FISM 2006 - DAY ONE

Monday July 31, 2006


(By Tim Ellis & contestant reports by Sue-Anne Webster)





At 10.30am Kevin James lectured and Jeff McBride presented a Masterclass in other rooms, while many other people started lining up for the Close Up Competition. Now the close-up room only holds about 200 people, but they have a good system whereby those lining up early get a seating ticket so they don't have to wait around doing nothing, great idea! Meanwhile they have a second room seating 800 where registrants can watch a live feed of the the competition on the big screen.

There were only 8 contestants in the 11.30am close up session, and it ended early while the stage competition, which started at 9am, ran late.



STAGE COMPETITION

1 - Mr Jacoby
General Magic
Sweden
Sponsor – Dag Lofalk (Svensk Magisk Cirkel)

Mr Jacoby performed a 1970’s style parody pantomime complete with light up pants and platform boots. The act began with a D’Lite routine and juggling with red light-up balls to funky 70’s music, followed by just about every variation of the Dancing Hanky routine. Although his character work could have been stronger, the act was loud and brash which suited the style. The character vanished towards the end of the act, (unfortunately the black art method was inadvertently exposed), and reappeared still dancing energetically to 70’s music in a picture frame (an interesting use of an LCD screen), then finally re-entered the stage on a motorbike for the finale. Recovering well from a little fall off the stage in all the excitement, Mr Jacoby succeeded in warming up the audience.

2 - Eduardo Kozuch
Invention
Argentina
Sponsor – Rudyard Magaldi (Circolo Magico Argentino)
His first invention was simply a modified Sanada Gimmick rather than a new invention. It was shown adding live fish to a bowl of water and then used for an orange juice production. The second invention was an ‘any card at any number’ effect with jumbo cards. Eduardo was explaining the workings of this effect when he was disqualified for running over time. It looked as though his table was blocking his view of the warning light.

3 - Janis
Parlour Magic
Germany
Sponsor – Wolgang Sommer (Magischer Zirkel Von Deutschland)
Janis acted as a narrator and used magic to tell a tale about a mysterious dream. The audience played the citizens of Marakesh. He produced a lantern from a large silk, then produced a candle from the silk. A thread (flash string) was lit to produce a spool of string, then he did a Gypsy Thread routine. He put the silk into an empty box and produced 1 die, then 6 dice, then 12 dice and proceeded to play a game of chance with the dice (Cubalibra effect). A silk was produced from a tray, all dice stacks vanished. Standard tricks with a few nice twists.

4 - Monsieur Brezelberger
Parlour Magic
Germany
Sponsor – Wolgang Sommer (Magischer Zirkel Von Deutschland)
This was a speaking comedy act using a volunteer. It looked like a parody of MagicSports where the volunteer chooses the set up for the trick. The trick involved having to use a number of elements to create an effect. As an example, the cards the volunteer first chose from his change bag meant that the performer had to do a trick like a dead fish tap dancing in the science fiction genre with a handicap of fake breasts. Instead, he ended up doing a trick where he had to goldplate a watch. A rat in a trap was used for a rope tie escape. If it sounds confusing, it was…and we never saw the conclusion to the act because he was disqualified for going overtime.

5 - Shawn Farquhar
Parlour Magic
Canada
Sponsor – Joan Caesar (Association Canadienne De Magiciens)


An extremely well rehearsed card trick using a heart shaped projection screen to allow the audience to see the clever card manipulation filmed live on camera. A sealed regular deck of cards was used, unwrapped for a spectator to select a card. Before selecting a card, one Joker and two advertising cards were thrown away. 53 cards remained. A card was selected and signed by the volunteer and returned to the deck. The card manipulation was performed like ballet in the hands to the music ‘Shape Of My Heart’ by Sting. A story was told in the song and echoed in the card moves. The spectator’s card was featured throughout the routine as was a King which became half-faded. After the song had finished, Shawn threw the Joker away and the spectator’s card was instantly back in the sealed deck which was then opened in front of the spectator. There were 52 cards in order including the faded King and the spectator’s signed card, all of which were given to the spectator as a souvenir. A fabulous act.



6 - Toritto
General Magic
Japan
Sponsor – Maki Kitami (Japanese Professional Magicians Association)

Toritto drank from a wine glass. Two glasses were then produced, then three. Silks were produced. From a silk, a bottle of wine was produced, then a colour changing liquid routine followed. Toritto poured yellow liquid into his fists and changed it into a yellow silk. He poured more liquid into his fist and produced a yellow ball, followed by ball manipulation and a multiplying ball routine where the balls changed colours. Some nice moves. A ball was placed in a glass with a wine to confetti production. Then more and more glasses were produced to conclude the act.



7 - Wooki (Replacing Peter York who was listed in the programme)
General Magic
Republic of Korea
Sponsor – Eun-Sung Chung (Korean Magic Society)

Wooki began her act with a hat stand and a table adorned with feminine props. She showed a magazine with a large photo of a pearl necklace and plucked one of the pearls from the picture for a ball manipulation routine. The ball turned into a silk, then instantly there were four balls and then eight in her hands. She took a ball and shrunk it until it was small, she split it into two balls that became her pearl earrings. Flash string to pearl necklace. She ponders herself in a mirror, the mirror turned to fire producing flowers. Her makeup turned to streamers which turned to more flowers. She made a silk transform into more flowers and took a hat from her hat stand. From the hat, she produces two more bunches of flowers. Wooki took a skirt that was hanging up and turned it into a carpet for a bride to walk on. She did an instant change into a bride’s dress and walked down the aisle with another bunch of flowers, then threw her bouquet out to the audience.

8 - Cengiz
General Magic
Turkey
Sponsor – Roger Miller (International Brotherhood of Magicians)
An act suitable for very young children rather than FISM which featured Axtel’s “Vern the Bird” puppet playing the mischief making half of the act. Unfortunately, only a few very simple tricks were performed like the Double Colour Changing Silks, a rope that goes stiff, a rose trick and a short egg bag routine. The bird ate an egg and produced it from where a bird produces eggs and flash string was used to produce a pop of confetti to conclude the act.

9 - Rey Ben
Parlour Magic
Argentina
Sponsor – Rudyard Magaldi (Circolo Magico Argentino)

This was essentially the same act Rey performed in close-up act at FISM 1994 in Yokohama. Rey entered carrying a baby doll he said was his son and he had to look after him. The doll cried, Rey quietened it by balancing it on two small chairs that he took away from underneath it, finally levitating the doll from side to side. The baby doll cried again and Rey consoled it this time with a bottle of milk that changed to a beer bottle, which was in turn crushed like rubbish in a paper bag. A newspaper trick followed. Baby doll cried again, this time the Rey used a pacifier that ended up in his mouth instead of the doll’s mouth. A ring on rope routine was used to amuse the baby doll. The baby pooed in it’s nappy, Rey panicked and covered it with a black cloth. The baby disappeared and the table transformed into a cot with the baby inside it. A newspaper to baby blanket trick became a ‘zombie baby’routine and Rey ran off stage behind the floating baby doll. This was a very energetic act.



10 - Radini
Manipulation
Norway
Sponsor – Rudyard Magaldi (Magiske Cirkel Norge)
A standard card manipulation act performed to jazz piano bar music. Clean moves, little exposure. The act included a small card fan turning into a normal size card fan. Card productions were one handed and neat. A large silk was wound up and cut in two, thrown in the air and restored. Radini then performed a cigarette production and manipulation routine which included one being sniffed up his nose, returned and put in mouth, then vanished. A cigarette to cigar move concluded the act.



11 - I.Ma.Gi.A
Stage Illusions
Italy
Sponsor – Domenico Dante (Club Magico Italiano)

Comedy. Removal boxes were labeled in different ways ‘Light’, ‘Heavy’, ‘Do Not Touch’, ‘Keep’, ‘Together’. As the two removalists started moving the boxes various actions take place like fire in one box, the flames being doused with a production of a fish bowl full of water. The ‘Light’ box was heavy while the ‘Heavy’ box was covered with an ‘Air Mail’ cloth and ‘zombied’. They separated the ‘Keep’ and ‘Together’ boxes, one vanished and reappeared. One removalist smoked a cigarette over the ‘Danger’ and ‘Explosives’ boxes. The ‘Danger’ box rattled ominously and exploded into cubes that couldn’t have all fit in the box. The best and most deceptive part of the act was the finale when a large box over a crate sitting on brick stands was levitated. Whilst levitating, the box was opened at the top and a girl was shown inside. The box was closed and levitated upside down and hands appeared out of the box at the bottom. The box was levitated the right way up again and the girl was shown in the box again, looking as light as a feather. Then, the girl got out of the box that was still floating! The box was placed back down on the crate when a lion’s roar was heard. The young lady’s Italian mama climbed out of the box also, grabbed the girl by the arm and, waving her rolling pin in the air, chased the two removalists off stage.


12 - Sebastian Nicolas
Manipulation
Germany
Sponsor – Wolgang Sommer (Magischer Zirkel Von Deutschland)

Sebastian produced a clock that changed to confetti. He performed ball manipulation, then threw the ball into the air and it turned into a clock as it landed in his hand. A red ball turned into a silk, another clock was produced, vanished, reappeared then he did a manipulation routine with it. A clock turned into a silk and in turn Sebastian produced a clock with it. A clock turned into a playing card and he produced cards that were held in his hand like a ‘flower’ basket. Card manipulation followed and the cards were flicked from his fingers and vanished into confetti. Neat, clean productions. A flash, then a clock appeared and continued into a clock production. Clocks were featured on Sebastian’s display stand which was then turned into a large ‘egg timer’ (a clock with falling sand).



13 - Eduardo Kozuch
Mental Magic
Argentina
Sponsor – Rudyard Magaldi (Circolo Magico Argentino)

Eduardo was a psychic policeman and three young people were the volunteers. One volunteer was roped into being a security guard. The other two were shoplifters. Two identical sets of cards with supermarket products were shuffled and the security guard volunteer selected three cards as did Eduardo who ‘divined’ what the volunteer was going to choose. Two out of three pairs were identical, the last pair was (deliberately) wrong. A box full of supermarket items was shown and the last card put into it along with the volunteers FISM I.D. card. The two ‘shoplifters’ had to each steal a product from the box…and Eduardo psychically told them what they stole. We never found out the ending to the act since Eduardo ran overtime and was disqualified. He could definitely see the yellow warning light letting him know he needed to bring his act to an end, but he continued regardless and was disqualified as he was earlier in the day. The volunteers were given the whole box of supermarket products to keep because they ‘did so well’.


14 - Ted Louis
General Magic
Germany
Sponsor – Wolgang Sommer (Magischer Zirkel Von Deutschland)

Ted started out looking like a wind-up mannequin then did an instant costume change to become a modern person in street clothes. There was CD automation (a CD machine that worked by itself to play modern music. Sunglasses were produced, another quick costume change (to red vest, white shirt, striped pants and boater hat) to become a dancing man who produced lots of sand from his hands. Ted did another instant costume change to top hat and tails. He produced a pink girl’s outfit and placed it on a hat stand which then resembled a lady. The music changed to a classical number and Ted proceeded to dance with the ‘lady’ by levitating the stand with the costume ‘zombie’ style. Again, another instant costume change to a fluorescent yellow tight lycra outfit, then he produced a real lady and danced with her. She did an instant costume change into a matching yellow outfit by having only a hoop with short streamers attached to it moved up her body. There was very little coverage for the costume change and unfortunately it was exposed.

15 - Karch
Mental Magic
U.S.A.
Sponsor – Dale Hindman (Academy of Magical Arts)

Comedy parapsychology. Karch threw eight balls with ESP symbols all over them into the audience. The volunteers had to choose an ESP symbol and burn a good mental image of it into their minds. They were given bells to hold for later. More volunteers on stage had cards to shuffle with ESP symbols on them. As the ESP symbols on the bottom of each pile of shuffled cards were shown, the volunteers in the audience had to ring their bell when their ESP symbol was shown and Karch had to divine which ESP symbol belonged to which volunteer in the audience. Karch got 7 out of 8 correct.



16 - Julien
Stage Illusion/Invention
Sweden
Sponsor – Dag Lofalk (Svensk Magisk Cirkel)

An illusion built to resemble a large ice cube sat in the middle of the stage. Fire broke out inside it, smoke filled up the interior, the sides of the ‘ice cube’ chamber cracked and broke open to reveal the magician. He produced a dove and the dove was placed inside a large bird cage. Another dove appeared in the cage, and another. Three doves were in the cage and a cloth was placed over the cage briefly to reveal a girl inside the cage wearing an outfit reminiscent of a dove (white and shiny with large capes attached to her arms). Julien did an instant costume change into a white outfit to match the girl. The girl left the stage, but she returned to the stage covered by her capes. Julien whipped the cape away to reveal not the girl but a ‘grim reaper’ character who chained Julien up and put him under the table which was the base of the bird cage illusion. The table was set on fire (reminiscent of a burning altar). The fire exploded, the ‘reaper’ covered the fire and took away the sides of the illusion to reveal not Julien, but a dove. The ‘reaper’ turned out to be Julien and the girl appeared in the audience. The ice cube illusion was quite effective.


17 - Gaston
Parlour Magic
Germany
Sponsor – Wolgang Sommer (Magischer Zirkel Von Deutschland)

A chair was lit by a single spot light. Gaston slowly walked over to it and took off his coat, placed it over the chair and introduced himself as ‘Gunter” as he fumbled for his cigarettes, announcing that he attends “Magician’s Anonymous” and admitted to everyone how things just ‘happen’ after he was exposed to his first trick and how his subsequent addiction lead to his life-ruining downfall. This was an absolutely fabulous piece of clever theatre with magic ‘accidentally’ happening throughout his monologue, such as sniffing a cigarette up his nose and vanishing, thimble to wine bottle and back to thimbles appearing and disappearing, changing colour, all thimbles ending up on every finger. He spoke about his ‘magic related crimes’ such as birthday parties to corporate shows because he needs the money to buy more magic tricks or topits (spoken as he vanished another object). He said he joined a therapy group called the Flicking Fingers. He said his wife left him after he gave his six year old son a magic set for Christmas. Then he went into the gutter when he became a restaurant magician. He asked the audience if they wanted to see him demonstrate an invisible pass with his deck of cards, vanishing the deck he says ‘it’s impossible, because they’re invisible’. Gunter ended up a total anxious wreck by the end of his ‘confession’ as chaos reigned, props popping out of his jacket and ended in a snowstorm and confetti explosion. Very clever and very funny! He received a standing ovation. (Gaston also competed at FISM 1997 and again in 2000 with Thomas Fraps and Mr Punch where they received equal third place).


18 - Gennady Palchevsky
General Magic
Latvia
Sponsor – Jerry Stanek (Krajowy Klub Illuzjonistow)

Three picture frames (for oil paintings) on stage and classical music playing. The picture frames were LCD screens. Gennady lit a candle but was interrupted by a bottle rolling onto the stage. Gennady did an instant costume change into modern clothes and a change of music he juggled the bottle, produced a glass and a shaker that turned into a ball. The ball turned to confetti then he produced and juggled lemons. All the while the magician performed, the three LCD picture frames echoed what Gennady was doing with incredible moving graphics. For example: when the magician played with lemons, then lemons would be featured in the screens like a funky video clip, bouncing all over the screens). The whole scene was very interesting to watch but as a result, the technology detracted from the magic because the screens were a tremendous distraction and the magic was lost. The rest of the act included card manipulation, more juggling with a Galliano bottle produced from a silk and ened in two silver shower pyros (which were also echoed in the LCD screens).


19 - Andrely
Manipulation
Portugal
Sponsor – Paschoal Ammirati (Associaciao Portugesa De Illusionismo)

This act included producing a bird from fire, a red silk and cane to produce a small cage and a dove. A cane turned into a multi-coloured silk streamer, the production of another coloured silk, another bird and two eggs. Egg manipulation followed, then a blue silk was produced which was used to vanish a ball and bring it back, flaming sticks, another dove production with one dove becoming two, flash string to candle to light a cigarette. He then did a card fan production, plucked individual cards from the air, another card fan and more cards from air. A black cloth turned into an umbrella, a white silk produced multiplying cards that ended in a dove appearance. The dove was thrown into air and turned into confetti. Clean moves.


20 - Xavier Tapias
General Magic
Spain
Sponsor – Josef Roma I & Sainz La Maza (Sociedad Espanola de Illusionismo)
The scene opened on a park bench and a garbage bin beside it with rubbish strewn everywhere. A passerby walked towards the garbage on the floor, picked up some trash and in a flash of fire turned it into a newspaper and put it in the bin. He resurrected a plastic Sprite bottle and screwed the end of it into the bottom of a brown paper bag. He screwed a Coke bottle into the bottom of the bag too, and sat it on the park bench. He magically picked up more rubbish, making things move at his command. Eventually he made a ‘person’ (robot like) out of rubbish that began to move on it’s own accord. It stood up on it’s feet as Xavier taught it to walk. He then magically made some rubbish come out of the bin to make a head and the bin fell to it’s side and began to move. It had become a dog.




CLOSE UP COMPETITION





1 - Juan Carlos Rodarte
Parlour Magic
Mexico
Sponsor – Jose Luis Mazoy Kuri (???)

Juan Carlos had a great presentation and based his act on the theme of imagination. He said that his favourite game when he was a child was imagining he was a pirate. He then went into a cups and balls routine explaining that the balls were "ghost of pirates" as he changed their colours, and went through a series of cups and balls moves including a very visual transposition where a ball ran across the table from cup to cup. Overall he had very good misdirection except for one final load which was a little awkward, but it was a nice touch to bring in music as he revealed his final loads. It would have been good to stop there but he whipped out a pirate flag (with attached spirit hand) and proceeded to produce a slightly clumsy pirate ship. Nice idea but it didn't quite succeed.


2 - Kristian Nivala
Card Magic
Finland
Sponsor – Timo Kulmakko (Finnish Magic Circle)

Kristian had to put up with a little distraction for the first 30 seconds of his act as we could hear someone else's radio mic through the system. What made this even more obvious was the fact that he was doing a silent act. It began with a nice four ace production (which almost looked like shell cards!) and then he produced the entire deck. He had the jury sign the four aces and, despite a slightly obvious sleeve of the case into the spread, he went through a series of very visual effects with each ace. The first ace instantly vanished and in it's place was a jumbo card, and the signed ace reappeared inside the empty case that was on the table. He repeated this with each ace and the effect became more and more impressive each time. It was a well structured display of skill, spoiled only by an over the top finale where decks, giant coins and notes appeared from cards. Some cleverly, some obviously. This flurry of confusion really took away from the crisp magic in the rest of his act.


3 - Mr Dannyman
Micro Magic
Sweden
Sponsor – Dag Lofalk (Svensk Magisk Cirkel)

Mr Dannyman got a great laugh when he put his close up mat out and we saw it was a 'Welcome Mat'. Wearing a red suit, ruffled shirt and immaculately groomed, he immediately started speaking in rhyming patter. At first this was annoying, then it became very clever and funny, but after about six minutes it started to get annoying again. He produced the four aces, each ace being bigger than the one before. He had a change bag with candy in it which he gave to the jury (actually he gave it to the time-keeper so no extra points to be had there!) Most of the effects he did were comedy based on his patter. He had a very funny collection of wands hanging inside his jacket and, at the end, he produced two lit matches which he used to ignite a small sign on his table and create a mini fireworks display. This was a stronger performance than he did in FISM 2000 with a similar act.



4 - Morgan Strebler
Mental Magic
U.S.A.
Sponsor – Roger Miller (International Brotherhood of Magicians)

Morgan began by borrowing coins from the audience for a PK routine. The coins were collected in a glass however his misdirection was not so good and when the coins were later shown to all be bent he didn't get quite the reaction he could have. One thing that struck me was the fact that he borrowed all of these coins, bent them, but then didn't return them to the spectator. He bent and broke a fork very cleanly, then had another fork examined and began to bend it's tines. Again, his misdirection wasn't that good and it was obvious it wasn’t the same fork. He did totally bend all of the tines though, and continue twisting the body of the fork until it was a very unusual shape indeed. In the end, rather than give the 'art' away, he quoted a line from 'The Matrix' and proceeded to snap the fork into six pieces accompanied by music. A nice presentation.


5 - Rafael Tubino
Card Magic
Brazil
Sponsor – Paschoal Ammirati (Associaciao Portugesa De Illusionismo)

Rafael began by changing any four selected cards into the four aces. He seemed very personable and cut the four aces into the pack, shuffled it, and they reappeared face up in the centre of the spread. Unfortunately they were joined by one face up card that didn't look like it was supposed to be in the act. He put the aces aside and had a card chosen which then appeared between the aces. He repeated this effect but with the card signed. This was followed by a moment where the entire hand holding the deck disappeared into his jacket, and the deck was then shown to have changed colour. All the cards on the table, including the aces and the signed card, had also turned red.


6 - Saturo
Micro Magic
Japan
Sponsor – Maki Kitami (Japanese Professional Magicians Association)

Satoru was an energetic and naturally funny guy. He asked us about magic "Do you love it?" It was obvious that he did. He introduced us to his wallet which he said was his best friend, and had a card chosen. A bill from his wallet was then shown and it had a cartoon bubble on it with the name of the chosen card. He then had a toothpick chosen and showed that he had predicted which toothpick would be chosen. Suddenly, all the rest of the toothpicks were now coloured and the chosen toothpick was the only brown one. Finally he spread cards on the floor and had three people stamp on them to select cards. He revealed the first card was written on the soles of his shoes, the second card was on his socks, and the third card was written on the soles of his feet. As a bonus, he opened an umbrella which also had the chosen card on it. Very funny and quite clever.


7 - Seth – The Sleight of Hand Expert
Card Magic
Sweden
Sponsor – Dag Lofalk (Svensk Magisk Cirkel)

Seth certainly appeared to be an expert at sleights as he presented a selection of cuts, flourishes and shuffles choreographed to music. He produced four aces, changed cards into different cards, did a dew poker deals and restacked the deck into (almost) new deck order. He looked very serious while working, looking up and smiling only when he made a mistake. He seemed to have a nice personality but kept it hidden. His routining could have been better too because for his finale he simply stopped, looked at the audience and said "I'm done." It was only then that they knew to applaud.


8 - Pierric
Micro Magic/Inventions
Switzerland
Sponsor – Crovara Christophe (Magic Club of Lausanne)

Pierric had three inventions. His first was sensational. He had a tray with three apples on it, and a second tray marked 'pears'. He took each apple, one by one, and with no cover at all changed them into pears. It looked like real magic. His second invention seemed to be a piece of cardboard with which he was able to make a bill appear from a drawing of a magic lamp. Finally he did a single cup routine with a ball which turned to blue sand, then a giant blue ball that turned to sand, and finally he crushed the cup into sand too (which he presented in his act at the last FISM). He also did one more effect which didn't seem to be much of an invention at all. He tried to produce a rabbit from some silks but got a guinea pig instead. He then added a false set of ears to make it look like a rabbit.




At 2.30pm we headed into the banquet room for the 'Opening Ceremony'.

As guests entered the vast darkened, smoke filled room there were not only struck by the total lack of seating, but by the laser and light show and a very 'Cirque du Soleil' looking ballerina in a bubble moving through the crowd. People wandered and wondered until, after a laser show set to 'It's A Kind of Magic', the Secretary General of FISM Eric Eswin walked onto stage and greeted us. He explained that FISM President Dag Lofalk was at the City Hall and we crossed "by satellite" to him. As the live cross was projected onto a wall of water, Dag made an impressive entrance by stepping off the video screen, through the water and onto the stage. After a brief address he welcomed all of the FISM Presidents onto stage (complete with their flags) and confetti cannons and balloons officially launched FISM 2006.One half of the registrants headed back into Victoria Hall to see the Nordic Hall, while others went to see Pavel lecture. Meanwhile the FISM General Assembly met and voted on a number of matters and I'm delighted to be able to announce that Australia is now officially a FISM member country! (So keep your eye out for the Aussie flag at FISM 2009!)

At 6.00pm the first group of registrants left Victoria Hall and headed off to City Hall for the Mayor's Reception. Our group moved into the hall to see the Nordic Show.

This show was compered by Johnny Lonn who opened the show with his classic comedy act. He began as a violinist and then, after a series of comical mishaps (and his pants falling down) he attempted to vanish a huge gramophone player. I say attempted because, although he covered it with a cloth and lifted it in the time-honoured manner, it fell to the stage with a crash and a big round of applause.

(For some reason the video screens weren't on during this show and many people said they simply couldn't see what was going on on-stage a lot of the time).

Kenny Quinn from Denmark was on next, and he recreated the award-winning act of the 1949 FISM Grand Prix Winner Viggo Jahn. It was a nice display of manipulation with canes and ferrules as thimbles. It was very nicely presented but really stood out as a reminder as just how much magic has (and in other ways hasn't) changed in the last 57 years.

The Gallos were next with an act set to nostalgic music where dollar bills were produced in a lovely miser's dream effect, a canary in egg in orange was performed, and a spirit tie involving a spectator's jacket was executed.

Johnny Lonn paused to point out that many, many magicians have passed on since last FISM and he suggested that instead of giving them a minute's silence (which performers hate!) we should give them all a standing ovation, which we did. It was a nice gesture, but I really had hoped they would give an audio visual tribute to recognise the magicians individually.

Robert Jagerhorn from Finland was next and he presented his award-winning act (3rd prize Parlour 2003) where he plays a traveller freshening up in an airplane bathroom just as it's going to land. This is a fun act with lots of little touches but, without the video screens, it really suffered as many people simply couldn't see the small items he used.

Johnny Lonn returned with a dead mic that really looked like it was going to be a great set-up for a gag, but it was just a dead mic and the stage crew sorted him out quickly. Johnny introduced Kenny Quinn who returned as himself this time (but with a dead mic too) and after taking quite a long time to find three volunteers he performed a pick-pocketing act which was well received.

Finally Finn Jon was introduced to close the show. Finn performed a selection of his classic effects including smoke bubbles, smoking the thumb, and bringing a borrowed neck tie to life. His effects were great (his music was a weird kind of jazz...) but he suffered from an extremely underlit stage. As he took his final bows the side doors of the theatre were opened and we were rushed out and down the path to the Alvsjo station where a chartered train took us to Stockholm Central.

From there we took a brief walk to City Hall for the Mayor's Reception. The building itself was absolutely stunning. We were addressed by various city representatives including one lady who did her best to give us a brief history of the building despite some people at the back of the room who simply couldn't stop talking to each other. She concluded by saying it was clear that some of us were very eager to get into the buffet so she declared it open and we all had our fill of herrings, salmon, meatballs, and dozens of other dishes plus as much wine, beer of soft drink as we liked! No repeats of Yokohama or Lisbon here! The atmosphere was great and the Swedish hospitality superb. We even got to go upstairs to the "gold room" (which was even more amazing) where the Nobel Prizes are presented.

From there, many people headed back to their hotels, others went straight to the late night sessions in the magic

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