... IN the past decade one American magician who has more than made his mark on contemporary magic has been Jerry Andrus. Stealing quietly into the limelight with his now famous Linking Pins routine, he showed in I his book Andrus Deals You In that even in the much ex plored field of card magic there is always room for new ideas and sleights. His first appearance at American conventions a ...

... The Mayor and Mayoress of Willasey have endeared themselves to the members of Jackson Earle's Melody Inn Company, at the Floral Pavilion. New Brighton, this summer, by their constant interest, enthusiasm and civic recognition that this show plays a most im portant part in the seasonal attrac tions in the risort. At the end of Melody Inn's 14th consecutive season, Jackson Earle had the ...

... Granada play: nice period flavour, sturdy performances PARIS ROUND THE CORNER C^OR this homely piece by Elizabeth Baker, Granada again delved into the vast fund of Northern drama at the turn of the century. By now everyone should be familiar enough with the sort of thing it was humourless, shop keeping chapel fathers. equating pleasure with sin and pro gress with the devil made manifest. Yet. ...

... BERNARD DELFONT'S SUNDAY SHOW In this tv production from the Prince of Wales theatre (Sunday July 16 ATV) Mel Torme not only topped the bill, but appeared several times during the show. With neat arrangement from Bob Sharpies, who directed the Jack Parnell orchestra, Mel was able to work through some very agreeable material. Torme has always applied a distinctly jazz styling to his songs, and ...

... THE BIG DEAL OIG business was the subject of the play written specially for Armchair Theatre by Jimmy Sangster (Sunday, March 5, ABC). William Franklyn played a young man who wanted to get to the top, and was not overworried about ethics in trying to help his boss secure a big overseas contract. The trouble with the character Franklyn played was in the sud den complete reversal of his atti ...

... pjANCER Clare liardman, of Ros- sendale (Lancashire) last year underwent a hole-in-the-heart operation at Manchester. And for her first professional engagement since the operation she became a member of the 12-strong Fox- Miller troupe in the pantomime Mother Goose which has just completed its four week run at Sunderland Empire. ...

... Ice, Musical Comedy and Variety Feature this Year THE Wizard of Oz, the ice spectacle which is currently at Wembley's Empire Pool is to go on the Moss Empire circuit when it finishes its season at the arena. Opening at Glasgow Empire on March 5, it plays for a month at each venue. Dates include Manchester Palace from April 3, Liverpool Empire from May 1 and Birmingham Hippodrome from May 28. ...

... Edited by Mollie Ellis It looks certain to be a record season for The Andy Stewart Show at the Gaiety, Ayr. When temporary box-offices were set up, theatre-goers defied a local blizzard to stand for hours in a queue nearly half-a-mile long. Each person was limited to six seats for the first four weeks of the show. The queue was started at H 6 a.m. One 15-year-old girl stood from .V 10 a.m ...

... IT'S MAGIC SINCE the opening of his full evening show at Cardiff just over a fortnight ago, Milbourne Christopher has garnered some excellent publicity. At Bristol last week by means of an incredible feat of mental magic not only ditf he add to his laurels, but was instrumental in 10 old-age pensioners each re ceiving a gift of two cwts. of coal! It came about in this way. Whilst Milbourne ...

... FLOW GENTLY SWEET AFTON C*OR the second Younger Generation presentation (Friday July 7 Granada) Patrick Garland had written a more substantial piece than was th case for last week's play. But these seaside evoca tions, with little character spots for the cast, do not add up to a satisfactory dramatic offering. And the feeling of having seen it all before will not be aided by the use of the ...

... MIDLANDS FESTIVAL OF BALLET ALTHOUGH a worthy ges ture by ABC (Sunday July 16) to put on this hour of all-star ballet, the result was too remote and too epi sodic. As the production was taped direct from the stage of the Coventry Theatre, the whole thing had a filmed theatre look. But even so, among the impressive capsule performances those of Andre Prokovsy and Colette Mar- chand made an ...

... npSVENTNOl BOULEVARD means street of M. flowers. This I am told as we speed along Moscow's very wide streets towards the famous circus and I am beset by the melancholy of memories, for I was young when I made its first acquaintance it was our first Conti nental engagement and I remember how proud so very proud my brother and I were, yet a little afraid, of meet ing in open competition ...