Latest news from Magicians.co.uk

The Guinness World Record for the largest magic lesson has been smashed by magician Kevin McMahon (pictured). Kevin first burst on to the magic scene in 2005 in the hit reality TV show ‘Faking It’ where he was trained by our very own Nigel Mead. Originally a quiet and mild mannered scientist, the show put Kevin on the road to becoming the professional magician he is today.

Congratulations to all 1500 audience members as well as performers, volunteers and staff who were all part of this fantastic achievement which was organised by The Royal Blind Charity.

The record breaking event took place on 27th October at Fettes College in Edinburgh. The location already possesses a magical aura as it’s the exterior of the college on which J K Rowling based the description of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the Harry Potter series.

If you know any wanabe wizards, check out our teambuilding workshops where we reveal a magical secret or two.

A fantastic opportunity for fellow magicians and members of the public to learn about magic, interact and hone their skills. For 40 years magicians from around the globe have gathered to London to attend The International Convention of Magic, which will take place from 16th-18th November. Tickets are still available for the event, with Bridewell Theatre in London as the venue.

Last year was the 40th anniversary of The International Magic Convention or Ron’s Day, affectionately named after the late Ron MacMillan who first established the convention over 40 years ago. The event was marked by The London Festival of Magic, a four day event held before the weekend convention. The festival itself was so successful it has been continued for another year. With the bar now set so high the team will be pulling out all the stops to ensure it stays there.

Ron’s Day will be home to close up magic competitions, variety and gala shows and award ceremonies featuring magicians such as David Berglas, Simon Drake and Eric Mead (pictured above).

The event co-ordinator, Noel Britten, who is hosting the event has said “I have truthfully never been as excited at the line up for the show as I am this year. One of the acts is being kept secret. With him having never performed before in the UK, I want people to see his act live rather than on YouTube. All I can say is that if I won the lottery I’d employ him to perform his show daily – it is without doubt one of the most magical and hypnotising acts I’ve ever seen.”

We were delighted to learn that The Magic Circle has honoured Alan Alan with Membership of The Inner Magic Circle (Professional), this is the Society’s highest degree and has been awarded to fewer than 20 people since The Magic Circle was founded in 1905.

Alan’s standing and influence in the world of magic was previously recognised in 2006 when he received the coveted Maskelyne award for services to British magic.

To understand why this quietly spoken elder statesman of magic continues to inspire magicians, a little history lesson seems important.

In the late 19th century, Harry Houdini made headlines and stunned crowds by hanging upside down suspended by a rope as he escaped from a straightjacket.

Sixty years later, a young british performer upped the ante and added another level of risk by having the rope set alight as he was hoisted above the ground, giving him a very short time in which to escape. That fearless showman was Alan Alan.

Alan first made his name when he was buried alive in Surrey in 1949.

The stunt went badly wrong and nearly cost him his life but the resultant publicity, front page headlines and features in the news cinemas, made him a household name and he was soon headlining around the world with his spectacular act.

After his retirement from performing, Alan ran a magic business in Southampton Row called Alan Alan’s Magic Spot and began to mentor and encourage younger performers to develop their skills. Many of us owe him a huge debt and are now privileged to call him our friend.

Last week, a very few friends got together to surprise Alan with the news of his recent honour and to see Noel Britten present him with his certificate on behalf of The Magic Circle. We felt privileged to be there.

Master mentalist Derren Brown is back with a new television event, Apocalypse. Possibly his most audacious plan to date, Derren will convince someone that the world has been obliterated by a meteorite strike, leaving very few survivors. To add to the horror, the planet is now largely populated with man eating zombies who will stop at nothing to satisfy their hunger for human flesh.

The participant, supposedly someone who doesn’t appreciate life and is in the habit of taking it for granted, will be given this opportunity to take stock of what they have and learn some harsh lessons in life.

One thing guaranteed from the show is excitement. The topics covered will appeal to many viewers and interest a range of audiences from magic lovers to conspiracy theorists, provoking a host of reactions from putting on your tin-foil hat to hiding behind the sofa.

The first part of two will premiere on Channel 4 at 9:00pm on 26th October. To hire one of our master mentalists for your forthcoming event, without any risk of attack from zombies, get in touch with us.

David Guillame, a ‘gifted’ clairvoyant has conducted an eye opening experiment where random members of the public were invited to have their minds read. David is found to have an incredibly accurate insight into their lives, revealing intimate details on the participant’s lives, hobbies, tattoos and even sensitive financial details, proving his psychic powers border on the prophetic!

As the origins of his powers begin to materialise it becomes abundantly clear, in the world of telepathic abilities, a mouse may be more useful than a wand.

If you would like to hire a mind reader for your upcoming event, get in touch with our friendly bookings team.

Illusionist and ‘endurance artist’, David Blaine has completed ‘Electrified’, the latest in a long line of daring escapades. Stepping out on to a 20-foot pillar for three days and nights surrounded by an artificial lightning storm fizzling with a million volts of electric current, he wore a chain mail ‘Faraday suit’ with a wire helmet and visor, which acted as a barrier for the electric current. He describe the stunt as ‘one of the craziest things that I have ever dreamed up’ and ‘I’m literally shocked that it came together’.

Earlier in the week, Blaine admitted he was worried there may be unknown risks of exposure to such a severe lightning storm for so long a period. The death-defying magician conditioned his body for the task ahead by consistently shocking himself at home!

Blaine’s other high profile performances include Frozen in Time, which saw him encased in a massive block of ice in Times Square, New York for 63 hours, 42 minutes and 15 seconds before being removed with chain saws and Above the Below, a 44 day endurance stunt in a transparent Plexiglas box suspended on the River Thames, London where Blaine survived only on 4.5 litres of water per day. He was reported to have lost 25% of body weight.

One of our favourite paintings at Magicians.co.uk is ‘The Conjurer’. It was painted by Hieronymus Bosch during the late 15th century. The painting represents the way people are fooled by a lack of awareness and insight. The viewer, as the crowd in the painting, are focussed on ‘The Conjurer’. However, the true ‘target’ is the man at the forefront who appears so engrossed in the game of Cups and Balls, he is oblivious of his money pouch being plucked from his pocket. To see a modern version of the game, have a look at our resident ‘Beat the Cheat’, the wily Pete Wardell.

There are many more subtleties to notice in the picture such as the use of animals and the child captivated by the robbery which seems to exemplify the proverb “He who lets himself be fooled by conjuring tricks loses his money and becomes the laughing stock of children.

It’s a good thing our pickpocket, James Freedman, will give everything back as well as provide tips on how to keep your belongings safe, as pickpockets have been mastering their craft for hundreds of years.

Hollywood legend Sir Ian McKellen and promising young talent Preston Nyman were at the premier of their short film ‘The Egg Trick’ last week. The director, Stephen Kroto was also in attendance at The Magic Circle Headquarters.

Magicians James Freedman and Ben Hart were contacted by the production team to act as Magic Consultants and James, hosting the premier, talked about his experience on various films, revealing some behind-the-scenes secrets and explaining techniques that he has used to create magic for the big screen. James commented ‘It was wonderful working with Sir Ian and remarkable how quickly he learnt ‘The Egg Trick’’. Hardly surprising when you have ‘Wizard’ on your resume!

David Devant, the first president of The Magic Circle who originally performed ‘The Egg Trick’ in front of Queen Alexandra who was said to have laughed aloud to his magical ingenuity.

The performance involves a boy from the audience who is given the (losing) task of counting and holding the eggs produced from a regular looking hat but one expects it to be brimming with magical power. The soon to be baffled participant is then stunned as the eggs begin to churn out at an alarming rate until they fall to the floor and smash to pieces.

After the beautiful weather this weekend, even our magicians are amazed that Christmas is only around the corner… and the Christmas party season is even closer.

It is never too soon to start planning your Christmas entertainment and we’re ready to help you find the perfect performers for your special event. Of course the sooner you start, the more choice and options you’ll have. So book early to avoid disappointment. We’re waiting to help you.

And it really pays to call us this month, because Magicians.co.uk is offering 10% off all Christmas bookings confirmed by 30 September. Just click the link below, and be sure to quote ‘CHRISTMASMAGIC’ to claim your discount.
http://www.magicians.co.uk/xmas/

Now we’re off to write to Santa…

Things seem a little different at Magicians HQ today. Last week we said goodbye and thank you to our Sales & Marketing manager, Jackson Baugh who has disappeared to join the team at Drapers’ Company.

Over the last two and a half years, Jackson has arranged more magicians, illusionists, pickpockets and other magical entertainment than probably anyone else in the world. We’re going to miss him around here… although we won’t need to lock up our staplers & rulers any more 🙂

To watch a video of Jackson strutting his stuff on the dance floor click here