talkmagic.co.uk

I will be editing spelling etc, but the rest of this review will be from my son.

J-day 2006

An Audience with Ali Cook.
I liked the film clips of his magic, with Physcic surgery being the best.
The interview part on stage was a little boring. It was ok, but the least interesting part of the day.

Close up competition.
All competitors were very good. The winner was worthy of the prize. He sounded very proffesional, with the chemelion cards being his best trick.
(Note from dad, Winner was Patrick Milne, sounded like a close up magician who had been on TV for years. Extreme confidence.)

Stage Competition.
Megan Knowles-Bacon won, with a good linking rings routine. Apart from the normal linking, she made lots of shapes from the rings, hats etc.
Most of the acts were to music (hold it I can't type that fast!!), apart from the last one. Favourites bullet catch and comedy, which were in the last act. I would some more talking in the acts. It felt as if they were told they HAD to do it to music. Nice surprise when the last act came on.

An Audience with David Berglas.
It was MUCH better than the first "audience with" even though he was much older. He also did a mind reading card trick with 5 children on stage. Interested all the way through because he was talking about the clips he was showing.

Gala Show.
Dave Allen,
comedy with a duck. Did a "vent" act with a live duck, but made it obvious (on purpose) that it was him talking. Very funny act.
Favourite part, duck from duck transporter, or it's other name, a cannon.

Marc Paul,
Amazing mind magic with a book test. Also did some reading with members of the audience. It was very convincing, even though I already believe. It was quite lighthearted compared to what I expected.

AlexLodge.
It was definatly not his night, as everything went wrong and that is an understatement. From the curtain getting stuck up, then falling down on his production of his assistant, it didn't get any better, just worse.
He flashed several gimmicks and effects. From the box he supposedly had his assistants head in, having the underneath towards the audience, even though it had no blade covering the hole in the bottom. IT showed in the dancing hanky. When he produced slightly larger cards than the normal poker size, he did it side on so we could him get the cards. Even worse, he repeated this with the giant cards, holding them in such a way, you could see they were joined together. It will be kinder not to continue with this part of the review.

Richard Pinner,

It was unfourtunate that by the time he came on, there weren't many ladies left in the audience. He was left with picking Anne Shaxon, when his effect was known by her, which the audience knew. Made it funnier, which showed he was good at changing his act according to the situation. He wasn't helped by someone changing their mind a few times about the change in their own pocket. They seem to have lost a couple of pounds somewhere!!! Still enjoyed it, but maybe shouldn't have had 2 mentalist people in the show.

Overall view.

I enjoyed it but felt there were a few too many people doing the same thing. There were dancing canes and linking rings, vanishing candles etc in quite a few of the acts. There were a few dealers there which were good to visit during the breaks.

Peter