Magic in Eastbourne

As part of the 84th Annual Convention of the International Brotherhood of Magicians (IBM), I was delighted to perform in the Gala Show on Saturday night at the Devonshire Theatre. The audience enjoyed over two hours of magic, fire eating, ventriloquism, stage illusions, and manipulation. The theatre was a great venue for such a variety show for an audience of over 200 people.

My own performance featured an exploration of the psychology of Sigmund Freud, Carl Gustav Jung, and Hermann Rorschach and the use of alienism during the early 1900s in the United States to discover a murderer in our midst. In the event, our murderer turned out to be a nine year-old girl, who was revealed to us through the use of ink blots and statistics!

Standing outside during the interval, I was able to talk to members of the audience, who all enjoyed a live magic show and a great night out! It was amazing to meet all the other performers, who were from the UK, The Netherlands, and Argentina (via Spain). We watched the acts in the wings and we were all very excited to put on a great show for the public!

Sunday saw me sharing my insights into Academic Magic, with my lecture 'The Magiculum: Principles, Practice, and Performance.' I performed many of my signature pieces from my repertoire for an audience of magicians, and presented my underlying philosophy of magic, including narrative structure, methodological choices, themes, impact, and many other dimensions.

It was wonderful to catch up with old friends and to make new ones. The cast party after the show in the amazing The Stage Door pub next to the theatre was a perfect way to wind down, share stories with magicians, and relax.

Sadly, the week following the event brought the sorrowful news that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II had passed, with a series of events that have seen the seamless and largely invisible transfer of power to King Charles III, who I am pleased to say, is an Honorary Lifetime Member of The Magic Circle. King Charles III distinguished himself as a young magician and engaged in the entrance examination to The Magic Circle with a performance of the 'cups and balls,' one of the oldest effects in the history of magic.

So, after a weekend of amazing magic, a week of condolences and grieving for the Queen, and the accession of Charles III, we now have a Magician King whose duty and commitment to the country, the Commonwealth, and the world sees a profound transition for the future.

My heartfelt thanks to all the organisers, particularly Moira Fletcher and Alan Maskell from the IBM.