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A article from 5D Music & Theatre writer Maria Robertson.
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Four of Scotland’s top magicians will appear across Scotland for a select few unforgettable evenings of magic and illusion. These acclaimed north east magic acts Smith & Burns, Eoin Smith and James Dickson come together on stage in ensemble magic shows packed full of mystery, surprises and laughs.
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The first show will take place at The Lemon Tree, Aberdeen in September, and is already sold out. October they will be in Glenlivet and November will be Fittie Community Hall.
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Four Magicians will feature incredible sleight of hand, unexplainable acts of mind reading and plenty of comedy as the performers take the audience on a rollercoaster ride through the world of magic.
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Jeff Burns said: “Double acts in magic are uncommon, but seeing four magicians on stage at the same time is even rarer – so this really is a show unlike anything anyone has seen before. We like to think of the show as a comedy sketch show with a magic twist – you never quite know what’s going to happen next.”
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The homecoming show in Aberdeen follows a tour of north east arts venues, during which Four Magicians has received rave reviews.
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Eoin Smith said: “We’ve had a lot of fun touring the show, but it’s the show in Aberdeen that we’re all most excited about. We all met as members of Aberdeen Magical Society, and it’s a real thrill to be sharing a stage with your friends. What makes this extra special for me, too, is that it’s been the first opportunity for me and my dad to write and perform magic together.”
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Ivor Smith added: “The chance to perform for a home audience in Aberdeen is always special for all of us, and we really are pulling out all the stops. We can’t wait to get in front of the audience and show them something they simply can’t explain.”
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After the performance, the audience will have the chance to quiz the acts on their inspirations and careers in magic – with the performers promising a fascinating insight into the life of magicians.
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James Dickson explained: “So many people have seen magic on TV, but never had the chance to see it live – let alone ask a magician a burning question! We’re looking forward to giving people a peek behind the curtain… we just won’t be telling you how we do anything!”
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“If you want to be entertained and astonished, you must go to one of Smith & Burns’ shows.” – Uri Geller
“I usually try to catch out magicians – but Eoin fooled me!” – Sam McTrusty, Twin Atlantic
“James’ magic is the perfect example of perfection.” – Norbert Ferré, World Champion Magician
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Maria was thrilled to get to quiz each of the magicians ahead of the shows; having previously seen Ivor, Jeff and Eoin perform their “Unbelievable” magic shows back in 2016. These were held at the library Maria then managed at the Society of Advocates in Aberdeen. They were each asked to answer the same four questions – without conferring on the answers!
Q1. How did you become a magician? Were you inspired by something or just fancied making magic?
Q2. Is there a magician that you aspire to be like?
Q3. How do you decide who to do a show with? I know that Jeff and Ivor often do shows together but how did these events end up as the Four Magicians that they include?
Q4. If you were asked to do a show to music what would your playlist include?
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James
A1. I couldn’t stand not knowing how magic worked. If there is secret knowledge in the world that only a few people know, I want to be in the group that knows. It is this pursuit that led me to becoming a magician.
A2. Certainly, but they wouldn’t necessarily be known very well by non-magicians. David Copperfield often mixed drama, storytelling and music to create ultimate versions of what was possible in magic and I think that essence of combining art forms together with magic is really something I admire and strive for in my own work.
A3. With regard to the four Magicians we already enjoyed spending time together and also all had magical skills. It seems almost inevitable this pairing would happen given long enough.
A4.I already use a lot of music in my act and they tend to be instrumental pieces often from film scores. Each trick conveys a particular message or feeling to an audience and as with film, music can help underscore and amplify this. I’ve used music from composers such as Franz Liszt to the likes of Danny Elfman and even some of my own.
Jeff
A1. I remember watching David Nixon on TV in the 70s when I was around 7 or 8 years old. He ripped up a £5 note (when £5 was worth a lot of money!) and then magically restored it. And I can remember thinking 2 things. Firstly that was amazing and Secondly, if he is rich enough to be ripping up £5, I want to know more about magic!
A2. The older you get the more you want to be you as a performer. In the past I probably wanted to be like Paul Daniels but nowadays, I want to be myself and hopefully funny. There have been various influences over the years tho including Wayne Dobson, John Archer and our very own Bill Duncan.
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A3. We are all friends and fellow members of Aberdeen Magical Society. As part of our Unbelievable show that we wrote a few years ago, we invited Eoin and James to work with us in rehearsing the show and also looking at some of the magic and presentation aspects. It therefore seemed natural for this new show that the 4 of us performed it together (It also saved Ivor and myself having to write a whole new show lol)
A4. Good question! I can never remember the names of tracks and I have such an eclectic taste from The Muppet Show cast album to Pachelbel Canon in D Major. But it would have to be something upbeat. The last character magic act that I created used Chesney Hawke’s “I am the one and only”!
Ivor
A1. I had always enjoyed watching magic on TV but had no desire to take it up as a hobby. However one Christmas my wife, Helen, knowing I enjoyed watching magic, bought me a book as a joke stocking filler that had a few puzzles, games but also showed how to do some card tricks. I decided to try them out on family and friends, loved the reaction I got, and I was hooked.
A2. Not one in particular. I admire many magicians from Paul Daniels, Derren Brown and David Copperfield to names the public may not know such as Yann Frisch. Ben Earl and Dani Daortiz. As a magician I think it’s important to be your own person. It’s ok to admire and learn from the greats but you can’t be them so you shouldn’t try and copy them.
A3. The four of us met at Aberdeen Magical Society (AMS) (albeit Eoin and I met a little earlier than that given he’s my son 😊). Outwith the AMS meetings the four of us meet regularly to discuss all things magic, show each other new material we’re working on and help each other create and develop new material. It was a natural progression for us to say one day – Let’s put on a show.
A4. I have, for many years, performed a piece to music – it’s I’ve Got the World on a String sung by Anita O’Day. It’s a slowed down jazz/blues version that I really like and if I was to develop more material to music I think I’d look further into that style of music.
Eoin
A1. I grew up surrounded by magic – Ivor is my dad! Although the house was always full of magic when I was growing up, I was never pushed into it. I was just naturally drawn to it, and I’ve been hooked ever since.
I’ve always loved the feeling of being taken in by a great magic performance; that chance to leave reality at the door and experience something truly impossible. That’s what I strive for in my own performances. And it’s what I seek as an audience member, too. As you become more experienced as a magician, you become harder to fool – but those moments where someone does something truly unexpected bring me right back to being an excited kid again.
A2. I’ve worked hard to try and carve out a performing style that reflects who I am, so I don’t really want to be like anyone but me. That being said, I am 100% influenced and inspired by so many magicians.
As a member of Aberdeen Magical Society, I meet up with fellow magicians from across the north east of Scotland every couple of weeks and there is always something to learn. Members like Peter Nicol, Ron Gordon and Bill Duncan (and my fellow Four Magicians) have given me great advice and support over the years.
In the public eye, I can’t help but be inspired by the likes of Derren Brown, David Copperfield, Paul Daniels and David Blaine. They each redefined magic for an entire generation, and did something truly unexpected. I’ve been lucky enough to see them all live, and they were just as incredible on stage as they were on TV.
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And I’m definitely inspired by magicians who are known to magicians, but maybe not outwith that world. Again, not to be like them, but just to be inspired by their creativity and artistry – performers like Yu Ho Jin, Yann Frisch, Juan Tamariz, Rune Klan and Derek Delgaudio.
A3. Double acts in magic are pretty rare. Getting four magicians on stage to perform together almost never happens. And that was really a big part of the appeal in putting together this show.
Ivor and Jeff perform as a double act, but James and I are usually solo performers. So it’s been really fun to write routines together and come up with new tricks and methods that take advantage of having four experienced magicians on stage.
Off stage we’re all good friends, and we meet up regularly to talk magic, help each other solve problems we might be facing in routines we’re working on, and just generally hang out. It seemed like a natural step to take that friendship and transplant it onto the stage.
And, believe it or not, although there’s a 15-or-so-year overlap in our performing careers, my dad and I have never actually performed a trick together. So we had to set that right!
A4. Music has always played a big part in my life, so it inevitably finds its way into my act. The right piece of music can heighten a mood or create an atmosphere, and we use quite a lot throughout Four Magicians – but I won’t give away any spoilers!
I tend to avoid anything cheesy or magic-themed – I’d rather find the perfect piece of music that enhances the emotions I’m conveying with my performance. Something atmospheric and epic by Mogwai or This Will Destroy You would be really fun to write an act to, or an emotive piece from a film score.
Current upcoming shows can be found here: https://linktr.ee/fourmagicians
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Maria Robertson is the Chief Music & Theatre Writer for the 5D Pop Culture Website and provides reviews & coverage of local Aberdeen music & theatre gigs. She’s an experienced writer for numerous sources and is a self-confessed live gig addict ever since seeing The Counting Crows at the Barrowlands in 1994.
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