The Billet Article - Huddersfield Celebrates 60 Years of Magic

This article is taken from The Billet Issue - 448 - Jul 2009, Authored by Siobhan Jordan

Huddersfield Celebrates 60 Years of Magic

A report of the afternoons free activities at the Lawrence Batley Theatre in Huddersfield by the Huddersfield Circle of Magicians

In 1949 a group of local individuals met for the first time, they all had one thing in common, ‘a passion for magic’ and so the Huddersfield Circle of Magicians was formed.

60 years on and the society is still going strong, they meet around 20 times a year mostly at their head quarters tucked away in the Latvian Club, but also at Orlandos Restaurant, Grange Moor. Whilst they may not be the largest magic society in the country, what they lack in numbers, they certainly make up for in quality. The members range from people who have an interest in magic, to professional entertainers around the world.

The celebrations kicked off with an afternoon in the Lawrence Batley Theatre Courtyard in Huddersfield. With the stage set up and ready and the bunting flying high, the group of performers, including jugglers, Punch and Judy, face painters, Balloon..ists, close up magicians, escapologists and ventriloquists waited eagerly for the stampede of people to arrive. Thankfully the weather was perfect…if not a little too hot to be walking around in a clown suit! Michael Jordan (half of High Jinx) got the ‘small but perfectly formed’ crowd going with his club juggling and diablo skills; he also got the kids up for a bit of spinning plate action and for the grand finale juggled fire torches on top of an 8foot Unicycle.

Next up was Yan and Ann with their Punch and Judy show which got all the kids up laughing and shouting.

This was followed by a death defying Escape by Amethyst as Annette handcuffed Danny before squeezing him into a small metal box which was then fastened, chained and padlocked! After a matter of seconds, to everyone’s amazement, he had escaped. The crowd (which had grown twice its size by now) went wild!

There was then a short break giving people chance to get refreshments, and be entertained by the Face painter, balloon modeller Lee Carnley, Siobhan Jordan in walk about costume and her friend Snowy the bird and various members of the society performing close up magic.

Maurice Roberts did a bit of audience participation getting the kids involved and making them balloon animals with a few humours gags warming them up for the next act.

Magic ventriloquist Kimmo then took the stage performing with his cheeky friend Charlie. He got the audience shouting, laughing and cheering with his linking rings, jumping knot and amazing ventriloquism skills. Very entertaining! Michael Jordan again amazed the crowd with his juggling skills, this time doing his, not two, not three…but five ring juggling! He then performed ‘The Walk of Death’ which involved Huddersfield Circle member Orlando lying on the ground while young Michael juggled three dangerously sharp knifes while walking over him. If this didn’t get the crowd gasping, he finished with the fire wheel, extinguishing each flame in rotation…with his mouth! There was another Punch and Judy show before a final performance from Amethyst this time with Danny escaping from being bound in rope by a member of the audience, betting him £100 that he could escape faster than he could tie him up.

After a lot of jumping, wiggling and throwing himself about the stage, in a very professional manner, Danny emerged triumphant free from the rope in record breaking time with seconds to spare.

Kimmo rounded off the afternoon with another spot of witty ventriloquism. The day was enjoyed by all and a big thank you goes out to those who supported and took part on the day.

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