Over the half-term break Robbie Stevens (M5B) was in London competing in the Junior Magic Circle’s annual competition for young magicians aged between 10 and 18.
Having come through the qualifying round in September, Robbie was one of five performers in the final of the “Stage Magic” category. He was required to do a full routine on stage at the Society’s Euston Headquarters. The routine had to be exactly between 8 and 10 minutes, with just one second over or under resulting in immediate disqualification.
The judges were all senior members of the Magic Circle and were looking for stage presence and overall entertainment value as well as a high amount of magical content. Robbie’s winning act closed with his “Fizz Roulette” routine, in which an unopened can of cola is vigorously shaken by a volunteer, mixed in with four other identical cans - and then a nervous victim has to rely on Robbie’s “mind control” to ensure the potentially explosive can isn’t one of the four chosen by the volunteer to be opened directly over the victim’s head.
Robbie particularly enjoys the camaraderie of the magic world. “It’s a really friendly and often inspiring community,” he says. “At a magic convention earlier this year I met one of my heroes, Richard Turner. He’s been blind nearly his whole life and yet he’s probably the best card magician in the world. And you think – how is that even possible? But somehow he does it, through sheer hard work and imagination.”
The trophy now in Robbie’s bedroom is a tribute to the hours of practice and study that he has and continues to put into his hobby, including performing at a number of Norwich School events. “Even on the train back from London after winning, I was thinking about how I could make my act better.”
(More on Richard Turner at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWcm2JDT4lQ)
Pictured below: Robbie Stevens with Kevin Doig of The Young Magicians Club, with his award for best stage act at the The Magic Circle Annual Juniors competition. Rob received his award from Magic Circle president Scott Penrose.
