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News and articles about the club.
It was great to see Wayne back at his second home. Fox is an out-and-out entertainer with a cheeky line or gag for everything, if that's not enough th...
We started the evening by giving out the trophies for last year's competitions, again, this time they were the smaller 'to keep' engraved versions. An...
We rattled through the AGM like Roadrunner being chased by Wile E. Coyote. The main features were the changes in the council, Kevin Morton has stood d...
As is often the case, we went to The Hassocks armed with knifes, but this time it was for another evening of Make it with Matt. Matt dove straight ...
The concept for the evening was your favourite trick, or type of magic and what’s your least favourite magic. These could be effects, routines, gimm...
Club nights are often the source of some interesting debate and usual tips, especially this evening as it was about tips, at least Thumb Tips. We d...
We had 6 performers and they had two tables to perform to so the evening was more like a real close-up table hopping gig. As we saw the performers in ...
After another last minute cancellation from the Hassocks, we were once again upgraded to the west wing of The Blenheim's (thanks again Gordy & Gill!) ...
Chris joined us at Gordon's due to a lack of venue again, but the tea, coffee & biscuits are much better at the Blenheim's. Many thanks again to Gordy...
Adam joined us direct from Liverpool via Zoom, which was great for us as we didn't have a venue for this evening and it's a long way for Adam to commu...
It would be fairer to say this was a series of performances rather than a lecture, but wonderfully entertaining. Graham showed us many effects that...
Go check out Roo's latest review on his YouTube channel Roo's Magic reviews, this month he reviews 'Photopsia'. As we know, If Roo has reviewed it...
Magicians: Simon Vertue, Phil Pearson, Des King, Jonny Ritchie Congratulations to the winner Our Very own President Mr Des King...
What a great and informative night, hosted by our very own branding guru Phil, who not only excels in his own magic and Tidy Group branding but also h...
Go check out Roo's latest review on his YouTube channel Roo's Magic reviews, this month he reviews 'Colour sync' by David Johnathan. As we know, I...
This month "Dave T Dinosaur" and I met up with the man - the myth - the legend that is David Croucher. We have become good friends with Crouchie, talk...
Someone else who has helped me improve my performance and given me ideas, this was a great lecture and covered: Mind reading, coins, business, and ...
Hi Matt, How are you today? Very well thanks Phil. Thanks for inviting me along to be interviewed. Thank you for coming along, Ok what first inspi...
Tom rubs a magic lamp. A genie pops out and grants him 3 wishes. Genie: What will your first wish be? Tom: I, want to be rich. Genie: Of course, y...
Another month and another magician of the month, this month I've chosen the one and only Mr Jonny Ritchie, who has become one of my closet friends, he...
This month we have a review from our very own Rooster - He reviews 'Overdraft ' by Paul Fowler and The 1914, as we know if Roo has reviewed it means i...
1950 - 2022 The entire worldwide magic community - and I do mean 'entire' - is mourning the passing of Max Maven. Max may not have been a 'househol...
This month's interview is with Matt Daniel-Baker, this guy has come into my life and has helped me out so much and become a good friend, he is always ...
My therapist suggested I tell my wife about my addiction to magic by writing her a letter! I just can't pick up the Penn & Teller! During a recent...
Last Thursday we were in for a treat from our Chairman, Kevin Morton. Kevin presented his lecture on all you need to know to be a Wedding Magician....
Comedy with a twist of magic Nick Lewin is a master magician whose International appeal has delighted audiences and earned him standing ovations in...
The magic of the mind competition was a great evening, thank you to all who came along to support and of course all the performers - you all did a gre...
We are deeply saddened by the passing of Her Majesty The Queen and our heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with the Royal Family at this time. Elizabet...
Hello, I hope this finds you well. Welcome to your new newsletter brought to you by me, Phil Pearson. For those that didn't know, I'm the newest membe...
Due to a leaking roof at our usual meeting place, The Hassocks, Gordon yet again saved the day by hosting the lecture at his place. Big thanks to Gord...
Tom Stone started his lecture with an effect he calls 'Mittens', this was a comedy routine, where 2 spectators choose and sign a playing card, while T...
Each month the council will be choosing a 'Magician of the Month'. This is someone who has made an impact on the club or in the magic community. As...
Do you know how horrifying it is to have a shower when you're a magician? Never knowing if your bathroom is still going to be there when you pull bac...
Seven contestants battled it out at the Sussex Magic Circle Close-Up Competition. Here follows an overview of their performances: Apologies in adva...
He describes himself as "loud and brash" and John Archer certainly lived up to his own billing. But his entertaining lecture also revealed that he ...
It's been said that all magic is stage magic. Close-up performances are merely stage magic in miniature. If that is so, then the skills of stage magi...
The rules for the competition state that there must be a minimum of three entrants for this and indeed any of our competitions. Luckily this number wa...
Stuart welcomed everyone along to Southover Grange this evening but unfortunately had to announce that the South Downs Magicians were unable to join u...
There were three entrants in the SMC Mentalist Competition, the standard of performance being very high. First off was Paul Bromley. A pseudo scien...
There was a good turn out for this evening. This was not just an evening of card tricks. It was more. So much more. Paul's demonstration of the Art of...
A wealth of information flowed from this lecture. So many different balloon models were made, I can only list some of them. They included; Teddy bears...
An almost-packed Sussex Magic Circle audience and many visitors attended this evening. This was a master class in misdirection and timing from a cl...
The first meeting of the year was an intimate one (that means there weren't many of us). However regardless of short numbers as always these club's ni...
This lecture played to a packed house, with members of both the Southdown?s Magicians and ACES in attendance. Good to see them all. Don explained t...
In spite of the inclement weather 15 hardy souls attended Head Quarters for this years? Stage Competition. The usual announcements preceded the Com...
Matt, Geoff and Myself (Stu) made a video diary of our time at the Blackpool convention. It's in 4 parts below. Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 ...
I was asked to talk to BBC News 24 about the exhumation of Houdini, below is the interview. Stu ...
I have known Dave Lang since joining the Asylum and we finally met face to face at the IBM convention a few years ago. Dave invited me to come to lect...
First of all apologies for not being around at meetings very much. The run-up to Christmas has been particularly busy. As some of you may be aware Sue...
"Knock Knock!" "Who's there?" -"Ian" "Oh Hello-Ian! (Halloween!) Yes, spooky night was underway and it kicked off with Paul Bromley performing...
Childrens night, the one night each year where adults are allowed to mentally recess to the age of childhood (some more convincignly than others, you ...
We started the festive meeting with a fresh face at the Sussex Magic Circle for his first performance at the club was Colin Wilcox, he did his auditio...
A packed club room greeted the lecture by Etienne who was a member of the SMC some 18 -20 years ago. (Older members may remember him!) The lecture...
We'll start our notes as Pete started his lecture, by diving straight into the Cups & Balls. In my ignorance I didn't know this was Pete's trademark ...
There was a palpable buzz in the air before the inaugural Tri-Wizard Tournament. Members of the Sussex arrived in their usual ways; some came on the K...
Jonathan was selling cards! Paul Leacy demonstrated a couple of coin moves, a coin roll and vanish and an innovative -Han Ping Chien move in the ha...
I was sitting back and enjoying the performances and not making notes. The review is therefore only as accurate as my memory allows! And tonight, more...
Jack stated at the outset that he had just thrown lots of stuff in a box and that nothing he would do was planned. Indeed, the whole lecture had a ver...
Or 'My starring role at the SMC Close-up Night'. It started like any other day. In a drawer at the bank, taken to the supermarket till, then given ...
Firstly, a big thanks to Matt Parr for organising a wonderfully entertaining show. Originally billed as 'Junior Showtime', Matt suggested giving the e...
A well-attended evening saw a confident Alan Humphries perform his audition. A very slick poker routine was followed by a lightning two card transposi...
Jonathan earns his living as an actor and magical entertainer. He has a Diploma in Drama from Queen Margaret College in Edinburgh, but says that his r...
The subject of 'constructive criticism' came up again. Jonathan and Stuart mentioned it tonight and both Andrew and Mark have raised the issue in the ...
Not many people turned out for something a little alternative; however, it provided an intimate atmosphere for some bizarre magic and storytelling. Th...
Please bear with me on this, I'm trying to write this over 7 weeks after the event and my memory isn't great at the best of times, so if all the facts...
This was our first session of 2006, and indeed our first meeting since November. Stuart opened the meeting with the usual notices, including the sa...
Mark Worgan introduced the evening by reading out a letter from Pat Pannell thanking us for the flowers and kind thoughts. Paul Gordon stood up an...
Paul is a highly successful professional magician who performs 'Strolling and Close-Up Table Magic'. He lectures all over the world, is the author...
The lecture opened with an interesting look into John's working history. We learnt about how he used to work in both theatre and advertising and how c...
There were five entrants for this year's competition. In order of performance they were Andy Adsett, Andy Hart, Mike Pettitt, Paul Leacy, and Felix Be...
Having been unable to attend meetings in recent weeks, I was pleased to see the clubroom pretty full for this evening's lecture. Andy is a funny, popu...
Paul's tutorial was very well received. There was a great deal of practical advice, garnered from years performing the routine professionally. He talk...
"There are no good or bad tricks. There are only well and badly presented tricks." Raynaly Raynaly's quote is often paraphrased and is inherently a ...
TONIGHT WAS A CHANGE TO THE USUAL MEETING BECAUSE CLASSICS ARE A SIDE OF MAGIC WHICH MANY MAGICIANS FIND DIFFICULT TO DO. THE CLASSICS OF MAGIC ARE TH...
The evening began with the chairman giving out parish notices, including awarding full membership to David Taylor and Philip Sweeting. Congratulations...
This was an exceptional evening, and we were graced with some awe inspiring magic. Throughout the lecture there were gasps of astonishment and bursts ...
Mark has been performing comedy magic for many years and shared his thinking and vast experience during this entertaining evening. After showing u...
A BBQ for magicians and their families was held at The Blenheims, Burgess Hill as a social event for the three magic clubs in the area. Members fro...
This must be one of the most nerve-racking and daunting evenings on which to perform. Presenting card magic in front of an audience who know about for...
Klub Magic came back to the Komedia in Brighton - and what a welcome return it was for magic fans on the South Coast. Life wasn't quite the same wi...
Felix opened the evening with an original and interesting act. After a slow and measured beginning while he left the room - a couple of spectators not...
This was Paul Gordon and myself's first time at organising a convention. It took a lot of planning but proved to be a remarkable day from our point of...
Ian is an experienced performer of both close-up and cabaret, and his experience was clearly in evidence. His material was all effective and performab...
Our President put a lecture together because he was asked by another magic club to provide an evening of entertainment some time ago. His dilemma was ...
Many members enjoy the art of close-up, especially using playing cards, in preference to other fields of magic and this was evident by the fact that s...
We met at the White Hart for drinks and then onto the Indian restaurant on the high street for dinner. It was election night. Anyone who voted Tory (y...
I had a very good and exciting month in April. My months are usually busy but this was filled with two big dates for me plus my usual shows. I was inv...
Matthew Cammiss provided us with an alternative and varied show; with magic, comedy and the downright bizarre. He introduced us to his unique brand of...
Below are the highlights of the AGM, this is not a full account of the proceedings. Firstly and most importantly, when we had the fire drill it was...
December saw no meetings at the club, so our secretary very kindly opened his home for a cheese and wine evening. This was a very successful event, t...
Several people performed in front of the group. Matthew Parr did an ambitious card routine. Mike Pettit showed us a clever idea with a 'Christmas' the...
Thanks to all of the acts that took part in this years stage show competition. The standard was very high and it was one of the biggest stage competit...
A couple of weeks ago, Kate and I went to Las Vegas. What a place! It has got to be one of the most ridiculous Cities around. Forget the gambling, ...
Having been a member of the Sussex Magic Circle for quite a few years, I have to admit that this was the first time I had ever attended a close-up dri...
On the 24th November the children's competition took place. After a small mix up with the booking between a local choral group and us we started the m...
A truly wonderful evening of fun, laughter, banter and exceptional magical skills was the event of this special club meeting. Having arrived for on...
Not many members were present, but several guests and prospective members kept numbers up. Only two entrants turned up, so Paul Leacy gallantly steppe...
Mark welcomed new guests/members and made announcements on the recent AGM meeting declaring the election of new Officers. There was an announcement...
Competition night started with Mark explaining the new format. Although the night started slowly, lessons were learnt and next year the new format wil...
Playing to a packed house, Derren Brown came to Worthing Pavilion on Easter Saturday. There were even hopeful punters forming a queue outside in case ...
A good crowd assembled to see Richard Bellars (SMC member) lecture. A fantastic evening full of original ideas and strong magic. Richard is fairly ...
Firstly, many thanks to the members who helped out last night at the competition by agreeing to compete at the last minute. A couple of weeks ago ...
For those members that couldn't be there, missed a fantastic evening of real intimate close up magic with some great tips and advice from our very own...
Hi, This is just a quick thank you to all of you who came to the last meeting, what a great and interesting evening it turned out to be. Thanks to ...
I always look forward to this event in the SMC calendar, as it holds some great memories over the years. It was something of a surprise that there wer...
I had been looking forward to this lecture for ages. Many of our newer members may not know much about Mike Pettitt, but those of us who have been aro...
I must start with a confession. Recently my visits to our beloved SMC have been sparse. This woeful attendance rate is due almost entirely to the sill...
I was disappointed not to see Jeremy LePoidevin, but that tells you something about my intelligence. The lecture was excellent, the lecturer immediate...
I'm VERY proud! Thanks to those of you who performed Thursday night. It wasn't as horrid as you might have thought; was it!?. And, I bet you enjoyed ...
In the absence of some IBM attendees, Andrew Chase did a wonderful job of hosting the meeting. He started by displaying his collection of coin gaf...
On Thursday 14th June the SMC were honoured to a lecture from professional magician and co-owner of 'vanishing Ink' Andi Gladwin. Andi performed a...
Paul Bromley presented a solidly crafted set from start to finish. He told an intriguing story which had some funny moments and his routine had a logi...
Shoot was impeccably turned out and immediately came across as a warm and friendly guy with a gentle charm and humour. He repeated his intentions t...
The addition of a New Members night to the programme seemed a success. We had two incredibly competent auditions from Marcus Gear and Bob Chase who bo...
The annual Tri-wizard Tournament was held at The Southdowns last week and it was great fun, thank you to Andy Hart & Simon Virtue for taking part on b...
The Sussex Magic Circle was delighted to have Martin Peirce. The lecture was mainly based on self-working tricks and Martin preformed eleven in tot...
The Sussex Magic Circle went to a whole new level last meeting when they booked the one and only Gregory Wilson. The venue was packed to the rafters ...
4 March 2004 Five brave souls with contrasting personalities, different styles of presentation and equally varied material are ready to perform ......
18 March 2004 The AGM began with the presentation of official badges and rules books to the newest members, these members included: Gordon Burtens...
13 March 2004 On Saturday, 13th March 2004, the Sussex Magic Circle held its annual Dinner dance at The White Hart Hotel, Lewes. The evening was a...
It's sometimes more interesting reading the ads in old magic magazines rather than the articles. What could be 'The Laugh Sensation of the Year?' W...
Hosted and produced by Stuart Harley, The Sussex Magic Circle presented an evening of magic on Thursday 22nd January 2004. It was an evening of good m...
Look out for Stuart's Milk Can on BBC this Christmas. A week or so ago my mobile rang and it was Pete McCahon on behalf of the BBC History of Magic...
Greetings everyone. At the recent meeting of the SMC, Stuart Harley organised an evening of entertainment with the help of other members, it was I ...
Thursday 5th February These Club nights appear to be very popular, over 30 members met and, after the usual notices and exchanging of news, the mee...
Mark Worgan hosted this meeting, which was held on 19th February about presentation, aided by many of the members who were present. He started off, na...
The Blackpool Convention commenced on Friday 20th February. It consisted of ten top class lecturers, including the likes of Franz Harary, Rene Lavand,...