In this week’s issue of The Stage:
Magic and Magicians supplement: From sleight-of-hand to mind-reading, magic is a brand of entertainment that requires exceptional technical skill and a flair for showmanship.
Bill and Roy Davenport, managers of Davenports Magic, the oldest family-run shop of its kind in the world, tell Liz Arratoon about its continuing success and tricks they recommend
Legendary magician Ali Bongo* writes about how the Magic Circle encourages budding illusionists under 18, including special workshops and the Magic Circle Young Magician of the Year Award
Psychic entertainer Alex Crow interviewed
In an attempt to bring opera to a wider audience, Lesley Garrett is hosting 20 Operas to See Before You Die on Sky Arts, a run of televised operas which she introduces each week. The singer talks to Matthew Hemley about her likes (music and The West Wing) and her dislikes, including musical snobs and the precariousness of showbusiness life
Hayley Atwell’s boundless enthusiasm for her work may be overwhelming, but with a jam-packed schedule since leaving drama school it is also understandable and disarming, writes Nick Smurthwaite
Starring alongside Danny Dyer and Neil Dudgeon, Kenneth Cranham is currently playing Max in The Homecoming at the Almeida. He talks to Michael Coveney about returning to a Pinter play
Curtain Up: The London transfer of Kneehigh’s stage adaptation of the David Lean film Brief Encounter has resurrected a theatre, writes Alistair Smith
As the redevelopment of a shopping centre took its toll on the Derby Playhouse, the final nail in the coffin came when ACE confirmed it was to withdraw its £723,000 annual grant. Lalayn Baluch discovers the last-ditch attempts of a venue facing a seemingly insurmountable struggle
Insight: The education system has long been an important source of work for the performing arts, writes Susan Elkin. This is set to grow as more state schools specialise in theatre and the private sector embarks on a flurry of venue building
The doom and gloom generated by the recent ACE cuts shouldn’t hasten the arts world into despair — demonstrating the intrinsic value of the arts to businesses is the key, argues Colin Tweedy, chief executive of Arts & Business
BBC drama Attila the Hun uses computer effects on a scale usually only seen in feature films, but which are increasingly making their way onto the small screen. Holly Wicks talks to director Gareth Edwards and producer Mark Hedgecoe
Playwright Leo Butler takes inspiration from The Tempest in his new work for the RSC, I’ll Be the Devil. He talks to Aleks Sierz about the Bard and original writing
Maggie Brown on Media: BBC1 show The One and Only is a tribute to tribute acts | Jeremy Beadle remembered | What is taking the place of Grange Hill?
Arthur Smith: The loss of Ed Wilson, former director of the National Youth Theatre
Dear John: “I have been performing my country’s traditional dance for several years and have been told that I am good enough to earn a living from it. Do I need a more formal theatrical or dance training first?” This week’s guest advisers: Afrika! Afrika! choreographer Georges Momboye and performer Huit Huit
Clive Barnes in New York: The Little Mermaid has flopped on deck like a wet cod
Backstage Focus: As the flow of skilled workers in the entertainment industry increase between countries, backstage experts are now jetting between jobs. Lighting designer Mark Jonathan describes the experience of keeping up with a hectic international schedule
More than 50 years ago, Julie Wilson was a regular performer in the West End. Mark Shenton meets the American singer as she prepares to return to London with the best of US cabaret
Showpeople: Interviews with actresses Ruth Negga and Agnieska Korzuszek and comedian Stewart Masters
Plus all the usual news, reviews, national UK theatre listings and recruitment ads.
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