Magazine of The Magic Circle February 2013

Arthur Benjamin
Mathemagician
 THE MAGAZINE OF THE MAGIC CIRCLE
Issue 1159 Volume 107 February 2013
EDITORIAL 07507 275 285
EDITOR Will Houstoun
Editor@[Link]
40 Derby Road, London, SW14 7DP
ASSISTANT EDITOR Tim Reed
ASSOCIATE EDITORS
Anthony Brahams, Dr Edwin Dawes,
Scott Penrose, Ian Rowland, David Tomkins
CONVENOR OF REPORTS
Mandy Davis
Mandy@[Link]
PAGE 34 PAGE 41 PAGE 48 PAGE 56 DESIGN 020 8521 2631
ART DIRECTOR
FEATURES John Hawkins
[Link].7@[Link]
40 The Hoffmann Memorial Lecture 104d Grove Road
Walthamstow E17 9BY
44 Arthur Benjamin – Will Houstoun
PROOFREADERS
Paul Bromley, Julie Carpenter,
REGULARS Barry Cooper, Tim Reed, Lionel Russell,
Mary Stupple, Rob James, Darren Tossell
34 President’s View PHOTOGRAPHERS
John Ward, Mark Hesketh-Jennings,
34 Circular News ADVERTISING 07767 336882
36 Letters to The Editor BUSINESS AND ADVERTISING MANAGER
Scott Penrose
37 Magic in the Regions – Elizabeth Warlock Advertising@[Link]
38 Cheeky Dog Chicanery – David Tomkins 17 Berkeley Drive, Billericay Essex CM12 0YP
MISSING AND BACK ISSUES
41 In This Month – Will Houstoun 01923 267 057
42 Adopt, Adapt and Improve – Walford Taylor Michael Candy
Sound of Music, Harthall Lane,
48 A Rich Cabinet of Magical Curiosities – Edwin A Dawes Hemel Hempstead,
Herts HP3 8SE
52 Club Night Events – Mandy Davis
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56 Circular Mentalism – Ian Rowland
58 Reviews Copyright © 2013 by The Magic Circle. All rights reserved. No part
of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval
system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic,
59 My Favourite Books – Brian Sibley mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the
prior permission of the Editor of The Magic Circular.
Views expressed in The Magic Circular are those of the
60 Obituaries contributors and do not necessarily represent the views of
The Magic Circle unless specifically stated. Whilst every effort is
61 The Magic Circle Cares – David Hatch made to ensure the accuracy of all information published in
The Magic Circular, the Editor, Art Director, Staff and The Magic
Circle cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions.
62 Council Minutes Contributions must reach the Editor six weeks in advance of
publication if it is essential that they should appear in the
second month following’s issue and should be sent via email,
64 Forthcoming club events – Noel Britten on computer disk or on CD whenever possible.

Cover
Arthur Benjamin
something that could be appreciated by a lay audience
Photo: courtesy of
Harvey Mudd College THERE IS A WAY and could not, therefore, relate to the methodological
side of the performance.
I think at least part of the reason that Wicked has this
scope, and most magic lacks it, is that in Wicked the
Will Houstoun AIMC
characters have a depth that eludes almost every
Published by
The Magic Circle magician. Instead of simply being good or bad, for example,
12 Stephenson Way The last issue of The Magic Circular was the start of a new the characters all feature elements of both traits and the
London NW1 2HD
VAT Reg No 233 8369 51 volume. This month’s issue, however represents a more audience’s interest in them is generated by the way in
All enquiries personal milestone. This time last year, with the help of Matt which these elements conflict and combine. Comparing
T 020 7387 2222
Field and all the magazine’s contributors, I was preparing this depth to the average magician’s character, little more
my first issue. Now, one year later, I am putting the finishing than a performer of amazing trivialities, is like comparing
touches to my thirteenth. That means I have completed my an artist’s work to a child’s finger painting.
first full suit of Circulars – can you tell I am a card magician? Would this depth add anything to a magic show? The
Before Christmas I was lucky enough to go and see most amazing magic I have ever seen were the effects at
Wicked for the third time and, if anything, I enjoyed it the end of Ghost The Musical. The technical magic was
more than the first two times. It did, however, make me fantastic, but what really made it was the magic’s
think about how few magic acts I would want to watch function and purpose in the overall plot. So perhaps it is
three times and, more importantly, how many I would worth thinking about...
gain new insight into each time I saw them. Making it
even harder to think of examples, that insight must be
 CIRCULAR NE
PRESIDENT’S VIEW
THE MAGIC CIRCLE
CLOSE-UP COMPETITION
The Magic Circle’s annual Close-up
Competition will be held on 4
Jack Delvin MIMC March 2013 and, with the deadline
for entries on 17 February, there is
still time to enter. The Competition
offers a chance to showcase your
latest work to fellow Magic Circle
Members as well as to win one of
the United Kingdom’s most

T here are talkers and there are doers. So

said Ken Brooke to me many years ago.
Someone said he got it from Jack Le Dair.
magical apparatus from the past, a function room,
a club room and a super theatre.
All this costs money, a huge amount of money.
prestigious magic awards so it is
well worth considering making an
entry! Full rules and the entry form
Someone else wrote in a newspaper that If we are to continue to achieve our aims it can be found on The Magic Circle
‘planning’ was his favourite activity. The more is essential that we ensure we always have Website in the Members’ area.
planning he did, the less time there was for work. premises large enough for the purpose. No
There was a cartoon in another newspaper which income – No outcome. THE SECRET WORLD OF
showed a hut with a few people inside that was For several years now our main source of income CHARLES DICKENS
signposted ‘thinkers’. Next to it was a huge has come from hiring our premises to the corporate For the bicentennial of the birth of
country mansion signposted ‘doers’. world. With the state of the economic situation Charles Dickens in 2012, Ian Keable
There is of course room for both in any society. we have been suffering from over the past few devised a show which celebrates
Where it doesn’t quite work out is that the years our income from this source has been Dickens both as an amateur
planners come up with their brilliant schemes and steadily diminishing, rather like Chapender’s cards. conjurer and also somebody with a
expect the doers to get all enthusiastic and run There is, as I have already stated, no reason sceptical approach to spiritualism
around making it all happen. why we would shouldn’t dream of magnificent and Victorian psychics. The show,
It seems to me that most projects only come things in the future but, unfortunately we have no called The Secret World of Charles
into fruition when the planners get right behind idea what the future will bring. We can’t really see Dickens: Mirth, Marvels and the
the scheme and make it work themselves. They into the future you know, all we can do is pretend Mysterious, was first performed
have the idea so they have the motivation to do we can with billet switches, swami gimmicks,
the work to make it happen. loading locked boxes, and similar artifices. UCLU VARIETY NIGHTS
I previously wrote that, as a project for the For instance; we don’t know how the extension Ed Hilsum, one of The Circle’s
future, Members might like to visualise a to Euston Station will affect us; I don’t think the younger Members who has been
headquarters that had bedrooms for visitors, planners know either. We know it is coming much making quite an impression with
a car park and a big theatre. closer, possibly on our doorstep. We don’t know his dove act, has recently
We can all dream, dreams cost nothing, and what will happen to our cobbled street, whether launched a new London Variety
there is nothing wrong with dreaming. You all we will still be able to park there or not. Night in association with his
know that the main aims of The Magic Circle are What can we do? What must we do? We have University magic society. There
to be accepted in the world of magic, and by the no idea if the economic situation is going to get are currently two planned shows
general public, as the most prestigious club that better or worse; whether the corporate world will
every magician wishes to join; that Members of continue to hire our premises. Personally I always
The Magic Circle are special. We also aim to look on the bright side. This loss of income has
preserve the literature, artefacts and archives of been made up by increasing our entertainment
magic, and thereby teach future devotees its output. If we make a huge effort and increase the
history. number of Meet The Magic Circle shows, increase
In addition we aim to teach the secrets of good the very successful Close Up Shows, and put on
performance of magic, but only to those who are more stage shows, we might, one day, manage to
genuinely interested, by presenting lectures and exist by magic alone; just like the Maskelyne and
publishing our magazine. And, perhaps most Devant shows all those years ago.
important of all, we must bring magic before the
very eyes of the public by performing all types of
magic for their enjoyment.
To do this we need space so we have bought
our own headquarters which includes a vast
library of books and posters and a museum in
which we house a huge valuable collection of President@[Link]

34 THE MAGIC CIRCULAR FEBRUARY 2013 [Link]

WS
at the famous Charles Dickens THEO THE MAGICIAN
Museum in London. Theo The Magician, a Magic Circle
Ian has now revived the show for Member, had a daughter Elena,
2013 and will be giving monthly who was born ten weeks early
performances at Lauderdale House weighing only two pounds. She
in Highgate, London, from February was very well looked after at The
to July. For more details about the Neonatal Unit at St Helier Hospital
show, the venue, and to buy tickets and, for the last ten years, Theo has
online visit used his magic to raise money for
[Link] the hospital. As part of World
.uk Alternatively, contact Ian Prematurity Day, on 17 November
directly at ian@[Link] or 2012, Theo and his family were
0207 263 0261. invited to a special reception at
The Neonatal Unit and Theo was
presented with a special award in
recognition of his fund-raising
work. Theo The Magician

SAFIRE AWARDED IBM

PRESIDENTIAL CITATION
At their annual dinner Members
Stuart and Jayne Loughland, joint
Presidents of The North Wales
Magic Circle, where honoured by
the presence of the International
President John Pye of the
International Brotherhood of
Magicians.
During the evening Stuart and
Jayne otherwise known as Safire
taking place on 26 February and Illusionists were presented with
14 March. The February line-up an IBM Presidential Citation by
includes Members Christian Lee John for their contribution to
and Mat Ricardo as well as Jo the furtherance and promotion
Below (as seen in the Larry of magic in the world of
Barnes Tribute Night), Chris Cox entertainment. Congratulations Stuart and Jayne Loughland presented with their Presidential Citation
and Jasmine Tribe. That is a tough to them both. by John Pye
group to better but March’s
show certainly looks like it will JOHN HILL PRESENTED
maintain the standard with Noel WITH BRITISH RED CROSS
Britten, Richard McDougall and BADGE OF HONOUR
Martin Taylor already confirmed. Member John Hill recently received
Up to date information on the one of the highest awards from
show can be found at The British Red Cross, at their
[Link] London Assembly, The Badge of
Honour. The Badge was presented
in recognition of John’s
longstanding dedication to the
organisation and, in particular, for
his work providing first aid training.
Regular Monday Night Circle
Members will be aware of John’s
work at The Magic Circle in the
Mat Ricardo form of his Emergency Life Support
Courses and it is a pleasure to
see his wider contributions being
recognised by The Red Cross. John Hill with his award and MP David Burrowes

[Link] FEBRUARY 2013 THE MAGIC CIRCULAR 35

 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
The Moon Landing present HQ he took on the role of Premises Manager for a year or so.
I received the January Circular this morning and really enjoyed the article For some months during the Victory Club years, Monday Nights and
on The Magic Castle. I have had the pleasure of lecturing there on five other special events were held in the Players’ Theatre, down at Charing
occasions, and also giving over one-hundred performances during my Cross. In one of those Monday Night programmes I recall Jim
visits. participating in a Music Hall role, that of an absent minded curate,
My first visit was in 1969 and, guess what? It was the date referred to entering initially from the back of the stalls. In more recent years he was
by Joan Lawton in her article! I actually gave my first lecture there on that present on at least some Monday Nights.
afternoon of Sunday 20 July 1969 and was in the bar to watch the first I rather lost regular contact with him after I ceased to be one of the
man walk on the moon afterwards. Later, I was taken to the airport by Bill Tech Team for At Homes but our paths crossed again earlier in 2012. For
Larsen to catch my plane and, as I was flying over the Atlantic, I thought many years Jim had lived in North London but after several months in
to myself: “There are a couple of guys up there plodding around the hospital late last year he moved to Beckenham, to be near his family and
moon picking up samples of rock.” relatives. So our paths crossed again when he needed to catch up with
As I was leaving The Castle that afternoon Dai Vernon came up to me missing Circulars. During a long phone call I discovered that he was
and handed me an envelope containing a letter talking about the success eighty years old.
of my shows. It rounded off a wonderful week at America’s Home of Another of The Circle’s many behind-the-scenes workers has left us. So
Magic. rest in peace, dear friend, it has been a pleasure to have had your
With kind regards and best wishes for 2013. acquaintance over a number of years.
Tony Griffith MIMC Sincerely yours,
Michael Candy MMC
Jim Berry MMC
I was sorry to hear of the demise of Jim Berry in David Hatch’s column in [This letter was originally sent in August 2012 but failed to reach me. On
the August Circular. Both Jim and I had been involved in ‘back-room’ discovering this Michael sent me a copy and, as it is so important to
activities for many years. I recall him being, I think, one of the stage staff recognise the work Members have done and continue to do for The Club, I
at Chenies Mews, in the days of Al Woodrow and Les Nottle. During our decided to included it in the present issue, better late than never. Ed.]
interregnum years at the Victory Services Club he was certainly one of the
Tech Team, principally I recall for the At Homes. After our move to our A Rich Cabinet
I was consoled to read in Dr Dawes’s A Rich Cabinet of Magical
Curiosities (The Magic Circular, December, 2012) that when performing at
the Scala Theatre, Lenz had dropped his Indian Moon with a resounding
thud on the floor when it became detached from its gimmick. It reminded
me that in 1951 I acquired an Indian Moon from Max Andrews and was
performing the effect at the slightly less prestigious venue of the Parish
Hall of St Michael the Archangel, Aldershot, when the same thing
happened to me. With some embarrassment I picked it up and continued
the second phase of the routine using the loop and loop of thread
method. Afterwards a lady approached me and said how much she was
intrigued by “the floating ball”. “I don’t know how that was done”, she
declared. “Until it crashed to the ground I thought it was a light weight
Pâpiér-Mache ball held up by a thread!”
It was a bit of a back-hander, though – if I had been performing it as
well as Lenz did she would have said “That was real magic.”
Kind Regards,
Walford Taylor AIMC

Roy Hobbs
We were so sorry to hear of the death of our good friend Roy Hobbs,
MIMC who passed away peacefully in a Nursing Home in Minehead on
the 26 November, aged eighty-seven.
We first met at a Supreme Convention and discovered that he lived in
Minehead and we holidayed at Dunster, just up the road. He was better
known as Roy Van Dyke, the comedy balloonologist and we had some
good times together with plenty of jokes. He never stopped – almost like
“Doddy” and when he stayed with us we were always laughing.
He was one of my mentors and showed me what life as a full-time,
busy, working pro. was all about.
You can bet on one thing – wherever he is he will soon have everybody
laughing.
Bernard Juby MIMC

36 THE MAGIC CIRCULAR FEBRUARY 2013 [Link]

 MAGIC IN THE Promoting the Art of Magic to Jeff McBride
who joins the list of previous winners of this

REGIONS prestigious award like Uri Geller, David

Copperfield, Juan Tamariz and Derren Brown.
Within one month the magic world lost
two of its prominent players, Alan Shaxon
and Tom Owen whose obituary appears in
Elizabeth Warlock MIMC another section of this magazine. When Alan
died on October 28 at the age of 78 after a
brief illness, magic lost a man who epitomised
the very essence of what a stage magician

T here is no doubt about it November was

a magical month.
The Leamington & Warwick Magic Society
the Bridewell Theatre on the Saturday evening.
Effortlessly combining superb technical skills
with his trademark humour, it was a virtuoso
should be: suave, handsome and always
impeccably dressed with magic that matched.
Assisted by his wife Anne he performed at top
Annual dinner has always been regarded as performance and he received a long standing cabaret and theatre venues around the world
one of the best magic dinners in the country ovation at the end from the packed audience. with an act that included such effects as the
since the inception of the Society in 1948, After seeing him I am sure many will have felt Human Gasometer, Thumb Tie, Bill in Rope,
and the one held at a Honily hotel on Friday like throwing their decks of cards away. Aerial Fishing and the Hydrostatic Glass for
9 November certainly lived up to its But away from cards there was Rick Merrill which he will always be remembered. He also
reputation. Some one-hundred-and-thirty performing a fun routine with a coin and performed illusions especially those created
members and partners enjoyed a good meal marker pen which kept appearing and by his great friend Robert Harbin.
even if somewhat protracted, the awarding of disappearing, Jeff McBride gave us the beautiful He was the recipient of many major
prizes for competitions held during the year, a water bowls effect Awards including The Maskelyne, but perhaps
raffle and a great cabaret headed by Paul Jeff McBride and Eric Mead did his greatest honour was being President of
Daniels. For some forty-five minutes Paul held some nice coin The Magic Circle from 2003 to 2008. He will
the audience spellbound as he chatted them
gave us the work. be sadly missed, and to his wife Anne, their
up as only he can and performed such gems beautiful There was so children and grandchildren we offer our
as the Chop Cup and the Bill in the Lemon, water bowls much more though condolences in their great loss. Rest in peace
Egg and Walnut. What a great entertainer. like the recreation Alan.
Later in the month the MacMillan Family
effect of a Dunninger The name of Davenport has been in the
held their forty-first International Convention one-hour radio show with Joe Atmore as forefront of magic for over a hundred years,
once again at the excellent Mermaid Dunninger assisted by Matt Field and Marvin so when Fergus Roy gave a lecture on the
Conference and Events Centre, from Berglas. A barefoot Ian D Montfort presented a history of this dynasty to the British Magical
November 16 to 18, preceded by a five day very funny mock mentalism show, lectures, Society here in Birmingham it made for a
Festival of Magic with each day devoted to shows and a close-up competition which was fascinating evening. Accompanied by a
an aspect of magic. The Tuesday which Mike won by Pierric from Switzerland who combined PowerPoint presentation, he traced the family
Gancia and I attended was on cards with comedy with superb technical skills to create a back to 1898 when Lewis Davenport first
lectures by our Editor Will Houstoun, Michael brilliant and unusual act that never quite opened his shop in London through to the
Vincent, Vincent worked with cards, coins, the Cups and Balls current day
It was good Heden and and his watch that kept moving from one wrist The name of where his great
as always Woody Aragon. It to the other.
Davenport has grandson Billy
was not one card Included in the Gala Show there was the now runs the
meeting up trick after beautiful manipulation act of Lukas from been in the empire from
with so many another, but [Link], who dressed entirely in black and using forefront of their premises in
of our based more on white props, had cards, balls and flowers
magic for over Charing London’s
the theory, appearing and vanishing at his fingertips. The Cross
Members structure and magic just seemed to happen. Jeff McBride was a hundred Underground
philosophy of card magic making it feel more the complete showman with his wonderful years Arcade since the
like a university seminar. It was a brilliant day. changing masks, the Miser’s Dream with a semi-retirement
At the convention itself it was good as young boy from the audience, and card of his mother Betty Davenport. His brother
always meeting up with so many of our spinning; Stephen Bargatze performed an Roy famous for his manipulative act is
Members from far and wide. On the hilarious straight jacket escape, and Neil Austin currently preparing for the upcoming opening
performing side Noel Britten was much in kept the audience laughing with vanishing of Davenport’s Magic Kingdom in Norfolk
evidence, not only as the arranger of the candle and bottle of coke, a dress change, where there will be a museum showing their
talent but also as emcee for the Gala Show comedy bits of business and a self levitation. No vast collection of magic and artefacts, as well
where he was able to show his great gift of wonder he is a favourite with cruise audiences. as live performances and various sideshows.
comedy. But once more it was the close-up A highlight of this convention was the We look forward to this exciting event.
which dominated, outstanding of which was presentation by David Berglas of his I’ll be with you again soon with more
the brilliant one man show of Juan Tamariz at International Award of the Foundation for News from the Regions. l

[Link] FEBRUARY 2013 THE MAGIC CIRCULAR 37

 Tri-Balls

Y ou may recognise Tri-Balls as a variation of an effect originally

called Twentieth Century Wand, which used coloured
handkerchiefs. This version incorporates a different principle and uses
the green ball first, followed by the yellow, then the red.
Next, the red ball is dropped in the red end and the green ball is
dropped in the green end. Both ends capped. The yellow ball remains. You
plastic balls instead. The balls are the type used in children’s ball ponds. explain that it’s the yellow ball’s turn to do some magic. At this point you
(The balls can be purchased online.) vanish the ball by your ‘favourite method.’ I use a change bag. After some
byplay, the yellow ball disappears. On opening the tube, the balls are
Effect rolled out. First the red, in the middle the yellow ball, followed by the
A tube is displayed, divided into three coloured sections, red, yellow green.
and green. Each end has a removable cap. One cap is removed and a
red, yellow and green ball slowly roll out. The colours are seen to Apparatus
match the order in which they appear on the tube. The tube is held The Tube – You will need a tube that is long enough to contain four balls
open-end up and, from the bottom, the tube’s colours are green, yellow in a row, plus about an inch over on the length of the tube itself. Suitable
and red. The green ball is dropped in first to match the green section. tubes are available in large sweet stores or you could try looking at the
Next the yellow ball is put in and then the red ball goes on the top. Post Office for poster tubes. Decorate the outside of the tube using
Everything matches. The cap is replaced and the tube placed coloured sticky back fablon in three even sections – green, yellow, green.
momentarily behind your back. Note the black spacer, half a centimetre wide, between the colours. Also
Abracadabra! The tube is brought back into view and you take a note that there is a similar black edge around top and bottom of the tube.
peek inside stating that the colours have now changed places. The red These end bands should be made of thick black cartridge paper so as to
ball is at the green end and the green ball is at the red end. The tube is stop the gimmick, described next, from sliding right off the ends.
recapped and you offer to make the red and green balls go back again. To make the sliding gimmick cut a length of red sticky back fablon, the
Abracadabra! This time, after passing the tube behind your back once same width as the coloured bands on the tube. The length of this section
more, you peek inside stating that the two balls are now back in their needs to be long enough to go round the tube once, plus two
correct order again and you prove it by tipping them slowly out to centimetres. Cut one centimetre off one end of the backing paper leaving
display. Of course the children are not impressed. the rest of the backing paper exactly as it is! Carefully roll this section
Offering to repeat the miracle, the three balls are dropped inside, in around the tube, then stick the sticky area down onto itself so it forms a
order, to match the tube. It is again placed behind your back. The magic sliding tube. Make sure it grips tight enough that it only slides up and
words are repeated and you peek inside again. Everyone wants to see down the main tube when you want it to. As it slides up and down, it is
what’s happened this time, so the cap is removed and the balls slowly prevented from sliding right off by the black strips. The complete tube can
rolled out. The magic’s worked! With the red end uncapped, out rolls be seen in figure one.

l Magic Circle Umbrella. Navy blue with silver coloured

THE MAGIC CIRCLE handle and printed silver logo. Automatic opening. £14.95
l Magic Circle Playing Cards. Poker size with black backs
and gold coloured logo. £3.95 each or £6.95 for two.
SHOWCASE l Magic Circle Key Ring. £1.95

sales
l Postcards. Four styles depicting posters from The Circle
Collection, namely Soo, Devant, Le Roy and Hertz. £2.00 for a set.
l Bob Read’s Magical London Map. £2.95
l Inside The Magic Circle. Souvenir booklet. £1.95
l Tie £10.00
l Moleskine pocket ruled notebook with debossed
Magic Circle logo, 192 pages £13.50
l Moleskine large plain notebook with debossed
Magic Circle logo, 240 pages £17.50

MEMBERS ONLY
*please state your Degree when ordering
l Button Badge* £3.95
l Deluxe Gilt Button Badge* £5.95
l Jewel with or without Star* £13.50
l Cufflinks* £13.95

These items can be purchased from the Showcase at The Magic Circle
For more information Email Headquarters on a Club Night or can be sent by post to your address
ShowcaseSales@[Link] (P&P extra). Credit cards (Visa and Mastercard) and cheques drawn on
or telephone 0207 387 2222 a UK bank accepted (cheques payable to “CMA Ltd”).

38 THE MAGIC CIRCULAR FEBRUARY 2013 [Link]

 CHEEKY DOG CHICANERY

David Tomkins MIMC

Inner Feke – You need a piece of clear, strong but flexible, plastic, three right hand places the tube onto the left palm which supports it as the
centimetres wide by eight centimetres long. Carefully bend it widthways right hand slides the red feke down to the base. The left hand then
so that one section is three centimetres long. Attach this gimmick inside grips the tube and brings it in to view again, now green end up. Hold
the tube as shown in figure two. The five centimetre section protrudes at the centre of the tube with the right hand and, with the the left hand
an angle into the tube and will act as a stop during the routine. You may remove the uppermost cap. Very slowly tip the balls out so that the
need to adjust the position of the plastic gimmick by bending it a little so audience can see that the red and green balls have transposed.
that the hidden yellow ball doesn’t rattle around during the routine. It At this stage of the routine, you should have a red, yellow and green
needs to be gently wedged between the gimmick and the tube cap. ball on display. The tube’s bottom (red) end is capped, and it is open at
the top. The hidden yellow ball is held in the bottom of the tube.
The Balls – You will need one red ball, one green ball and two yellow balls. Ask what colour is at the top of the tube and when the children call
out “green” drop the green ball inside and replace the cap. Turn the
The complete set of props can be seen in figure three. The measurements tube over and ask what colour is at the top now. When they say “red”
of my props are as follows, although different sizes would still work. remove the cap and push the red ball down inside. When you do this
Balls – Six centimetres in diameter. the red ball will push the hidden yellow ball down past the plastic
Tube – Twenty-four centimetres tall and eight-and-a-half centimetres gimmick so it lands on the green ball at the bottom. The red ball should
wide. also be pushed down past the gimmick so that all three balls are
Coloured bands on Tube – Seven centimetres tall. together with the yellow ball in the middle. Replace the cap, then
reverse the tube and place it on the table, green side up.
Set-Up To conclude the routine, vanish the visible yellow ball using your
Stand the tube up on the table so that the inner plastic feke is at the favourite method. If you use the six centimetre ball mentioned earlier, it
bottom. Move the sliding gimmick up to the top so the colours are, from is very easy to vanish it in a regular change bag, as it’s not too
the top down, red, yellow and green. Drop the green ball inside, followed bulky. After the vanish, pick up the tube, remove the cap and, one last
by the yellow, then the red. The ball positions will match the colours on time, slowly roll the balls out to display the green ball first, followed by
the tube. Place the cap on the tube to secure them. Turn the tube over the yellow ball, and then the red one. l
and drop the extra yellow ball in the gimmicked end before replacing
cap.

Handling
Display the tube red end up. Remove the cap and tip the tube allowing
each ball to slowly roll out, emphasising that the balls match the exact
positions of the colours on the tube. Put the tube down and ask what
colour should be placed back inside first? With the green band at the
bottom of the tube it has to be the green ball! “What colour next?” Put
the yellow ball in. Finally, ask about the last colour and drop the red ball
in before recapping the tube.
Place the tube behind your back for a few moments uttering the magic
words... Abracadabra!
Bring the tube back into view again and peep inside one end of the
tube, replace cap then peep into the other end. Exclaiming that the magic
has worked and the red ball has changed places with the green ball. The
children will want to actually see that the two balls really have changed
places but do not show them, giving plenty of opportunity for business. Fig:2
You will now apparently repeat the same actions but secretly slide the
red section down the tube. This is how to do it. Hold the tube with the red
end uppermost and grip the red section with the right hand. As both Fig:1 Fig:3
hands go behind your back, the left hand is held flat, palm upwards. The

[Link] FEBRUARY 2013 THE MAGIC CIRCULAR 39

 The Hoffmann Memorial Lecture 2013
The Hoffmann Memorial Lecture is a competition designed to
encourage research into subjects related to the history, theory
and practice of magic. Members of The Magic Circle are
invited to spend a few months researching a topic and then
writing a 4000 word lecture based on their research. The
winner is presented with a print of a specially commissioned
Hoffmann artwork, given free Membership to the society for
the following year and invited to present their research at
The Magic Circle on a Club Night as well as having it published
in The Magic Circular and on our website.

Following the success of the 2012 competition the winner, David Fung,
has suggested a subject for The Hoffmann Memorial Lecture 2013:

Discuss the way in which magic is, or has been,

used in society.

A few possible angles from which to approach the subject include:

l Within the world of magic there are many different types of

professional performer who fulfil very different roles, for example the
children’s magician, the restaurant table-hopper or the cruise ship
illusionist. Look at some of the different performing professions of
magic that exist and their roles in society.

l The purpose of magic for a professional magician may be very different

to the purpose for an amateur magician. Compare and contrast their
approaches to the subject and the way it affects their performances.

l Magic has sometimes been used as a tool to serve a greater goal,

such as Robert-Houdin’s performances in Algeria in support the French
government. Examine the ways in which magic has been used to
support a social purpose other than entertainment.

l As well as dedicated magic shows, magic and magical techniques

often play a supporting role in areas such as film and theatre.
Investigate the ways in which magic has been used in support of the
other arts.

l Magic has been used ‘honestly’ by performers for centuries but its
techniques have also been appropriated by charlatans such as
fraudulent mediums and cult leaders. Discuss the difference between
these ‘honest’ and ‘dis-honest’ uses of magical techniques.

The deadline for entries is the 31 August, 2013 and submissions or

questions should be sent to hoffmann@[Link] or
The Hoffmann Memorial Lecture,
The Magic Circle,
12 Stephenson Way,
Euston,
London,
NW1 2HD

Full rules of the competition can be found in the Members’ section of

[Link] in the Library section or in the February 2011
issue of The Magic Circular.

40 THE MAGIC CIRCULAR FEBRUARY 2013 [Link]

 IN THIS
MONTH
Will Houstoun AIMC

Cardini

In February, 1938, Richard

Valentine Pitchford, better
known as Cardini
completed his
three-hundredth
performance at The
Palladium. Cardini’s act
was truly beautiful, and in
many ways is unsurpassed
today, but what was it that
made him so good?

I would suggest that

perhaps it was a
combination of two major
skills that are very rarely
found together. There are
many magicians who have
obtained prodigious levels
of skill in technical
manipulation and there are
some, although possibly
fewer, magicians who have
developed a well-rounded
and interesting
performance character.
Cardini, more than almost
any other, managed to
achieve both skills,
combining the finest
technical ability with a
beautifully constructed
character in an act that still
stands out as a thing of
beauty.

If you haven’t seen

Cardini’s act before you are
in for a treat, just type
‘Cardini’ into YouTube and
sit back to watch ten
minutes of magic that you
will not forget. l
Photo: TMC Archive

[Link] FEBRUARY 2013 THE MAGIC CIRCULAR 41

 Magic and the Allied Arts

I f you have been interested in magic for

any length of time (which I imagine you
have been or you would not be reading this
Invulnerability (Injury proof) [Bullet
Catching; Ladder of Swords]
Physical Anomaly (Contradictions,
have in common which make them ‘Allied Arts’?
The Oxford Dictionary defines ‘art’ as “skill as
the result of knowledge and practice” and
august publication) you will have come abnormalities, freaks) [The X-Ray Illusion; ‘allied’ as “connected in nature or affinity”. We
across the expression ‘Magic and the Allied Afghan Bands] can normally recognise a performance which is
Arts’. It has been around for a very long time Spectator Failure (Magician’s challenge) skilful, but determining what is “connected in
and maybe someone can tell me when it first [Three Shell Game] nature or affinity” to magic is rather more
appeared in magical literature. Right now, Control (Mind over the inanimate) [Spirit Clock] difficult. To be connected in nature is to be
however, I would like to consider with you Identification (Specific discovery) similar in kind, so that something which is not
what the expression actually means. [Card Revelations, Contact Mind Reading] actually magical in the sense of defying
Thought Reading (Mental perception, mind understanding may nevertheless evoke
Magic reading) [One ahead, Centre Tear] wonderment, like juggling or even chemical,
The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary gives a Thought Transmission (Thought projection physical and balancing experiments, such as the
number of definitions of ‘magic’ of which the and transference) [The Calostro Mind Reading bottle imp or the miniature Vesuvius described
only relevant one, which is rather circuitous, Act; Telepathy for Two, 13 Steps to Mentalism, with many others in Magic at Home – A Book
is: “the art [sic] of producing (by legerdemain, Step 8] of Amusing Science (Professor Hoffmann,
optical illusion, etc.) surprising phenomena Prediction (Foretelling the future) [Enigma Cassell & Co., London, 1890).
resembling the results of ‘magic’.” Personally, Lottery Prediction, TMC Oct 2009] ‘Affinity’ can mean “associated with” and
I would prefer to define magic as: “The Extra-Sensory Perception (Unusual perception, this gives us a very broad church indeed. Over
performance of the seemingly impossible.” other than mind) [X Ray Act, Blindfold Drive] the past century some skills other than magic
This includes many different kinds of It will be found that some effects which have become directly associated with magic
effects. Any classification is bound to be might be considered at first sight to be outside because they have traditionally also been
controversial, but over the years several the above classifications do in fact fall within practised by magicians (eg Punch and Judy,
attempts have been made to catalogue them, them even if they have to be split into their ventriloquism) or, perhaps more controversially,
most notably by Dariel Fitzkee in The Trick component parts. associated indirectly, because they have been
Brain (Lee Jacobs Productions, Ohio, USA, included on the same programme as headline
1944). He categorised them as ‘The Nineteen The Allied Arts Defined illusionists (eg acrobatics, unicycling,
Basic Effects’. These have not to my So what are the ‘Allied Arts’ in relation to knife-throwing, sword-swallowing, fire-eating,
knowledge been superseded by anything magic? If asked, off the top of our head we memorisation (remember Leslie Welch The
better, and I set them out below, having would probably immediately think of Memory Man?). A programme which included a
added my own specific examples in each case Ventriloquism and Hypnotism, but on further variety of artists a little reminiscent of the old
by way of illustration. reflection we would no doubt include several days was presented only last year in Hans Klok’s
other candidates, such as Escapology, Punch excellent and breathtakingly fast Houdini
The Nineteen Basic Effects: and Judy, and Pickpocketing. Indeed, if we refer Experience at the Peacock Theatre, London.
Production (Appearance, creation, to The Magic Circle Library Catalogue under the It is difficult to attempt any completely
multiplication) [Ghost Tube, Billiard Balls] classification ‘Allied Arts’ (AA), we find satisfactory definition of an ‘allied’ art but with
Vanish (Disappearance, obliteration) [Asrah] “Hypnotism, Escapes, Origami, Puppets and the above comments in mind I suggest the
Transposition (Change in location) [Die Box] P&J, Gambling, Juggling, Pickpocketing, and following: “An art allied to magic is a skill
Transformation (Change in appearance, Ventriloquism”. These classifications are, of exercised for entertainment purposes which
character or identity) [Colour Changing course, not exhaustive, but exist because there gives rise to a sense of wonder on the part of
Handkerchief/Card] happen to be books in the library held on these the beholder or which otherwise has a direct or
Penetration (One solid through another) subjects. What is it that these accomplishments indirect association with magic or magicians.”
[Linking Rings] Thus this excludes exhibitions of skills not for
Restoration (Making the destroyed whole) entertainment but in the course of an
[T & R Newspaper] employment such as glass-blowing and
Animation (Movement imparted to the pottery-making, or sports such as sky-diving or
inanimate) [Thayer’s Rapping Hand] bungy-jumping, which certainly invoke
Anti-Gravity (Levitation and change in wonderment. The first leg of the definition
weight) [Anti-Gravity Glasses] would also normally exclude dancers, singers
Attraction (Mysterious adhesion) [Floating and musicians whose skills are admired but
Cane] generally hardly induce that magically elusive
Sympathetic Reaction (Sympathetic quality of wonder, but they could be embraced
response) [Do as I Do] by the second leg of the definition as

42 THE MAGIC CIRCULAR FEBRUARY 2013 [Link]

 ADOPT, ADAPT AND IMPROVE

Walford Taylor AIMC

sometimes appearing on the same bill as effects and apparatus pertaining to the art of absolute discretion think fit [and the receipt
magicians; indeed, some commentators do magic together with all paraphernalia of the Treasurer of The Magic Circle for the
include these as allied arts, along with mime, accessories books magazines manuscripts and time being shall be sufficient discharge to my
storytelling and acting. audio and visual recordings relating to magic executors and trustees in respect of this gift]”
So what would I ultimately include in my list including (but without prejudice to the Undoubtedly this article will have its critics.
of ‘Allied Arts’? Probably the following: generality of the foregoing) the following I may have omitted items which some readers
ventriloquism, hypnotism, escapology, Punch subjects namely acrobatics acting alchemy would have included and admitted items which
and Judy, puppetry, pick-pocketing, fire-eating, animal training astrology automata others would have excluded, but at least it
fire-walking, juggling, knife-throwing, lightning balancing-feats balloon-modelling Black Art may have given food for thought about our
-cartooning, chapeaugraphy, sword-swallowing, Black Light fantastic ‘Art of Magic’ – and ‘The Allied Arts’!
sword-walking, quick-change, origami, cribs Bunco-artistry †
The drafting of documents can be
paper-tearing, fortune telling, crooked cryptology camouflage amusing. During my career as a solicitor and
gambling, shadowgraphy, balloon-modelling, chapeaugraphy Notary Public I once acted in the sale of a
novelty instrument playing, theatrical séances, cycloramas chemical feats very old house which overlooked a church
automata, acrobatics, fairground sideshows and dice-stacking circus techniques graveyard. The Vendor was hoping to achieve
circus acts. disguise codes and ciphers a very advantageous price from an American
cold reading gentleman who was coming to live in the
What Does it Matter Anyway? comedy confidence tricks contortions cribs United Kingdom. I prepared an agreement for
I cannot think of any instance in which the cryptology cycloramas dice-stacking disguise the sale of the house “subject to and with
precise meaning actually matters, except for dowsing electronics elocution escapology the benefit of the haunting rights of the
one, and that is in making a will, where espionage fairground sideshows firearms Ghost concurrently occupying the property.”
precision of definition is important to ensure fire-eating fire-walking forgery fortune telling It included detailed provisions as to the
that one’s precious possessions go to the right French shadows frog-swallowing* gambling relative rights and obligations of the house
people and where a reference to “allied arts”, ghost shows glass-eating* graphology hoaxes owner and the apparition and was nicely
left at that, would give rise to ambiguity and homeopathy hydrostatics hypnotism jokes inscribed on
would be unacceptable. If other magicians are juggling knife-throwing knot-tying lie-detection My client imitation vellum.
like me, they will have an interest in, and are lighting lightning-cartooning magic lanterns My client said
likely to have books on, odd subjects as diverse magnetism make-up mechanical toys mechanics
said that it that it clinched
as espionage (secret codes), astrology (patter memorisation mime mnemonics musical clinched the deal for him,
for fortune telling) astronomy, dowsing, accompaniment novelty instrument-playing the deal and the
knot-tying, lightning-cartooning etc and will occultism optics origami palmistry paper-tearing purchaser now
wish to make sure that these are included in parapsychology phantasmagoria phrenology
for him regularly proudly
any bequest without having to specify each and plate-spinning poison-eating* presentation displays this quaint Agreement from Olde
every item. psychology party games patter pick-pocketing England (which appears over time to have
pneumatics psychical phenomena Punch and acquired authenticity!) when he has guests
An Unusual Bequest Judy puppetry puzzles pyrotechnics to stay from his home country. It helped to
Purely as an amusing exercise I have drafted† a quick-change artistry radiesthesia rope-spinning have been familiar with the well-documented
tongue-in-cheek clause for a will which tries to scams shadowgraphy showmanship silhouettes story of Harry Price and the haunting of
be all-inclusive of a magician’s likely magical smoke and rag pictures smuggling Borley Rectory!
and eccentric associated interests and snake-charming snake eating* speechmaking * The items marked thus are described in
possessions and I set it out here as a challenge spiritualism stages stagecraft stone-eating* uncomfortable detail in the newly
so that you can see if I have overlooked any storytelling superstition sword-swallowing re-published The Right Way to Do Wrong by
obvious candidate for inclusion. The list is not sword-walking telekinesis telepathy theatres Harry Houdini (Melville House Publishing,
confined simply to Magic and the Allied Arts. As theatrical effects theatrical séances trick Brooklyn/London, 2012) – “A Unique
is customary, all punctuation has been omitted: photography Troublewit UFOs unicycling Selection of Writings by History’s Greatest
“I GIVE to [The Magic Circle of 12 ventriloquism voodoo and witchcraft to keep Escape Artist”. l
Stephenson Way London NW1 2HD] all my sell or otherwise dispose of as they may in their

[Link] FEBRUARY 2013 THE MAGIC CIRCULAR 43

Photo: Mark Hesketh-Jennings

44 THE MAGIC CIRCULAR FEBRUARY 2013 [Link]

Arthur Benjamin
Mathemagician interviewed by Will Houstoun AIMC

Arthur Benjamin MMC performs a unique act that combines mathematics and magic and which has
given him an enviable reputation in both fields. In December of 2007 a performance Arthur gave at a
TED conference was put online and, since then, it has been viewed over five million times. After
appearing at The International Magic Convention, Arthur sat down with me to discuss maths and magic.

Will: You perform a very specific type of magic, that you call At the same time, I do have this background in magic that
Mathemagics. Can you give the readers, who might not have has been immensely valuable to me.
seen your show, some idea of what that is?
Arthur: Basically I perform what a century ago were called Will: So what is your magical background?
lightning calculations. I demonstrate that I am able to Arthur: When I was in high school, I was a children’s
multiply large numbers in my head, faster than a calculator. If magician doing shows for the local kid’s birthday parties. I
you give me your birthdate, or any date for that matter, I can did that for a good few years and also studied the classics of
tell you what day of the week it was. I also perform a magic card magic and mentalism. I have a great respect for magic
square, similar to what many magicians might do. Essentially and it has helped my life in numerous ways.
they are all amazing feats of mental agility.
When I do a straight show I just show off, but in a lecture Will: Normally, around this time, I would ask “How did you
or a speaking engagement I follow-up the show by get into magic?” but with you it is more of a two-pronged
explaining how the calculations work. I am one of those question – “How did you get into magic?” and “How did you
magicians who loves to explain what I do. get into maths?”
Arthur: As far as maths is concerned I have loved numbers
Will: Right. But in your case, when you explain it, it really for as long as I can remember, probably for as long as my
enhances the overall show. mother can remember! They were always a game for me that
Arthur: Absolutely. I do think the explanation is just as I enjoyed playing and which I found endlessly fascinating. I
interesting as the performance, I wouldn’t do it otherwise! loved taking problems apart and trying to do them in more
than one way. I find the consistency of mathematics to be
Will: One thing I remember that illustrates that point is the immensely beautiful.
part in your show when you square a five-digit number out As far as magic is concerned, I have always been a
loud, so that the audience can hear what you are thinking as show-off. I love the attention! So, like many kids, I got
you work. As part of the calculation you start to use words, interested in magic and learned to do some tricks but then I
as part of a mnemonic memory system, and I imagine that stuck with it, went to the magic store and started doing
many people in the audience would see that and almost children’s shows as The Great Benjamini! Since most kids
consider it a pseudo-explanation. believe in magic, my goal was not to fool them, but entertain
Arthur: That’s right. People actually do use those things all them. I would go to great lengths to make the kids laugh.
s

the time as pseudo-explanations for memory tests and things Just before I started college, I started to get invitations to
like that, but I promise that when I use them, it is really part
of my process. You hear ninety-nine percent of what is in my
head for those few minutes. It would be a lot harder for me
to do it one way whilst verbalising another!

Will: I believe you, thousands wouldn’t!

Arthur: Unless they sat down with me and I really went
Photo: Arto Airaksinen

through the steps slowly, piece by piece, to show them it is

real. If you watch a video of me doing a show again and
again, you could actually check everything I am saying and
you would see that it is all true. Because I am a Professor of
Mathematics, my reputation and integrity is important to me.

[Link] FEBRUARY 2013 THE MAGIC CIRCULAR 45

perform for older audiences and I turned my example, the method I use to calculate the day
attention to mentalism because I loved magic for any date is something I learned from
that involved thinking and talking. I read Corinda. The first magic square routine I
Corinda, Annemann and the Color Series of performed I learned from Annemann’s Book
Mentalism and I loved them all. I also read most WIthout a Name which was reprinted in the
of Harry Lorayne’s card magic books but back of a Tannen’s magic catalogue in the mid
particularly loved his books on memory 1970s. Later, in 2004 or 2005, I read a Lorayne
techniques. I actually learned the mnemonic article in Genii that had an idea for the magic
code from The Memory Book by Harry Lorayne square that I really liked. I adapted that idea to
and Jerry Lucas. When I started doing mentalism create the magic square that I do today using
my father suggested that I include some of my someone’s birthday. I learned the phonetic code
maths in the show. I wasn’t really sure it would from a Harry Lorayne book, as I mentioned
work or entertain people but, when I tried it, it before, although I may be the first person to
got the best reaction of the show. After seeing apply it to mental calculations. I have definitely
how well it worked, I decided that it would be benefited from magic literature although often I
even better if I did bigger problems or solved have my own twist on things or try to make
them faster. That is when my interests in maths them more efficient and direct. If you are going
and in magic really came together. to entertain with mathematics then it has to be
direct, it has to be high-energy and it has to be piece, but that is more than compensated for
Will: And how did they develop? fast, otherwise your audience will pause and because the square that is created is more
Arthur: I went to college at Carnegie Mellon think: “Wait a moment, I am not supposed to meaningful.
University in Pittsburgh and there was a great like maths!” Then you could lose them. The “day for any date” has the same feature.
group of local magicians, including Paul Gertner. If someone doesn’t know what day of the week
Paul gave me lots of encouragement that Will: When you were developing from one they were born on and they ask you after the
helped me stick with it and keep working. The magic square to another, was that because you show, you can tell them something very
Pittsburgh magicians were also great at had always wanted the routine to have a personal about themselves that they did not
introducing me to other people or taking me to particular set of features or was it a more know beforehand. That is a wonderful gift to be
conventions. As luck would have it, the annual organic thing where you just happened to see a able to give somebody.
IBM convention was held in Pittsburgh whilst I new idea that you liked?
was there and they had me perform during the Arthur: I was very happy with the Annemann Will: I think your act contains about five
opening-night gala show. At that convention I based routine that I had been doing for different routines. Have they always been in the
met James Randi who was really excited about twenty-five years because it was very, very same order or is that something you have
what I did. Randi is famous as a de-bunker of interactive. The one thing it didn’t have, played around with?
fraudulent paranormal phenomena and he liked however, was a personal touch. The new one, Arthur: It developed organically. The birthday
me as an example of what people actually can that I perform now, is based around someone’s routine was a piece of filler that eventually
do for real. Randi then introduced me to Scot birthday so it has much more meaning to that became a part of the act. I have to give a lot of
Morris of Omni Magazine and the editor and person. Also, there is a surprise ending, where credit to The Magic Castle for the act’s
publisher of Discover, which helped get me a the birthday appears again at the end of the development. I moved to California in 1989 to
certain amount of publicity in print and on routine. That provides a nice kicker on the teach at Harvey Mudd College, where I still
television. When I performed at an Abbott’s routine, to really punctuate it, and you don’t teach today. My school is about fifty miles from
Magic Get Together, Ali Bongo saw me and he often get that with a magic square. The Hollywood, and I auditioned to perform at The
brought me to the UK to perform on The Paul spectator doesn’t have as much to do on stage Magic Castle. Dai Vernon and Ricky Jay were
Daniels Magic Show in 1985. in terms of interaction as in the Annemann both in the audience and, because what I was
doing was so different from other people, I got
Will: And you can see that performance if you a standing ovation. My first show at the Castle
search for it on YouTube... was in 1990, and I’ve performed almost every
Arthur: I was much younger then! I would say year since then. When you work at The Castle
my show hasn’t actually changed too much you do three shows a night for seven nights in a
though, not least because I have had to row and that really gives you a chance to
concentrate on my academic career, teaching develop a more natural patter and to find out
and writing etc. what kinds of jokes stick.

Will: I am curious about your choice of Will: It is interesting that you mention the
material, particularly because you perform in performance side of things so much. When I
such a niche area. How much came from think of stereotypes, a mathematician is an
published mathematical magic and how much introvert and a performer is an extrovert yet, in
have you developed yourself? your shows, you manage to come across both
Deena Benjamin

Arthur: Believe it or not, the calculation stuff, as an expert mathematician and a great
like the squaring of large numbers, is something performer.
I developed on my own. That is something that Arthur: I wear my nerd badge with pride and
came about organically because of my interest Arthur with Paul and Debbie at The Magic I’m not acting too much on stage... I really do
in playing with numbers. On the other hand, for Circle Awards Night love numbers that much!

46 THE MAGIC CIRCULAR FEBRUARY 2013 [Link]

 Photos: Mark Hesketh-Jennings
Will: And did you always perform in a Will: I imagine lots of Members use their the summer or autumn of 2013.
high-energy style or did you exaggerate that to magic knowledge in their real jobs too, but I
involve people more? wonder whether your teaching or academic Will: Who would you say your biggest
Arthur: I think that it was an outgrowth of work has influenced your magic? influences are within the world of magic?
doing magic for children. I knew that Arthur: That is a good question. I have the Arthur: The people who influenced me
five-year-olds needed high energy and audience experience of getting up in front of students through personal interaction would have to be
participation so I suspect that my style’s origins every day so that, to some extent, gives me lots Paul Gertner and James Randi, both of whom I
go back to The Great Benjamini! of performance time. It also makes what I do met at a key stage of my magical development.
I think my background in magic taught me feel more authentic. When people know that I For the people whose writing has had the most
more about being a good teacher than am a real professor with real credentials they influence, I would have to choose Martin
anything. You need audience participation, you are more willing to listen to my message about Gardner, Harry Lorayne and Max Maven. A lot of
need high energy, you need humour, and you the beauty of mathematics. Without those the people at The Magic Castle have also been
need climactic moments. When I design a credentials I am not sure I would be in quite the extremely supportive of me.
university maths lecture I look for those kinds of same position to spread that idea.
moments. I want everyone to leave the class Will: And how about biggest influences
with at least one moment of “Wow that was Will: Right. It gives you a certain status with outside magic?
cool!” If I don’t provide that for them then why your audience. Arthur: There was a Professor of Psychology
should they come to class rather than just read Arthur: Yes. For example, James Randi has at Carnegie Mellon University named William
the book? It is also really great to be known in done a lot to spread the message about science Chase who was an expert in cognitive
the mathematical community as the guy who vs pseudo-science, but sometimes he has been psychology. He was interested in understanding
does magic. It has provided me with many diminished by his critics because he is “just a how I could do the calculations that I did even
opportunities that I might not otherwise have magician and not a scientist.” Now, if Randi though I have a rather normal memory. He
had. happened to have a PhD in physics or the studied me and, in working with him, I was able
history of science that would make a difference. to understand my own thought process better
Will: One of the things I have heard most After he received a MacArthur Fellowship, also and increase the speed and size of the
about you, after the two or three performances known as “the genius grant”, his credentials calculations I can do. Most importantly, there is
I have seen you give, is “I wish he had been have not been questioned as much. also my wife Deena, who really does influence
teaching maths in my school.” Over the last five years I have put out some everything I do!
Arthur: Thank you! My goal is to try to bring DVD courses produced by a company called The
mathematics to the masses and show that it Great Courses on The Joy of Mathematics, Will: Thank you very much for taking the time
really can be a lot of fun. Martin Gardner is one Discrete Mathematics and The Secrets of to talk with me. I have found it fascinating and I
of my sources of inspiration in that respect. As a Mental Math. They have been extremely can’t wait to see you lecture at The Magic Circle
matter of fact, I developed my method for successful, selling hundreds of thousands of in the spring.
squaring numbers when I was thirteen or copies. I’m sure that my background in magic Arthur: It will be great to see you, and
fourteen and none of my teachers had seen it makes me an entertaining presenter that my hopefully some of the people reading this article
before. I thought I was the first one to discover audiences enjoy listening to, but I would not then! l
it. Then, a year before I started college, I was have been able to do the courses without the
reading a Martin Gardner book on recreational academic credentials. As we speak I am putting More information on Arthur Benjamin’s
mathematics called Mathematical Carnival and together a new DVD course for them on The work can be found on his website
there was a biography of a lightning calculator Mathematics of Games and Puzzles. Everything [Link]/~benjamin/
named Alexander Aitken who used the same from how to count cards and understand casino and his DVD courses are available from
method. It ruined my day but at least I had had games to how to solve a Rubik’s Cube or [Link]
the pleasure of discovering it for myself when I Sudoku puzzle will be covered. That will be
was younger! recorded in the spring and should come out in

[Link] FEBRUARY 2013 THE MAGIC CIRCULAR 47

 MAGICIANS IN HULL IN THE 18TH AND 19TH CENTURIES

I t was after re-locating from Glasgow to Hull in 1963 that I

developed an interest in its theatres and the magicians who might
have appeared there during previous centuries. The city itself dates
the only other Hull engagement discovered by Paton-Williams.
Also in 1785 there existed Williamson’s Amphitheatre and Riding
House, the location of which was described on a bill as “Next to Mr.
back to 1399 when King Edward I landed on the banks of the Humber Hall’s, Sail maker, opposite the Dock Bridge near North End”, where, as
at its conjunction with the River Hull and declared the place to be with Astley’s famous circus amphitheatre in London, the programme
called King’s Town upon Hull, hence its official title now of included learned animals, such as The Learned English Dog and a Learned
Kingston-upon-Hull. While strolling players, musicians and jugglers Horse. This was the first circus to visit Hull.
probably provided some entertainment in the early times, most The earliest popular entertainment discovered in the 19th century was a
generally in private homes, they were usually not welcome, often display of Philosophical Fireworks at the Theatre Royal presented by a Mr.
classed together with rogues, thieves and vagabonds, and in 1598 W. Clarke on 21 May 1804, and the first magician encountered there was
became the subject of an ‘Order Against Strolling Players’ and run out Mr. Moritz who appeared on the 6th August 1805 presenting his
of town. This gave rise to the so-called ‘Thieves Litany’ – “From Hull, Sagacious Live Birds and Phantasmagoria. Clarke (2001) claimed Moritz
Hell and Halifax, Good Lord deliver us” (Halifax had its Gibbet Law, a was a versatile performer who mingled feats of strength and agility and
primitive form of guillotine, for dealing with these classes). the exhibition of performing birds and animals together with “an ordinary
The 18th century saw the great performance of conjuring”. He is
development of the noted whaling believed to have been a German
port into a flourishing mercantile, although when J.B. Findlay (1954)
combined sea and river port serving asked German magic historian Dr Kurt
a large hinterland and continental Volkmann and Karl Schroeder, founder
Europe. The haven became too of the German Magic Circle, they had
crowded and the first of its docks no knowledge of Moritz performing in
was built in 1775. With this growth their country.
came a natural expansion of social Many performers (including Moritz)
life and entertainment in the town. were showing versions of
Although the earliest mention of phantasmagoria in the early years of
a theatre in Hull dates back to the the 19th century but one of the
th
end of the 16 century, pioneers, Paul De Philipsthal (Paul
unfortunately no contemporary Philidor), appeared in Hull in November
record exists and the first reliable 1806 when he presented his
Hull Theatre Royal 1810 (Sheppard, 1927)
record is not found until the 18th
century. Thus in 1743 the New Theatre in Lowgate became part of the Mechanical and Optical
circuit of Thomas Keregan’s travelling company, but its date of erection Performances and Optical
is unknown. The next theatre was built in Finkle Street in 1768 by Fireworks. From the
public subscription, and the celebrated Tate Wilkinson, author of The accompanying bill for a special
Wandering Patentee, who operated the York-Hull circuit which later benefit show we learn that it had
extended to Leeds, secured a royal patent in 1769 and so it became been his intention, as announced,
the Theatre Royal. to give a performance at the
The first record of a magician performing in Hull (and the only one in Theatre Royal for the benefit of a
the 18th century so far discovered, although searches continue) relates Distressed Family on Friday, 21
to Gustavus Katterfelto, who arrived at the port from Germany on 26 November, but as he found it
September 1776 together with his heavily pregnant wife and small impossible to remove the
daughter, accompanied by an assortment of luggage holding the equipment for the exhibition of
equipment for his entertainment (Paton-Williams, 2008). Unfortunately his Optical Fireworks, it would
no relevant copies of the newspaper The Hull Packet have survived and instead be held on Saturday, 29 Katterfelto
information about Katterfelto’s stay in Hull derives solely from an November, at the Circus (this was a new building erected in the Market
advertisement he placed in The York Courant on 8 October. From this Place in 1803). From an annotation on the back of this bill we learn the
source we learn that he appeared at the Concert Room until 30 beneficiaries were “Mr Roberts Family”.
September. The Concert Room was an Assembly Room built in Dagger Under his natal name of Paul Philidor, De Philipstahl had first presented
Lane in 1752, the need for which arose after the Corporation phantasmagoria shows in Berlin (1789), Vienna (1791) and Paris (1793),
prohibited the use of the Grammar School for concerts and in the last city experiencing trouble with the authorities during the
entertainments, which had been the practice earlier in the century. Revolution. He then disappeared for several years, reappearing in Britain
Katterfelto returned to Hull and Beverley in October 1785 but that is at the Lyceum Theatre in London on 5 October 1801 as De Philipstahl and

48 THE MAGIC CIRCULAR FEBRUARY 2013 [Link]

 A RICH CABINET OF
MAGICAL CURIOSITIES
Edwin A Dawes MIMC

Indian Jugglers (Le Bon Genre)

touring the country with a scientifically based show rather than the from fire. Upgrading would be difficult and too expensive and thus in
supernatural focus of his original presentations (Heard, 1996). 1810 he acquired land cheaply from the corporation and built a fine
In October 1808 Mr Ingleby, Emperor of All Conjurers, played four new theatre in Humber Street capable of holding 1700 patrons. It was
nights in the Assembly Room, Dagger Lane, but we have no details of his claimed in a guide book to be one of the finest outside of London.
repertoire, which presumably would be as recorded for other venues The Concert Room where Katterfelto had appeared was the venue
(Dawes, 2005, 2006). for the Jewish magician Philip Jonas when he arrived in Hull in 1816.
John Wilkinson, who had succeeded his father as manager of the We have previously written on Jonas ‘The Card-Playing Conjuring Jew’
Theatre Royal, was in financial difficulties by 1803. Additionally his and his impersonation by George Alexander Stevens in A Lecture on
patrons were complaining of the narrow street on which the theatre was Heads first published in 1785. We also told how he was reported to
located, the shallowness of the stage which was now inadequate for the have been severely bitten by a mad dog at Bartholomew Fair in 1807
elaborate melodramas that were being played, and inadequate safety (Dawes, 1996). Then, some three years ago, I received a surprising and
s

[Link] FEBRUARY 2013 THE MAGIC CIRCULAR 49

 The aforementioned Sword was two feet long and featured in the Hull
programme but the Bullet Catching feat was not advertised and the
majority of their show comprised balancing and juggling feats (Dawes,
1977b).
The Cups and Balls, and Broken and Restored Cotton Thread were
features of their repertoire and a trick new to British audiences was
Changing Sand to Different Colours. The Juggler placed a small quantity
of common white sand on the palm of his hand and then, taking a pinch
between finger and thumb, he drew it across a half sheet of writing paper
leaving a yellow line of sand, then a black, red and green, and lastly a
white line of the original sand. As the author of an article in Kirby’s
Wonderful and Eccentric Magazine (1820) described it, “This is an
extraordinary deception, and not the less so from the wonderful change,
and the apparent simplicity of the means”.
The Indian Jugglers performed on a small raised platform which is
admirably depicted in the accompanying engraving No. 87 in Le Bon
Genre series ‘Les Jongleurs Indien’.
Thiodon bill 1819 De Philipstahl bill 1806 The next magician to arrive in Hull was in 1819 as a member of Mr.
very welcome query when a Mr Laurie Jonas contacted me to ask if I Thiodon’s Mechanical & Picturesque Theatre of Arts company when it first
could help him with information on and references to Philip Jonas. It was visited the town, occupying a room at the top of Queen Street in which a
a particularly memorable occasion because this was the first time I had stove had been fitted and “a good fire kept” to ensure the comfort of
ever received a query from a putative descendant of an 18th-century patrons. It turned out to be an extended stay on account of the show’s
conjurer! Laurie was endeavouring to establish his lineage with the popularity. The main pieces exhibited were views of the City of Naples, a
magician and also has tackled the question of whether there had been an Superb View of Rome and the Passage of the Great St Bernard by
impostor using Jonas’s name in 1768 or whether the advertisement in Napoleon Buonaparte, concluding with a Storm at Sea “accompanied
1769 when Jonas challenged his rival to a public contest of skills (which with all its characteristic Phenomena”.
never took place) was purely a publicity stunt. Unfortunately the name of the magician was not given on the bill and
It is interesting that most of the earlier all we know is that:
pronounced information on Jonas, starting with Frost The Performance will commence with a most Wonderful and
by the Nobility (1876), was derived from newspapers, Novel Display of Legerdemain and Feats of Dexterity, which
were never before exhibited in the Town. A detail of these
to be the first principally cuttings in public or private
collections, and what a tremendous Experiments, which will excite the surprise of the Spectators,
Masters of the difference to research the recent digitising cannot be conveyed within the limits of a Handbill
Art in this of many 18th- and 19th- century newspapers
has made. Laurie Jonas has now carried out With the lack of specifics in this (to the magic historian) very unhelpful bill
Kingdom an exhaustive newspaper search for Jonas no further comment is possible except to wonder whether the magician’s
and assembled an invaluable record of the conjurer’s career from his performance lived up to the billing. This is by no means the only example
arrival in Britain, which was noted in the Ipswich Journal on 11 August of a bill that frustrates by failing to provide a name for the performer, but
1764, with the statement that “Thursday evening one Jonas, a man noted of course there is always the possibility that the presenter of mechanical
for Dexterity of Hand, who lately arrived from Germany, had the Honour illusions was not a recognised magician but simply a member of the
to appear before their Majesties, and several of the Royal Family, at the company who was trained in their use.
Queen’s Palace”. One might well suspect that a Royal performance so The Theatre Royal usually closed during the summer months as
very soon after his arrival in the country was more of an imaginary than Wilkinson found most of his principal patrons were out of town, and to
factual event and born of publicity! cater for those whose work kept them in Hull there sprang up the
Around this time a Mr Louis occupied No.55 Whitefriargate, opposite so-called Summer Theatres, minor theatres without the Royal patent but
the Neptune Inn, to present his Royal Mechanical and Optical Exhibition. with a bewildering sequence of names. Two of these were at a short
Houdini in The Unmasking of Robert-Houdin (1908) illustrates (p.108) an distance from the Theatre Royal in Humber
1815 bill for Louis’s Exhibition at Wakefield and it seems likely the Hull The Minor Street, one forming the corner house fronting
visit was also in that year. Theatre, Humber Street and Queen Street, the other,
The Famous Indian Jugglers, natives of Seringapatam, pronounced by
the Nobility to be “the first Masters of the Art in this Kingdom”, arrived in
according to called The Adelphi, fronting Queen Street and
Wellington Street. The former, The Minor
1818 and, by permission of the Mayor, appeared in a Large Room White (1831), Theatre, according to White (1831), was built
opposite the Custom House in Whitefriargate, opening on Wednesday was built about 1821 on the site of the former Olympic
evening 26 August and appearing for five further evenings. They had been Circus. In 1827 it underwent redecoration
touring in Britain to great acclaim since their arrival in 1814, including a
about 1821 and was titled Humber Street Theatre and in
long season in London at No. 87 Pall Mall (Dawes, 1977a). The principal the following year became the Summer Theatre, usually operating from
performer was Ramo Samee and the Hull broadside carried an interesting March to October. In 1830 and 1831 it was called the Sans Pareil and in
footnote: December 1831 the Clarence and subsequently Royal Clarence, bills for
N.B. Mr. RAMO SAMEE, principal Performer, wishes to intimate which exist in the University of Hull’s Collection of Playbills. It was
to the Public that there is no truth in the statement as to one followed in 1833 by the title of Royal Kingston (later Royal Pavilion), and
of the Jugglers dying in consequence of Swallowing the finally the theatre was demolished in 1836.
Sword, or being shot with a Pistol in Ireland. Signor Blitz Junior appeared at the Humber Street Theatre in 1827 as

50 THE MAGIC CIRCULAR FEBRUARY 2013 [Link]

part of a programme that comprised two melodramas and a musical Italian Dinner Plates”.
interlude of songs by some of the actors and actresses of the company. The Adelphi Theatre was built as an amphitheatre and was afterwards
Blitz was billed to “go through his extraordinary Performance with Five converted into a theatre above which was a large lecture and exhibition
room called the Apollo Saloon newly erected in 1827. It was at this venue
in the same year that Ramo Samee returned with a Mechanical and
Magical Theatre, performing magic as the stage section of the show.
Many years ago the noted theatrical bookseller Kyrle Fletcher, in his
catalogue 68, had a large number of Hull Theatre playbills on offer.
Therein he listed 29 bills dating from July 1824 to October 1826 for
Scott’s Dominion of Fancy, which in the following year (6 bills from 18-25
August) became Scott’s Pantheon. I have not seen any of these Scott bills
so remain in doubt as to whether this venue was but yet another name
for the Minor Theatre. l

To be continued

REFERENCES & BIBLIOGRAPHY

Dawes, E.A. (1977a, b). The Magic Circular 71, 61-63; 79-81).
Dawes, E.A. (1996) The Magic Circular 90, 202-204.
Dawes, E.A. (2005) The Magic Circular 99, 482-484: (2006) 100, 8-10.
Findlay, J.B. (1954). Sixth Collectors Annual, pp. 21-26.
Frost, T. (1876). The Lives of the Conjuror. London: Tinsley.
Greenwood’s Picture of Hull. (1835). Hull: Greenwood.
Houdini, H. (1908). The Unmasking of Robert-Houdin. New York.
Heard, M. (1996). New Magic Lantern Journal 8 (1), 2-7.
Paton-Williams, D. (2008). Katterfelto Prince of Puff. Leicester: Matador.
Pugh, R.B. ed. (1969), A History of Yorkshire East Riding. London: O.U.P.
Sheppard, T.(1927). Evolution of the Drama in Hull. Hull: Brown.
White, W. (1831). Directory of Hull.
Left: Clarke’s Philosophical Fireworks 1804. Right: Moritz bill 1805

[Link] FEBRUARY 2013 THE MAGIC CIRCULAR 51

 19 November – 17 December

MONDAY 19 NOVEMBER 2012 looked for tricks that were easy to do and could performances: the importance of magic
A FORCE MUCH GREATER be put into their show the same evening that happening in a spectator’s hand, or the need for
THAN LUCK – they learned them. a clear moment when the magic happens (a
PETER MCLANACHAN MMC Peter has a very laid back style of performing blow, a magic word or, David’s preference, a
Reported by Geoffrey Shisler that conceals a very deft handling of a pack of wiggle of the thumbs). Then there was the
cards. He demonstrated a number of excellent importance of the performance surface; and the
The evening began with the presentation to effects which he followed up by explaining. The benefit of performing with bronze pre-1960s
Walford Taylor, by the President, of The Cecil only one he did not describe was the final one, English pennies compared to those minted at a
Lyle Award for the best trick published in The an impressive-looking Any Card At Any Number later date. These ideas, and the reasoning
Magic Circular last year. which he tantalisingly said he hoped wouldn’t behind them, were all supported by
Roy Marsh, the Monday Night Host, then upset people when they discovered its working demonstrations within the various versions of
introduced Peter McLanachan, from Scotland, in one of his publications! coins across.
whose lecture consisted entirely of magic For card workers this was a good evening David’s lecture was completed with the
with cards. Over the years Scotland has from which they would inclusion of a non-coin trick – another version
produced some very fine magicians, few certainly have taken away of Coins Across, but done using rubber balls
better than Roy Walton, and Peter told us some useful ideas. rather than coins.
that Roy was largely responsible for him [The Hands On Pre-Show in “Now that move’s not difficult,” David
being with us that evening. Francesco
The Devant Room featured
Peter told us that his intention was to De Cristofaro Francesco De Cristofaro.]
demonstrate card effects that can be
performed standing in the middle of a room MONDAY 26 NOVEMBER 2012
with no table – and most of the tricks he THE DAVID ROTH LECTURE
showed could indeed be performed in this Reported by Tim Barnes
way.
He began with a warning that, although David Roth is one of coin magic’s all time greats
his magic was not exceedingly difficult to and, arguably, the all-time great – so having
perform, it would definitely require much him with us to share his views on coin magic,
practice to perfect; and he bemoaned the fact and teach us a few of the gems he has created
that there were too many magicians who just over the years, generated huge levels of
anticipation.
He started with his favourite opener – a four
coins across routine, but with the premise that
each transfer would be signposted to the
audience in advance of it happening. Despite
breaking this golden rule of magic the vanish,
and reappearance, of each coin layered surprise
upon surprise – finishing with the fourth coin
jumping to join three within a spectator’s hand. David Roth
This trick, a version of Winged Silver using a commented on several occasions as he
shell coin, was essentially the basis of the demonstrated the methods behind his miracles.
lecture. Next was Winged Silver again, but I suppose most of them weren’t – or at least
different, and then another version – and they were not technically that tricky – but then
another. Each was introduced as David to make them as effortless as David does has
questioned: “What if you don’t have the gaffed undoubtedly taken years, if not decades. A
coin, or lose it?” “What if you can’t perform double ball hand-to-hand transfer within his
with an extra coin?” “What if you have the final routine was a real case in point. The balls
opportunity to also use a glass?” “What if you were bright white, we knew in advance what
break the glass and only have a coffee mug?” was about to happen, we were shown how it
With each version, that answered these worked, it was filmed close-up and projected
questions, we gained insights into the onto a six foot high screen, and it was repeated
opportunities to change and improve upon our again, and again, and again. Yet it was
performances by taking advantage of the completely undetectable – each and every time.
situations we find ourselves in. Now that’s not difficult? Well not if you’re one
Peter McLanachan Gems of wisdom were shared through the of coin magic’s all time greats!

52 THE MAGIC CIRCULAR FEBRUARY 2013 [Link]

 CLUB NIGHT EVENTS
Mandy Davis MIMC CONVENOR OF REPORTS
Mark Hesketh-Jennings PHOTOGRAPHER

MONDAY 3 DECEMBER 2012 and variety turns, the first of which was from ten-point lead, the representatives for The
WE ASKED 100 MEMBERS Mike O’Brien, who entertained with an egg, a Magic Circle fought back valiantly, narrowing
OF THE MAGIC CIRCLE – bag and his dry humour. Richard McDougall the gap to finish behind by forty-one to
PETER PINNER MIMC was next, delivering his supremely well-written thirty-nine. Peter distributed the various
Reported by Chris McGeever comedy routine with a silent goose puppet. confectionery prizes to the competitors
Richard Pinner then changed his ‘contestant’s before introducing Ed Hilsum to close the
In the style of the popular television game show hat’ for a ‘performer’s one’, and presented two evening with his well-polished stage act. This
Family Fortunes Peter hosted a light-hearted pieces from his early repertoire, alongside his featured doves, candles and billiard balls, all
contest between a team representing The Magic version of the Milton Aces. vanishing and appearing from thin air with
Circle (Jack Delvin, Barry Murray and Roy Despite the Zodiac team amassing an early great ease and precision.

s
Marsh) and a trio representing the Zodiac
Magical Society (Richard Pinner, Katherine
Rhodes and Rajan).
The rounds came thick and fast – with
several supplementary follow-ups to the main
question for a crucial extra point. The responses
were drawn from the eponymous survey Peter
carried out over the summer. This was the third
time he had conducted the exercise, the
previous occasions occurring in 1994 and 2004.
The change in the way some of the same
questions were answered was an interesting
micro-study into the state of the art over the
past couple of decades. For instance, in
response to the question: “Which aspect of
magic provides the most work?” Close-up
magic was the most popular answer to 2012’s
questionnaire, with children’s magic in second
place. In 2004 this position was reversed, quite Richard Pinner Richard McDougall
drastically, by sixty-six votes to twenty-three. It
appeared that doves had been gaining in
prevalence over rabbits since Peter’s first survey,
as well. Certain familiar names such as
Davenports (“Name a magic dealer”) and
Johnny Hart (“Name a winner of the Young
Magician of the Year”) reliably cropped-up each
time Peter polled the Members for their views.
It came as little surprise that the most
popular trick or performance that Members
wished every magician could have seen was
Blackstone’s Floating Light Bulb. Interestingly,
The Royal Road to Card Magic was the most
commonly-chosen book one would recommend
to beginners – above the Tarbell Course in
Magic, Mark Wilson’s Complete Course in
Magic and Card College.
Punctuating the quiz were some brief magic Mike O’Brien Peter Pinner Ed Hilsum

[Link] FEBRUARY 2013 THE MAGIC CIRCULAR 53

MONDAY 10 DECEMBER 2012
Unfortunately John Styles, who had been scheduled to present the
evening’s event, had to pull out at the last minute but we are thankful
to Bob Hamilton who kept everybody entertained with a video night. Instant, No-Maths, Double Magic Square
MONDAY 17 DECEMBER 2012
FUN AND GAMES NIGHT – ALAN ASTRA MIMC Effect:
AND ANGELO CARBONE MIMC A spectator comes forward and writes a number on a piece of card. The
Reported by Mandy Davis performer immediately produces a magic square which makes the
spectator’s total in every alignment. Three people from the audience then
This truly was an evening of fun and games. When the Members each write a number between 1 and 50 on a pad and a fourth spectator
arrived in The Devant Room, each was given a sheet of dingbat totals them to generate a new number, which is announced. The
puzzles – some were easy, some fiendish. They continued, briefly, in performer now turns the magic square around through one-hundred-and
the tradition of bar stunts. with ‘How to balance a hammer on a stool -eighty degrees and it makes this new total exactly in every direction!
using a string and a ruler, without the metal part of the hammer
touching anything’ and followed with some pencil and paper puzzles. Background:
Alan also demonstrated paddle moves using several identical pencils I have been fascinated by magic squares in recent years, ever since I
so that the inscriptions could vanish and reappear, singly, as well as in devised the Magic Square Prediction for Geoffrey Durham. (See Geoffrey’s
two or threes. We were given other gems printed on plastic cards for acclaimed book Professional Secrets for further details.) I have also been
us to take home – word puzzles, number puzzles. experimenting with making every digit reversible and published a couple
Everyone was then put into teams of four or five to work on a of magic squares, using this principle, on Mark Farrar’s dedicated magic
scavenger hunt all over the building. We had fifteen minutes to squares website some time ago, but these were only as variations and
complete this and also to find and make note of six golden crackers puzzles using one or two reversible digits. Here I have combined the two
with playing cards fixed to them. The questions ranged from ideas to make what is actually a ‘real trick’, with a double magic square
information on an item in The Museum to the total spent when that has a really surprising and magical finish. I used the magic square
buying certain Members’ items from The Club Showcase. The building from Royal Vale Heath’s book Mathemagic (originally published by Simon
was well searched by around thirty Club-night members, from The and Schuster, 1933) as my inspiration for the relationship between the
Theatre to The Museum and all floors between. The result was that digits, as with a standard magic square there is only a relationship
three teams got only one question wrong so there was a tie breaker. between the numbers in one direction, so even if you used my reversible
Crackers were pulled and instructions were found inside to eliminate digits on a standard square, turning it around would just make lots of
the teams until, finally, a wining group was found. different totals. In the Royal Vale Heath square, he only uses the digits 1,
Spot prizes were then fought for, and won, by elimination games 6, 8 and 9 in various combinations and this simply makes 264 in both
and then several raucous games of Pass the Parcel* and Hot Potato* positions. I have produced two squares with much lower and different
sorted the wheat from the chaff as a plethora of magic prizes were totals, one three-digit and one two-digit for added impact and contrast,
fiercely fought for. Everyone agreed it was a super evening and where any digit from 1 to 9 can be chosen by a spectator. There are a few
wondered why we have to wait for Christmas for quizzes and games! repeated numbers on the square but in any routine, depending on the
*For our overseas members – Pass the Parcel is a children’s game number chosen by the spectator, a number may well be repeated. It is the
in which a multi- layered wrapped gift is passed around a circle whilst sort of thing that we worry about but spectators don’t even notice. The
music plays. When the music stops whoever holds the parcel unwraps numbers are also all quite similar to aid addition and so there is not the
a layer, and the music and game start again, until the prize is discrepancy that occurs with other squares when a large number is
randomly reached. For us Alan and Angelo had added forfeits to each chosen and you end up with, for example, a number in the seventies
layer from impersonations of famous magicians to elimination from surrounded by single-digit numbers, which can look odd. You can see
the game! Hot Potato was similar but on this occasion there was only from the illustrations how to form the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 and 8 on
one layer and the person holding the parcel each time the music my square, (6 and 9 you will already be familiar with as reversible digits)
stopped was eliminated. l and as long as you write them as I have done the effect works
automatically as I have carried out all of the maths for you beforehand, so
that you can focus on the presentation. (Turn the magazine upside down
and look at my completed example to see the full effect!)

Working:
The four squares with the gaps in the ‘tens’ columns show you where to
add digits to the basic grid. The number chosen by the spectator will go in
the place of these gaps. There is an element of dual reality at the start, as
the spectator can only choose one digit, so the card given to the first
spectator, on which to write their number, looks like this:

1 7
As the spectator comes up you tell them quietly that they are going to:
“help you to complete a random number.” Have the card on a clipboard
with the instruction “write any number from 1 to 9 in the empty box” at
the top. Ask the spectator, in front of the audience, to “write down any

54 THE MAGIC CIRCULAR FEBRUARY 2013 [Link]

 THE CECIL LYLE AWARD

Chris Wardle AIMC

number in the grid on your clipboard.” When they have done this, you can 1 then the number is 117 and the total you later force is 90.
unclip the card and show it without revealing the instruction written on 2 then the number is 127 and the total you later force is 96.
the clipboard. You can confirm with the spectator that “they helped you 3 then the number is 137 and the total you later force is 97.
by writing a number” and that “they wrote any number” which they did 4 then the number is 147 and the total you later force is 93.
but as far as the audience are concerned they believe you are referring to 5 then the number is 157 and the total you later force is 94.
the three-digit number, the spectator believes you are referring to the one 6 then the number is 167 and the total you later force is 98.
digit that they wrote! (So if the spectator wrote 5, the total that you 7 then the number is 177 and the total you later force is 91.
announce is 157). Whatever digit they wrote in the centre of the grid is 8 then the number is 187 and the total you later force is 92.
the digit that you write in the four key positions in the magic square as 9 then the number is 197 and the total you later force is 95.
you make it, remembering to write them as I have done in the example
for the number 5. This will now automatically make the magic square for In our example, the spectator chose to write ‘5’, giving a magic square
that number. (In the example, the spectator wrote 5, making the number of 157, so you remove pad number five and force the number 94 (I ask
157 on the clipboard, so I added four reversible 5s in the key positions. that the fourth spectator checks their calculations with the person next
There is nothing to calculate to make the magic square. If the spectator to them to ensure “fair play, as an independent witness” – it’s actually
writes 6, making 167, then you fill in four 6s and it will work!) You can just to make sure they get it right!) You stress to the audience that all
have the main numbers as a crib in light three helpers could have written ‘1’, giving a total of 3 or they could
pencil in the corners, written onto the marker have all written ‘50’, giving a total of 150 – or any total in between.
pen barrel you use, or any other crib that you The actual total is announced, 94 in the example and you are all set for
like – or just remember them! It may look a huge surprise. On hearing the number in my presentation I say that
like you have lots of large numbers to add “this is very odd, because I had a dream last night where a spectator
when you present it to the audience, but if wrote the number 157 (for example) and I wrote a grid of that number
you add the tens values first, then the units, instantly that added to the total in all directions. I then had three more
it is easy and simple for the audience to people choose numbers to make an even more random total and when
Magic square with blank follow. (For example, the top row, 50 plus 20 they added them, the number was 94. In my dream, I then did the
key positions is 70, plus 30 is 100, plus 40 is 140. Now 8 oddest thing. I went up to the grid I had written for 157 and I turned it
and 7 are 15, which adds on to make 155, plus the two 1s makes 157!) around, through one-hundred-and-eighty degrees (I do this as I say it)
Here the repeated numbers are an advantage, as it makes the spectators and incredibly the numbers now totalled 94! (I now show that they do)
more familiar with the calculations and makes it quicker to add and I knew this had to be a dream because to
follow in a rhythm. The first spectator, although only choosing one digit, make a grid of numbers for a total I did
will still be impressed that you could make a magic square for a not yet know and to write it upside down,
three-digit number, which they helped to generate, in mere moments. all from another spectator’s freely-chosen
Thanking the first spectator, who returns to their seat, you act as if the number, would have to be completely
magic square is no longer needed. You now take a small pad and get impossible!”
three numbers, from 1 to 50, written by three spectators, each a little way This gets a very strong reaction and
apart. A fourth spectator then adds them – this is the very old force of adds a real kicker ending which is a
using a double sided pad with identical covers. On the reverse side you A completed magic square complete surprise.
have written three force numbers which will make the total you need. You
simply turn the pad before giving it to the fourth person under the pretext Notes:
of asking for someone who is good at maths. As there is a choice of nine Somehow revealing a smaller total from a larger one when you reverse
digits for the first spectator, there are nine small pads in play. One, two the magic square seems even more impossible for the audience – this
and three in your inner left jacket pocket, four, five and six in your right is the reaction I have received in performance. It is also even easier for
inner jacket pocket, seven, eight and nine in your right outer jacket the audience to follow the mathematics as they are adding a smaller
pocket. Knowing the spectator’s number tells you which pad to remove, numbers, so there is less work for them to do at the end. Remember to
so it is very easy. I have secretly marked mine from one to nine on the draw my reversible digits as I have given in the example, so that when
front, to ensure I remove the correct one, so if the spectator writes ‘5’ on reversed the 3 becomes an 8 and an 8 becomes a 3, a 2 becomes a 7
the clipboard at the start, then I bring out pad five which is set on the and a 7 becomes a 2, a 6 becomes a 9 and a 9 becomes a 6 and 4, 5
back page to force 94, by having the numbers 30, 24 and 40 written and 1 stay the same in either position. l
down it in apparently different handwriting! If they choose:

[Link] FEBRUARY 2013 THE MAGIC CIRCULAR 55

 ‘A’ In Arts

L et me briefly tell you about a remarkable collaboration.

In 1953 Frank Sinatra signed a contract with Capitol Records. Over
the next nine years he released a string of albums that rank among his
example, consider some of the best routines on Derren Brown’s early
Mind Control TV shows. One could divide the credit like this: source
material by Theo Annemann, arrangement/adaptation by Andy Nyman,
finest work. The albums featured material by many great songwriters, performance by Derren Brown. Three great individual minds and talents –
including Cole Porter. For the majority of these recordings, the music put them together and you get sensational TV mentalism that delights
was arranged and conducted by Nelson Riddle – a remarkably talented audiences and commands the respect of everyone in the trade.
man whose creative, colourful interpretations of ‘standard’ tunes are Some magicians are great inventors, even if they aren’t always
still widely admired today. necessarily brilliant performers. The obvious contemporary example would
In 1965, when the contract was over, someone had the bright idea be creative genius Angelo Carbone, although I think he’s a better
of sifting through these recordings and compiling the best Cole Porter performer than he thinks he is.
songs on one album. The result was Sinatra Sings The Select Cole Porter. Some magicians are great arrangers and adaptors. What I mean is that
I happen to think this particular album, albeit a compilation, they aren’t necessarily great at ‘raw’ creativity, but they can take existing
represents the finest achievement to date in popular music. In my fifty source material and see new potential within it. Roni Shachnaey didn’t
plus years on the planet, I have listened to and enjoyed a wide range of invent ‘Bank Nite’ and would never claim he did. However, he did come
popular music, from Abba to Zappa, from swing through to rap and up with his incredible version using cans of spray paint, which is
metal. I’ve heard a lot of greatness and a little bit of genius, but I’ve yet absolutely riveting to watch.
to find a single album that can hold a candle to this particular Sinatra Finally, there are some magicians who don’t create or even adapt
compilation. By the way, David Berglas once said he agreed with me. material very much but simply focus on being truly great performers and
You can tell me my opinion’s tripe by all means, but David knows what entertainers. Drew McAdam cheerfully admits he has never created an
he’s talking about. effect in his life. However, he’s probably the busiest and most
The point I want to make about this album is that it represents a commercially successful mentalist in the country, simply because he’s very
particularly magnificent collaboration of talents. Material by Porter, good at his job.
arrangements by Riddle, voice by Sinatra. I simply don’t think this Creators, arrangers and performers all have a lot to offer the world of
line-up of talent can be bettered. magic and mentalism, and when all three work well together the results
It seems to me that much of the very best magic arises from a similar tend to be outstanding. One of the things I admire about the Tabula
kind of collaboration, albeit we don’t always see it as such. For Mentis meetings, organised by Todd Landman, is the way they bring
together people with very different skill sets and styles precisely to foster
this attitude of creative cross-fertilisation and collaboration.
One good reason to discuss these different areas of expertise a bit
more often than we do is so that younger magicians don’t feel ‘pressured’
into being something they’re not. I sometimes get the impression that
younger recruits to the deceptive arts feel they have to be all things to all
people, which isn’t the case and would be impossible anyway. We need to
pass along the clear message that it’s perfectly okay if you’re more of a
creator than a performer, or if your particular strength lies in adaptation
and arrangement rather coming up with something stunningly original.
Another reason to discuss and celebrate good collaboration is to try
and eliminate examples that are not so good. My particular pet peeve in
this regard is mentalists who say things like, “Last night I had a
premonition…” when (a) this vocabulary is as natural to them as a cow
going “Quack!”, and (b) they look like they’re the sort of person who has
a premonition about as often as I win a gymnastics tournament. Just
because it sounds good when the guy on the DVD says it doesn’t it mean
it will sound good when you say it. Different arrangements suit different
singers, and different presentational styles and ways of framing a trick
suit different mentalists.
We can’t all be Sinatra. But we can all find the right people to
collaborate with, and when we do we’ll create a lot of lasting harmony.

Non-Demonstrations
Photo: TMC Archive

I attended a couple of public talks recently that gave me pause for thought.
The first was essentially about hypnosis and its practical applications.
The climax of the talk was a demonstration featuring a participant from
Andy Nyman
the audience. The speaker inserted a very fine lancet (medical-grade

56 THE MAGIC CIRCULAR FEBRUARY 2013 [Link]

 CIRCULAR MENTALISM

Ian Rowland MIMC

needle) through a fleshy part of the spectator’s hand. The spectator everyone in the room, who will vocally despise you for being
seemed okay with this (no pain or distress) and little or no blood flowed. closed-minded, dogmatic and preachy. If your message is sceptical, it’s
This was offered as proof that (a) hypnosis can achieve an analgesic (pain the messenger who gets shot, not the lecturer at the front of the room
relieving) effect, and that (b) it can stem blood flow. mis-representing what’s going on. It’s easier to just smile and say,
This demonstration was bogus. If you know what you’re doing, you can “Gosh, how extraordinary.”
stick a lancet through anyone’s hand and they won’t feel any pain
because there’s none to feel. Also, there will never be more than a speck Quick Trick
of blood involved, at most, simply because this procedure doesn’t cause Here’s a simple little item for stage use. You invite a spectator up on
bleeding. Hypnosis may or may not be able to do what the speaker stage, let’s call him John. You chat about dowsing and give John either
claimed, but this particular demonstration proved nothing. a non-comedic prop (e.g. an actual divining rod) or a comedic one (e.g.
The second talk was broadly about success, martial arts and positive egg whisk) depending on your style.
beliefs. The speaker got a member of the audience to stretch out her arm. You tell John that you’ve hidden a bit of treasure, a £20 note,
He demonstrated that if he applied downward pressure with two fingers, somewhere in the theatre or on a member of the audience without
and she resisted with all her strength, he was unable to force her arm their knowledge. John’s task is to follow the divining rod (or whatever
down. He then pretended to perform some sort of re-alignment of energy you’ve given him) and find the treasure. You explain that, assuming he
fields, which he said made the spectator weaker, and now he was able to is successful, he can’t keep the £20 but he will get a reward.
press her arm down with ease – no matter how much she tried to resist. You say you are not going to tell him where the treasure is hidden,
This demonstration was bogus too. It is always possible to push but you will give him a bit of secret advice about how to dowse
someone’s arm down in this way because of the leverage involved. The correctly. Some loud music plays for about 20 seconds while you
only thing that varies is how much downward pressure the performer whisper this secret advice in John’s ear. What you whisper is, “Don’t
applies. This same fatuous demonstration is often offered as a worry, trust me, this always works. The £20 could be in someone’s shoe,
demonstration of ‘applied kinesiology’, which you can look up later. in a man’s pocket, in a lady’s handbag, anywhere at all. Just go
At both of these talks, the audience consisted of people who could wherever you want, have fun, be silly. It’s funnier if it takes you about
fairly be described as thoughtful, well-educated professionals. Both of three minutes and if you change your mind a few times”.
these ‘demonstrations’ were met with fascination, open-mouthed The music goes down to background level. John confirms that you
amazement and a pleasant smattering of audible gasps. So far as I could have not told him where to go. John then commences his search for
tell, there wasn’t a grain of critical thinking in the room. No-one paused the treasure. If you’ve chosen the right spectator, he will go searching
for a moment to think, “Mm, wait a minute, I wonder if that actually all over the audience creating mischief and mayhem. It’s up to you to
demonstrates what we’re being told it does”. encourage the spectator correctly, to manage the opportunities and to
In the 70s and early 80s the world went crazy for psychic and extract as much fun from the situation as possible.
paranormal claims, from von Daniken’s Ancient Astronaut books to When he gets to his final destination, you reach in to wherever he is
spoon-bending. This was followed, inevitably, by a backlash. People got indicating and extract a £20 note. In reality, it comes from inside your
fed up with all the claims of psychic woo-woo, producers stopped thumb tip, but no-one will know and, quite frankly, no-one will care.
churning out documentaries opening with a shot of Stonehenge at The spectator doesn’t get to keep the £20, unless you’re on a big fee
sunrise, and we all felt a bit disappointed that we hadn’t evolved and feeling generous, but you give him some chocolates or a drinks
telepathic gifts and still needed telephones. voucher valid at the bar as a reward.
These things go in cycles, and it would seem that society is once again Stage magicians have used the TT forever to vanish a borrowed bill
ready to embrace just about anything with gullible relish and hearty and make it re-appear at some remote location. This is just a variation
applause. This being so, if you want to be the next millionaire psychic on that theme.
superstar, telling the world that your neat billet switch routine is actually By the way, if you want to do the ‘object to remote location’ trick
proof of psychic powers, now might be a good time. with a TT, then chat to Fay Presto. She’s the expert and she knows how
In neither of the cases I’ve described did I voice my sceptical views, and to do it in a way that is imaginative, fun, deceptive and entertaining. l
I’ll tell you why. There are three levels of intelligence. The first is not
knowing the demo is fake. The second is being smart enough to know the
demo is fake, but being daft enough to think that mentioning it, politely Invitation
and with every good intention of promoting critical thinking, would be a If you have items, stories, jokes or vicious rumours of interest to
mentalists, please drop me a line (ian@[Link]). If you can’t
good idea. The third is being smart enough to know that the second afford Derren and want to hire a fairly good also-ran mentalist, or you
option never achieves anything except to make you unpopular with just have time to kill, please visit [Link].

[Link] FEBRUARY 2013 THE MAGIC CIRCULAR 57

 REVIEWS Reviewed by Eddie Dawes
This is a book that, on first sight, the magic
historian instinctively feels will be an
informative and enjoyable read, and so it turns
out to be. The Italian author’s fascination with
Lewis Starnes MMC eighteenth-century continental European
MICHAEL VINCENT MIMC magicians who toured Britain was the springboard
EDWIN A DAWES MIMC which launched this meticulous research, which
WILL HOUSTOUN AIMC has its genesis in the career of the Italian-born
Tomaso Palatino and continues with chapters
on Highman Palatine, Philip Breslaw and
Herman Boaz, whilst embracing several others
WOODYLAND accomplished one of the cleanest, hands off, such as Pinetti, Astley and Jonas along the way.
by Woody Aragon Card at Any Numbers I have seen. There is a nice surprise
Four Instructional DVD set, 603 mins. $110 Disc three covers a number of routines too, when the author
(£68) from your favourite dealer. Dealers requiring sleight of hand. I was particularly reveals that Boaz was
contact Murphy’s Magic supplies, pleased to see this given the Spanish penchant not, as widely believed,
[Link]. for mastering the classic plots of card magic. a German but was an
Woody offers up his interpretation on some Englishman who hailed
Reviewed by Michael Vincent classic plots like Triumph, The Torn and Restored from Darlington and
Here is another stunning collection of magic Card and his signature effect, The Bumblebees. whose name was James
from Luis de Matos’s The Essential Magic The final DVD is the first time I have seen The Bowes, a surgeon. What
Collection. This Box Set of four DVDs features Si Stebbins Stack discussed in such a is more, this information
the work of Woody Aragon and in total clocks comprehensive fashion. The Stebbins Stack is is to be found in the
in at just over ten hours of magic. often regarded as an introduction for most posthumous memoirs of
Watching Woody perform on the first disc, I beginners in card magic, long before embracing the famous engraver Thomas Bewick!
was immediately struck by two things. Firstly, The Memorised Deck. Woody brings this famous This is a scholarly, very well-written treatise,
his style is very reminiscent of the magicians stack to life with an intriguing piece of historical illustrated with engravings, playbills and
coming out of Spain – strongly influenced by data and theoretical considerations. How to set documents, admirably referenced and splendidly
the grand master Juan Tamariz. The second up and handle the stack is also covered along produced. The edition is limited to two-hundred
point to hit me hard was his effervescent with some truly remarkable routines which -and-fifty copies, so, “a word to the wise...”
personality. What I particularly liked about bring out a lot of hidden benefits lurking within
this collection is the fact that its simple design and structure. His Spelling EYE WONDER: THE AMAZING
we get the chance to see Routine has become a reputation maker and I PARADOXICAL AND MAGICAL
the artist perform for a was astonished how much magic was ILLUSIONARY WORLDS OF
live audience. We get to generated from the stack. Woody builds on the JERRY ANDRUS
experience Woody in work of people like Darwin Ortiz, Juan Tamariz, by Al Seckel
action and his audience Stewart James and Norman Gilbreath (The 68 page iTunes iBook Store download. £2.99
connection and rapport is Gilbreath Principle) in conjunction with the from the Apple iBook Store.
superb. There is a lot that stack to provide you with a lot of food for
can be learnt from thought and some exciting magic to consider. Reviewed by Will Houstoun
watching how he interacts I have become a fan of Woody Aragon. His As a card magician with an interest in optical
with people and puts them magic and performances have set a new trend illusions I was excited to hear that Al Seckel has
at ease. His magical performance is of the in modern card magic and I believe his work released an iBook (a digital book that can be
highest standard. The purpose of the first disc and contribution to card magic will go from viewed on an iPad) dedicated to Jerry Andrus’s
is to showcase how Woody thinks about strength to strength. Judging by the quality of magic and illusions.
structure, the core of his performance and this DVD, it will go a long way to consolidating If you are not familiar with Jerry Andrus then
how to build to a finale full of emotion. the reputation of this gifted and talented I think a part of the script he used at the
The second disc features Woody presenting magician. I recommend this DVD to students of beginning of his performances will give you
material which he has become famous for – card magic both for commercial magic and some idea of what sort of a person he was. He
Interactive and Automatic Magic. This is academic study. would open by saying: “... if what I’m doing as
material which is termed sleight of hand free, a magician primarily doesn’t fool you then I am
but requires a lot of management, scripting THEY LIVED BY TRICKS not doing my proper job as a magician; but if I
and audience control if the effects are to by Pietro Micheli do or say anything that makes anyone feel
register powerfully. With a capable performer, 241 pages, 24 x 17 cm, soft pict bds, foolish then I am not doing my proper job as a
this is material which can play very well. I illustrated in black and white. Limited to 250 human being.” To learn more about his magic
found Woody’s treatment of the Any Card at numbered copies. a35 (£28) plus post and and optical illusions then you should really take
Any Number plot fascinating; using an packaging. Available from a look at Zone Zero, Acupressure, the Linking
unusual mathematical principle, he has [Link] Pins and perhaps his optical illusion The Crazy

58 THE MAGIC CIRCULAR FEBRUARY 2013 [Link]

 Nuts. Alternatively video of it. Or, after reading an essay on what Murphy’s Magic supplies,
you could get a copy kind of person Jerry was, you can watch a short [Link].
of Eye Wonder and video clip of him talking about some aspect of
see all these items his life that he feels is important. Reviewed by Lewis Starnes
and more. The one thing that you will not get from Eye The slightly dated leather jacket and hairstyle
So what material Wonder, quite appropriately as it is a book David Penn is sporting in these DVDs
does Eye Wonder cover and why is it an iBook? written for the public, are explanations of his suggests they are not part of his recent work!
In terms of content the book includes magic. Most of the effects as however relatively I can’t help but wonder whether these were
biographical information on Jerry Andrus, an easy to find in print elsewhere. originally produced to capitalise on David
essay about him and his illusions by Al Seckel, a As someone who has enjoyed reading Jerry Blaine’s success in the early part of the
chapter on his original optical illusions, a Andrus’s published material, as well as meeting millennium, and a decade or so on, the
chapter on his magic and finally a tribute to him him one year at The International Magic success of Dynamo has seen them
by Barry Brilliant. By publishing this material as Convention, Eye Wonder is a fantastic reminder repackaged for a younger audience today.
an iBook Al Seckel has been able to bring Jerry of the man behind the magic as well as exactly My rambling about date aside, this is a
and his creations to life in a way that what the material looked like in his hands. On well-produced DVD set with David Penn
conventional print could not achieve. That is the other hand, if you have not come across hitting his local shopping mall and
because, as well as pictures and written Jerry Andrus before, then Eye Wonder is a performing the same effect two or three
descriptions of the different items the iBook fantastic introduction to a whole world of magic times, in real world conditions, before taking
also allows video footage of Jerry and illusion. you ‘backstage’ to a well-lit studio where he
demonstrating things to placed amongst the goes through the working of the trick. David
text. So, for example, you can read about the STREET MAGIC SECRETS 1 & 2 is a good performer for the lay audiences and
amazing Crazy Nuts and see a picture of them by David Penn gives clear instruction on how to accomplish
but, when you want to really understand what Double instructional DVD set. $39.99 (£25) the effect and present it as well.

s
the illusion looks like in 3D you can watch a from your favourite dealer. Dealers contact This DVD set is aimed squarely at

Steinmeyer who became a friend after

MY FAVOURITE Brian’s partner had asked him to pick up a

book from Jim in Burbank, USA, during the
preparation of a radio series about Disney.

BOOKS The Glorious Deception by Jim

Steinmeyer, a beautifully written book
about Chung Ling Soo, was Brian’s fifth
book. This also led to more of Brian’s
Brian Sibley MIMC overlapping circles, Disney with magic, and
reported by Terry Wright AIMC magic back to his early reading, as he
observed Steinmeyer preparing the magic
for the stage show Mary Poppins.
Brian wrote the foreword for Jim’s book
Brian began by talking about his life in terms to the society. Brian emphasised the interesting Technique and Understanding
of circles and how books and his contact experiments in this book; he referred to the pink and outlined the detail and care that goes
with their authors had influenced his own and white rose on the dustcover of the book into the description of the effects in Jim’s
publications, both broadcast and written. He and the way it was generated (as in “painting books, and the incorporation of those
discovered J R R Tolkien and The Hobbit, the roses red”). details onto the stage.
P L Travers and Mary Poppins; two early In 1976 he was invited by John to The Magic A truly magical book, fiction of course, is
magical influencers. Circle’s first-ever Collectors’ Day at Chenies The Man Who Was Magic by Paul
How did he get to The Magic Circle? The Mews and found that his broadcasting work Gallico. Brian read to us the description of
first book on his list was Alice’s fitted well with magic. As he prepared Mageia, the author’s fanciful city of
Adventures in Wonderland by programmes for the radio series It’s Magic! magicians. And finally he completed his list
Lewis Carroll (he showed a copy signed by and other shows he realised the value of of books, and another circle or two, with
the author). This led him to Martin Gardner’s The Great Illusionists by Eddie Dawes, A Bouquet for the Gardener by
The Annotated Alice and to learn which covers the entire story of magic as far as Gardner, Hofstadter and Burstein, a book
more about Charles Dodgson, not only as an the death of Harry Houdini. Broadcasting also created by The Lewis Carroll Society of North
author but also as an amateur magician brought to Brian’s attention the mind reading America to celebrate the life of Martin
(hence all of the references to playing cards, act described in The Piddingtons by Gardner. He closed by quoting from his own
a white rabbit, etc. in Alice). Brian became Russell Braddon, the sensation of the day, and essay in the book entitled ‘Annotations of
secretary of The Lewis Carroll Society and Brian was able to share some history of the Immortality’ and by saying that Mr Dodgson
invited John Fisher who was writing author’s involvement in the act. and Mr Gardner had led to everything that
The Magic of Lewis Carroll to talk Next was the discovery of the writings of Jim was enjoyable in his magical life. l

[Link] FEBRUARY 2013 THE MAGIC CIRCULAR 59

beginners or newcomers to magic and given CARD NOW
you’re reading this review in The Magic Circular, by Damian Surr and Jakob Halskov
this DVD set is almost certainly not for you. iTunes App Store download. £2.99 from the Apple App Store. For
Anyone who’s read a few beginners’ books on more information visit [Link]/cardnow
magic will be familiar with the vast majority of
effects. Having said that, the tricks have been Reviewed by Will Houstoun
well chosen including a nice mix of cards, coins, Card Now is a relatively late entry into the market for magic iPhone apps,
rope, rubber bands, mentalism and magic tricks that can be performed on an iPhone. The app allows you to
miscellaneous items. The effects are all for close-up conditions and will produce your business card from your iPhone in an intriguing way that
not play quite as big as, for example, walking across the Thames. will, perhaps, make your spectator more likely to keep it.
If your nephew wants to put a borrowed mobile phone inside a bottle In performance, after someone asks for your business card, you say that
then this ‘street magic set’ will not show him how but it does have some you will print one using your phone. An animation of the card being
other good classics to get him started. You will find the old ash on arm printed then appears on the phone’s screen, complete with vibrations and
trick, folding note, burnt match in matchbook, three card monte, together sound effects. You can then slide the card around inside the screen before
with a further twenty or so effects that will keep any aspiring magician pulling it to the side of the phone, where it materialises into a physical
busy for a while. business card that your spectator can keep.

convention that Tom first appeared as a dealer, under the name of

OBITUARIES Universal Magic, and he continued to do so every year until 2012. He also
had a stand each year at the British Ring convention. Two of his best
sellers were the Rising Matchbox and the Watch Winder of which he sold
thousands over the years. An interesting bit about the latter is that they
were made especially for him by one particular man. Tom loved being
among magicians and having a stand at conventions enabled him to
Tom Owen MIMC meet with many of the registrants passing through the dealers hall that
by Elizabeth Warlock MIMC the average conventioneer would not have the opportunity to meet.
Tom was a fun guy and will be sadly missed by the magical world. I
When Tom Owen died, on 3 December, after a long illness at the age of personally will miss our telephone conversations. He is survived by two
seventy-nine, magic lost one of its most colourful characters. A dealer, sons Jonathan and Philip from his first marriage, his second wife
lecturer and a comedy performer both on stage and in close-up, he will Margaret having predeceased him, and to them we offer our condolences
be always be remembered wearing his trademark Fez, Dagger Thru in their great loss. Rest in peace Tom.
Head and an oversize ‘bare’ foot. Therefore it was no wonder he was
so popular with magical and lay audiences for while the accent was on Roy Van Dyke MIMC 1925 – 2012
comedy he incorporated some excellent magic, one of his favourite by Ian Adair MIMC
effects being the Head Chopper.
As a comedy magician he was in demand not only in his home town Roy Hobbs (stage name Van Dyke) passed away on 26 November 2012 at
of Preston and Lancashire, but nationally and in Europe particularly in the age of eighty-eight. He had been confined to a residential home for a
Malta where he was a regular visitor for many years. He often lectured number of years where his health gradually deteriorated.
and performed there for Ring 202 in which his great friend Vanni Pule In his early days Roy was an active performer, presenting both adult
was so prominent. He was a favourite performer on the magic cruises and children’s shows, his main competitor being Edwin Hooper (of The
organised by Geoff Maltby on the QE2 in the late nineties and early Supreme Magic Co) working the North Devon area.
part of this century. I had the pleasure of working with him at various holiday complexes
He was a past president of both the British Ring and Blackpool around the coastline of Devon, and we would often meet after shows and
Magicians Club, his association with the latter going back to the late chat about magic.
1950s when, with Bill Lamb and Harry Dewhirst, he helped to organise His Punch & Judy shows were always popular and drew large crowds
the annual convention when it whether it be at outdoor events or on the beach.
was still in its infancy. Later Tom During the 1970s he ran an established tea shop business ‘Ye Olde Tea
and Bill would take over as joint Shoppe’ in the historical, mediaeval village of Dunster, near Minehead.
organisers of the convention He later turned professional, his Bristol-based agent providing him with
bringing in big magic stars from continuous bookings for his comedy cabaret act which he presented
around the world including those throughout the entire United Kingdom. But he was best known for his
from behind the then Iron ‘Balloon’ act, and became an extremely accomplished balloon modeller.
Curtain. They continued until The Supreme Magic Company of Devon published two of his books Fun
1994 when the mantle was with Balloons and More Fun with Balloons as well as his columns on
passed to Derek Lever and Steve balloon modelling which appeared in the pages of The Magigram
Eastham. He was the recipient of magazine.
the prestigious Murray Award for Roy was a well known face at various magic conventions, often
his services to magic. presenting his comedy act on many of the shows as well as at magic
It was at the 1962 Blackpool dinner functions. Many regarded him as being the perfect stand-up

60 THE MAGIC CIRCULAR FEBRUARY 2013 [Link]

 Once you purchase Card Now and download the app you are
presented with easy to follow instructions for how to perform the effect
as well as a quick and simple system to get an image of your business
card ready to use. There is even a ‘demo’ mode which enables you to
THE MAGIC
perform the trick whilst simultaneously reading on-screen instructions. In
addition to the basic printing animation there is also a second animation
CIRCLE CARES
in which the icons on the phone screen flip over and then assemble
David Hatch MMC
themselves into your business card.
If I were to direct one criticism at Card Now, it would be that I am not
convinced that it is really the kind of trick that fools people – I do not
think it will give your spectator’s sleepless nights as they try to figure out
where the business card came from! Having said that, it will very simply I am very sorry to report that Tom Owen MIMC has passed away
and directly produce your business card in a novel manner that will make after a short illness. Tom was a Past President and Honorary Life Vice
people smile, keep and hopefully use the card. In this particular case I President of the Blackpool Magicians’ Club. He was a Joint
think that might be more important than the ‘fooling’ element of the trick Convention Organiser for many years and received the prestigious
and, if you think so to, then Card Now is worth investigating further. l Murray Award for Services to Magic. He was also a Past President of
the British Ring of the International Brotherhood of Magicians.

I am also sorry to report the death of Roy Van Dyke MIMC. Roy was
comedy act and he would deliver a series of rip-firing gags whilst a comedy magician and was famous for his balloon act.
twisting balloons into all sorts of shapes.
He loved chatting to all magicians and his knowledge of all branches Tony Hanscombe MMC, another expert balloonist and a stalwart
of magic was exceptional. Monday Nighter, suffered a heart attack in December and was
Sadly, Roy had both legs amputated, but this didn’t deter him from admitted to Medway hospital. He is now recovering at home.
his show presentations and he soon specialised in Palm Reading
staged at hotels and village halls. Ian Fletcher AIMC, Michael Symes, MIMC and John Ward MMC
Roy leaves behind his wife, Joyce, two sons and a daughter. are all undergoing treatment, and David Ball MIMC and Bill Jenner
He will be sadly missed by all who had the pleasure of knowing him. MMC are recovering from surgery. Michael Gurr AIMC has recovered
well from a mini stroke and hopefully will have had surgery by the
Irving Schneider 1919 – 2012 time this is published. John Styles MIMC had to cancel his
by Michael Bailey MIMC scheduled Monday night lecture in November due to ill health. His
wife Barbara sadly passed away on Thursday 27 December. In her
I have just heard of the sad death late last year of Irving Schneider at early years she had assisted John in his stage magic act, and was a
the age of ninety-three. Irving was born in Brooklyn, New York, and familiar figure at Magic Circle. Peter Scarlett MIMC’S wife was
was a very successful businessman as Chairman and Chief Operating admitted to hospital in December. Both James Fortune MIMC and
Officer of Helmsley-Spear Inc. He became a prominent philanthropist his partner Shelley are also in poor health. Our best wishes go out to
who, with his wife Helen, sponsored two children’s hospitals that bear all these friends, together with others mentioned previously.
his name, as well as donating to a multitude of other good causes.
Irving was not a magician, but through his close friendship with our Just a thought: “Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but
Member David Baldwin MIMC he gave two very substantial sums to what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the
The Magic Circle Appeal at a time when additional funds were needed, limo breaks down.” Oprah Winfrey
particularly to refurbish the museum in the newly opened
headquarters. Contact address:
I met Irving when he and his wife came to visit 12 Stephenson Way, (see website for Members’ details)
and over a cup of tea in The Clubroom he told me of his surprise and
delight that The Magic Circle enjoyed the voluntary services of so many If you hear of Members or their families who are sick or facing
Members. He also expressed the wish that some of his extraordinarily hard times please contact:
generous donations should go to help younger Members of the Society. David Hatch MMC (Welfare Officer)
In fact, the second of Irving’s donations was used to swell the funds 6 Darnley Road, Woodford Green, Essex IG8 9HU
of the newly started Maskelyne Endowment Fund, with a specific T 020 8504 4134
bursary in his name being offered each year to Members up to the age E WelfareOfficer@[Link]
of twenty-five to join a week-long master class at the Jeff McBride
Mystery School in Las Vegas, all expenses paid. The Irving Schneider Chaplaincy:
Youth Award has already helped a number of our keen and talented Revd Peter Liddelow AIMC
youthful Members, all of whom have benefited greatly from the magic 23 Kings Road, Barnet, Herts, EN5 4EF
tuition they received. T 020 8441 2968
All Members, and particularly our younger Members, are grateful to E Chaplain@ [Link]
Irving Schneider for his remarkable and much appreciated generosity. Rabbi Geoffrey Shisler MMC
In sending our condolences to his family we want them to know that 10 St Petersburgh Place, Bayswater, London W2 4LB
his name will be remembered fondly and in perpetuity by The Magic T 020 7229 6215
Circle. l E Geoffreyshisler@[Link]

[Link] FEBRUARY 2013 THE MAGIC CIRCULAR 61

 MINUTES

Thursday 6 December 2012

next year. Council thanked them

(and developments committee) for
their work and excellent
programme over past years. RP said
each summer when the summer
season team changes, the format
MINUTES OF THE MAGIC Those who did not attend the last we should do this. Council agreed changes and that the next team
CIRCLE COUNCIL MEETING meeting abstained. to form a committee, comprising JD, should be allowed to explore
HELD AT THE WH, KD and SK to investigate the different avenues. AE suggested
HEADQUARTERS 6.30pm 4. Matters Arising idea in more detail and present the putting on the Announcements list
Council agreed that it will feedback idea to Council. so that those with an interest can
PRESENT all comments to the chairman of start thinking now for summer
Brian SIBLEY (Chair) Brand, Marketing and Publicity 6. Endowment trustee 2013. It was agreed to seek
Jack DELVIN committee within 7 days of any replacement proposals from members interested
Steve PRICE (Hon Secretary) leaflet being presented prior to A replacement is needed for the in running the programme.
Matthew GARRETT printing. late Alan Shaxon. RP proposed JF,
Keith PAIN JD mentioned that he had agreed seconded by KR. Council agreed. 9. Deferred until January
James FREEDMAN the idea of a trial “variety show” JF proposed a tribute evening in as MD unwell
Alexander CRAWFORD with CMA. Discussed with treasurer memory of Alan Shaxon next year
Will HOUSTOUN and past treasurer. Last month, JF to which all of Alan’s family should 10. Brand Marketing and
Richard PINNER (6.38pm) offered to take JDs idea to Public be invited. An evening has been Publicity
Andrew EBORN Events committee in a way to show booked with the Club Night AE, Chairman of The Branding,
Katherine RHODES (6.43pm) how it would work financially. JF Committee on 3 June 2013. Marketing and Publicity Committee
Alan MASKELL said the proposal should come from presented a detailed report of the
RP. BS said these events need to be 7. Friends of TMC Committee’s activities as well as
1. Apologies discussed between JD and RP. JD said when the last newsletter minutes of its meeting on 19
Stephen KENNARD, went out, there was little content. November. The remit and workload
Scott PENROSE, Mandy DAVIS, 5. The Magic Circle Course MG reported that there is potential of the Committee has increased
Fay PRESTO, Kevin DOIG, in Magic to expand. JD suggested £5 off significantly. Following the BMP
Sebastian HUNT JD had put an idea on the Council MTMC events for Friends. JF said Committee’s success it has also
mail list to create an online, they need to feel they will get £30 been asked to assist CMA. The 10
2. DEATHS internet-based Course in magic. of benefits for the outlay. In response members of the Committee have a
Jaspal Juttla MMC, Roy Van Dyke Only those with genuine interest to MG’s concern about allocated broad range of communications,
MIMC, Tom Owen MIMC (and would pay to participate. A budget, AC said the Friends promotions and marketing
Regional Representative for committee would need to be committee should put together a expertise. One of the main
TMC). Tributes were paid to created. AM said the committee proposal as to what investment objectives of the BMP meeting on
these members, and also to should start by looking at the was required for what returns later 19 November was to discuss the
non-member Allen Tipton, who ethics. JF was uncomfortable about on, rather than seeking a budget requested increase in the scope of
has left his collection of material selling secrets of magic to the without justification. A welcome this committee and to spread the
relating to Dante and Kalanag to public and was not in favour of any pack would be part of this. WH said workload amongst the team. Key
TMC. Members of Council stood online course unless it was a business plan was required. KP projects were agreed to promote
in silence as a mark of respect. exceedingly well designed and said members could promote on events, membership, VIPs and to
executed. He also spoke against their own websites. raise awareness of TMC and to
3. MINUTES any sort of “grading” system as strengthen and maximise the value
After amendment, on a proposal had been proposed by other 8. Magician’s Choice of TMC brand. Other potential
by KP, seconded by AC, the Councillors. KP said members could WH said next year WH, Noel Britten sources of income were discussed
minutes of the meeting held on advertise on their personal and Richard McDougall will not be from hirings through to licensing
7 November were approved. websites. KR questioned whether available for Magician’s Choice and merchandise. Council asked AE

62 THE MAGIC CIRCULAR FEBRUARY 2013 [Link]

to pass on its thanks to his Young magician of the Year said the strategy meetings Meeting ended
Committee for all of its ongoing competition – The heats are on 10th should go ahead as a Meeting 10.13pm
hard work. March, with the final on 7th April. of Council, rather than a Council Date and time of next
Meeting. meeting: Tuesday 8 Jan
11. Stage Magician of the 13. Secretary’s Report 2013 at 6.30pm TMC HQ
Year rules i New Members (See attached 14. Any Other Business
Past competitors are prohibited schedule) Council agreed that phonecalls New members elected
from entering with the same act Ω ii Reinstatements. Robert John – could be made in shared areas on 6 December 2012.
“act as known”. Council had subject to payment (such as lobby and outside Devant
previously expressed a desire that iii Resignations. None room) provided that they did not
this rule should be changed. BS asked iv Promotions (See attached cause blockages, disturbances etc.
if the rules had ever been brought schedule) Following the unfortunate injury
to Council. BS to speak to SP. v Correspondence: of Wayne Houchin, the Academy of
An e-mail from Noel Britten was Magical Arts and Dai Vernon
12. Reports circulated regarding the vision Foundation Inc have established a
Museum – Thanks to museum day held in September. JF said fund to assist him. Council agreed Promotions
staff for the new displays that he agreed absolutely with to bring the fund to the attention of
(particularly Devant LCD display) all the content of Noel’s e-mail. members and invite contributions.
and improvement in the redesigned JF offered to circulate the
cabinets. Council were in favour of original notes and analysis of
more LCD displays. Council were the day but agreed with Noel
unsure if a duplicate Kinora that if further strategy days were
machine should be kept in our not to take place, that preparing
collection. BS to speak to SP. a formal report would be a
waste of resources. AC said that
Harry Reeve – had offered to be the lack of a report meant that
interviewed, with a DVD created of those who weren’t there
the event. Council determined that couldn’t make any decisions
a decision could only be made about further meetings. WH said
afterwards. the idea was that it would be
the first meeting of a series. RP Our Headquarters Conventions
Public events – December said the day was valuable and
DRESS CODE
Close-up had sold out. The needed to be reported. BS said Smart attire is required at all events in the Headquarters.
Christmas show had sold out he hoped we could still have a MOBILE PHONES
(without announcing the line up). report and that it was vital Phone calls can be made in shared areas (such as the lobby and
The idea of a “President’s Dinner” Council worked together and outside Devant room) provided that they do not cause blockages
was suggested. not against each other. The or disturbances.
point of the meeting was to PHOTOGRAPHY AND SOUND RECORDING
Close-up competition – the look at the broader issues. RP The use of any form of recording equipment, audio or visual,
committee proposed having no said the day wasn’t a Council including cameras and mobile phones, is not permitted in any part
prize money, but no entry fee either. meeting. AC said that every of the Headquarters except by special arrangement.
GUM
This would encourage more strategy meeting is frustrating,
Please refrain from chewing gum of any sort in the Headquarters.
entrants. JF mentioned the cost of but something good comes out
SMOKING
the Devano trophy. of it. KR said that had low Smoking is not allowed anywhere in the Headquarters.
expectations of the meeting, but We all benefit from these conventions, so please respect and
Library – there are some missing it had been highly valuable. To abide by them to avoid being turned away. Thank you for your
library books. CCTV is installed in not have a meeting because of understanding.
the library. one voice is undemocratic. AM

[Link] FEBRUARY 2013 THE MAGIC CIRCULAR 63

 FORTHCOMING February Monday 11
LECTURETTES – MANDY DAVIS MIMC

CLUB EVENTS One of the popular evenings that has been missing from our calendar
over the past years – a chance to hear short twenty minute talks on a
variety of magic and performance subjects from those who know!
Mandy Davis will be introducing Members, including James Freedman
and Will Houstoun, who really have something to say and share with
February 2013 you. You’ll be surprised, informed or entertained – probably all three so
don’t miss this event!

February Monday 18
TOP TIPS – ROBERTO FORZONI MMC

T he Headquarters is open on Club Nights from 3:00pm until

10:30pm. Unless otherwise stated, events start promptly at 7:30pm
and are scheduled to finish between 8:45pm and 9pm.
A return of this popular night where Members get to share their own
invaluable tips and bits of advice about all aspects of the magical world –
from prop management to repair; from gimmicks to gadgets; from
Club Nights are principally for Members, so entry is by Membership handlings to helpful advice; from the business side to the performing side.
Card. A bona fide magician guest may attend any evening that is not
marked ‘Members Only’ on condition that he or she is able to show February Monday 25
membership of a magical society. A non-magician guest may only STRESS FREE MAGIC – MARCELO INSUA
attend evenings that are marked as ‘Show’. Guests may only attend Involving routines with coins, cards and mentalism, Marcelo Insua’s
two evenings a year. No guest may attend unless the CMA is told lecture is based on his experience of over twenty years as a
in advance, so if you wish to bring a guest please phone professional magician and the owner of the only magic bar theatre in
(020) 7387 2222. There is a limit of ten guests per night. All South America, called Bar Mágico. In July 2012, Marcelo received the
guests must pay a £15 entry fee at the door and respect our FISM Invention Award for his creation, a new gaffed coin which allows
Conventions. Indeed, it is your duty as their sponsor to ensure that they the most amazing magic to happen – stress free!
do. The Magic Circle reserves the right to refuse entry. See our website
for all the latest event details and to subscribe to a Looking ahead to March
weekly email reminder of upcoming events.
March Monday 4
February Monday 4 THE MAGIC CIRCLE CLOSE-UP COMPETITION 2013
IN MY MIND – LUCA VOLPE AIMC
Straight from Luca’s professional repertoire come stage and close up March Monday 11
routines, which have been tested in hundreds of performances on live THE MATTHEW WRIGHT LECTURE
audiences all around the world. With effects that are created with the
Change of address? Please login to your account at
“spectator in mind”, this is not “magic for magicians” but real working [Link]. Under “Quick links”, click on “Profile”. At
routines for the “real world performer”. All of the routines require no the top, under “Edit” you should be able to select “update your
special props and pack small, which is one of the main goals that he profile”. You can contact webmaster@[Link] if you
encounter any problems.
has been able to achieve: to have a full show that fits into a small Member in need? Contact Welfare Officer David Hatch,
suitcase. WelfareOfficer@[Link]

It pays to
ADVERTISE
in the

To reach 1500 magicians Full page from £100.00 For full details contact the Business and
around the world costs Half Page £55.00 Advertising Manager Scott Penrose
less then you think Quarter page £30.00 on 07767 336882
all prices subject to VAT or email advertising@[Link]

64 THE MAGIC CIRCULAR FEBRUARY 2013 [Link]