I COME FROM AN AGE when there were magicians on every variety bill throughout the land and in the city centres the big theatres had illusion shows starring world magicians filling the whole evening. The front of every theatre front was festooned with huge billboards, illustrations of the star and magic ephemera exclaiming an evening of wonderment.

Dante, Kalanag, Murray, Les Levante, Cecil Lyle I saw them all and it was a wonderful, unique time.

So you can imagine how the blood rushed to my head when this week I walked up Charing Cross Road in London and there outside the Garrick Theatre was a billboard covering the whole of the front of the building bearing a huge portrait of Derren Brown in the graphic style of the old time magi with the billing “Derren Brown – Mind Reader. An Evening of Wonders”

Announcing the opening of a limited season that has had rave reviews following the opening night with all  seats sold. I think it’s great that magic has captured the imagination again of a public that’s rather jaded with the average television fare. But it’s interesting that Derren Brown is now a big West End star following his appearances on television. Magic is alive and well and living in Charing Cross Road.

Filed under: Magic Miscellanea