Wij Siva Online Show Wij Siva is advertising live shows on Zoom. Canadian mentalist and magician. Taking place on Saturday the 14th of November at 1am. Ticket price is 25CDN and shows are restricted to 25 screens per show. Details and booking information available on eventbrite here . Eventbrite write up follows: Join Wij Siva , master magician and mentalist for an unforgettable evening. Expect to be astonished, to laugh out loud and be thoroughly entertained while your minds are blown! Wij's show performances have taken him to four continents, as far away as Malaysia, Brazil and Germany. Wij has performed on numerous television shows, for celebrities, and at the world renowned Magic Castle in Hollywood. Expect Wij to pluck thoughts, words, names & other personal info. from your mind. Is it possible to Predict Human Behaviour? See for yourself. Lie To Me… If You Can! Wij the Human Lie Detector. Amazing visual, eye poping Sleight of Hand Magic. Blink and you'll miss it. Mind numbing, jaw dropping Magic and other mind mysteries. This show is engaging, inexplicable and highly entertaining. Even the most skeptical audience will be astounded. A fun interactive show for an adult audience. All Times are in Eastern Standard Time (EST): On Zoom - Eastern Time (US & Canada) 8:40 pm - Zoom Room Doors Open: Grab a drink and enter the Zoom room. Meet your performer and get to know each other before the show starts. 9:00 pm - Show Time: The show runs about an hour (9-10pm) . Virtual Show - How it works on Zoom: The day before the event, you will be sent an email with the Zoom link and login details for you to click on for the live performance. When you click on the link, it will open up in your default web browser. You don't need to download the Zoom software on your computer or tablet but it is recommended for a better virtual experience. You can download zoom (it's free) here: https://www.zoom.us/ Even though this is a virtual show, it's still very interactive! You get to see and hear each other on camera and interact with the performer just like you would in a live theatre show. What You Need: The virtual show is best experienced on a tablet, laptop or desktop computer (Not on a smart phone ! ) The bigger the viewing screen on your device, the better the virtual experience. High speed internet is also mandatory for smooth uninterrupted live stream video. You also need a webcam (either a built in laptop/tablet camera or a separate webcam you can plug into your computer. All participants will be asked to TURN ON their camera/webcam during the show as it's an integral part of Wij's interactive virtual show. Our Professional Virtual Set Up: We use a high definition video camera system that allows for multiple angles and zoom capabilities (Not a cheap low quality stationary webcam). Our professional video system, high quality mic and professional studio lighting set-up, gives our participants the best virtual show experience possible, as we are able to zoom in and out and offer multi angle views for a better virtual show experience. Limited tickets for good reason. Wij has performed virtual shows for groups of over a 100, but with larger groups, there is a downside. That is, you don't get to interact with everyone. For this specific reason, Wij has limited the number of tickets per show to 25. By limiting the number of participants, the performer will get to interact with most or all of the participants. With a small intimate group, you'll get you very own personal magical experience you can share with your friends. Tickets ! How many do I need? This virtual ticket is good for viewing the show on a single device. If you are a couple and plan on watching the show on a single device, then you only need one ticket purchase BUT if you plan on watching the show on 2 separate individual devices, please purchase 2 tickets. Buying tickets for my family & friends If you are buying additional tickets for family and friends as a gift so that they can join you and experience this together, you can purchase additional tickets. When you purchase multiple tickets, Wij will contact you via email for the names & email addresses of the people whom you bought the tickets for so that they will be emailed separately the Zoom login details. Book Now To Ensure Ticket Availability, Before It Sells Out Again ! Recommendations & Suggestions: Make it a Date Night with your loved one. Dinner & Show: Make it a Date Night. Order in or cook a homemade meal together, then get cosy and step into our virtual world. Meet up with Friends & Family while Social Distancing. Cocktails & Show: If you are looking to get together virtually with friends and family, to engage and bond with each other, now you can while still social distancing. Grab a drink, connect with friends virtually and enjoy the show from the comfort of your home. Please Note: Restricted to 19+. This is not a "children's magic show", the show is geared for adults. For more information, please contact Wij Siva at wij@beamazed.ca

SCA Convention Acts The SCA (Scottish Conjurers’ Association) recently posted the below. This looks really good, especially if you are suffering from convention withdrawal after the recent IBM convention. They posted: All acts are now announced! Tom Crosbie Cameron Gibson Russ Brown Oliver Tabor Mandy Fletcher R Paul Wilson Chris Congreave Tom Stone Just over 2 weeks to go until our convention. We have some spaces left so book now and come celebrate 100 years of magic with the SCA! 5th and 6th October Mercure Hotel Glasgow 10am start Any questions please do get in touch! Full schedule released soon! Registration Form: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VAQ-OSR07ACYunUJxeXJ9kI99DXX95tc/view?usp=drivesdk

A Beginners Guide To BMC Edit - updated Feb 2024 - With BMC 2024 fast approaching, this is a copy of my post from last year that summarised my thoughts on attending BMC for beginners. Much of the original advice still applies. I will not be personally going to BMC this year but wish all attending a good time. I am sure that it will be excellent. This was third time lucky for me to finally attend a BMC. 2021 being cancelled and then last year, weather issues causing train problems which prevented me from travelling. Living in the UK, it was relatively easy for me to attend this year. Here is my advice and experiences of BMC 2023 if you are thinking of attending for the first time in 2024. If you have any experiences or advice to share, please add to the comments at the end of this page. I have attempted to be as comprehensive as possible, dividing the article into relevant sections. BMC Tickets And Registering I booked accommodation and my Gold pass a year in advance for BMC. The gold pass being the three day pass to cover the entire convention (+ auction). Possibly next time the tickets go on sale, I will buy the VIP pass as it guarantees seats near the front of the gala shows. Though I did have good gala shows tickets some 15 rows back from the front. Ticket wise, you can buy individual day passes if you cannot attend the whole weekend. Passes available are day, gold (for entire weekend) and VIP. Please note that the day passes do not include the gala show. I also understand that no concessions exist for children with all prices the same for each pass type. Be warned that you have to register on arrival at BMC, regardless of what ticket you have bought. Though I believe that VIP maybe fast tracked. Registrations at the start of day of course have large queues. I was able to register on the Thursday afternoon very quickly. If you can register on arrival on the Thursday it is recommended. I registered before checking into the hotel. Accommodation Accommodation wise, you do hear of some people getting messed around and bookings cancelled near the time of the event. Therefore, do read up reviews of hotels. Location is also key and if you can get accommodation close, perhaps within a 5 minute walk, that is ideal. The days are long with 9am starts through to late evening shows. Nearby accommodation certainly allows you to break up the days when you want some quiet time. I stayed at the Premier Inn North Pier which was very good. Location wise, not only near the train station but close to Winter gardens. For those staying in accommodation further afield, it must prove challenging and not as easy when you want to take a break. I understand that Premier taxis are good to use if needed and they have an app. I booked my hotel accommodation about 9 months in advance. Travel Travel wise, I originally planned to travel up on the Thursday and return Sunday. The advantage of going on the Thursday allowed for quick registration without much of a wait. Those registering on the Friday had to wait much longer in the queue at start of day. The convention is held at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool. A massive conference venue with arenas, halls, theatre, bars etc. The Winter Garden site is here if you want to know more. For those travelling by train, you need the North Pier Blackpool train station that is very central and within walking distance of Winter Gardens. One learning experience is that if you plan to go home Sunday afternoon, you may end up missing a lot of good lectures, gala and shows. When the schedule was released 2 weeks before the event, I discovered two things. 1. Some of the best entertainment and lectures were booked for the Sunday afternoon onwards. 2. The train schedule is appalling on the Sunday with the main line having engineering works. It was therefore a no brainier to book to stay over the Sunday night and return on Monday. So be weary of booking trains on the Sunday as it will likely involve bus services and longer travel times. Another disadvantage of the train is of course carry on luggage, as you are limited to your case/bag sizes and what you can handle. Though the journey can be quite stress free. If you plan any larger purchases or many, you may want a car! Many friends drove and did not appear to have any difficulties parking that I know of. Planning Your Days/Time There is also a BMC app and I downloaded the schedules. Reading up in advance what shows and lectures that I wanted to see. When booking the VIP tickets, you get a choice as to whether you attend the early or late gala shows. Your laminated pass then has your gala show seat ticket printed on it. To make the most of your days, I printed off my schedule and I also printed winter garden maps. However, magicians are a friendly bunch and if you get lost or not sure where to go, just ask. An ideal way to meet people and the BMC staff and organisers are also very helpful. Be prepared to also plan time to see the dealer halls as there is a lot to see. Dealer Halls Of course, the big attraction for many at BMC is the dealer halls. It is very easy to get carried away and spend a lot of money. In some cases, dealers or magicians announce in advance new products that you can preorder. I set my own rules how I would manage possible purchases, but of course everyone is different. Work in a manner that you feel comfortable with, but do try not to impulse buy! When doing the rounds of dealers, you will see many famous magicians selling/running demo's and others looking. An ideal opportunity to see some perform close up. My plan on the first day was to pick up a purchase first an take it back to the hotel. An expensive item that I did not want to get damaged. Once I had scouted around all dealers, I took a little break and gathered a coffee. Seeing all the dealers for the first time can be overwhelming so pace yourself. Be warned that ruck sacks can be frowned upon, though I saw plenty of them and in fairness, did not cause any issues. I used a draw string bag during the day as compact. Photo Opportunities Saying hello and gaining selfies was easy for my website within the dealer halls. I appreciate this partly also depends on confidence but I had the chance to speak to some lovely people. Some of which probably get hassled all the time but are most welcoming. I was able to have some great conversations with many. I was also able to gain signed cards from many magicians as well. Where possible I tried to be considerate and wait for a natural opportunity. Lectures/Shows Lecture wise, if you can find the lecture and queue about 20 minutes in advance, you will get a good position in the queue and place for the show. The only shows that have pre allocated seating is off course the gala shows. It has to be said that the gala shows are amazing and many other shows are available to watch in the evenings also. It should also be said that the Gala shows feature many international artists who may not normally perform in the UK. For magicians, it is a massive highlight. Socialising It has to be said that magicians are the most friendly of people. You can start up conversations with almost anyone. Though this was my first BMC, I did have some advantages as I am a member of a couple of UK magic clubs and having run this site for a few years, it has allowed me to build up many connections. The result being that I met many for the first time, but recognised others due to my site. Also, many magicians that I had met previously. I would also recommend that if you are meeting up with fellow magicians that you know, meet for breakfast or tea to catch up. Check when others are perhaps attending the same shows or lectures. But make sure you are free to do your own thing so that you are not tied to someone else's agenda or become a hinderance. Of course, if you are not in a magic club or perhaps travelling from overseas, perhaps online communities and forums can help you meet people in advance. I did read some reports from some on forums adving that they were lonely. In those instances, you could see offers instantly in replies from other attendees offering to meet. But if you do feel like that, just say hello to anyone you want to chat with. Its fair to say all are very friendly. For many magicians, a key social part of the BMC experience is meeting up in the Ruskin for jamming and catching up with others. The key being to do what you are comfortable with. I attended the Ruskin one evening which was enjoyable but I found that after a full days schedule and evening shows, my priority was to rest in my hotel. If you don't know anyone in advance, the Ruskin is a good place to meet people. Food And Drink Food and drink actually within the Wiinter Gardens is quite limited. You can buy coffee and some sandwiches and a large bar is available. A restaurant was having a refit this year. Food wise, the local area does get busy so restaurants are packed. If you want a meal, you may wish to book in advance. Unless you dont mind the chippy, Greggs or McDonalds. To break things up, I did have a couple of cooked breakfasts at my hotel and lunch one day which was good. The food felt a bit more substantial that way. Russ Brown's The House Of Secrets is also open with extended hours over the convention serving drinks. I went there a few times. It is a small venue so get their early in the evenings. During the day it can be quite quiet but ideal for an escape from the main BMC convention. Mobile/Wifi If you blog, posting pictures or video, be warned that the wifi and mobile signal is generally quite poor in Blackpool during this event. I was able to post but I did struggle to send quick updates sometimes. It was then easier to post in the early hours. I am with Sky Mobile/02 and found phone calls okay as long as I left the Winter Gardens as it is quite noisy there. I think this covers most of the advice that I would give. I hope that this guide helps and motivates you to book if you are on the fence. I can honestly say that as a magic enthusiast, it does not matter what your background is. As long as you have a genuine interest in magic, you will enjoy yourself. It is like the happiest place on earth for magicians. Just be organised and if you want to go to BMC 24, book accommodation, travel and tickets as soon as you can. That way, you get the best opportunities. Blackpool Magic Convention Winter Gardens Blackpool Please remember to comment if you have any advice you would like to add. And if you would like any advice, please let me know. Enjoyed this post and the content created on this site? Buy me a coffee. And don't forget, use MARTIN23935 at checkout on Alakazam.co.uk to get 5% discount.

Paul Zerdin At Blackpool Pleasure Beach It’s your last chance to catch Paul Zerdin perform at Blackpool this Summer. The last show is currently the 28th of August. Paul writes: Why not check out my new family show every Friday and Saturday at the Pleasure Beach Blackpool... https://bookings.blackpoolpleasurebeach.com/shows/date/paul-zerdin-show

Magic At The Mansion Date and time Thu, 5 August 2021 20:00 – 22:00 BST Add to calendar Location Beckenham Place Mansion Beckenham Place Park Beckenham BR3 1SY eventbrite From £16.76 Official write up: About this event Join The Gentleman Magician and Friends once again at Beckenham Place Mansion for an evening of mind blowing magic, spectacular sleight of hand, and impossible illusion! Get your tickets and head to the Mansion on the First Thursday of each month where The Gentleman Magician will present an evening of magical parlour entertainment joined by a guest entertainer and fellow magician, ensuring that the show is never repeated. Set the atmosphere with soft music, an intimate environment, and magical sleight of hand illusions which happen right under your nose and, if you're lucky, in your hands! To ensure the best performances and views, tickets are limited, and there will be a select number of front row, VIP seats, to get the best view and the great likelihood of being asked to join in (although this is not compulsory). Your host for the evening, and your first performer, will be Liam Ball, The Gentleman Magician himself. A wand wielding, moustache curling, dedicated student of magic! Liam lives for the moment where the magic unfolds right before your very eyes, giving you all the time you need to revel in the impossible moments that only exist within the suspension of your disbelief. Liam is a Member of The Magic Circle, Associate of The Inner Magic Circle, and has been awarded the Silver star for Excellence in performance and he loves to give his spectators an experience which is nothing short of inspirational and send them on their way with enough magic to share with others they meet. After the first half of the show, there will be a short comfort and refreshment break, and then it will be the turn of the guest performer to take to the stage for even more breathtakingly-spectacular magic! Roberto Forzoni is the Guest Prformer in July. Roberto has been fascinated my magic ann of his life, but also the intricies of human behaviour and the things that go on on the background of our minds that make us tick. A Member of The Inner Magic Circle with Gold Star (the highest level of Magic Circle membership available) Roberto will leave you wondering just how private your inner most thoughts really are as he bewilders and baffles with his unique brand of physological illusion and magic. His insight into how people make choices and process information is breathtaking! Remember, every evening will be a unique experience, and this one is going to get things off to a GREAT start, so get your tickets now, before it's too late!

Current Magic Shows To Book Many tours and shows are currently advertised if you are looking for a little magic in your life. Here are the main performers/artists that I can recollect advertising shows. This list has been revised and updated for July 2023. Let me know if I have missed anything. I have focused more on events with multiple shows (tours and residencies) rather than single performances. Lots of choice and once I started compiling the list, I then realised quite how many magicians are out on the road performing currently. Please note that the links to external sites on promo pics are not affiliated with Magic Seats. Artist line ups for some shows can also change. Joel M Link is for the London date but NI shows are also available. Matrick's Richard Cadell and Sooty Morgan and West James Phelan - The Greatest Magician Hudson & Hudson - Comedy Crate festival (single date) and Edinburgh Fringe Edinburgh Fringe - lots of magicians performing like Hudson & Hudson, Pete Heat, Ben Hart etc. Just search magic or magicians on the main search to be found on the homepage. Ben Hart - Jadoo tour Pete Firman - Trik Tok tour Derren Brown presents - Unbelievable (London) High Jinx tour West End Magic tour Evolution of Magic - Blackpool residency Illusion Impossible Ehrlich Brothers - Single London date (Wembley) The Magic Hour with Tony Middleton - residency in London Tom Brace - A trick down memory lane - and other shows Richard Jones - An Evening of Magic tour At time of writing, a couple of dates now added for next year. Enjoy! Let us know in the comments which tours you are booking to see.

Welcome As a keen fan of magic, I intend to use this blog to share my thoughts with quick blog updates. As and when I come across any quick stories to share, I will let you know. Perhaps an act on BGT worth watching or a show I have attended. If I think it will be of interest, I’ll post. Cheers Martin

IBM

Potter's Marvellous Magic Show Baldock Arts and Heritage Centre, Baldock, SG7 6AR Sun 19th September 2021 2:30PM Ticketsource £7 plus booking fee A children's magic show. Event Details Doors Open at 2:15PM From 2:30PM to 3:30PM Location Baldock Arts and Heritage Centre, Baldock, SG7 6AR

Chris Cross Pop Up Shows Chris Cross has announced the following live, socially distanced shows via his FaceBook page. Taking place on Wednesday the 9th and 16th of December. Each show starts at 1930 to 2130 At the Lost in Wintertown venue. “Pleased to announce that I’ve teamed up on a project with Nigel Holliday and I am bringing TWO CHRIS CROSS CABARET AND COMEDY CLUB SHOWS to the North-East THIS December - rules permitting! #keepvarietyalive #chriscrossmagic We have secured a 200 seat capacity pop-up venue to stage our performances, which (if supported enough by ticket buyers) will become a regular show throughout 2021, too. December 2020’s dates are Wednesday 9th and 16th and are for over 18’s only. Bar and food outlets on site. Here’s my fantastic lineup (spread over the two dates): Chris Cross Magical Compere, Gavin Webster Comedian, Charlie Carpenter Variety Performer, Trixie Blue Burlesque Dancer, Simon Donald Character Comedian & Musical Comedy, Ruby L'amour Burlesque Dancer, Lee Kyle Comedian & Daniel Dorian Johnson aka Mr Freak the Sword Swallower! The venue: Lost In Wintertown, next to Wet’n’Wild North Shields (situated in the Gutterball car park) Note: The below video was taken a few weeks ago and the site is looking even more exciting now! Tickets are only £12 (£10) and are now available here: https://www.lostinwintertown.co.uk

New Justin Willman Netflix Show Care of Deadline.com - they have reported a brand new Justin Willman show. Netflix has announced that The Magic Prank Show with Justin Willman , a new series from magician and comedian Justin Willman ( Magic for Humans ), is soon to begin streaming on the platform — appropriately enough, on April 1st, or April Fool’s Day. The show sees Willman using his extraordinary skills to pull off ambitious and hilarious pranks like you’ve never seen before. Alongside his team of twisted professionals, he executes brain-bending experiences to help everyday folks blow people’s minds and settle old scores. View a trailer for it above.

Magic Circle Convention 2023 Review While I am not a member of The Magic Circle (TMC), I jumped at the opportunity to buy a non members ticket to attend this years 2023 convention event at the Magic Circle headquarters in London. This was the second annual TMC convention which had an excellent advertised line up and was a sell out for 2023. Member and VIP tickets were also available to buy. Unlike other conventions, the number of tickets available is quite limited. I suspect as the word gets out that this convention is excellent, it will become increasingly hard to get tickets unless you're quick in future years. I decided to go to this event as an opportunity to meet friends, make new friends, watch lectures, tour the dealer hall and watch the evening Gala Show. A show with TMC acts that you may not be able to get to see otherwise. Registration and collecting my pass on the day was a smooth process, checking in at the Wesley Hotel. TMC President Megan Swann also greeted attendees on arrival. The lanyard was smart, making an excellent collectable and keep sake. You also get given a goodie bag with the content varying depending on your ticket type. VIP ticket holders were given a very smart Magic Circle umbrella. The Wesley Hotel is just behind The Magic Circle, allowing the hotel to host a social space with food and drinks to buy and the dealers room in the basement. The Magic Circle premises then hosted more social space (bar) and the theatre was used for lectures and the evening Gala show. The two premises connect nicely with an alley way which is just a short walk. An absolute ideal setup.. On arrival, I took a tour around the dealers hall and I was able to make a couple of purchases from Oliver Tabor/Vicky Butterfly (The Glamourists) and Chris Cross . I bought signed lecture notes from Oliver & Vicky and signed Siegfried and Roy memorabilia from Chris Cross. Convention pass holders had access to the dealers room, however, any TMC member could access the dealers and I believe non members could pay for dealer room access. The dealers room was quite small with about 22 dealers. However, should the convention grow in future years, it does look like more rooms are available in the hotel basement. As the dealer room was my first visit of the day, it was quite packed at the time. I did not get much chance to tour the dealers as 5 lectures were planned for the day and I was able to attend them all with Ian Gamage - Magician . However, the agenda was nicely paced, allowing you to gain downtime for breaks and socialising. The lecture line up consisted of Andrew Frost , Magic Singh , Fay Presto , Mario Lopez and Laura London . All who were equally excellent. Everyone of course has different tastes and interests. The lectures that I most enjoyed were Magic Singh who was interviewed about his social media presence on platforms like Tik Tok , Fay Presto who performed her close up restaurant/table act and lectured and of course, Laura London who gave a snippet of her show " Cheat " as well as lecturing. All the lectures were very well prepared, and it has to be said that the Magic Circle theatre is an excellent intimate venue. Good sound and views, regardless of where you sit. I was also able to pick up signed lecture notes from the amazing Fay Presto. A nice collectable that I am looking forward to studying. Throughout the day, the Wesley Hotel was available for food and drink. While other food options were nearby, the weather restricted your movement. While the Wesley Hotel was convenient and the food quality was good, I have to say that the portion sizes are tiny. The burger and chips were like a "Fun Size" version and were very small. Perhaps if more food options can be provided in future, this would help. Throughout out day, you could attend tours of TMC. I was lucky to get on a really informative tour hosted by the TMC Vice President Katherine Rhodes . It lasted around 45 minutes and you got to see the Devant room and the museum. Many highlights and you also get shown items such as the cups and balls that King Charles used to pass his audition and Sooty. At the end of the day, a special opportunity for VIP pass holders was a drinks reception hosted by the President Megan Swann . Good to see that VIP pass holders were gaining extra value. To close the day, we had a rather special Gala Show that had Michael J Fitch as MC. Featuring Harry Piper , Mario Lopez , Terry Herbert , Troy , Andrew Frost , Magic Singh , Jay Rawlings and Mind 2 Mind . This show was excellent and very funny. Unfortunately due to my train times, I had to miss the last headline act Mind 2 Mind who I understand were excellent. All the acts were of course amazing and Harry was a great opener but I also have to mention Terry Herbert - what an honour to see him perform live. An extra special moment for me was getting called onto the stage to help Troy. As a magic fan, I have been waiting for that day I got to go on stage and I loved it. While I know that many helped put on this convention day, I have to say how welcoming all the members of TMC are. The organisers were Lee Hathaway and Michael J Fitch (pictured below). It was also good to catch up briefly with Wayne Trice who was busy organising and looking after the technical side of the event. Thank you to all at TMC who put on this amazing day. Overall, the convention ticket is really good value and I definitely want to go again next year. As a magic fan and show reviewer, I really had an excellent time. My only feedback would be if the agenda and timings can be released earlier and an expanded food offered at the hotel. Otherwise, a perfect offering. If you missed this convention, do think about booking in future. The organisers take a less is more approach with the lectures, as thankfully no clashes and all the talks are high quality. The lectures also being the perfect length of time coming in at around 40 minutes. A very memorable day and Gala show that I will never forget. See you next year TMC Convention! Thank you very much.