by Madelon Hoedt » May 26th, '12, 11:00
A brief overview of the three days... A more detailed report (including pictures) will be ready soon and posted on the new website!
---
On May 18, 19 and 20, we were thrilled to be able to host the third annual Doomsday Gathering and once again, the event proved to be of the highest calibre!
We started the Friday with an excellent lecture from the first of our international guests, Sheila Lyon, who introduced our attendees to a number of her reading systems. These include a chocolate reading, as well as a great and playful way to provide palm readings for groups. This was followed by the now traditional opening ceremony, performed by Alain the Storyteller (“So mote it be!”). Alain was joined on stage by his friends to kick off Doomsday with the first of two evening-filling performances.
Saturday morning started with two very special product demonstrations from Jon Thompson of Subversive Circuits and Dan Baines of Lebanon Circle, both showing the audience their devices to communicate with ‘the other side’. Jon showed us the Spirit Galvanometer as well as the new Factotum Spirit Pendulum, both perhaps truly self-working props! Dan, in turn, treated us to the only ever live demonstration of his Crookes’ Residual Ectometron, a beautiful prop in its design and workings.
This was followed by an excellent presentation from Professor BC. Part lecture, part performance, the Professor showed his audience his work and his way of thinking about performance and presentation, about ghosts and haunting, and about magic on a deeper level. These themes tied in perfectly with what followed: an interactive interview of Chris Gould of Alchemy Moon, chaired by Todd Landman, which provoked several interesting discussions.
The close-up performance in the afternoon brought us performances from BJ Powers, Walt Lees, and Steve Murray. Only at Doomsday can one find a combination of an already legendary voodoo dance, a rubber chicken, and a hard-hitting performance relating to a violent death within a short space of time..!
Saturday’s Gala Show featured a world class line-up, with many of the performers taking a risk to try out completely new material for the Whitby audience. Steve Murray, Michael Diamond (as Dr. Diablo), Brian Maxwell, Paul Voodini, Todd Landman, Prof BC and Luke Jermay covered every aspect of the darker side of magic, from comedy to stories, from sending thoughts to reading minds, from philosophy to animal traps…
As last year, Sunday’s workshops were a more intimate affair, with each speaker bringing their own speciality to the table: Luke Jermay talked about ‘super-mentalism’ and allowed for an in-depth discussion of the material he performed the evening before; Frank Allen put his skills as Alain into a truly entertaining lecture and was followed by a discussion from Prof BC on the importance of theatrical expertise, including several exercises relating to the creation of character and acting skills.
If you wish to attend, the dates for the 2013 Gathering are May 10, 11 and 12, and tickets are going fast (half have already been sold), so make sure to register your interest now by emailing us on bizarremagickuk[at]googlemail.com!
With dark wishes,
Roni and Madelon
