News
NMC News Round-Up 2026: Issue 7
NEPTUNE Entertain
Neptune Magic Society took over MagicBox for an entertaining evening that proved the future of North East magic is in very capable hands. After notices, Graeme whetted appetites with some new products before Daniel, who cheerfully insisted he was “not a normal magician”, found Rob’s card through a succession of increasingly impossible revelations, ending with a satisfyingly ordered-deck flourish.
Graeme then gave a little history of the junior group, including Cynthia’s early involvement and Danny Hunt taking up the cause when the Northern Magic Circle decided against having a junior section. Thankfully, that particular vanishing act did not last.
Jack unveiled a smart new uniform design with a colour-match themed video, then brought the idea into the real world as his own clothing transformed to match. A polished piece with plenty of style.
Mad Magic, comprising Taylor, James and Aidan, brought the mayhem. There was a card-to-mouth moment, Taylor vanished Simon’s ring, only for it to turn up in a box of Smarties, and James risked life, limb and possibly a tetanus jab in a game of rusty nail roulette. Aidan, making a delightfully cheeky reference to his audition act, tackled Brooklyn’s Rubik’s Cube. He is getting funnier by the day, which is no small cube to fill.
The finale combined Graeme’s thoughts on conscious and subconscious choices with Daniel’s confident direction. Harry’s mixed envelopes were distributed among five volunteers, Dale mixed coloured cards, and Jack took the stage for a grand colour-matching conclusion. A Duality Pro video prediction correctly revealed the freely chosen animal, a lion. No stooges, no monkey business, just a roaring success.
Do support the Neptune juniors whenever you can. They are not merely learning tricks, they are learning performance, presentation and how to leave an audience properly spellbound.
Bob White Wand Competition
Every year, the magic club’s creativity takes centre stage at the Bob White Wand competition. This year’s categories challenged performers to:
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Present a trick that evokes a feeling other than wonder.
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Perform a trick from a Linking Ring magazine
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Imitate a fellow Newcastle Magic Circle member in both style and effect.
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Deliver a trick set to music.
Dale, Brooklyn and Glenn stepped up to face our reigning champion, Harry, making for an unforgettable evening.
Dale opened proceedings by producing his “son” from a seemingly empty box, while Harry followed with some pure silk magic that flowed as smoothly as a well-rehearsed sleight. Glenn then deployed Dean’s dealing skills to craft quality “boredom”, and Brooklyn shared an emotional film in which family members revealed his prediction.
For the Linking Ring category, Dale offered a playful twist with actual “Linking Ring” magazines. Harry made a signed card “snap” free from an elastic band, Glenn sent Alan “out to lunch” on a celebrity holiday, and Brooklyn delivered an “old-fashioned” analogue watch time prediction.
In the impersonation round, Dale became Rob Temple, Harry transformed into Nev Blenkinsopp, Glenn channelled everyone (especially Rob Reed), and Brooklyn took on the mantle of Tom Bolton. Each performer delivered astonishing impersonations with no small amount of skill.
Finally, in the music round, Dale welcomed Dean back on stage for a “smashing” colour-match effect. Harry channelled his inner Johnny Cash with a fiery routine, Glenn serenaded Flash with a predictive Eagles “stupid process” card routine, and Brooklyn had sheet music selected before playing the predicted song on the keyboard.
It was a night that showcased far more than just magical ability.
Thankfully, Dean’s digital scoring system worked flawlessly, and Glenn was declared this year’s winner. Well done to everyone involved!
JAMIE DAWS Lecture
Jamie Daws delivered a wonderfully unsettling evening of bizarre magic, mentalism and dark comedy, beginning with a strong turnout and Corey’s warm introduction. His two-hour lecture moved between haunted decks, spirit cabinets, tarot books, living and dead tests, murder mysteries and some wonderfully macabre toe-tag predictions. The methods ranged from billet peeks and equivocation to clever envelopes, forcing pads, loops and dual reality, but Jamie’s central message was clear: in bizarre magic, the story and presentation matter more than the secret.
Highlights included Scared, a slow-burn haunted-deck routine; Taboo, a chilling tale of increasingly sinister letters and Polaroids; Afterlife, which used an app and apparently innocent celebrity choices to create a séance-like dinner party; and a memorable murder mystery involving poisoned cherries and Harry’s suspiciously perfect alibi. The evening finished with Jamie’s favourite routine, involving PK touches, language and the wonderfully disarming word “just”. As ever, the real deception lay in making the method hide in plain sight.
There were plenty of practical ideas too, particularly for magicians who enjoy making their own props. Jamie showed how aged papers, thermochromatic materials, split envelopes, toe tags and simple-looking books can become powerful theatrical tools. His advice was especially valuable for anyone exploring bizarre magic: do not make every effect about death, build the props for your own performance style, and let the narrative do the heavy lifting.
It was an entertaining, thought-provoking and occasionally loud journey through the rational and irrational.
Reminders from Colin:
Erik Tait Lecture this Monday
STIMF
Buy your dinner tickets here!
