South Tyneside International Magic Festival
Friday 13th: Saturday 14th: Sunday 15th March 2009

The Magic Convention Guide will have a guide and ‘get a room’ feature on this soon…

The annual festival, which is now in its sixth year, will run from Monday March 9 to Sunday March 15, taking in venues across the borough.

South Tyneside Council, The Customs House and Martin Duffy, past President of the Newcastle Magic Circle, have conjured up a line-up of top class magicians for this year’s week-long event, sponsored by Magicbox.

Throughout the festival week, magicians will also be performing in schools and residential homes across the borough as part of the popular Magic in the Community programme. School performances will see magic being used to communicate important messages to the children including Stranger Danger, Road Safety, Healthy Eating and the Environment.

The 2009 festival will climax with an in-depth three day Magic Convention, running at the Customs House from Friday 13 to Sunday 15 March and featuring a mix of lectures and close-up sessions.

Tickets for the convention, which attracts magic enthusiasts from around the world, will be priced at £65. They include entry to the two international gala shows, plus a special midnight show at the Sea Hotel featuring renowned character magician Jasper as Russian-esque mentalist character ‘Kockov’ and deranged children’s entertainer, Uncle Al The Kiddie’s Pal.

For those attending the convention who want a closer look at magic Banachek, Bob Sheets and Paul Romhany will also be hosting personal master classes on Sunday 15 March at an additional charge.

The convention will be hosted by the Customs House Theatre in South Shields and the Sea Hotel will again be the venue for the Welcome Evening and the Midnight Show.

Full Details on the entire festival can be found here which the convention specific and booking form here

John Archer UK - Compere

John Archer is the reigning Magic Circle Stage Magician of the Year thanks to his outstanding live performances combining mentalism, mystery and comedic timing. He has also written and appeared in several television shows, including Undercover Magic (Sky 1), The Sketch Show (ITV) and Give Us a Clue (BBC1)

Steve Axtell USA – Lecture & Children’s Show – This is his first ever UK appearance

Steve Axtell and his company Axtell Expressions Inc are world leaders in the development of fun innovative puppets and magic items. Their designs have appeared in movies including Planet of The Apes, as well as on television and on stage. Several Axtell puppets will soon feature in the new $100 million dollar contract show by America’s Got Talent Winner Terry Fator at the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas. Axtell recently released its new Hands-Free Remote Controlled Animatronic Puppets and they are already in use in nearly 20 countries.

Banachek USA - Lecture, Saturday Gala Show & Close Up

Banachek is the only mentalist ever to fool scientists into believing he possessed psychic powers, just to later reveal that he was actually fooling them with illusion. Performers around the world such as Penn & Teller, James Randi and David Blaine seek Banachek’s performing expertise. The multi-award winner is also a proud recipient of the coveted Psychic Entertainers Creativity award for his original contributions and inventions in the world of mental entertainment.

Paul Dabek UK - Saturday Gala Show

Paul Dabek is one of the finest rising stars in the world of magic. He was the Magic Circle’s Young Magician of the Year in 2003, won the prestigious British Shield at the Brotherhood of Magicians convention in 2006 and has appeared on BBC TV and on various stages across the country. For the past two years, Paul has travelled the world as the star performer on Holland America, Saga and Carnival Cruise ships.

Paul Daniels UK - Friday Gala Show

Recently named as the most successful television magician of the 20th century, Paul Daniels is a household name here in the UK and has enjoyed resounding success in countries as far afield as the USA, New Zealand and Japan. In recent years he has performed on stage, on screen and on radio, wowing audiences with his unique comedy style and family friendly magic. The award-winning entertainer has also designed special effects for stage and screen including, Cats and Phantom of the Opera and most recently the English National Ballet’s revival of The Nutcracker.

Jasper UK - Lecture, Children’s Show and Midnight Show

Jasper Blakeley is one of the UK’s most versatile and exciting magic performers. Famed for the outlandish characters he portrays, including Russian-esque mentalist character ‘Kockov’ and sexually ambivalent Fabio Bendi….Balloon Modeller To the Stars, this trained singer, dancer and actor is also a talented children’s entertainer.

Patrick Redford USA - Lecture, Friday Gala Show & Close Up - This is his first ever UK appearance

With his unique Psychological Magic Patrick Redford (aka George Tait) has been bending the minds of audiences across the world for more than ten years. He has performed for a host of famous names including Metallica, Kid Rock, and Ted Nugent, produced magic for other performers worldwide and been involved in directing and writing a variety of theatrical productions.

Paul Romhany USA - Lecture, Friday and Saturday Gala Shows & Master Class - This is his first ever UK appearance.

The award-winning Paul Romhany is an innovative and hilarious performer, wowing audiences the world over. His infamous Charlie Chaplin magic act is regarded as one of the most original and entertaining shows in magic today with illusions such as a floating broom and snowstorm all delivered in the silent film star’s formidable style. Paul is also an accomplished author and acts as a consultant for magicians worldwide.

Bob Sheets USA - Lecture, Friday Gala Show, Close Up, and Master Class

Bob Sheets’ has one of the most diverse work histories in modern magic. His serious credentials, earned in a variety of venues, include circus and side show performer, magic bartender and street magician. Bob also lectures and performs for magicians all over the world including England, Sweden, Italy, Australia and India.

Russ Stevens UK - Saturday Gala Show

Russ Stevens is the UK’s leading stage and television illusionist. His ‘Theatre of Illusion’ show, which features some of magic’s most exciting and dangerous challenges, has broken numerous box office records and been enjoyed by over two million fans across all five continents. In the UK Russ has featured on all major British television networks and has enchanted audiences at several theatres in London’s West End.

Tim Vine UK - Compere

Regularly seen on stage and on screen, Tim Vine is a leading figure on the UK comedy circuit. He recently travelled around the country in his popular ‘Punslinger’ tour and earlier this year released a new DVD, “So I Said to This Bloke…” recorded during a live performance in London. Tim was one of the regular team of comedians to write for and appear in the ITV comedy series The Sketch Show and last year appeared alongside his brother Jeremy on the celebrity version of ITV1’s Who Wants to be a Millionaire.

David Williamson USA - Lecture, Saturday Gala Show & Close Up

David Williamson is one of the world’s most talented magicians. He hosted the acclaimed television series The Magic Comedy Strip in the UK and has created illusions for a variety of commercials and several TV shows, as well as consulting for illusionists David Copperfield and David Blaine on their TV specials. David was the first ever recipient of the prestigious International Brotherhood of Magicians Gold Cups Award for excellence in close-up magic.

Stephen Williams UK - Friday Gala Show & Family Magic Extravaganza

Liverpool’s Stephen Williams was named The Junior World General Magic Champion 2008 and was recently awarded Liverpool Magic Circle Magician of the Year in both the Close-up and Stage Magic categories. He has performed in the Ken Dodd Happiness Show tour across the country, appeared in the BAFTA award winning Tricky TV and was selected by Sony to promote their Bravia products via a TV commercial, filmed and broadcast in Japan. Most recently, Stephen toured with The Stephen Mulhern Show and Tricky TV Live.