The Billet Article - Secretarial

This article is taken from The Billet Issue - 448 - Jul 2009, Authored by Stephen Bellerby

Secretarial

Wasn’t Pavel good? I certainly enjoyed it. Some great ideas, with lots of colour and variety. I know he was well received elsewhere from what I’ve been told. I’m hoping to have some answers from Pavel to the same questions which I asked Shawn Farquhar. Shawn’s emailed me back with his answers. I hope you find them of interest.

1. What was the first magic trick that you saw performed? 
• The magic act of Robert Dorian. He did a dove act as part of a show for the Armed Services in Europe. I recall the birds from the silk and his use of a leopard skin egg bag and fez. 
2. What was the first magic trick that you performed?
   
• The vanishing Banana, using a flip-over box that my father built and taught me to perform. I was appearing out of a tip over box before that but the Banana routine would be the first one I presented myself. Next effect was candle through the arm! Quite a leap!
3. What is your favourite trick; a) to perform & b) to see being performed?
   
• I love my Shape of my Heart routine and it is a joy to present for lay audiences and magicians alike. As far as watching others performing something, I would have to say anything that is original and humorous. 
4. What trick made you truly goggle?
   
• The first time I saw the illusion Origami as presented by Doug Henning and created by Jim Steinmeyer, I was dumb- struck! I had no solution and I recall my father and me looking at each other and the sense of wonder I felt at the moment was magical. I also had the same feeling the first time I saw Juan Tamariz perform. He presented a lecture at the Las Vegas World Magic Seminar and when it came to the explanations, I left. I wanted to know but at the same time, I needed to preserve the sense of wonder. It was years later that I began to study his work and understand his methods.

I thanked Shawn for taking the time to answer those questions. If he can find time in his busy schedule to answer them, perhaps we can? I’d love to read through the variety of answers submitted.

I’m hoping that I’ll be able to get similar answers from Travis Perkins as well at a later date. He’s very keen to get back to me with some dates of when he’d be available but with the TPA just days away and being back in Iceland shortly afterwards, I can’t see him getting round to it just yet.

I understand that this is to be a July/August issue of the Billet. While Peter Wright has arranged something of interest for the July meeting relating to the library, in August we’ll be entertained by members of Huddersfield Circle of Magicians. I hope that there will be a good turnout for them and at some point; a few volunteers will be needed to entertain their members at some point to be determined.

Enjoy the rest of the summer and I’ll see you in September.

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