Remembering Patrick Page
We’re very sad to report that Patrick Page died today. He was a brilliant Scottish magician who spent much of his life immersed in the odd business of magic in one way or another. Pat was a fantastic magic lecturer and teacher, a prolific inventor and a brilliant magical demonstrator & performer of magic, “and there is a difference”.
Pat’s knowledge of virtually every type of magic and all its allied performance arts was encyclopaedic. So too was his memory of every act he had ever seen. Not just the tricks but every move, line and subtlety stayed fresh in his memory and his willingness to share all that knowledge and help others was legendary. Pat was refreshingly blunt, quick-witted and fantastically generous.
Not long ago, Pat dropped into our offices to deliver a small magic trick that he knew would fit in my act. Despite his indefatigable spirit, he looked tired from the medical treatment he’d been receiving. When I thanked him for bringing the trick personally and not just putting it in the post, he told me, “That’s OK, you’re on my way to somewhere more interesting… and besides, I want to make sure you do it properly!” Then he stayed to give me the master class.
Patrick Page was a modest man who knew more magic than the rest of us put together. Countless magicians and others have lost a friend, but he wouldn’t want us to be sad, rather we should celebrate his amazing life.
So I’ll close with his opening, “That was a nice round of applause…can I hear it again?”