The Stage

Norfolk villagers mistake Paul Daniels for impersonator

Published Tuesday 15 August 2006 at 15:30 by Maurice Gray

Paul Daniels has struggled to sell out a 150-seat Norfolk village hall, because locals thought advertisements were for an impersonator and not the magician himself.

Daniels had agreed to perform a special one off show at the venue in Spixworth after he was approached by a local fundraiser trying to generate cash to refurbish the village hall’s play area.

Lynne Jeffrey, who chairs the Spixworth Village Hall Committee, said: “We were all so surprised but delighted that such a well known celebrity should offer to come to our village hall and do a show.”

However, with less than five weeks to go until the performance, only a fifth of the available tickets had been sold.

“People thought we were offering a lookalike or impersonator and not the ‘real’ Paul Daniels,” explained Jeffreys.

Daniels helped to rectify the confusion by issuing a personal statement, confirming that it indeed was him appearing in the show on September 1.

“A few years ago I was asked to do a show in a small village hall,” he commented. “I enjoyed myself so much that every year now I perform in half a dozen such venues. Last year I finished a contract in glitzy Las Vegas and two nights later, I was performing at a village hall in Tees Valley. I like my life to be a mix of venues so when Spixworth asked, I said ‘yes’”.

He added: “Now I know more people are willing to support this Norfolk village, I have offered to perform an extra night and will be there on August 31 as well as September 1 and really look forward to it.”

Tickets for both nights have now completely sold out.