Every week a fellow named Duncan Trillo publishes an update on all the latest magic around Great Britain on his website www.magicweek.co.uk. If you’re in the U.K., or planning to visit, there’s lots of great magic to see both live and on the telly.
The quaint market town of Beccles, Suffolk, looks like a village from a bygone era, so it’s only right that it play host to a magician with a similar taste for the trappings of yesteryear.
In April, Gerry Hatrick, “The Victorian Conjuror,” and his lovely assistant Gladys, will be returning to Beccles Public Hall to perform their show, “A Cavalcade of Wonders.”
The event promises an array of family-friend mysteries, tricks and Victorian-era “jiggery-pokery.” For maximum authenticity, be sure to work a 16-hour shift at the local textile mill and infect your children with cholera before the show.
“This new production, with its charming Victorian setting, embraces all the excitement and nostalgia of entertainment in the Victoria era,” explained a spokesman for the venue. “Come along and bring the family for an Easter holiday treat and enjoy an evening of magic, comedy and intrigue.”
A Cavalcade of Wonders starts at 7:30pm on Saturday the 14th of April. Tickets are on sale now and cost £9.00 plus a small booking fee. Children’s tickets are £5.00.
What began as a small, one-day gathering in 1952 in Blackpool, England has blossomed into a three-day magic extravaganza, and next month, the 66th annual Blackpool Magic Convention will see some of the world’s greatest magicians performing under one roof.
The convention will take place from Friday, February 16 through Sunday, February 18, and illusionists of all stripes can register for single day tickets or the entire weekend. Registration gets you access to daily lectures, fringe shows, over 100 dealers from all over the world, access to the Thursday mega auction, as well as tickets to each evening’s gala show.
There are dozens of performers slated to appear, including mentalist Asi Wind, close-up magician Paul Gordan, seven-time Magic Castle award winner Pop Haydn, expert card mechanic Richard Turner, Spanish sleight of hand artist Javier Benitez, and so many more. For a full list of appearances, be sure to check the convention’s 2018 artiste page.
If you’re interested in watching some great magic but don’t want to register for the full package, tickets to individual gala shows are available for the public, and can be purchased via Ticketweb for £20. Nine-year-old magician and Britain’s Got Talent runner-up Issy Simpson headlines on Friday, February 16, Richard Cadell & Sooty headline on Saturday, February 17, and 12-person magic troupe Magus Utopia will debut their new act to close out the weekend on Sunday, February 18. Each headliner is accompanied by a bevy of other performers, and each gala will perform twice each nice, once at 6:15pm, and again at 8:45pm
Registration is still available for individual days at £70 per day (£50 for juniors under 16 years of age), or £130 for the entire weekend (£65 for juniors). For more information on registration, performers, shows, and other details, head over to the convention’s official page.