The Things of Magic
Today I find myself writing about the things of magic. In Conjuring Asia, Goto-Jones says – ‘magic is not an…
the story it tells 2
Abandoned Magic, No.2 Some experiments in videography, performance magic, and autobiography. Practice and Research Project. Abandoned Magic are photographs that…
Practice
“It all makes it difficult to define and declare oneself a magician if one feels one’s practice does not conform…
Witnessing the Davenports
A writer’s real work is the endless winnowing of sentences, The relentless exploration of possibilities, The effort, over and over…
the story it tells
Some experiments in videography, performance magic, and autobiography. [Practice Research Project] [see this & this]
The Davenports play Huddersfield (process)
To find a mode of performance for the Cultures of Place project Davenports Play Huddersfield (Taylor, 2022) I wanted to…
Conan Doyle, Houdini, and the Davenport Brothers: Huddersfield Connections.
As part of Cultures of Place, I’ve been busy rehearsing and preparing for Conan Doyle, Houdini, and the Davenport Brothers:…
Making Dark Magicks at Doomsday
After three years of pandemic related cancellations and delays, the highlight of the UK Bizarre Magick calendar, Doomsday, returned to…
Mashing up Magick: Bizarre Magick and the Fuzzy Gothic
Gothic Mash-Ups: Hybridity, Appropriation, and Intertextuality in Gothic Storytelling edited by Natalie Neill is now available from Lexington books. The book…
Jonathan Creek (extract) Season 1 Episode 1
Maddy MagellanDo a trick for me. Jonathan CreekI beg your pardon. Maddy MagellanSomething from your repertoire. Jonathan CreekI don’t do…
Diane – The Seductive Sorceress
2023 update: I am now in touch with Diane, thank you for all of the messages! Before the COVIDs really…
The Magician – enquiring about practice #1
A key element of enquiry for me when working practically in bizarre magick was my role in the creation of…
Séance, Magicians, and the Arms Race of Things
Historically, the apparent ability to contact spirits has provided a wealth of opportunities for deception by performers. Magicians have had…
Séance: A View through the Veil
*The film is now available to watch on the Media of Mediumship YouTube channel* An aptitude for deception is all…
More on Magic Objects
“Objects have histories. Some have souls” (Chelman, 1993, p. 65) In many ways, performance magic is about the props, the…
Abandoned Magic #1
I read something this week that got me thinking again about the photographs I took last summer. The series entitled…
The Magic Object
I’m very interested in the notion of the (performance) magic(al) object. Aileen Robinson (2014) in ‘“All Transparent”: Pepper’s Ghost, Plate…
Séance Technologies – The Pendulum
I find it useful to think of performance magic props as a technology. In theatre we often talk about theatre…
Insider or Outsider?
The challenge I have as an academic is that I am both inside and outside of my research. I cannot…
Writing about Magic
The notion of what constitutes the role of the trick in magic performance raises a number of questions, two of…
Hiding the Elephant in the Room – Performance Magic and Practice Research
A transcription of a research seminar delivered 31/03/21 The seminar itself is now live: Thank you for inviting me to…
Space to Practice – whatever that means.
In a few weeks time I shall be presenting on practice research as part of the Spring 2021 LINES OF…
COVID-19 and Performance Magic – your views?
The New Normal? As I mentioned in a previous post, The Journal of Performance Magic (www.journalofperformancemagic.org.uk) is currently accepting academic…
Call for Papers – The New Normal
I’m delighted to announce that the Journal of Performance Magic is once again accepting submissions! The Journal of Performance Magic…
Projects
I’ve just finished* a big project, and now I have three others to work on. Today is about starting one…