The Hey Presto ShowHardly an inspiring heading for this article, but at least it tells you what it's about. Appearing on the first half of the Hey Presto Show I was unable to see much of it, as I was either preparing to go on, whilst Oliver was on or packing away whilst Steve & Stevie were making everyone laugh. However, watching Oliver from the side for a short period, I was alarmed at how good he is with card manipulations. I remember trying to perfect these techniques when I was young and giving up in disgust, so my admiration goes out to those youngsters who can perfect the technique. Keep it up Oliver. I didn’t really see Steve & Stevie, although I could hear the laughter. When I went into the lounge area at the interval people were still talking about it. My own act was brilliant! Well, to be truthful, the little girl I got up was brilliant! Those childrens entertainers amongst us will know how we all long to get up that sort of child who when they get on the stage have no inhibitions and carry on just as they were before they got up. Luckily I had seen her laughing away in the second row, and when she started talking to me on the stage …… well that just made it. It's a pity I can't take her round with me to all my shows! Sitting in the audience for the second half I was again impressed with the Spotlight Dancers. Ivan's daughter (who for those of you who didn't know, runs the dance group) always gets them putting on excellent routines to open each half of the show with. Duane Laflin was a true professional. He had spent the day preparing the name cards for the show. He was cool, calm and in total command both on stage and backstage. I know that Ernest and his crew were impressed with him from the backstage point of view. His act was really colourful. Darren certainly impressed the females in the audience. Well at least the ones I spoke to. He had one 18 year old and her mum going weak at the knees! Is this a new stage of Darren's career?! His act was top class and deserving of the awards he had just received at Blackpool. The closing act certainly had the lay audience gasping; particularly when Sean appeared at the back of the audience following the sub trunk disappearance. There were audible 'oohs' and 'aahs' in the auditorium. Surprisingly I heard a comment from a young female in the audience that Sean's assistant's costume was too brief – I'm sure the males in the audience didn't think this! What a hard working duo they are. They came from Norwich and arrived at the theatre at 3.30pm to get set up. They were the last to leave at 11.30pm and then had to drive back home. They brought plenty of illusions, which is what we asked for, all different. So what were the downsides? Perhaps we should have made sure that Darren's banana was cleaned up before Mist came on. And certainly we need to look at the publicity. We had 42 tickets unsold. When you consider that 2 years ago we sold out and last year we had about 20 tickets left, let's hope this is not a trend. Anyone who has any ideas about publicity – were the tickets priced too high? – please let any of the committee know. The Easter Parade On Easter Saturday I went off to Ilkley to the Northern Magic Circle's Easter Parade at the Craiglands Hotel. Never having been in before I was amazed how large the place is. I watched the opening and dealer dem in the ballroom before I visited the dealers. I must be getting old as I didn't buy anything. I went to see Wayne Dobson lecture in the ballroom, to find out he has just got married. His wife was with him. The lecture was very similar to the one he had done at the Bradford Magic Circle, but it is always interesting to see how he has managed to adapt to his handicap and continue to be able to amaze and amuse people with what is very simple magic. I particularly liked his card box routine where the assistant becomes the magician and vice-versa. The magician (in his role of assistant) chooses a card which then vanishes from the deck. At least the magician (in his role of assistant) says it has, The card (duplicate) appears in the card box. Now that's what I call cheek! In the afternoon I went to listen to Jim Ward's Mentalism lecture. A lot of this was around the psychology of mentalism. Jim certainly had some interesting ideas on the concept. Before I popped back home to pick Pam up for the evening show in the King's Hall, I stopped to watch some of the Northern Juniors present their version of Pop Idol, entitled Magic Idol. To three judges – Geoffrey Newcastle, Debbie (?), and Derren White – the juniors came to an audition and were subjected to the judge's comments. In true Pop Idol version Derren acted the Simon Cowell role. Oliver Parker performed Professor's Nightmare and Chinese Sticks. 'Derren' didn't like rope tricks (a joke which continued throughout the show). George Pickard did a silent act with a zombie. Lauren Stringwell performed with silks and Multum in Parvo (I think that's the correct name for the effect where liquid in a small glass expands to fill numerous glasses), which was very good. Darren was irrepressible, particularly when 'Derren' told him he was not very funny – the retort being 'that's not what Ken Dodd thought!' Joe Manning did a card prediction. Michael Jordan performed pom pom stick and a find the ace routine. Stephen Rhodes managed a rope trick. Chris Hodgson started with card fans and then a card effect. At that point I had to leave after being tremendously impressed with the youngsters of the Northern Magic Circle. Thanks must go to Alan Driffield and Cynthia Neptune who give their time to bring the youngsters to this level. A quick trip back to Bradford and a quick snack, and then Pam and I were back at the King's Hall. I certainly wouldn't like to appear on that sloping stage. I was amazed that none of the props, except one which I will come to, did not end up in the audience. The hall is not a patch on Bingley Arts Centre. The audience was pretty sparse. I think that most of the audience must have been made up of conventioneers. Lesley Melville compered the show and introduced Viva. An illusion act set to a theme. The magician appeared with a large picture of a girl. Placed into a box, his assistant appeared looking the same as the picture. This was very good as the box was not covered for the appearance to take place. Moving to the hairdressers, her head was placed into a hair dryer, whereby her head was turned a la Steve & Stevie effect at the Hey Presto Show. When the hair dryer was removed, her hair had changed colour and style. Steve Gore showed us his juggling skills. At one point he dropped one of his lit balls, which rolled off the stage before he could catch it. A definite problem for a juggler the sloping stage! A good act, well received by the audience; showing once again another of Steve’s many talents. Wayne Dobson closed the first half with his 'vent' act. Making his two assistants speak in a high and low voice never fails to get the audience laughing, no matter how many times they may have seen the routine. Using only one effect, the disappearance of a card which was found folded in a purse held by one of the volunteers; he showed how he can still entertain an audience. Vizage, the British Magical Champions of Illusion for 2005, performed the whole of the second half. This act was rather different to a usual illusion act in that the girl sang during the magic. Choosing songs which fit in with the illusion, I found this rather disconcerting to begin with, but, as the act went on, rather warmed to it. Whether it was because it was different or not, I'm not sure. However the act was very good. Starting with the Shadow Cabinet illusion, they were straight into the Substitution Trunk before the first of several smaller effects, this time the razor blade trick. Amongst the illusions was one where the girl sat down. Her head was above the platform. Her head was covered in a box and a blade put through, Then the head was moved away. All the time the girl's body was visible under the table. She was also placed into a basket type pyramid box. Flaming torches were put through, before the girl stepped out in a different costume, This was a feature of the act. Every time the girl went into a box she came out in a different costume. They also performed the effect I always associate with the Pendragons, where the girls gets into a small box on a table which is folded down into virtually nothing before being removed. As I write this I can't think of its name. The final illusion was a levitation where the girl stood on a set of steps and, after being hypnotised, had two poles placed on her arms. The steps and poles were removed and the girl levitated on her own. A very good closer to what had been an exceptional act. I could see how they had won the illusion prize recently. And so ended our visit to Ilkley. Whilst most of the conventioneers went back to the Craiglands, or wherever they were staying, Pam and I journeyed home over the moors in misty weather more reminiscent of November than March. Those of you who have never been to a Northern Magic Circle Easter Parade should consider going. You don't have to go for the whole weekend. If you prefer just do as we did, go for the Saturday only. Finally a mention of those Bradford Magic Circle members I saw there, in addition to those mentioned in the report above (apologies for anyone I have missed) – Ernest Ainley, Doug & Audrey, Betty & Alan (notice you got prior mention Betty!), Lorna Heginbotham, Vic Brown, Vincent, Godfrey & Lisa Shackleton, Stevie B, Eric & Jean Stringwell & Eric Slicer. | 
