Kevin McMahon, Magician's Diary

November 2009

Halloween show now finished. You can catch the details of the show here: Son of a Witch

OCtober 2009

OK - big news, myself and friend Colin McLeod have teamed up to create a new Halloween show. The show will be previewing in the UK's most haunted city, Edinburgh. What with colin being a contempory mind reader and me being more of a sleight of hand artist, the combination will be interesting. I hope to try out some more theatrical interpretations of various spooky scenes. Some of my stuff is a bit out there, but I'm now standing my my original premise of using characters to convey the magic. After my frige show in 2006 people enjoyed seeing me, more than they did the characters. But now I think I have got it. Each character has a bit of myself in it. This means that the character should be more likeable to the general public and therefore more successful an act. We'll see...

September 2009

Svetlana Shevchenko has roped me into helping with production of the play "Bloody Mary". I can already see myself painting sets and sticking things to walls. I love the Theatre. The show was a great success and had good audiences each night. I look forward to working with Svetlana in the future!

August 2009

Fringe month! Everything stops. I have nearly 20 magic shows to see and I'm reviewing every single one of them online at one4reviews. I love edinbrgh in August. So much to do and see. Had a chance to meet up with friends Phillip Escoffe, Alan Hudson, Rob James, Colin McLeod, Chris Cox as well as meeting the very talented John Van Der Put for the first time. John has the most amazing take on how magic should be performed. His phrase "I love magic, but I hate magic" has really struck a chord with me. John is developing a cross over between theatre and magic which I love. Best visit his site Stand Not Amazed. A great line of thinking that has already influence how I think about and perform my stage magic.

July

Every 10 years our branch of the McMahon Family has a reunion in our spiritual home of Queensferry. This year happened to be our most recent one and I was tasked with supplying entertainment for the evening. Firstly, it was a great big honour to be given such a responsibility, and I went about it with as much energy as I would give one of my normal magic gigs (a lot).

When the big day came, I managed to get uncle Martin's DVD of the las 2 reunions (1988 and 1999) projected onto the big screen in the venue - a great start to the night. After we ate I compered the McMahon Family talent show. We had Scottish Country Dancing, Tap Dancing, Singing, Speaches from each of the 7 families, and a drink to those no longer with us, and of course Magic. We finished with a big knees up, with my sister leading the dancing for a Ceilidh! Great night, great memories. I wonder when we'll get 100 McMahons in a room again?

February, March and April

This month I got involved with the Edinburgh International Science festival. www.sciencefestival.co.uk. What with me being an exphysicist, it was only a matter of time before I realised the scope for combining the two disciplines and coming up with a new concept. But first I gotta learn how to deal with kids, lots of kids, - albeit in a 'controlled' environment (the classroom).

I have travelled all over the UK teaching kids how to use robots in the class room and it has been an amazing experience. I believe that you can make a show, entertaining and funny for kids but still highly educational. And this show has really epitomised all my own views. Each part of the script, be it funny or entertaining, had a point - and that was to teach the kids something. I'm very proud of the script we came up with, and I look forward to working further with the festival in different exploits.

February 2009

I've just won my first every magic award! The famed Blackpool Impromptu Magic Trophy 2009! Nine applicants had less that half an hour to learn a magic trick before performing to a panel of expert judges. The judges then grade the participants on style, skill, entertainment and magic ability. My amazing presentation of perhaps the worst trick ever devised managed to convince the judges I was the man for the award!

The Annual magician's conference (yes they do happen and they are very similar to physics conventions) in Blackpool had one superstar this year in the shape of David Blaine. When he wasn't being Daniel Garcia's straight man he was busy being flocked by inconsiderate magicians after a snap with the man himself. Fellow magician rob James posted this photo recently on his facebook http://www.facebook.com/inbox/#/photo.php?pid=1991330&id=562231875. Brilliant!

Once again I bought loads of useless props that will become less magical as time comes on, but was a great chance to catch up with all the other magic boys, Dan Alexander, Rob James, Alan Hudson, Magic Pete, Sav (owes me a pint), Rodney Piper, Noel Qualter, Kerry Scorah, MAtt J Dowden and everyone else.

December 2008

On the back of the successful shows in the Edinburgh Fringe, I was invited to provide magic along with London Magician Ali Cook at Edinburgh's premier winter Cabaret Show - "White Magic" in the Spiegel Tent in Princes Street Gardens. Karen at the Guilded Baloon ensured the show was enjoyed by all. I had a great time and met the Fantastic "Drags Aloud". The world's funniest and most entertaining drag act. Along side the ladies were Etch and Sketch (professional Edinburgh Dancers), Clive Nicholas Andrews (fantastically visual clown), The hilarious Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre and host Phillip Dundas. The show received rave reviews, a four star from the Scotsman - notoriously difficult to please!

August 2008

What a month! Edinburgh Festival Show a big success - 95% capacity for two weeks! Thanks to everyone who came - much appreciated.

July 2008

Edinburgh Festival preparations are now in overdrive. I am doing retention vanishes in my sleep. I even have a metronome to practice the rhythm, that's dedication for you. Come along and see the show. It will be awesome!

Gigs in Worcester, Glasgow, London and Edinburgh. Worcester is Lovely by the way. Have never been before. My cousin Chris just got married, so stayed over in Birmingham with him and Issac. What a couple. Always a good laugh. They should get their own TV show!

June 2008

I have just managed to buy my first house using magic! Sort of. Card tricks and sponge balls have let me afford my first place, a two bedroom flat in the centre of Edinubrgh (Haymarket). It's great to be in, but not so great tiling the bathroom. Next time I will definitely get a professional in to do all the dirty work, but I'm pretty satisfied with the outcome. As a first time tiler I done a pretty good Job! Thanks to Steve (flat mate), Olly (brother), Paul, Helen and Mary (sisters) for helping with the painting. The rooms all look great now.

A quiet month gig-wise - as I wanted to spend time doing up the house, but I still managed to perform alongside KT Tunstall (she is awesome) at a private gig she had in Edinburgh. She done all the hits to Edinburgh's Hoi Poloi. The McDonald Brothers were there (let's be honest, it's not really a party without those guys), top Author Ian Rankin who loved the show, and Edinburgh's very own IT guy, Phil MacHugh. I'm sure he is stalking me. I've seen him at 6 gigs in the last year! A graduation ceremony in Newcastle, corporates in London and a few in Scotland peppered the month.

May 2008

Alan was in town this month, (at my parents in Fife) and we got our heads down and started putting a motivation together for the show. It's pretty tricky. Magic To Get Girls By is the title we have gone for. You can visit the site at www.magictogetgirlsby.co.uk Have a little look. May's the start of the summer season for magicians and I found myself all over the UK. From London to Birmingham to Crieff. What a month. Lot's of fun as usual though. Ben Woodward dragged my down to Kidiminster to work at a very posh 60th Birthday party. Amazing venue. I even found a use for my Delites. The waiting staff found that really entertaining - as did the guests!

April 2008

OK, big news, Edinburgh Festival 2008 is confirmed I will be performing with my good friend Alan Hudson at Zoo Venues (just up from the Pleasance for those of you who know Edinburgh). It's a 9pm start and the show runs from the 17th August to the 25th August inclusive. The show is called Magic to Get Girls By. As the title suggests, Alan and I will be taking a satirical look at the underground movement of magicians that use magic to pull the ladies! If you seen my show in 2006 then you'll know that there will be lots of laughs and gasps just like usual. You can watch the video of my last fringe show here. The three minute clip will give you a real feel of the energy and fun I try to put into my shows!

Had the pleasure of meeting up with my Good friends Drew McAdam, Colin McLeod and Daniel Alexander. Firstly Drew, watch out for him on the daytime TV show Trisha. He'll be using his interogation techniques, with a bit of mentalism no doubt, to extract information from the gormless participants of her show. Drew has told us how much fun it has been to be a part of, so I'll be taking advantage of my magician hourly week to watch a few of the shows to see if he's done us pround. Colin McLeod, decribed by Ian Rowland as 'Mentalism's next superstar', is perhaps one of the most thoughtful performers I have met. He will be releasing some material very soon and magicians and mentalists alike would be well advised to have a look at it. And lastly my mate Dan! Congratulations mate! Dan is getting married in July, and the sly dog has invited me along. Daniel Alexander is a great guy, as inspiring as he is infectuous. Watching him perform is a joy. I just hope he does some public shows soon so people can appreciate his skills. But dragging him away from corporate magic will be some task! Hannah - you're a lucky woman.

In other news, magic will be taking me to London, Birmingham, Aberdeen, Inverness and Glasgow this month. I've got all corners of the UK covered, so if you want Wedding Magicians give me a call.

March 2008

Nice and peaceful month after a hectic February in Dubai. A good friend of mine, Eck McCallum, got hitched on the 29th March and I was lucky enough to be an usher. Was a great day, it made a nice change to go to a wedding and not perform. Don't get me wrong, I love magic and how it can affect people, but sometimes it's nice to chill and not be centre of attention. I suppose with characters such as Eck and Terry (Theresa McCallum) it's pretty hard to get all the attention anyway! A singer and an actor.

Performed at a lovely Highland wedding at the Tomdoun Hotel, Glengarry, nr Inverness. Was a spectacular settting for a nice intimate wedding of around 30 people. A magical performance fitted in really well with the dreak surroundings. Getting there was a nightmare though - talk about off the beaten track. It was single lane driving for a good hour. Really gave the place it's isolated feel. I can understand why so many people escape up to Scotland.

Working at the Tall ship in Glasgow for another corporate gig and I can highly recommend this venue to any Glaswegians looking for a place to hold a party. Tried out some new tricks, but by far and away the best of the evening was the Rose productions for the ladies. How smooth is that!? In other news, I have just bought myself my first ever house. Probably at exactly the wrong time according to the doom and gloom merchants at the estate agents, but hey, it's mine. No regrets. Well, unless prices go down alot, then I'll be really pissed off.

February 2008

DUBAI for month! Thank goodness. My mum told me temperatures dropped below -8 degC this month back home. Fortunately I am spending the month out here in sunny Dubai. Not only that but the client has put us up in the FIVE STAR Kempinski Hotel at Mall of the Emirates. As I write three weeks have past and I've just about got a bit of a tan. Dubai is such a cultural melting pot. People from all over the world live and work together in a city full of oportunity and almost no crime. It's great to be a part of it and allows a magician such as myself to perform magic to people who's first language isn't English. This has really honed my skills and forced me to use really visual magic and body expressions I may not have to use at home. The upshot is that I become a better magician.

I've also had the honour of working again in Dubai with the legendary magician Ben Woodward. He must be the funniest magician working in the UK. He's just hilarious and so professional. Ben really knows if a routine will be funny or not, and if I'm busy you should really get in touch with him! A pity he's so terrible at tennis. James Harrington is also working out here too, another great magician who is skilled enough to use a manipulation act in his closeup routine! His love of sambucca is only bettered by his popularity amongst the punters out here in Dubai.

January 2008

Session convention woo hoo! I went along only to see some proper card magicians in action, these guys were amazing. I'm really in Awe, some of these guys have been writing original card magic for years and it's just amazing to watch. Doubles, seconds, bottoms look natural. Seeing Will Houston's FISM act live was quite an experience too. His original thinking, combined with a real flair for routining really set him out as a highlight. I also got a chance to spend time with my good friends Rob and Alan down in Hull. Hull was great but I did have a little issue with my laptop and ipod (touch - for insurance purposes) getting nicked. Fortunately all were returned via the insurance company after a record 2 weeks. Even more fortunately I backed up all my files on a external hard drive before I left.

December 2007

All magicians know that this time if year is hectic. The number of parties grows exponentially. I was lucky enough to have worked for a number of great companies including Crieff Hydro, G1 Group, Rothschild, Wood MacKenzie, Castle Computing, Riccardo, Gillespie MacAndrew, and many others. I didn't manage to stop until after Christmas when my cousin Chris arrived from America. An extemely mild winter allowed us to go biking a Glentress and celebrate Hogmanay on Princes Street, Edinburgh in only a jumper.

November 2007

Found myself travelling far and wide in the run up to xmas. My first time at Chepstow Racecourse, and performing up in Aberdeen also. Lots of miles, lots of fun.

October 2007

I've managed to find 5 days off this month to have a break, so I'm off to see my good mate Andy in Denmark. I'll be sure to bring a pack of cards with me to see if I can get as many free drinks over there as I do back here in the UK!

September 2007

See Kevin perform live at the Stirling Castle of Magic (22-23rd Sep) and Aberdeen comedy club (6th Sep) Snafu!

Both events went down a storm. Thanks to everyone who email me saying how much they enjoyed the two events - Stirling Castle in particular. Mick Magic (Mark Fiskin - the organiser) done a great job in putting it all together. A big thanks to him and all the girls at historic scotland who were also on the team.

On the evening of the Stirling Castle event, I was lucky enough to sit down and have dinner with some of my idols in the magic world. Alongside Mark, Alex Proctor (a great glasgae magician) and myself were none other than Ali Bongo and Pat Page. Pat was one of my mentors from the Faking it show back in 2005 and it was great to sit down with him and catch up. He is one amazing magician. It was also the first time I had ever met Ali, and again it was a big pleasure for me. He is one of magic's most creative minds, and just listening to some of his ideas really inspired me.

August 2007

Edinburgh festival month in Edinburgh right now, and the place has a real buzz about it. Unfortunately I haven't managed to put a show on this year. Thanks to everyone who got in touch and asked though. It's great that you enjoyed the show enough last year that you'd get in touch this year so enquire. However I have seen a number of excellent shows.

Pete Firman - excellent show highly recommended.
Ian Kendall - my mate Ian has put together his best show yet.
Dougie C - Excellent work from an up and coming glasgow talent. Watch out for the paintball finish! (I was scared)
Chris Cox - Radio 1's Chris Cox was back in town with a much improved show! Well done Chris! (I really wanted to steal some routines, but alas I am too honest)
James James - doing his thing on the streets of Edinburgh. Always very popular.

July 2007

Have managed to get away to Dubai this month working out there at one of those posh hotels! I'm really excited. I had the pleasure of working with an excellent magician by the name of Ben Woodward. He is such an excitable man, and we had great fun amazing the locals and holiday makers alike. Ben is a good friend of my 'Faking It' mentor Nigel Mead.

Highlights were appearing on the telly in Dubai on what can only be described as the UAE's answer to lose women. Was a fun experience and I had a great time wowing the presenters. I also managed to persuade the local rag (Emirates Today) to do two-page spread about me performing out in Dubai. However, the pics were terrible and you've no chance of seeing them. So hah!

April and May 2007

Edinburgh Magic Circle has it's open night on the 22nd May. I'll be performing a new piece of 'chav' magic, wearing my burberry fez as always! It's on at the pleasance theatre in Edinburgh, the renown fewstival venue and will be a great night of fun magic. Details on the Edinburgh Magic Circle website above.

Seen Derren Brown's new show this month too. Was absolutely amazing. He has really made it as the UK's most famous performer. The production of his show was a joy to experience and left me wondering 'how the hell did he do that?!'.

Jan-Mar 2007

The Edinburgh International Science Festival is taking up most of my time. A great fusion of performance and learning for kids and adults alike. Check out the website www.sciencefestival.co.uk for more information.

December 2006

Kevin has performed the length and breadth of Britain this month, as far south as Brighton and as far north as the Shetland Isles! A fun and tiring month. Clients all over the country got to enjoy some strong and entertaining magic.

Have received some Christmas cards from people that came to see the fringe show. They even have some of my catch-phrases inside! Brilliant, people are actually quoting catch-phrases from my Edinburgh Festival characters! I love it. But do my best not to show it.

November 2006

The Christmas party season is almost upon us and it was around this time last year I decided to do the New York Marathon. How I'm regretting it now! Off to New York tomorrow (3rd Nov) with a lot of doubts! Charity fund raising went well and my running partner Gary and I passed the �3000 mark last week. Found out more on our fundraising page. NHS technical staff really enjoyed watching my comedy magic act at their annual conference at Dunblane Hydro Hotel on Halloween. The 250 strong crowd really got into the halloween spirit during an act featuring bits from my sell-out Edinburgh Fringe Show. Other than that, lots of booking for November.

October 2006

I'll be at the UKs biggest Wedding Fair at the Glasgow SECC on the 28th and 29th October. These fairs are a great opportunity to get ideas for up-coming weddings. Also a great chance to see me in action! Visit the Scottish Wedding Fair website for more info.

September 2006

Performing at the BLCC Wedding fayre in Dunfermline on the 24th September. A chance to see me in action and get an idea of how a magician can enhance your wedding day!

August 2006

Edinburgh Festival is finally over and I've finally found a few days to holiday. My brother and I headed west to Oban for camping and relaxing. Performing at the Edinburgh Festival was great but tiring! I even managed to sell out every night on the final week, it's amazing how the word of mouth kicks in! A great experience. I'll definitely be doing this next year.
Here's a three minute clip of me in action in front of a live audience at the festival, it really captures the fun nature of the show.

March 2006

Down at the NEC in Birmingham for large corporate event (600 People!), met fellow magician Laura London for the first time. Great Event, lots of fun.
Performing for the first time at Gleneagles hotel, but is really as plush as Tony and George say? Watch this space.
Performed at the Stand Comedy club in Edinburgh doing only stand-up and no magic. It is so much easier when you have props to hide behind but it is something I want to be good at.