Magic was in the air when some 3,500 magicians gathered to watch and take part in the biggest annual extravaganza of magic in the world. Cards cavorted, doves appeared from nowhere, tables floated and CDs multiplied faster than the eye could follow. There were some 20 lectures, stage and close-up shows, four competitions and a mammoth dealers fair, where one could find any trick, book or magical accessory, and all this in just two and a half days.
Although close-up magic with an array of international stars like Michael Ammar, Daryl and Joshua Jay was as popular as ever, it was in this facet and that of the stage where the magic of Korea and Japan made such an impact. There seems to be no limit to their technical skills. In the European Magical Close-up competition Dai Hewga had a signed chosen card appear inside an iPod that had been on view throughout his show. Then, in the Intercontinental Stage Championship, the 20-year-old Han Seol-Hee from Korea had eyes popping with amazement as he made CDs change colour, diminish in size, manipulated them a la billiard balls and produced so many at the end he almost filled the stage. He was the undoubted winner, but coming a close second was Yumi from Japan. She was the epitome of grace as she skillfully made flowers appear and disappear at her fingertips, produced fans of cards and cascaded silks.
An outstanding feature from Japan was the special close-up performance by the 90-year-old Dr Sawa. He tied knots in a length of rope, only to visibly remove them. He took a small metal box that would only hold three coins and yet he was able to place a dozen inside. Finally, he produced a number of sea shells, including an oyster shell from which he produced handfuls of pearls. It was a beautiful performance.
The highlight of any convention is the Gala Show. The emcee was Derek Scott from Canada, whose crazy antics between the acts had the audience holding their sides with laughter. No wonder he is so popular on Broadway.
There was Ervan Bodiou who produced doves, birdcages and finally a duck out of nowhere. Arthur Trace, using a picture, magically extracted objects from it like balls and changed their colour. A brush of paint became a piece of paper which changed colour and then multiplied, giving a snowstorm effect. Jerome Murat was a living statue which came to life so beautifully, Tony Chapek with just a television set on the stage interacted with the person on the screen producing some unique and amazing magic with objects being passed back and forth through the screen. It is a show-stopping act.
Jeff McBride is one of the top manipulators in the world and it showed with his incredible colour-changing masks, the lovely cameo of the Miser’s Dream with a boy assistant from the audience, where coins are plucked out of the air, and the Water Bowls, which however much water is drunk or spilled over, they continue to fill to the brim. Finally, he performed some fantastic card productions and fans, ending with card spinning.
In a break from magic Tony Frebourg did Diabolo juggling the like of which has been rarely seen before, and not just that he could juggle as many as four Diabolos at a time, but the great speed at which he did it, as well as interspersing each section with gymnastics. It was a brilliant performance and he was given a long ovation.
An Ha-Lim from Korea is a world prize-winner, and one could see why with his card capers. Fans of cards appeared and disappeared at his fingertips, the cards changed colour and he produced so many they had to be swept up off the stage afterwards. It was a virtuoso performance.
Oscar, Renzo and Mara, a vibrant two-men and a girl trio from Holland, were the only illusionists in the show. At breathtaking speed the girl was produced from a cardboard box, was sliced into eight pieces and placed upside down in a number of illusions like the glass substitution trunk and the A Frame, where she visibly passed through the body of one of the men. It was a great closure to a great show.
Violinist Salene provided some great music prior to the show and during the interval.
And, of course, there was Ken Dodd, a regular at this event with some great gags. He also presented his comedy award to Russell Brown. There were other awards too. Michael J Fitch became the International Children’s Entertainer, Douglas Tilston the Junior British Magical Close-up Champion, and the Murray Award was presented jointly to Duncan Trillo and Eric Eswin the president of the International Federation of Magical Societies.
The convention organiser for this wonderful feast of magic was Derek Lever assisted by Anne Lever, Arthur Casson, David Plant and Andrew Green.
Production information can change over the run of the show.
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