South Tyneside International Magic Festival: Star magicans from across Europe set to cast spell over borough

Stars from as far afield as Belgium, Germany and Sweden, will be flying in for the 13th annual South Tyneside International Magic Festival.

The event returns to the region from Wednesday, March 9.

Organised by South Tyneside Council, it will feature a Family Magic Extravaganza, sponsored by MagicBox, a convention for professional magicians and two International Gala Shows at the Customs House, South Shields.

The line-up for the Gala performances, taking place on March 11 and 12, includes the first woman to be named German Champion of Magic, Alana, former Swedish and Scandinavian Champion of Magic, Malin Nilsson and Belgium’s ‘man of mystery,’ Rafael.

Multi award-winning Alana has performed around the world and recently unveiled a new act in which she appears to have several hands.

She will be taking to the South Shields stage alongside Malin, who has been performing since 2000 and award-winning magician, inventor, comedian and illusionist, Rafael, who has also won many accolades, including the Siegfried & Roy Golden Lion award.

The talented trio will be joined for the South Tyneside International Magic Festival 2016 by some of the finest performers from across the UK, as well as American entertainers John Carney and Chad Long.

North East magician John Archer, who is helping to organise the festival, said: “The line-up for this year’s International Gala Shows is extremely eclectic.

“We’ve drawn in some of the greatest talents from across the continent to ensure there is something to amuse and excite audience members of all ages and we’re thrilled that Alana, Malin and Rafael are all flying in to take part.”

The South Tyneside International Magic Festival, supported by the Customs House and BBC Newcastle, is aimed at bringing world class magic to the North East.

Tickets for the Family Magic Extravaganza, priced from £7, and the International Gala Shows, priced from £13, are on sale from the Customs House Box Office on www.customshouse.co.uk or 0191 454 1234.

Tickets for the festival’s three-day convention, open exclusively to professional magicians from Friday, March 11, are priced at £65 and available by contacting South Tyneside Council Events Officer Karri Prinn on 0191 4554031 or [email protected]

A full line up for the festival can be found at www.southtyneside.gov.uk/magicfestival.