Guest List
John Van Der Put – Episode Ten
I’m delighted to be sharing the studio with ‘contemporary magician’ John Van Der Put for this final episode of the Smoke & Mirrors Radio Show.
Having worked with John and seen his stage work develop over the past couple of years, he has already reached an amazing level of creativity by blending theatre with magic and vice versa. He is the artistic director of StandNotAmazed theatre company who create beautiful pieces for the plays that John writes:
John also does a fantastic (in every sense) cabaret act as a magic dragon known as Piff. I first saw the act at one of the nights I used to organise at The Poetry cafe in Covent Garden, London. Since then he has gone on to put together a full evening show which will be heading to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this year (2009). Here’s a taster of Piff in action:
For more info on both of these strings to the John Van Der Put bow, check out StandNotAmazed.com and PiffTheMagicDragon.com. Also, for info on John himself, have a look at VanDerPut.com.
Fay Presto – Episode Nine
I first worked with the legendary London magician Fay Presto at a gig we did together at Buckingham Palace for HM The Queen’s Golden Jubilee (he says, ferociously namedropping!).
She’s a wonderful performer who has made several illusions into her signature effects. You can see some of them in the following video clip:
Fay and I will be discussing women in magic, why there are so few and how she made it to being one of the foremost close-up performers in London and indeed the UK.
For more info on Fay, check out her website at www.faypresto.com.
John Lenahan – Episode Eight
John Lenahan is a man of many talents. He is a great magician who I first saw performing live on stage at his show, Monday Night Magic. He has performed a great deal of excellent magic on TV, with his shows Secrets of Magic and Stuff The White Rabbit.
He is also an expert on gambling scams and the art of the con. His expertise were made into a great TV show called Hoaxbusters.
He is also a writer of note, with his book Shadowmagic having been at number one on Amazon and PodioBooks.com
For more info on John, check out www.johnlenahan.com
Jonathan Goodwin – Episode Seven
Escapologist Jonathan Goodwin first came to prominence on television here in the UK on a show called Monkey Magic alongside the likes of Pete Firman. Jonathan’s escapes and dangerous encounters made the show that bit more gritty and cemented his reputation as one of the UK’s leading exponents of dangerous escapes.
Jonathan now appears in his own TV series on The Discovery Channel, disconcertingly named One Way Out.
Jonathan will be joining us on the phone from L.A., California where he now lives to discuss the escapes that he and performers before him – notably Houdini – perform. We’ll be talking danger, scorpions and Jonathan being hanged live on national television. You know, just regular conversation(!).
To find out more about Jonathan, check out www.JonathanEscapes.com.
Richard Wiseman – Episode Six
Professor Richard Wiseman started his working life as an award-winning professional magician, and at the time was one of the youngest members of The Magic Circle. He then obtained a first class honours degree in Psychology from University College London and a doctorate in psychology from the University of Edinburgh.
For the past twelve years he has been the head of a research unit at the University of Hertfordshire, and in 2002 was awarded Britain’s first Professorship in the Public Understanding of Psychology.
He will be joining us via phone to talk about the psychology of magic and why we’re still entertained by this ancient art of deception.
To find out more about Richard, check out his site at www.richardwiseman.com
Paul Daniels – Episode Five
When one thinks of TV magic in the UK, one name comes to mind, standing head and shoulders above all other TV magicians in the minds of the public – Paul Daniels.
Paul took the country by storm throughout the 1980′s and 90′s via his West End theatre show and the subsequent Paul Daniels Magic Show that ran successfully for many years, first on ITV then on BBC One. His list of achievements and accolades within magic are far too numerous to mention here, but we will discuss many of them on the show with Paul including his headlining shows in Las Vegas and London.
We’ll be discussing his show on TV, the rise of TV magic and where this side of the art came from.
For more details on Paul, check out www.pauldaniels.co.uk or follow Paul on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ThePaulDaniels
Marc Paul – Episode Four
A mindreader and psychological entertainer extraordinaire, Marc Paul is one of the best known names in the mentalism arena. He was voted ‘World’s Greatest Mindreader’ by a panel of magic experts in the USA and is now the leading psychological entertainers in the world. In his performances, he integrates the elements of perception, persuasion, psychology and personality to create the illusion of mind-reading. His remarkable skills have fascinated and amazed audiences all over the world.
Marc will be joining me in the studio to discuss the first mentalists, where this remarkable type of magic came from and of course, his own remarkable approach to it. He may even perform an effect for us live in the studio.
For more details, check out www.marcpaul.com.
Paul Kieve – Episode Three
Having competed in The Magic Circle’s Young Magician of the Year competition while still in his teens, Paul Kieve has gone on to become the busiest magic consultant in the UK. He has created magic for many of the most well-known productions in both theatre and film, including The Invisible Man, Scrooge, The Woman in White on stage and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban in cinemas worldwide. He has recently written a book on the art of magic called Hocus Pocus, the foreword for which is written by Harry Potter actor Daniel Radcliffe who Paul tutored during filming.
Paul will be joining me to discuss stage illusions, special effects and the work of the magic consultant on both the small and big screens. Tune in on 28th April for a fascinating glimpse behind the curtain with the UK’s foremost magic consultant.
To find out more, go to Paul’s website www.stageillusion.com. You can buy Paul’s book via our Magic Shop or by clicking on the book cover below.
Brian Sibley – Episode Two
Having been fascinated by magic and all things fantastical from an early age, writer and broadcaster Brian Sibley has authored many books on both magic and the magical kingdoms of authors such as C.S. Lewis and J.R.R Tolkien. He appears on the extra features of countless movies, including those on Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, having written both the making of the film book and Peter Jackson’s own biography. As well as this, Brian is a Sony Radio Award winner for his radio play of Mervyn Peake’s Gormenghast which featured Sting in the role of Steerpike.
Brian will be joining me in the studio to discuss recent magical history, following on from Peter Lane’s introduction last week. Tune in on 21st April to for what will be a great show with a great broadcaster.
Find out more by visiting Brian’s website at www.briansibley.com. You can buy Brian’s books via our Magic Shop or by clicking on the products below.
Peter Lane – Episode One
As the first show in the series deals with the early history of magic (up to around 1850), I wanted to talk to someone who not only knows the history of magic but is also involved in it’s preservation. On a tip off from eminent magic historian Eddie Dawes, I contacted Peter Lane, Executive Librarian of The Magic Circle HQ in London. As Executive Librarian, Peter quite literally holds the keys to the history of magic. You see, The Magic Circle in London is known as ‘The House of 10,000 Secrets’, although there are probably far more than that hidden within the basement library.
Peter has been a part of many of The Magic Circle’s historical events and was rewarded for his services to magic in 2006 when the society awarded him ‘The Silver Wand’ – a prestigious trophy that is only given to those who have given an exceptional amount to the art of magic. Tune in on 14th April to hear what I know will be a fascinating discussion with one of magic’s leading historians.
