The Billet Article - Clayton Village Hall Roadshow

This article is taken from The Billet Issue - 444 - Mar 2009, Authored by Dennis Calvert

Clayton Village Hall Roadshow

Saturday 14th February 2009

After a year gap, the Bradford Magic Circle returned to Clayton for a Road Show. I arrived with Steve Hord to be met by Colin Gough, who told us there were only a couple of people inside…and this was 15 mins before the allotted start! Fortunately, there was a surge just after, and the show started at 3.00pm to a good crowd.

Keith Pickles came onstage and starting waving a few coloured silks into the air, whilst explaining his favourite magic word, which was sizzling sausages! After a few more waves of the silks, and managing to have everyone in the audience shout sizzling sausages, the silks turned into one big pink sausage!

He then introduced the first act of the afternoon, Brian Waite, alias JOE KING. Joe’s volunteer soon regretted it when he produced a pair of bright red frilly panties… easy Brian!! He then performed some rope magic, which involved some knots, one of which appeared in his wallet! He finished by producing a long streamer from a vase with the audience clapping along to the music. This guy never fails to surprise me!

Steve B was next performing a favourite of mine. It involves two cards with an apple on one, and a banana on the other. Although he turned the cards round slowly, he caught the audience out every time they thought which was which! And to finish, just as they thought they had caught him out with the apple, he turned the card to show it was an apple core! Their faces were a picture! Keith Pickles then returned to perform one of his last children’s shows. He wasted no time in having the children shouting (how DOES he do that so effortlessly?!!), but then spoiled it slightly by forgetting some of his lines …even though they are the same lines he has used for the past 40 years!! His act is aimed at the younger end, but was certainly enjoyed by all ages. I liked his Dippy, sorry, Daffy duck routine with the unusual finish, with Daffy laying an egg with the chosen card inside!

Next up was our rising talent in the Bradford Magic Circle, Alex Stephenson. He started with the disappearing deck, which totally flummoxed the ‘lay’ people! He then performed a piece with a chosen card and a ring, the end product being the ring attached to the chosen card! I look forward to see more of this fella.

Steve B then closed the first half, using what seemed to be half the audience selecting various balls, yet he still found the black one! Then he did the same with playing cards, and yet still fooled everyone by finding the chosen card!

Keith Pickles opened the 2nd half (ARE you retiring, or what!!), and after performing a ring and silk piece, he introduced Colin Gough. Colin started with a daft quiz, but it turned out as the torn and restored newspaper. After receiving a lot of abuse about him cheating with the die box, and getting the audience on his side, he then spoiled it by doing his rope magic…only joking, Colin! He finished with his colour changing records, and shook everyone when the last one disappeared!

Next up, in this packed show, was Godfrey Shackleton, aka Halequin, with his Harlequin Magic shop. Some of his magic involved Wiggly the worm puppet, Silver Sceptre and finishing with a washing machine, which made a pair of socks a) spotted b) shrunk c) knotted and d) striped! Eventually his machine managed to get the socks back to normal. Phew!! Nice one, Godfrey. To wind up the show, we had Magik Mark, otherwise known as Mark Waddington, winner of UK’s top talent online. Mark performed his ritual burning of a tenner, and asking the victim to take the ashes to the local bank, where they would tell exactly what to do with them! After performing his invisible pack routine with hilarious performances from his volunteers, he moved onto his excellent piece with a chosen ring finishing up appearing from a bubble gum machine. His last act was with the gud ‘ol vanishing bandana. He finished the show by re-producing the victim’s tenner from inside a lemon! This will go down well on Pancake Day!! Keith came back on again to thank everyone and announced the day had raised £180! That means a nice hard earned bit of a sum for BMC.

I would like to finish by saying thanks to the performers, the back stage crew; Earnest, Dave and Phil. Supporters on the day were Jean Waite, Stephen Hord, Paul Sunderland, and Jules Mullins. My partner, the new BMC welfare officer, Gemma, who usually supports the road shows, apologised for not attending, as she had to work, with it being Valentines day… the chores of being a florist eh! Apologies were also received from the rest of the members…..oh hang on, no they did not!! As usual no one else bothered to turn up and support BMC. It was an excellent show and thanks must also go to the hard working committee of Clayton Village Hall, led by Eileen Edgeley.

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