Wayne Fox

A galaxy of stars attended The Magic Circle Presents A Grand Night Of Magic Stage Magician of The Year and were interviewed by Andrew Eborn.

VIP guests said it was the fullest and most frank interview they had ever done revealing secrets about themselves - proudest moment, biggest regret, how they’d like to be remembered and tips about starting and surviving in the business.

Derren Brown honoured as comedy magician Matt Edwards wins top prizes at The Magic Circle


The renowned mentalist and illusionist Derren Brown has been presented with the first David Berglas Award for Showmanship, Originality and Creativity from the The Magic Circle. The award is named after the late former President of The Magic Circle and shortly before he died last November, aged 97, David himself suggested Derren be the first recipient. After receiving his award Derren said: “David has been a huge inspiration to me and I owe so much of what I have done on stage and TV to him.”


The trophy was presented by David’s son Marvin, the current President and it was one of the highlights of A Grand Night of Magic at the Clapham Grand in London - an event combining The Magic Circle’s annual awards with its Stage Magician of the Year competition. Six different acts vied for one of the most coveted prizes in magic and the winner was the magician Matt Edwards with some extraordinary comic and emotional card magic, It was a night of double celebration for Matt, who also won the Carlton Award for Comedy Magic.


The judges for the stage competition included Downton Abbey star Jim Carter, himself an accomplished magician, Debbie McGee, the lifelong partner of Paul Daniels , TV presenter Radzi Chinyanganya together with Professor Jonathan Shalit OBE an entertainment entrepreneur and top magicians Michael Vincent, and Russ Stevens. The chair of the judges was Noel Britten. Among those in the audience were ex Arsenal and England footballer, Tony Adams, the Royle Family and Death in Paradise star, Ralf Little, and radio and tv presenter Nick Ross.


The judges had a hard time choosing Matt from the other five - the illusionists Jay and Joss, the mentalism duo Mind2Mind James Harrington and Marina Liana, the parlour magic of Edward Hilsum, the manipulation of Yollin Lee and the general magic skills off Filiberto Selvi.


Beside the title the winner is invited to perform at top magic various venues and engagements around the the world next year - The Rhapsody Theatre in Chicago, the House of Illusions in Salou Spain, the Forte Village resort in Sardinia, the Gala Show at the Blackpool Magic Convention, the world’s biggest and The Magic Circle Convention itself.