soon

10 Past Forever - made up on the spot and pretty good too!

Archer's Arrows

Message To My Girl - my shout!

Pour Le Monde

Pineapple Head

Weather With You

Don't Stop Now

Distant Sun

It's Only Natural

Encore

Fall At Your Feet

Don't Dream It's Over

Speak soon

The Cardman :-)

The Celtic Cabal e-book by Peter Duffie

Hi folks

A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned that Peter Duffie's latest e-book was nearing release.  Well, I am now happy to announce that the e-book has now been released and is available to buy here.

The e-book itself has 35 contributors from Scotland, Wales and Ireland sharing a total of 44 items - including 2 essays - in over 170 pages, illustrated with photographs.  I contributed a couple of items to it which are amongst my favourite items to perform, which is why I am able to sell it here.

The list of contributors reads like a who's who of Scottish, Welsh and Irish magic (which makes me wonder how I got to be part of it!).  Here's the table of contents:-

The e-book costs £15 and can be ordered using the PayPal button at the foot of this entry.  The e-book will be e-mailed to the e-mail address connected to your PayPal account within 24 hours.

 

If you have any questions regarding this e-book, do not hesitate to e-mail me.

Speak soon.

The Cardman :-)

Upcoming Scottish Magic Conventions

Hi folks

Just a quick post to let you know of a couple of magic conventions coming up very near future.

First up is the 59th Annual Convention of the Scottish Association of Magical Societies - otherwise known as "SAMS" - which takes place this weekend (Friday 30th April to Sunday 2nd May) at the Tontine Hotel in Greenock.

There will be lectures from John Archer and Dave Forrest (both of which I am looking forward to) as well as a few dealers, competitions (these are dependent on the numbers of entries), a Close Up Show, a Gala Show boasting a line up including John Archer and illusionist Guy Barrett and a farewell lunch on the Sunday afternoon.  But that's not all that this convention is about.  SAMS is, traditionally, a time for getting together and meeting up with friends old and new.  It's always a fun weekend.

Cost of a full registration is £45 for the weekend.  For more details e-mail Janet Colvan, the SAMS Registration Officer.

The other convention to mention just now is Perth Magic Circle's 60th Anniversary Day of Magic in the Grampian Hotel in Perth on Sunday 23rd May, with the day's events starting at 10am.

Davenport's, the UK's oldest established magic shop, will be attending and will be bringing a wide selection of magic for sale and there will also be 2 lectures through the day - one from Roy Davenport and the other from Trevor Lewis - which should both be excellent.  To mark their anniversary, Perth City Council have granted Perth Magic Circle a Civic Reception and everyone attending will be invited to this which will precede the Gala Cabaret featuring Colin McLoed, who scored heavily at last years Edinburgh Fringe, Trevor Lewis and Roy Davenport who will present his Grandfathers famous manipulation act.

The cost for the entire day is £20 (Juniors - under age 16 years - £10, accompanied by a responsible adult)

I'll be at both events as I am performing in the Close Up Shows at both Conventions.  I look forward to seeing you at either or both events.

Speak soon.

The Cardman :-)

Coming soon...

The Celtic Cabal

A New Collection of Magic and Mentalism

From
Ireland, Scotland and Wales 

35 contributors - 44 routines, including
two essays. Over 170 Pages!

Coming Soon!

This is a new e-book compiled by Peter Duffie which will be available very very soon from both here and peterduffie.com  Full details will be available in the coming days.

Speak soon.

The Cardman :-)

Kostya Kimlat lecturing in Glasgow

Hi folks

Kostya Kimlat will be presenting his magic lecture to the Scottish Conjurers' Association on Wednesday 7 April at their headquarters - The Scottish Mask and Puppet Centre (8-10 Balcarres Avenue, Glasgow, G12 0QF). Entry into the lecture for non-members of the SCA is £10.

Kostya lectured a number of years ago at Paisley Magic Circle (you can read about that here) and since then has gone onto much bigger and better things, becoming well known in the magic world for his work with the Roadrunner Cull.

The trailer for Kostya's DVD on the Roadrunner Cull

It is sure to be an excellent lecture and one that I hope to be able to make. For more details of what to expect, you can download this flyer.

Speak soon.

The Cardman :-)

Edinburgh International Magic Festival

Hi folks

I thought I'd do a quick post to let as many people as possible learn about the first Edinburgh International Magic Festival. The Festival will run from 7 to 11 July 2010 at venues located around the Royal Mile, with the hub of the Festival being the Scottish Storytelling Centre on the Royal Mile.

In the last few years, the popularity of magic has risen dramatically with the rise of David Blaine, Derren Brown and Harry Potter seeing the emergence of a new generation of magicians and magic lovers. The organisers believe that Edinburgh, the city that inspired JK Rowlng's best-selling books about a boy wizard, should host a world-renown Magic Festival.

There are always magic performances as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe but they are usually lost within the programme between the theatre and comedy shows - and I should know, I always spend the day that the programme is released trying to hunt down all the magicians at the Festival Fringe! However, the aim of the Edinburgh International Magic Festival is to shine a spotlight on the Art of Magic as well as to feature original, high-quality, professional acts and will aim to encourage the development of up and coming artists by giving local talent a chance to showcase their acts to an audience in a theatre.

Since the Festival is taking place during the second week of July - not long after the start of the school summer holidays here in Scotland - there will also be a number of events for children that will aim to place magic at the heart of learning, as well as using it as a vehicle to convey educational messages in different shows and workshops, from road safety to science in magic.

I'll try to keep you posted with any more information but you can sign up to get full details as they are announced by visiting the Edinburgh International Magic Festival website where I understand they will be announcing the full line-up of performers in the not too distant future.

I'm looking forward to it - maybe I'll see you there.

Speak soon.

The Cardman :-)

Reflection by Bill Goodwin

Hi folks

I first met Bill Goodwin when Paul Wilson organised for him to present his magic lecture in Glasgow a number of years ago.  The lecture he gave that day was nothing short of brilliant.  A full 2-and-a-half hour lecture was presented in about 1 hour 20 minutes!  Now, that is not anything against Bill, his lecture or his way of teaching.  He was so thorough in his lecture that we didn't need to ask any questions.

Other than a few sets of hard to find (but well worth looking for) lecture notes and the odd thing or 3 published in various magazines, including the brilliant (and well worth waiting for) Penumbra, Bill wasn't one to release large amounts of material.  He certainly did not come across as someone who would bring out a DVD but that he has done and what a DVD it is!

Reflection is a DVD that I feel any and all card magicians must - not should, MUST! - have in their collections.  The material, ranging from fairly straight forward to technical, is of the highest quality.   This 2-and-a-half hour DVD not only explains the 9 items that are listed on the back of the DVD's case but also a number of alternative endings and/or handlings for the items on the disk.

The DVD was filmed in the library of the world-famous Magic Castle in Hollywood, California, which happens to be Bill's workplace (how cool is that?!), and produced by Dan and Dave Buck.  It looks fantastic!  Most of the time, Bill performs for the camera with a hand appearing now and then to take out a card on the rare occasions that's needed.  It gives the DVD the feeling of a one-on-one lesson from a master with a deck of cards.  The DVD also comes with a booklet giving information and full credits for each effect that supplement and expand on the already full crediting that is done on screen by Goodwin.  If more DVD producers and performers did even half of the crediting that Goodwin does here, the magic world would be a much happier place.

I'm not going to discuss the material in length - I don't want to spoil any more surprises for you than I need to - but my favourites include "Off Balance Transposition", "Twisting The Kings" and Goodwin's solution to "Spectator Cuts The Aces".  The stand-out of those 3 for me was "Off Balance Transposition" which is one of the most visual and baffling pieces of card magic I have seen in a long time.  Simply brilliant.

I urge you to find this DVD and buy it.  It may not be the cheapest DVD you will buy, but it is worth every penny and you will not regret it.  The only thing I regret is not buying it sooner!!!

You can find the video trailer below and you can buy the DVD directly from Bill's website.  If you live in the UK, speak nicely to your local magic supplier - I bought mine in Tam Shepherd's in Glasgow.

Speak soon.

The Cardman :-)

Germany - Sonja, World Team Pool and a lecture

Hi folks

It feels like it, but my latest Germany trip was only 4 weeks ago and is now but a memory. Visiting Sonja for a few days as well as watching the World Team Pool Championships and doing a magic lecture in Hannover made for a busy, and fun, week.

First thing I should mention is the weather. It was COLD! Not quite as cold as it was here from mid-December to mid-January but still cold enough for there to be about an inch of ice on the ground the whole time. Luckily, the German attitude towards snow and ice is “if there is snow and ice on the pavement outside your front door, clear it!” (I just wish more people in this country would take that attitude!) so the conditions underfoot were not that bad.

A distant view of the venue of the World Team
Championships - with at least an inch of ice on the pavements!

Sonja had to work most of the days that I was there and when she was not away at work, she was working hard to prepare lessons for the following few days. I knew that she worked hard at what she did, I don’t think I realised just how hard and how much she works at home too. No wonder she’s so good at her job!

The Friday saw me travel to Hannover to watch the World Team Pool Championships at the huge exhibition area in the Hannover suburb of Laatzen. The tournament was taking place in Hall 25, alongside the ABF, a huge motor show, food and drink, leisure and camping show that takes place every year. Actually, that’s not all that was on show there but was all that I could get a chance to see!

A display of Harley Davidson motorcycles with a little bit of
the motorshow on view in the background

The 16 tables that were used for both the World Team
Championships and Bundesliga matches

The tournament itself saw some 48 4 to 6 player teams from 40-odd countries taking part in matches involving Scotch Double 8 Ball (where the players play alternate shots) and singles 9 Ball and Ten Ball. Matches would consist of 2 sets in each discipline with the winner of each match being the team that reached 4 wins. In the event of a 3-3 draw, pool’s equivalent of a penalty shoot-out would be used to decide who went through, but more on that in a bit.

The matches of the World Team Championships did not start until 6pm but that allowed the Bundesliga to use the 16 tournament tables in the playing arena for some of their matches on the Thursday, Friday and Saturday. These involved 4 player teams playing 8 Ball, 9 Ball, 10 Ball and Straight Pool and this gave me a chance to see one of my favourite players playing, in my opinion, his best discipline - Oliver Ortmann playing Straight Pool, at which he is a former US Open and World Champion. Great stuff.

One of the Bundesliga matches - from left to right:
Straight Pool, 9 Ball, 8 Ball and Ten Ball

As for the World Team Championships itself, I had a team to support - Great Britain 1, made up of Mark Gray, Imran Majid, Karl Boyes, Daryl Peach and team captain Darren Appleton. Britain had 2 teams in the event but the GB2 team, which contained 2 SAPPA players, had been eliminated by Greece a couple of days before I arrived in Hannover while GB1 seemed to be playing pretty well and winning their matches without too much bother. Their quarter final match, and the first that I would see live, was against China who are turning into a real power house of pool talent. The Scotch Doubles 8 Ball sets were shared but the Chinese won both 9 Ball sets, meaning that GB1 had to win both Ten Ball sets to force a shoot-out. 2007 World 9 Ball Champion, Daryl Peach, managed to win his leaving 2008 World Ten Ball Champion Darren Appleton to have to win his. This he did in a very tight set that had all the spectators at the edges of their seats.

Daryl Peach studies another shot in his
Ten Ball set against China

This forced the shoot-out. Pool's answer to a penalty shoot-out in football. The cueball is placed on the spot at the end where the players break from and the black is placed in a position similar to the black spot on a snooker table. The idea of the shoot-out is for 4 players from each team to take it in turns to try to cut the black directly into one of the corner pockets at that end of the table (see the image below for a better idea of both the set up and the shot). The first team to do so 6 times, with a 2 clear point margin, would progress.

The set up for the shoot-out used in the World Team Championships

The GB1 v China shoot-out ended up being one of the most exciting pool events I have seen in many, many years. In what felt like 20 minutes, an hour and a half had flown by and after some 40 attempts by each team, GB1 finally came out on top as winners in an epic that ended 27-25. What a match!

The next day, and GB1 were facing the surprise package of the event - Greece. They had eliminated GB2 in the last round before the single elimination phase started, then proceeded to eliminate the USA in the last 16 in a shoot-out, then Switzerland in the Quarter Finals. This put them up against GB1 who were still on a high from the previous evening's adventure against China.

Mark Gray and Daryl Peach watch their Greek opponent
break off at 8 Ball while Markus Hofstaetter takes
more pictures for Touch Magazine

The Greek team were tough opponents keeping things tight right through the match and it went down to the final Ten Ball set, once again involving Darren Appleton, but this time he knew that if he won then his side were in the final. And win he did, putting GB1 into the first World Team Championship final against the might of The Philippines.

Imran Majid pockets the winning 9-Ball in his set against Greece

Darren Appleton pockets the winning Ten Ball to
send GB1 through to the World Team final...

...and is more than a little relieved at the outcome.

The Great Britain 1 team at the World Team Championships:
(from left to right) Imran Majid, Karl Boyes, Mark Gray,
Darren Appleton (capt.) and Daryl Peach

Sadly, I had to miss the final but this was due to a prior engagement. I had been booked to present my card magic lecture to Magischen Zirkels Hannover (Hannover Magic Circle). Around 20 magicians turned up to listen to me talk - and without a translator! For nearly 3 hours! Now, first of all, I did not present the lecture in German! I presented it in English and they were able to understand what I was saying! I was really impressed that I was able to do it! And, they all seemed to enjoy what they saw and heard. I certainly had a good time!

A collage of images from my lecture in Hannover
(picture created by, and courtesy of, Juergen Meyer

The journey home was, to say the least, entertaining. Heavy snow started to fall on the Tuesday and by Wednesday there was a good couple of inches lying around with more falling all the time. As it was, my flight home was delayed by over an hour due to the snow at Bremen Airport but such is life and it was just another part of what had been a fun adventure.

The scene on Sonja's balcony after a little snow!

And so another trip to Germany is consigned to memory. Another trip with filled with fun and enjoyment. It was great to be able to watch the pool tournament, be able to present my lecture and, of course, be able to see Sonja for a wee while but as always, these visits always come to an end far too quickly and this one was no different. Still, there's plenty of time this year to go back a couple times more. I just hope I am able to do it!

Speak soon.

The Cardman :-)

Pat Page

The magic world has lost another giant in the form of Patrick Page. Pat was a walking, talking encyclopaedia of magic. What he did not know probably wasn’t worth knowing. He was the most brilliant all-round magical brain I have ever encountered. He was a great performer, a brilliant author and a phenomenal teacher. He was all that and a whole lot more. He was not scared to voice his opinion of a performer and criticise their performance but not in a Simon Cowell “no substance” manner. He would give his criticism and then tell you what to do to make it better.

OK, personal experience story time. Last year, I was invited to the invitation-only FFFF Convention in upstate New York. All first time attendees are expected to perform at the convention – it’s one of the rules – and I was scheduled to perform on the Thursday afternoon. When I walked out to perform, the front row was a who’s who of magic. People who’s books I had read or DVDs I had watched were sitting watching me. It was a scary prospect. I did my act and felt pretty happy about the performance. After the show had finished, I stood in the hotel lobby when Pat walked towards me. My moments of worry were halted when he stopped in front of me and said “I really enjoyed what you did. Very good.” I thanked him and he walked away. I was very touched that he would say that and very happy that it was Pat that had said that he enjoyed the performance. But I could not help but wonder if he was just being nice to me.

A couple of weeks later, I told Paul Wilson, who knew Pat a lot better than I did, that story and asked him if Pat was the sort of person to say that just to be nice. He told me he was not and that if he had not enjoyed what he had seen, he would have told me. At that moment, Pat Page walking up to me at FFFF and saying that he enjoyed my performance was confirmed as one of the highlights of my life as a performer.

If I may, and I hope Paul does not mind me telling this story, I have one more wee story for you. Now, I will tell you now that I may not have all the exact details right but this story will give you an idea how generous Pat Page could be.

Paul and Pat would try to spend an hour or 2 talking together at any convention that the 2 of them were attending. One particular year, possibly in Eastbourne, Paul and Pat were talking about a particular effect and Pat mentioned that he had published his own routine in one of his books. After a few more moments of discussion, Pat asked Paul to keep an eye on the stand for a moment. Pat went from behind his table and walked round to another dealer. When he came back, there was a copy of the book in Pat’s hand for Paul. It turns out that Pat did not have any copies of that particular book in stock, so he went to another dealer who did have it in stock, bought a copy and gave it to Paul! Yes, he bought a copy of his own book from another dealer to give to a friend as a present! I know that Paul was very touched by the gesture and I hope he does not mind me telling that wee story.

Pat Page at FFFF in 2007
(Photo courtesy of Robin Dawes)

Mr Page, you will be missed by more magicians and in more ways that you yourself would probably realise or acknowledge. Thank you for everything you have done for magic.

Speak soon

The Cardman :-(

Magic Lecture in Hannover - 7 February 2010

Hi folks

I am presenting my card magic lecture to Magischen Zirkels Hannover (or Hannover Magic Circle - click here for the website in English) on Sunday 7 February starting at 3pm at RSV Restaurant, Elbestraße 39, 30419 Hannover (click here for a map). The details of the cost of entry for non-members can be obtained directly from the club themselves. Lecture notes, in German, will be available at the lecture. I would like to send my grateful thanks to Christian Schenk of Card-Shark for his help in organising this lecture.

Whilst in Germany, as well as visiting my very good friend Sonja, I am going to be going to watch a couple of days play of the 2010 World Team Pool Championships. This brand new event will see teams from all over the world playing 8-Ball, 9-Ball and 10-Ball to find the strongest national pool playing team in the world. Personally, I cannot wait as I think it could be phenominal! I hope it lives up to expectations!

If you are going to be attending either of these events, I'll maybe see you there.

Speak soon.

The Cardman :-)

Welcome to 2010 and a wee link for you all...

Hi folks and Happy New Year

I hope this post finds you all well and fully recovered from the excesses of the Christmas and New Year season. Mine was a lot of fun with lots of time seeing family.

So, what has 2010 got in store for you? I hope that, whatever it is, it is what you are hoping for or hoping it will be.

As for me, I've not got anything much on the horizon at the moment. There are a couple of things that I will be posting about in the near future - including one in the next day or 2 - but for now, let me point you in the direction of a new business by one of my best-est friends.

Regular readers (hi there and thanks for reading!) will remember me talking about 2 of my best friends - Peter and Janice. Well, Janice recently started up an online business selling clothes called "Janice's Bitza Store" and I thought that you might be interested in having a wee look at it. Go on over and have a wee look. She's got all sorts of things in a range of sizes - you never know, you might find something you like!

Speak soon.

The Cardman :-)

2009 International Magic Convention

Hi folks

I know that it was a few weeks ago, but I have not had a lot of time to be able to post this up. So, now that I've got a few minutes, let's get typing. Now, what was I going to type about? Oh yes...

London, London, London. I enjoy my now annual visit to the "big smoke" for a bunch of reasons. The buzz of the Christmas shoppers swarming along the pavements. Meeting up with friends old and new. Oh and the International Magic Convention, or "Ron's Day".

"Ron's Day" is now a weekend full of magic from the best performers in the world. As always, it is a great mix of established names and those that have yet to become established names in the magic world. This year was no different with Rene Lavand, Armando Lucero and Geoff Williams among those on the bill.

One of the real highlights of the convention each year is the International Magic Close Up Competition for the Kevin Raey Trophy. Now in its 26th year, the competition is one of the most prestegious in magic with a list of winners that reads like a Who's Who of Close Up magic in the last quarter of a century. Here's who took part this year, as well as a few notes that I scribbled at the time.

Rob James (UK)
Rob performed some of the material from act that he performed when I saw him at the IBM British Ring Competition in Eastbourne last year. He opened with a great effect with the cards and their case which caught me out and then his very funny routine with his “gag counter”, which, in the end, revealed a selected card. Rob closed with a very funny piece that was done to music but that his “thoughts” being broadcast for all to hear.

Keith Bennet (UK)
Keith came out and performed mentalism with a rubber chicken. This may sound somewhat weird, but there were some very funny moments in this act which ended up with a selected card inside said rubber chicken.

Oliver Meech (UK)
The premise of Oliver’s act was that he had lost his luggage when travelling to the convention so was performing with things he had found in his hotel room – including being dressed in his bathrobe and using its belt as a tie. He performed a clever effect with different spirits being poured out of the same miniature bottle from the mini bar. He also performed a nice Cups and Balls routine with tea cups and tea bags.

Jean Emmanuel Franzis (France)
Some major errors marred the start of this act but he did some really nice coin productions and some excellent coin work, including a clever 3 Fly style routine and ended with a brief tribute to some of Coin Magic’s masters.

Dr Gábor (Hungary)
Gábor presented an act based around card cheating, with Ace productions from a blue-backed deck, only for the aces to change to red backed. Some confusing handling and drawn-out presentations were peppered with moments of genius, especially with his cards out of the box routine. His act came close to the 12 minute time limit and he had to rush the end of his routine.

Alexander Popov (Russia)
Popov came out with the same crazy cuts and off-the-wall attitude that had endeared those of us that saw him at FISM 2006 in Stockholm. Strange whistles and noises as he performed seemingly impossible cuts while constantly finding a selected card caused laughter – mostly because a lot of the magicians watching were being fooled by what they were seeing. Completely unique card handling and he could be the Russian Lennart Green.

Paul Brown (UK)
Sadly, I missed Paul’s act as I was too busy chatting in the Dealers’ Room. Sorry.

Vladislav Kolmykov (Russia)
There seems to be a Russian tradition for making strange noises and whistles when performing magic. Kolmykov performed a Professor’s Nightmare routine which lulled everyone into a false sense of security before they realised they’d been fooled. A very clever version of David Regal’s “Sudden Deck” was followed by an Ambitious Card routine interspersed with the continual re-appearance of the card case around the cards. The Ambitious Card ended up being sealed inside a tin of fruit slices.

Woody Aragon (Spain)
Woody performed a very nice assembly routine with the assembling cards having different backs to the rest of the deck being used. He also performed an excellent colour-changing deck and finished by “painting” with the cards to spell out “38th Ron’s Day”.

Pete Hathaway (UK)
Hathaway came across as having used an unknown compound prior to coming on stage and started with a gag prediction of a mobile telephone number. He continued with some strange card work and an Ambitious Card routine that he seemed to forget part-way through.

Charming Choi (South Korea)
Choi’s performance persona is camper than a row of pink tents with little pink bows on them. He started with an unusual piece where he made a picture of a bicycle out of Bicycle brand playing cards and then caused the wheels to spin before producing a 6-inch high bicycle. He also had a clever twist on the Matrix routine where he made drawings of coins seem to move around the page. Sadly there were a few fumbles during his act that spoiled things a little but his finish – again, to do with drawings – was excellent. I won’t spoil it here – you’ll need to try and see him perform!

Johan Ståhl (Sweden)
Johan invited the rest of the audience to watch in as he performed a cup and ball (sugar cube) routine for one member of the audience, who turned out to be a phenomenal spectator! She reacted to everything wonderfully and really helped “make” the act, during which he produced items such as cup cales and a flask of coffee. Brilliant act.

John Van Der Put (UK)
John started by changing a balloon into an egg (interesting) and followed with a very nice 3-phase card under case routine. He then finished with his well-known card into computer screen act and his “VDP Card” effect.

Later on the Saturday afternoon, the award winners were announced. They were:-
1st - Johan Stahl (Sweden)
2nd - Woody Aragon (Spain)
3rd - Rob James (UK)
Awards of Merit - Alexander Popov (Russia), John van der Put (UK) and Charming Choi (Korea)

This year's convention was being held in a new venue - The Mermaid Theatre in Blackfriars. The venue was fantastic and the staff there were superb, friendly and very helpful. It looks like the Convention has found a new home - and it's a good one!

A performer regarded as the greatest Quick Change artist in the world, Arthuro Brachetti, took time out from his busy performing schedule to come and talk to the attendees of the convention and what a fascinating talk it was, too. If you get the chance to see him perform, or if you get the chance to hear him talk about his thoughts on performance, take it!

Meeting Arthuro Brachetti

As usual, there were lectures and performances galore. Two highlights for me from the lectures were Geoff Williams, whom I had met at the FFFF Convention in America back in April. His lecture was full of clever material as well as being very entertaining and REALLY funny. If you get a chance to see him lecture or perform near you, take it!

Geoff Williams performing in the bar before the Gala Show

Another highlight from the weekend was a stroke of complete luck! On the Saturday afternoon, I was walking back into the Convention Centre after lunch and heard the phrase "let's ask Peter" as I walked by the Registration Desk. I stopped and enquired what was wrong. I was asked "would you like to help Rene during his lecture?" Hmmmm, would I like to sit on stage and watch Rene Lavand up close during his lecture? Let me think about th... OK! And so, an hour or so later, I was on stage with close up legend Rene Lavand as he presented his lecture at the Convention. It was an excellent lecture - not just because I was sitting on stage with him. He told stories, he performed brilliant card magic and he answered questions. Fantastic stuff.

Watching Rene Lavand during his lecture

One final highlight from the weekend was the presentation of the David Berglas International Award for the Promotion of Magic. This is the third year of the award with the first recipients of the award being the MacMillan family, who have organised and run the International Magic Convention since the start of the 1970s. Last year, it was Uri Geller, who was kind enough to participate in a Question and Answer session.

This year's recipient could not make it to London to accept the award as he was in Las Vegas. But, thanks to a conference link, the award was presented to David Copperfield! The magician who got me interested in magic when he vanished a 7 ton LearJet a year or 20 ago. Even though it was early morning in Vegas, Mr Copperfield was kind enough to accept questions for a room full of magicians. An interesting and entertaining hour that I will not forget in a hurry - especially since I got to ask him a question directly!

David Berglass on stage with David Copperfield
on screen live from Las Vegas

And so, another International Magic Convention came to an end. Another great weekend filled with good friends, good laughs and great magic. If you've never been to one, you don't know what you're missing. I look forward to seeing you there next year!

Speak soon

The Cardman :-)

Andrew Callum MacNee

Hi folks

I'd like you to meet...

Andrew Callum MacNee

Those of you who follow me on Facebook will already know that my Sister gave birth to a baby boy in the very early hours of last Saturday morning, 28 November 2009. Andrew arrived, as most of the family had predicted, while I was in London at the International Magic Convention (a post on which will be appearing here soon) and weighed in at 8lb 14oz (4Kg), making him the lightest of the 3 boys at birth.

Meeting Andrew for the first time

My first port of call upon arriving back in Scotland from London was to go to Mhairi and Callum's to meet my new nephew. He is absolutely beautiful, as I am sure you will agree, and his 2 big brothers adore him.

Cameron showing he's a very proud big brother

You can keep up with Andrew's progress over at Facebook, where I'll be uploading some pictures from time to time.

Speak soon.

The Cardman :-)

Geoff Williams lecturing at Paisley Magic Circle

Hi folks

Geoff Williams will be presenting his "The Lecture Your Mother Never Gave You" lecture for Paisley Magic Circle at 7:30pm on Thursday 3rd December at their usual location, St Margaret's Church Hall in Renfrew.

Geoff is the author of the critically acclaimed 2-DVD set "Miracles For Mortals" and his DVD "The 'I Hate David Copperfield' Trick" reached number 2 on the Murphy's Magic Supplies bestsellers list last year. He has presented his lecture around the USA, including at the Magic Castle, the Las Vegas Magic Invitational and the Midwest Magic Jubilee as well as in Italy and, recently, in Adelaide Australia. Prior to lecturing at Paisley, Geoff will be performing and lecturing at this year's International Magic Convention taking place next weekend in London.

On a personal note, I met Geoff at this year's FFFF Convention in New York State and he was one of the stand-out performers of the weekend, performing excellent - and fooling - magic but also entertaining everyone present with his off-beat comedy. I am sure you will enjoy him.

Hopefully see you there.

Speak soon

The Cardman :-)