Ian’s win was magical
A Perthshire magician has pulled a rabbit out a hat to conjure up victory at an annual magic competition.
Perth Magic Circle (PMC) club member Ian Dougall (75) won the Roger Caseby Cup for Magical Entertainment and Showmanship at the second ever tri-club magic competition held in St Andrews.
In doing so, he saw off performers from Dundee and St Andrews Magic Circle groups.
A PMC member for 55 years, Ian bamboozled the crowd with a repertoire of colour change and silk tricks, rope routines and even a card trick he performed whilst chained up.
Ian, who also ran a hairdresser on Leonard Street, Perth for 42 years until he retired in 2002, clinched what was the Perth club’s first win in the tournament.
The local illusionist said he has always loved performing entertaining magic acts with a mixture of comedy and skilful magic, and drew inspiration from the late Aldo Colombini, an Italian-born magician, lecturer, author and media producer.
He said:“It was an enjoyable night for all who attended.
“The stuff I performed is stuff I have done for the past 20 years ago. I have magic routines that they haven’t seen before.
“It was a great feeling to win it. Working as a hairdresser enabled me to go out and about and to perform here and there over the years.”
Perth Magic Circle has around 15 amateur and semi-professional magicians who meet regularly to exchange ideas and techniques in the art of magic.
Meetings are currently held in Perth and District Ex-Servicemen’s Club, Milne Street, Perth on the first and third Wednesday of each month from September to June, starting at 7.30pm.