South Tyneside? A Most Magical Place

There will be card tricks aplenty when a magic fest comes to South Tyneside, from Monday 8th to Sunday 14th March, hosted by the area's arts and entertainment venue The Customs House and South Tyneside Council and with the support of Martin Duffy, a past President of the Newcastle arm of the Magic Circle. The festival is spread between a magician's convention, taking place towards the end of the week in South Shields, along with shows taking place across the area in community venues including residential homes.

The convention will see plenty of novice and expert magicians descend on South Shields, with attendees hailing from all over the globe. There will be masterclasses in the art of magic from Swede Lennart Green and the 'mentalist' Joshua Quinn, who hails from the US. Secret Cabaret star Simon Drake will also be beamed in via video link for an interview. Of course, if you are planning to go along to enjoy the tricks or to try and pick up some tips, it might be worth hunting around for some cheap travel insurance first. Why? Well, you never know when some crafty magician is going to make your keys disappear?and what is worse, you might not get them back and end up claiming on your travel insurance!

In addition to the convention, magic fans will be treated to a Family Magic Extravaganza as well as two evening International Gala shows towards the end of magic fest week. These shows will offer a great opportunity to catch the magicians who are giving the masterclasses live, in action on stage. Also on hand for these Gala nights are the comedian Brad Manuel and renowned escapologist Shahid Malik.