15th March 2003 Louise and I arrived at the Bingley Arts Centre at about 7.10pm. And so spent a few minutes saying hello to a few friends. It was nice to see Arthur and Jean Russell there, especially with Jean looking so well after her operation. We ordered our interval drinks and then took our seats. The show started more or less bang on time. We first welcomed The Spotlight Dancers. They got the show off to strong start with a fast energetic set to the song Fame. We then met our compere for the evening, Mark Shortland. He kept the audience amused with his sense of humour and a running gag as each time he asked if the next act was ready, we could hear a voice behind the curtain answer. The first act was Yin and Yang. Clive and Jean were our guests at the Dinner last year, Clive being President of the Northern Magic Circle. They had had to alter their act slightly as Jean is in need of a hip replacement and so had to perform her part of the act seated. After a few productions, Clive presented some patter magic keeping in Chinese character. The first of his patter effects was the Chinese sticks to rhyming patter. P.I.P. card was next and then it was back to the music as we watched plumes change colour, a silk vanish only to appear in a bottle, a pattern from a plant transfer onto a piece of black paper, bouquet and parasol productions as well as two silk fountain productions. They were well received by the audience. Mark Shortland returned to show us and teach us a trick with a red and a green silk in which they changed colour. This was an idea I imagine several of us will be using as a gag item. He then introduced the Children's entertainer, Steve Gore, the only performer in the show from within our own membership. Steve introduced us to Daniel Duck who was celebrating his birthday. After we had all sung Happy Birthday to him, or rather quacked it, Daniel was put back in his house. Unfortunately, Ginger Tom was placed in there by accident and when Steve went to see inside, there was Ginger Tom and on his back were some feathers but no sign of Daniel! Steve checked again and found an egg in the house. When he wasn't looking Daniel popped out of the egg. Eventually, Steve did see him and put him back in his house. He then invited three volunteers up onto the stage to help with his presentation of the equal unequal ropes. To finish the routine, the ropes all became one long rope. A bit I liked was how he slipped off both knots from the rope. Two of the volunteers were given a balloon prize each and the third helped in Steve's final effect. Steve showed us all his predicted picture before showing some different pictures that were really the same though his volunteer didn't know this. He then picked one of the pictures and after Steve asked him a couple of questions about the picture he was looking at we all realised it couldn't be one of the pictures we'd seen. In fact it was a very different picture although it did turn out to match the predicted one which had changed to suit the one selected! That volunteer received a special balloon model and Steve went off stage to a well deserved round of applause. The next act was Tony Parx. He began with a plethora of card productions and card fans demonstrating a high degree of skill as a manipulator. He then did a patter spot presenting a very good dye tube routine, a 5 card repeat, along with diminishing cards and with the assistance of two ladies from the audience a very clean rope through body. The vanish of a bottle brought his act to a close and the audience had no trouble showing their appreciation. To close the first half, Mark had his own spot, which included a lengthy cut and restored rope effect with a slightly clunky end, the Vanishing Bandanna routine members have been enjoying watching Dazzling Darren perform and a very humorous effect in which the fizz from a shaken can of Coke was transported across to a can that was not shaken. After the interval, The Spotlight Dancers returned to present a tap routine to Yankee Doodle Dandy before Stuart Brown was introduced. Stuart worked silent and presented some classical magic beginning with a colour changing cane that had a silk appear tied to it after it had been wrapped in a newspaper. Some magic with D'lite led to the cane changing to a string with flashing D'lites hanging from it. A silk to rose was followed by some card manipulations and diminishing cards which returned to their original size before Stuart performed a cut and restored effect with some garden chain. A knot on a yellow rope turned red and was then untied to prove it was a part of the yellow rope. From an empty dove pan spilled yard after yard of silk streamer. Stuart rounded off his well-received act with a dancing handkerchief routine. Clive Moore returned to fill a five minute spot with his quick fire gags, a Spotted Can to rhyme and Ring a Ring Rosie in which Christine Shalks' ring was vanished and appeared on the stem of a rose inside a sealed tube. Then it was time for the top of the bill, international illusionists, Safire. Stuart began with a large radio, which after some by-play with some D'Lites opened to reveal the other half of the act - Jayne. Jayne was then placed in a box and a key was accidentally removed which prevented the box from becoming concretised squashing the assistant within to a humorous size. The box was then pumped back up and the key returned to lock it before she stepped out unscathed. The head twister box was followed immediately by the head slider illusion which was really impressive even with the know how. Before the closing effect, it was Stuart's turn to be the assistant as he stepped into a sword cabinet which took over twenty swords in very convincing locations. The final effect was a clear substitution trunk. I thought it was brilliant in its thinking as it was so cheeky it deserved recognition. It was certainly performed fast at a thunderous speed and brought the show to a strong close. A fantastic close to what had been, judging by the reaction of the audience, a show hugely enjoyed by the audience. It is pleasing to report that magic shows are obviously alive and kicking in this part of the world. All the tickets for the show were sold out more than a month before the show - a marvelous achievement. Let's hope we can do this again for our next show on the 6th March 2004, when our top of the bill will be the 2003 Blackpool Magical Champions - Martyn James & Co. | 
