Doomsday 13: Truth

It was with great pleasure that I will return to Derby for the 13th Annual Doomsday bizarre magic convention. Doomsday was founded by the late great Roni Schachnaey and met for a number of years in Whitby, the inspiration for Bram Stoker's Dracula.

The event is now led by the inimitable Dan Baines. Dan is a former submariner and forensic expert and now creator of many magical miracles in his Kent-based studio at Lebanon Circle.

Doomsday attracts magicians from all over the world. This year is no different, with magi travelling from far and wide to converge on Derby for several days of performances, lectures, and the wonderful Hex Factor competition.

For Doomsday this year I am bringing a series of debut performance pieces from my new show Truth. From the ‘big lie’ to ‘alternative facts’ the status of truth has never been more under question. Magicians have been lying since the beginning of time, but how can magic help us explore the nature of truth?

Truth combines fact, fiction, and deception in ways that raise deeper questions about the status of truth in our present world through the medium of magic. My performance includes Hevel, Hannibal’s Haunting, Our Dark Century, and The Resolution. Through my interactive style of performance, I explore time, chance, death, speculative fiction, psychology, and history to probe our daily encounters with truth.

The line up for this year's event includes:

• Paul Forster, author of Haunted Harrogate;
• Matteo Borrini, Professor of Forensic Anthropology at Liverpool John Moore's University;
• Professor BC, Professor of Renaissance English at the University of North Georgia;
• Nic Brunger, ghost walk host for English Heritage and The National Trust;
• Krsytal Younglove, The Indestructible Lady from Yorkshire;
• Michael Diamond, aka Dr Diablo from Liverpool;
• Mario Morris, a seasoned street magician and paranormal entertainer;
• Fiona Maher, author of The Secret of the Cottingley Fairies

In the long tradition of 'scholar magicians' and 'cunning folk', each magus for this Doomsday brings his, her, or their own contribution to the wonderful genre of bizarre magic, sideshow entertainment, and dark conjuring.

Doomsday draws on 'the curious and little-known fact, of all the countries in the world, England has the richest history of magical lore and practice' (Carr-Gromm and Heygate 2009: Preface).

I, for one, agree and very much look forward to the gathering this year!