FITTING a lot of clothes into a small suitcase is the closest I’ve ever come to a magic trick.
So it was with trepidation that I had a go at learning some illusions at the Southern England Magic Convention this weekend.
Organiser Collin Richardson was my willing tutor/guinea pig, and the man must have nerves of steel to let a novice like me tie a thick rope around his neck.
Done correctly, you yank the rope to tighten the knot and it miraculously falls away, without strangling the victim.
True professionals perform this on themselves, but I was allowed an assistant while I mastered the basics.
For my next trick, I made a champagne bottle disappear before conjuring metres of ribbon from thin air.
Collin, who took up magic 15 years ago, patiently ran me through the routine until I’d mastered it.
“Anyone can do it,” he said. “It takes no time at all to learn.”
Sure enough, I slowly managed to grasp it. Doing it with a smile and pizzazz, rather than a determined grimace, will be the next challenge.
Fortunately for the nightly gala show audiences of around 300-400 people, I didn’t take my clumsy attempts onstage.
Collin, who set up the convention three years ago, said: “Magicians come here to find out new tricks and watch demonstrations from dealers.
“If they like something they’ll buy it to try.
“It’s also a gelling session.
“We had magicians in the bar doing card tricks and karaoke until 1am.”
Notable magicians from as far afield as Norway came to give talks.
“Hopefully the convention will grow each year,” Collin added. “I really want to involve the local population.
“This is the oldest. most affordable convention. The popularity of magic goes in circles, and we’re at the top at the moment.”
Primetime show Magicians, on BBC One, and The Discovery Channel’s duo Penn & Teller prove this, he says.
“Magic has always been popular and now it’s on the rise again. People want to be entertained.
“Today we’re in a depression and people want cheering up with a bit of comedy, magic and fun.”
Thomas has got talent
Thomas Herron, eight, pictured, came second in Saturday night’s talent show when he made a canary disappear from a bird cage. At the age of five, he made it through to Britain’s Got Talent’s final reveal stage.
The youngster, from West Sussex, started learning tricks from entertainers at Sandford Holiday Park.
Thomas, who goes by the stage name Magic Thomas, said: “I also do a trick where I go through Perspex and link up knotted ropes. Britain’s Got Talent was very good because I got a ‘yes’ from Simon Cowell.”
