• No events.

South Tyneside Magic Convention Line Up Announced

October 17th, 2011 - Magic Convention Guide

With the continued financial support from Magic Box, the Customs House and South Tyneside Council, The 2012 South Tyneside International Magic Convention line up has now been announced. Previous registrants are given first opportunity to register, so if your not on that list youll need to wait for general registration to open up, but the line up currently includes:

David Regal ~ USA
David Regal is a television writer, creator of effects for magicians, and two-time Academy of Magical Arts Lecturer of the Year. Currently, he sits on the Board of Trustees of Hollywood’s Magic Castle. His background is live comedy, as a member of the main company of Chicago City Limits, and since moving to the Los Angeles area he has served as a head writer for Nickelodeon’s Rugrats, and has written for an array of sitcoms. Magic of his design is performed around the world.

Rob Torres ~ USA
For the past two decades Rob Torres has travelled to over 45 countries performing in theatres, circuses, varieties, galas, TV and film. His performances at the Budapest, Moscow and Monte Carlo circus festivals have all won him awards, but more than that, laughter! Rob has masterfully blended his formal training in theatre, circus arts, and pantomime together to create genuinely fun and memorable acts. From the moment he walks on stage or into the ring, Rob steps into the hearts of his audience and keeps them laughing long after he is gone.
International comedian Rob Torres can be understood everywhere, without saying a word. Whether he’s taking a photo, setting the table, or just sitting down, you’re guaranteed to have fun.
Rob has a great way of finding absurdity in common everyday tasks. If you’re looking for laughter, this is where you’ll find it. See for yourself why Rob Torres is the International Man of Mirth!!!

Levent ~ USA
Levent started out at a very young age performing throughout his native New York City. At the age of 17 he was awarded 1st prize for Stage Magic at the International Brotherhood of Magicians’ National Convention. This led him to have a 2 year engagement at Resorts International Casio Hotel in Atlantic City, where he was twice nominated “Best Act in a Production Show”. In 2005 he had the honour to perform at the Magic Circle Centenary Celebrations in London. In 2006 Levent was invited to perform at the “Society of American Magicians Annual Salute to Magic” at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center in New York. In 2007 he performed at the World Magic Seminar in Nagoya, Japan and in 2008 he travelled twice to South Korea to perform at Busan International Magic Festival and at the FISM ASIA magic convention and television series. And also one of the few entertainers to be invited to Apple Computer Company headquarters to perform for the employees. In 2009 he was a regular performer on the American television series “Masters of Illusion” on Fox’s MyNETWORK.

Christian Schenk ~ Germany
Christian believes that in 2004 a client’s trade show themed “IT’s Magic” brought him back into magic as he printed his first deck of playing cards. What he thought was just a new hobby turned out to be the most serious (and fun) part of his life. He believes that his most exciting experience was being invited to the invitation only FFFF (Fechters Finger Flicking Frolic) where he was asked to do a lecture about his creations so far.

(more…)

David Williamson Lecture – South Tyneside International Magic Festival

March 16th, 2009 - Richard Morrell

David Williamson had still not been reunited with his luggage, but this didn’t stop him giving another excellent, very funny lecture. He started off with a very easy to do spoon bending routine. A quick gag with some coins that supposedly came out of, and went back, into the pen lid and a similar gag that you can do with an iPhone.

The explanation to Torn and Restored Transposition gave David a platform to talk about the Top Change. He then performed his Sugar to Cup routine that is great for restaurant work. Next came his take on the Coins Across plot, and versions of Matrix. He then performed the Striking Vanish and gave us some ideas for usage. Lastly David finished with his take on the Famous Three Card Trick. A fantastically funny and insightful end to a wonderful convention.

Bob Sheets Lecture – South Tyneside International Magic Festival

March 16th, 2009 - Richard Morrell

DSC00909Bob Sheets was able to give a full two hour lecture as we were still awaiting the arrival of David Williamson’s luggage, so the time was extended. This allowed Bob to cover a lot of material including most of the things from his new Hospitality DVDs. Bob started off by showing and briefly explaining Ton Onosaka’s Royal Tonte that he had performed in the close-up show. He then showed Six Tricks in Two Minutes his version of the Ambitious Card crossed with a Colour Changing Deck.

It’s the Rules followed which is Bob’s handling of the Sachs Dice routine, however Bob has made it so that you can use giant dice. Bob then showed us his handling of Dan Garretts linking pin routine, a very visual linking and unlinking sequence. Next Bob showed his handling of the Sponge Bunny trick and Flash Deck which was a very good think-a-card trick.

Bob then demonstrated Marked which is his handling of a John Cornelius packet trick. He then performed and explained Gotcha a very baffling version of Triumph combined with card revelation.

Triple Transpo followed which is Bob’s handling of Copper Silver Brass, complete with excellent purse switches that elimate the need to keep going back to the pocket. 3 Ball Trick is Bob’s handling of a three ball routine, and he really showed and talked about how his personality and confidence as a Stage Magician paid off in his presentation. Lastly he quickly ran through a demonstration and part explanation of the three shell game.

Gala Show – South Tyneside International Magic Festival

March 15th, 2009 - Richard Morrell

Tim Vine Compered with his quick one-liner puns which had the audience in fits of laughter between the acts.

Stephen Williams is a young fourteen year old magician, who confidently mixed a silent style act, including cane and candle manipulation, dove productions and Losander Floating Table sequence, with a patter story about his grandfather, accompanied by Kevin James Snow Storm.

David Williamson was just hilarious and simply genius. Again like the close-up he had none of his own props due to his luggage being lost. He started off with a funny cane from mouth and card manipulation sequence. Following this was needle and thread swallowing where the needles came out of Davids mouth threaded onto the cotton he had also supposedly swallowed. A very funny card to mouth routine involved David sniffing a girls hand to help him locate the scent to be able to find the card, which was eventually found folded up in his mouth. Lastly he had borrowed some Linking Rings and a Rocky Racoon and he got two great children up from the audience, and performed a short linking rings routine, where he handed the linked set to the four year old with the line Even a four year old can do this and was proved right as he managed to unlink the rings! Lastly he performed a shortened version of his Rocky routine and ended by giving the Rocky to the four-year-old as a present.

Paul Romhany performed in the guise of Charlie Chaplin complete with costume and mannerisms. A silent act which included Linking Coat Hangers, Appearing Hat Stand, Inexhaustible Drink Trick, Large Silk Production and a beautiful floating broom illusion.

The second half consisted of just two acts, the first was Banachek who opened with a simple four card revelation using no visible deck of cards, just asking four people to stand and seemingly naming their thought of card. Next he performed a Telephone Directory test using his business card to arrive at a freely stopped at telephone number which he had predicted in advance. A question and answer test followed in which questions and personal information, in sealed envelopes, written by audience members in the interval, where successfully divined by the mentalist. To finish a great piece of theater which was a Russian roulette type routine using flick knives. Three knives where sealed in envelopes with their blades shut, and two knives had their blades open inside the envelope. Banachek managed to pick out the audience members who held the safe knives, which is just as well as they dramatically stabbed him with the closed knives, and he then revealed that the remaining knives did indeed have their blades extended inside the remaining envelopes.

Russ Stevens closed the gala with a number of illusions and smaller magic. He started with a cane and silk sequence, followed by Cube Zag, then the Pavel Walking Knot. Next a slicer illusion which saw the girl cut into six pieces, following this a card manipulation sequence set to the Shape of My Heart tune. Lastly he closed with a giant cabinet that revolved cutting the girl into numerous pieces, after restoring her he produced a second girl from the same box, to close the show in spectacular fashion.

Paul Romhany Lecture – South Tyneside International Magic Festival

March 15th, 2009 - Richard Morrell

Paul Romhany started off his lecture with Clean Sweep, a novel prediction routine combining the Fred/Phil deck with a Wayne Rogers appearing Broom. An idea for a business card signature transposition followed with a second phase using the Out-to-lunch principle.

Next Paul demonstrated his take on Confabulation and the classic Mutilated Parasol where the parasol takes on the image of the newspaper in which it is wrapped. Pin Number was an Add a Number variation using a Bowling Pin as the prediction.

Finally Paul demonstrated another out-to-lunch variation using a photo of a fortune cookie that became printed with a fortune and the chosen total number. A practical lecture filled with lots of usuable ideas and effects.

Patrick Redford Lecture – South Tyneside International Magic Festival

March 15th, 2009 - Richard Morrell

Patrick started his lecture by explaining he normally performs under his real name of George Tait, but publishes all his magic under the name Patrick G Redford. He explained some of the material he had used in the Gala Show.

He started with Quartet which was the clever coloured envelope prediction, and the applications to using the principle for Telephone magic, where he was able to divine the order of any four objects the spectator had mixed.

Patrick then went on to explain a very clever and almost sleight-free way of doing an any-card-at-any-number presentation, using two decks, one which was in a bag, guarded by a spectator. The named card and number decided upon and demonstrated with the first deck, the second deck removed from the bag by the spectator, from which they counted down to the number to find the card.

He then briefly went through the first phase of the Glemme routine he performed in the close-up so we could see the scripting and the twist on the dual-reality principle. Finally to close the lecture he explained the Bear prediction piece he had performed on the Gala show. A fascinating lecture, with some very clever thinking and routining.