A family show full of magic, mystery and mirth is promised by the Friends of the Centenary Centre, who are staging a magic show at the venue in Peel on Saturday 23rd September.
Magic! will feature local magicians, including Paul Martin, Rosalie and Giles Beaumont, Chris Burns, Lexi Dernie and Colin Boardman. It is produced by Mike Clague who, as well as being secretary of the Magicians of Mann, is treasurer of the Friends.
Mike explained: "The Friends of the Centenary Centre is a small but very active charity, and this is one of a number of events to raise funds, all of which go towards helping the Directors make improvements to the fantastic arts venue in Peel, run completely by volunteers. The Friends have recently paid for new tables and assisted with some repairs. The next big project is to upgrade the sound system. Many of the regular acts at the Centre are music based, so it's great to offer a different type of show that's a fun-filled evening for all the family."
Paul and Lexi are both members of The Magic Circle in London, so a mysterious night out is guaranteed. A mind-reading goose might even make a rare appearance! Magic shows have been held at the venue previously, to packed houses, and the Friends are hoping for similar support this year. "It's still relatively rare for magic shows to feature female magicians," said Mike, "so having two in the show is great.
Magic is one of the oldest forms of entertainment, and local magicians performed at the Centenary Hall in the 1800s, soon after it opened. It's even possible that we'll be seeing some similar effects as those advertised by Dr. Lynn in 1894 or Herr Dobler in the following year.
Herr Dobler, for instance, advertised Extraordinary Card Tricks, Manipulation of Eggs, Printing by Magic, Knot Tricks, the Vanishing Bouquet, The Mysterious Treasure in the Air, Wonderful Flights of Money and Spirit Writing, etc. As in 1895, the we're confident that the audience will enjoy entertainment of a really high class order, and without the slightest vulgarity!"
Tickets for the show, which starts at 7.30pm, are ?10 for adults and ?6 for children. They are available from Peter Norris Music (Douglas), Celtic Gold (Peel), Shakti Man (Ramsey), Thompson Travel (Port Erin) and online at www.centenarycentre.com.
Photo - Lexi Dernie.
