Roy presented this talk in the History of Mystery session at the British Ring of the International Brotherhood of Magicians convention in Buxton, 9 September 2016. Click on this PDF to join the conventioneers of 1931, and to understand what happened and why it was so enjoyed by the participants.
In this insightful and entertaining talk Roy leads us through the numerous ways in which generations of children and adults have aspired to be a ‘Raging Social Success’ through mastering magic. How did amateurs learn their first tricks and where did they get them from? How has this changed over the years? Was the advice always good? Click below to have Roy answer these questions.
Over the centuries British seaside towns have continually adapted to meet the requirements of visitors. So too have the entertainment opportunities for magicians, the tricks they are able to do, and the places in which they do them. It might be at fairs, on the beach, and increasingly in indoor venues ranging from lowly to grand. Roy traces these developments in words and pictures and on the way meets many well-known, and not so well-known, magicians.