Magic

5 Things you might not know about - Derren Brown

28 May 2009

1. The man you have to initially blame/thank for the unstoppable rise of Derren Brown is Jerry Sadowitz. They first met in a magic shop in London and after swapping tricks soon became pals, with Sadowitz helping Brown get his first lecture gig for…

Playwright Peter Arnott discusses The Infamous Brothers Davenport

Arnott and Vox Motus to resurrect the 19th century American spiritualists

6 Jan 2012

This new show from playwright Peter Arnott and Vox Motus promises to be part Dickens, part Derren Brown. It focuses on real-life American magicians William and Ira Davenport, who in the 1860s were a central part of the spiritualist movement, which first…

The Last Witch - Rona Munro

12 Aug 2009

Outside of panto season, it’s difficult to find a dramatist these days who’s keen to write about witches. While the idea of witchcraft might bring a certain primal frisson to some, and a sociological fascination to others, the contemporary theatre has…

Derren Brown - Tricks of the Mind

Derren Brown

7 Dec 2006

BIOGRAPHY/MANUAL What’s the first rule among magicians? Surely it’s the one about never ever divulging the secrets of your chosen profession. So, what on earth is Derren Brown doing here telling the humble general public how to develop useful…

Fringe Bribes 2011: week two winner - Stuff and Nonsense by Paul Harry Allen

Also: Politically Erect, Liam Mullone and Paul Nathan

17 Aug 2011

Stuff and Nonsense is a celebration of the random tat on sale at jumble sales, charity shops and the like. The show’s creator, Paul Harry Allen, shared this love by sending us a set of coasters, tumblers and creepy drinks stirrers, packaged in a…

Jus’ Like That!

Recreates Tommy Cooper's final performance

16 Aug 2011

Eschewing a biographical narrative, this show about stage magician and comedian Tommy Cooper simply recreates his final performance in all its balmy, cheeky glory. It’s a crowd-pleasing celebration of the utterly unique variety show talent, and Clive…

Barry and Stuart

Showing and telling their magical mysteries

8 Aug 2011

Be-suited Aberdonian purveyors of macabre magical comedy, Barry Jones and Stuart MacLeod have struck upon one hell of a gimmick. First comes The Show, filled with their favoured brand of slightly gory trickery and presented by the twosome with their…

Chris Cox

Odd-looking comic successfully combines magic and comedy

14 Aug 2011

Finding the middle ground between a traditional magician and stand-up, Cox wins over even the most reluctant of audience participants with an engaging, geeky charm. Extra bonus points for highlighting his resemblance to the love child of Sue Perkins and…

Edinburgh International Magic Festival 2011

Paul Wilson and Xavier Mortimer among highlights of second annual festival

28 Jun 2011

Eyes may have been rolled and fezzes shrugged last year when yet another Edinburgh International X Festival was announced (‘we’ll like this,’ residents thought, ‘but not a lot’). However, magician Kevin McMahon, now presiding over his second year as…

Smoke and Mirrors

Vaudevillian talent show in the Spiegeltent

19 Aug 2010

There are magic tricks in this cabaret show that might leave your brain short circuiting in an attempt to understand them. Even the next day. Just because they’re old school (the severed man in the box, pictured; the white doves conjured from up an…

Lewis Barlow on The Seven Wonders of Magic

5 crucial pieces of advice to fellow Fringe performers

11 Aug 2010

Virtuoso close-hand magician Lewis Barlow introduces Fringe audiences to the seven basic elements of magic in his exciting new show. Here he offers five crucial pieces of advice to his fellow performers 1: The quality of your performance is more…

Paul Zenon - Lounge Wizard

Old tricks with some new twists

8 Aug 2010

Paul Zenon was once a TV regular. Now he’s performing in a Chinese-themed nightclub basement on the Five Pound Fringe. His quips to that effect, while delivered with self-deprecation rather than bitterness, carry an uneasy ring of truth that echoes…

Mario completes magic task

TV Gossip

7 Aug 2010

Mario successfully completed his magic task at the live 'Big Brother' eviction last night (06.08.10) In a twist to the 'What The Dickens?' shopping task - with the housemates carrying out various Charles Dickens-themed tests - Mario was named David…

Magician Paul Nathan on the magic of sharing laughter with your children

Man behind The I Hate Children Children’s Show

5 Aug 2010

5 reasons people should come and see your show. The show is hilarious for kids and adults; everyone learns how to do a trick and there are tricks and videos available after the show; we have an arrangement with Dr Ana Aguirregabiria, one of…

Barry and Stuart bring the Festival magic back for 2010

Aberdeenshire magical jesters threaten to unleash the terrors

16 Jul 2010

This pair of Aberdeenshire magical jesters have been firm List favourites for a number of years now; we even awarded them a five-star review and a cover story a couple of Fringes back as they proved that they could very nearly walk on water. Now, Barry…

Edinburgh International Magic Festival joins city's roster

18 Jun 2010

The first ever Edinburgh International Magic Festival, running between 7 - 11 July 2010, promises to situate the crowds 'inches away' from the action. Top illusionists, hypnotists and mind readers will descend, as if by magic, upon the city for five…

French Film Festival

4 Nov 2009

Undoubtedly the biggest and strongest line up for a while, this year’s FFF UK selection is a feast of ancient and modern for Francophiles and cineastes alike. New film highlights include Anne Coco Before Chanel Fontaine’s comedy thriller The Girl from…

Lewis Barlow: Close-Up Magician

A magical hour in a safe pair of hands

20 Aug 2009

Barlow starts the hour by not claiming to be a comedian or perform any flashy illusions. Magicians are notorious liars, though, and this masterclass in card and coin tricks proves to be very entertaining, and as jaw-droppingly impressive as any of David…

Barry & Stuart: Part-time Warlocks

Part-time warlocks, full-time fun

14 Aug 2008

It's hard to imagine Paul Daniels onstage with a joint that transforms into a gold chain, and there's no danger you'd have caught him magically turning a porn mag into a map of Iraq. Describing themselves as the 'anti-Paul Daniels of magic', these…

New tricks - Magic on the Fringe

5 Aug 2008

Conjuring tricks and card chicanery may have long disappeared from our tellies, but as Claire Sawers discovers, the appeal of stage magic has never really gone away. It’s hard to believe now, but during the 80s, Paul Daniels was must-see television.

Barry & Stuart

28 Feb 2008

Some magicians spend their lives trying to convince us that they can walk on water. Metaphorically speaking. With London-based, Aberdeenshire-raised double act Barry Jones and Stuart MacLeod, there’s one thing you should know: they actually can walk on…

Pete Firman

17 Jan 2008

MAGIC The Pleasance Cabaret Bar, Edinburgh, Tue 29 Jan Can you actually imagine anything less appealing in the theatrical sphere than a magic act? All that showing off with handkerchiefs and bunny rabbits and saws and tasselled ladies is simply…

Jerry Sadowitz

23 Aug 2007

The Sadowitz invective seems ever more bilious each passing year. The victims of his ire in this show range from the English (‘feckless cunts’), Heather Mills (‘cripple’) and even Harry Potter (‘fictional cunt’). Outrageously offensive and with a…

Pete Firman

16 Aug 2007

Pete Firman wanted to bring the curtain down on Hokum by swallowing a packet of lit cigarettes and regurgitating them one by one. He couldn’t because of the smoking ban and they threatened to shut down all the Underbelly venues if he’d hacked up the £50…

Just an illusion

1 Aug 2007

Ask most people what they think of magic, and you’re likely to be greeted with snorts of derision. The British public’s perception of stage magic is still recovering from the glitter-festooned nightmare of spinning plates and disappearing rabbits that…