Spreading the Magic II

Dear Reader

I'm back again with some more memories of the Awards night before they fade completely. Here is a picture of a contortionist called Dena who is in a 'bubble'. The Act was billed on the programme as "Acrobubble" so no one was aware that they weren't watching the act they should have been! Around 2 pm on the day of the Awards I got a phone call from the London booking agents who had supplied all our acts. Disaster! One half of the Acrobubble act had slipped a disc and was now prone in a motorway service station swallowing painkillers as fast as he could. There was no way he was going to be able to perform and his partner would not perform without him. But, the agent said, he had scoured London and found a replacement, a contortionist called Dena who had once appeared on the Graham Norton Show. As if that was going to reassure me! Well I had no choice but to say "send her" and she left London at 3 pm to get here in time for the show. She would, they said, still perform her act in the 'bubble' so that was that. A couple of hours later I went outside and there was the 'Acrobubble' transit van parked with a man as white as a sheet sipping tea in the front seat. He was so sorry to let us down and I felt sorry for them coming all the way and not being able to perform. They were a middle aged couple, probablly in their 50's, which surprised me as theatre acts seem to get younger and younger. Both very slim and fit looking (apart from the disc obviously) and nice people to talk to. Anyway, Dena the contortionist arrived in the nick of time and the day was saved, as Granny would say. And the audience were none the wiser!


The other picture is of The Singing Chandeliers. I thought they were very good. They were West End singers who'd got together a few months ago to form this group. They did a raunchy Lady Ga Ga type number which got all the men sitting to attention but my favourite was the actual Chandelier installation act they did at the beginning of the evening as people came in to Dinner. Their voices were amazing and it was such a spectacle to see these five young women standing together to form a massive chandelier! Very bizarre, very London but I loved it!

The main act was calleld Keelan and Charlotte and they performed quick change illusion. It really is one of those acts you have to be there to see it and I can't do them justice on this blog. Suffice it to say that the lady was stood there in one outfit, her partner poured confetti on her head and as the confetti dropped to the floor she emerged in a full ballgown. All in the blink of an eye. Truly amazing and no wonder they'd won Magicians of the Year in 2008.

All the acts had been booked on spec - I'd seen videos but none of them in person. What a gamble. I'd spent hours pouring over different acts, different combinations and approaches to the evening but in the event I was pleased with what I had chosen and they suited the Harry Potteresque theme well - a bit quirky but full of magic! And something a bit different for a Lincolnshire audience!