LEADING magicians from across the globe are heading to South Shields next year for the 14th South Tyneside International Magic Festival.
Organisers are conjuring up what promises to be the biggest and best celebration of magic the region has ever seen when the annual event returns next March.
The full line-up and schedule is still yet to be revealed, but already a host of leading magicians from all over the world have been confirmed.
The 14th annual event is set to feature two gala shows and a family magic show as well a three day convention where professional magicians can hone their skills with lectures and masterclasses, question and answer sessions and a one trick contest.
In 2017, stars of the Our Magic documentary will be taking part in various events and shows. The documentary was created and filmed by magician and director R Paul Wilson who spent 18 months following and interviewing some of the conjuring community’s favourite figures.
Among the magicians heading to South Shields is Mahdi Gilbert from New York, a sleight of hand card magician who successfully fooled Penn and Teller in season three of their Fool Us show – despite being born without hands or feet.
Other leading magicians due to attend include LA’s Rob Zabrecky, New Yorker Asi Wind and West Yorkshire’s Simon Hannah, who is one of the UK’s leading children and family magic entertainers.
The 2017 programme will run over the weekend Friday–Sunday March 17-19, and Councillor Alan Kerr, Deputy Leader of South Tyneside Council with responsibility for Culture and Leisure is looking forward to welcoming a new selection of magicians to the town.
“Each year the South Tyneside International Magic Festival just gets better and better, and I’m really pleased that we are able to announce another incredible event.
“As ever, we have managed to attract the finest magicians from all over the world and as we enter our 14th year we are thrilled that the convention is going from strength to strength
“We are still finalising the programme but we should be in a position to announce the full line up very soon, and we expect tickets for the individual shows to be on sale in the next couple of weeks.”
Tickets for the festival’s three-day convention aimed at magicians and professionals will cost £65 each and include all seven lectures, various question and answer sessions, two gala stage shows, a screening of Our Magic, a trick contest and access to dealers. Tickets are available by calling Kari Prinn on 0191 455 4031 or by emailing karri.prinn@southtyneside.gov.uk.
For more information visit www.southtyneside.gov.uk/magicfestival and to buy tickets for the public shows visit www.customshouse.co.uk or call the Box Office on 0191 454 1234.