* Mel Mellers who tore ‘em up in the opening show with his acerbic but very entertaining magic and comedy.

* The entertaining act of Levent packed with a thousand very funny sight gags but an artiste whose depth of magic thinking is profound as witness his brilliantly devised  Miser’s Dream that he showed in his lecture. Also the man who put so much work and respect into the outstanding Roy Benson book.

* Congratulations to Jonathan Shotton, former prizewinner in The Magic Circle Young Magician of the Year, now maturing into a seasoned professional entertainer and winning the British Ring Shield competition with a well conceived and presented act built around – clocks!

* One of the best presentations I’ve seen of the classical Rising Cards by Bob  Kohler in a close up show dominated by a chorus line of Las Vegas card men, demonstrating gambling deals and routines. And included in this show, the refreshing, diverse programme of magic and originality by Nick Einhorn with a stunning, every which way but loose coin matrix sequence, a new twist with a borrowed ring on key ring  and some excellent card effects finishing with a completely blank deck except for the selected card. Very Nick Einhorn.

* The workshop, in depth thinking and performance handling of the Egg Bag by Jeff Hobson that brought this timeless classic into the 21st century.

* Admired the artistry of Richard McDougall’s act with a goose – sheer theatre.

* Had an enjoyable talk with Marvin Berglas,  one of magic’s most successful business entrepreneurs and still a bubbling enthusiast  about magic to the extent that he performs regularly in the corporate suites at the Arsenal Football Club (another of his passions)

* Finally, congratulations to Ian  Keable on the publication of his excellent book “Stand Up – A Professional Guide to Comedy Magic” possibly the most comprehensive work on this most individual and diverse subject. Years in the writing, its 280 pages says everything you need to know about comedy and entertaining. Worthy of a PhD on the subject.

That’s it. Apologies if I’ve missed your favourites out but they were all good.

*

I purportedly do a comedy patter magic act but twenty minutes is about my limit but Ians’ accountancy trained needle-sharp brain can catch every audience nuance and humour opportunity brilliantly. This  allows for much off the cuff inter- action with the Surrey retired stockbrokers, golf club secretaries and others  in his audience who often are a hard group to crack. Dressed in a Threadneedle Street styled striped City suit he explained his transition from accountancy to conjuring and presented many classics of magic like the Die box, Chinese sticks,  Candle tube, Vanishing Silk in Glass, Electric Chair Routine as well as many of the known items from his standard act – Watch Routine, Dictionary Test, Cards Across and others.

Because of my prime interest in comedy and theatre I was delighted to see him succeed in laying down this excellent piece of theatre  on which to present his magic effects which all added up to two hours of sheer entertainment. Plus his awareness that there is nothing wrong with many of the magic effects of yesteryear which he uses rather than resorting to the latest from Blackpool. Conjuring is conjuring,

I understand his tour continues around the country but if you#re interested in seeing how to capture, hold and entertain a group of TV jaded elder folk, a trip to “Conjuring up Comedy” with Ian Keable would pay you handsome dividends, if you’re intent on becoming a better performer. It’s called professionalism.