The Palace featured Alan Shaxon, president of the Magic Circle, who acted as master of ceremonies; Romany and Peter Wardell. Romany, the Diva of Magic, performed an elaborate and hilarious coins across:-I never knew that the effect could play so well on stage, or perhaps I just lacked imagination. In Romany's hands, coins across was an event that was complete with two on-stage spectators to hold her arms and dramatic swoons. She also performed a cut and restored turban and closed with a fitting jumbo card transformation.
Shaxon opened the Palace show and performed its mid-section. His act included a color-changing handkerchief, baffling thumb-tie that allowed him to catch hoops that were thrown from the audience, a clean and fast bill to orange and hydrostatic glass.
I've seen lots of cups and balls, but Wardell, the Palace closer, made a fun act of it. Technically, his cups and balls were top notch-I'm not sure, but I think I saw the influence of Gazzo, the great street performer. Wardell had the audience in stitches with his jokes and comments-the funniest cups and balls that I've seen and among the most entertaining.
The only other act I saw was Tim Shoesmith in the Parlour. Another verbal and witty performer, Shoesmith performed a particularly clean Professor's Nightmare with several baffling rope variations and a Twisting of the Aces with a twist-it reminded me of Guy Hollingsworth's television performance from almost a decade ago.
Shoesmith changed an American twenty-dollar bill into a British note and back, executed a beautiful torn and restored (signed) playing card and performed crazyman handcuffs with variations. I particularly liked his creative Ambitious Card routine that included elements of card-to-pocket and more.
A fitting tribute to the centenary anniversary of the Magic Circle, this week's British Invasion offered a fantastic evening of magic at the Castle.
-Wayne N. Kawamoto
