Magicians from all over the world gathered to perform, share and enjoy magic at The International Magic Convention, one of my favourite magic events I always look forward to!
This was the first year I had been part of the shows during the convention and it was a pleasure to perform some of the new magic I've been working on. A little nerve-racking, as there were more than a few magicians in the audience (including some of my heroes!), however I was extremely happy with the response it received, including my favourite piece of magic, Silver, which "brought the house down" and "received the biggest cheer of the week thus far" according to Roberto Forzoni who was reviewing the convention :)
The prestigious David Berglas International Magic Award is presented annually to someone who has made a significant contribution to furthering the art of magic. Previous winners include David Copperfield, Derren Brown and Juan Tamariz. This year's recipient was Lu Chen, an incredible magician from Taiwan who has had bigger audience's than any other magician in history (his TV specials have reached over 1 billion views!). Lu was amazingly humble and it was great to hear some of his stories! You may have seen some of Lu's work without realising it, as one of his routines went viral a few years ago, and is a perfect example of his creativity. Click play below and enjoy... keep watching!
David Berglas, Edward Hilsum & Lu Chen.
The week was rounded off with one of the best gala shows I've ever seen. Highlights for me included:
SOS & Victoria's record-breaking quick change - I was lucky enough to work with them last year in Las Vegas, but seeing them perform again was still as magical as the first time! Rob Zabrecky's mysteriously creepy character was hilarious and like nothing I've ever seen before. Katrin Weißensee created beautiful artwork out of sand, with the canvas projected onto a large screen on stage so we could enjoy the stories being told as the sand morphed into iconic images - the perfect example of how any art form can be truly magical. Miguel Munoz effortlessly manipulated and transformed water - another unique performance with refreshingly pure magic. Charlie Frye & Company stole the show. I've never seen juggling like it - every step, throw and bounce perfectly choreographed to music, performed with old-school style and charisma, it really was a masterclass.
Just goes to show how an evening with a variety of quality performers really works!! Speaking of which, my variety show returns in January :)
Huge congratulations to Noel Britten and the rest of the team for putting it all together. Already looking forward to next year!