I recently had an interesting conversation with someone about the magic and showmanship, and how any second person could easily do a trick, and how it takes a good performer, a magician to turn it into magic.

The way I see it, making magic takes years and endless hours of dedication, concentration and practice to perfect every single slight, movement and gesture. and it isn't magic unless there's a great performer behind it making it into a magical experience for all to see.

I believe that magic is one of those arts that almost everyone enjoys watching. Simply because when you see a magic trick, you're watching intently, and still can't believe  what has happened right before your eyes.  And no matter how hard you try to piece together how it was done, you're left wondering how on earth the magician did it even though you were watching so closely and intently.

This is where I see the true art of magic come to life, in moments like these where you just forget about everything going on around you, and in that moment you feel like a child again  who believes that magic is real, as you've just witnessed the unbelievable.

I have to admit, even as  magician I still love seeing magic and going to magic shows to see great magicians and illusionists on stage performing magic tricks that even I can't figure out. It's in moments like these that bring back fond memories of when I was as a young child watching magic specials on TV and on vhs, and watching great magicians like David Copperfield and Jeff McBride in complete and absolute awe.

I  can only hope that I'm half the performer that those magicians were that I watched as a child.

I recently stumbled across a  first British dition 1977 book by one of magic's great legends Harry Lorraine, at a local Lions club bookshop.

Harry was a very popular on screen magician in the 50's from the US who has always been one of my great magic idols. I was always captivated watching videos of him perform. He always had great, fun routines and I always found him charming and charismatic.

I must admit, it always makes me feel like a kid opening a present on Christmas day when I come across finds like this that I can add to my collection of reading material in my magic library. I can't wait to finish reading it! 

I had a great time performing at Skycity Adelaide's white themed new years party. The atmosphere was absolutely electric. It was one big bustling night, with patrons everywhere. Until next time Skycity Adelaide!

A big thanks to John Kruger photography taking some great photos.

Hi Everyone,

Come one, come all!

Adelaide Casino's Carousel of Dreams Promotion is on again, and it just keeps getting better and better.

Be charmed by the snake lady, palm reader, can can dancers, acrobats, trapeze artists, or pop by Loco bar to be mesmerised by some magic.

I'll be performing magic sets there every Friday and Saturady night from the 13th of June to the 12th July 2014, so come enjoy the carnival atmosphere, thegastronimical delights on offer, and make sure to say hi to me while you're there.

Every great magic trick consists of three parts or acts.

The first part is called "The Pledge".
The magician shows you something ordinary: a deck of cards, a bird or a man.
He shows you this object. Perhaps he asks you to inspect it to see if it is indeed real, unaltered, normal. But of course... it probably isn't.

The second act is called "The Turn".
The magician takes the ordinary something and makes it do something extraordinary.

Now you're looking for the secret...
but you won't find it, because of course you're not really looking.
You don't really want to know.
You want to be fooled.

But you wouldn't clap yet.

Because making something disappear isn't enough;
you have to bring it back.

That's why every magic trick has a third act,
the hardest part,
the part we call

"The Prestige".

~The Prestige (2006)

I hope everyone has a great Easter and an even better Easter break this year! I'll be learning some new, interesting card magic routines to add to my repotoire over the long weekend, so it should be a fun Easter indeed!

 

If you're interested in booking The Queen of Cards to perform magic at any events, please click on the Contact the Queen of Cards tab at the top of the page, and fill out the form.

I performed at a beautiful wedding recently at the Bird in Hand Winery. It was one of the most beautiful wedding's i've ever attended, the decor was breathtaking, and the bride was absolutely gorgeous.  It was a lovely wedding with a great atmosphere and all the guests enjoyed the roving card magic!

Image  courtesy of: www.freshphotography.com.au