Arthur Trace opened with a Misers dream using large ‘tin can phones’, which was very nice and different, as the sounds of coins dropping into Arthurs large can, eventually ending up in the spectators can.

Arthur explained that this was a demonstration of something he likes to include in his pieces – Premise and effect / imagination and reality, in that the distance between the two cans creates a strong effect, by separating the imagination and reality across the stage.

I’ve never seen Arthur Trace perform, but he was extremely good, I loved the opening miser dream set to music, with interactions of the props (stepping on the cord between the two cans slowed down and stopped the music, tapping the can, transmitted the same sound over the the other can and so on).

Another effect proved that card magic can be theatrical, where by a selected card was revealed by another specator, again across the other side of the stage, it again devided the imagination and reality across the two sides of the stage.

Arthur had fantastic stage presenence, and did a superb lecture, although the Spanish Hall wasn’t as full as previous sessions I think it was down to the mid afternoon on the last day, as opposed to Arthur content, as he was excellent.