Always seeking the most unusual or unused space to create this ongoing project and life times work within new walls and an ever changing variety of new spaces.
Richard Leigh
Richard as a theatre magician and creator is always seeking and offering anyone out there who has an unused space or a space already operational the idea of a season, a pop up, a full time, ‘theatre of magic’. The more the door is hidden the better, the more unusual, location or venue itself the better.
Or a pop up, which just ‘appears’, creates a stir, leaves a calling card of ‘where will the event pop up next’ and then onwards.
The content of ‘The Magic Theatre’ is taken from the ever increasing choice of my family friendly full shows, attractions, exhibitions and sideshows. Maybe, guest artists and additional circus performers to enhance each story. Late night guest Cabaret magicians. The theme content is endless.
All of my shows are designed to repeat or turn around within a very short period of time, which means every day could offer a new programme of events, thus the ‘season’, ‘pop up’ is perfect for a week, which ties in with when the families are on holidays and half terms and are ‘our’ perfect spontaneous and word of mouth, foot fall customer.
Each show and multiple shows and events, side shows, exhibitions, free mini shows and close up events are all scripted and designed to leave the guests intrigued and wanting the ticket of entry to the next event which has been typically side show sold.
I have personally presented this ‘Theatre of Magic’ format in a cellar, dungeon fringe theatre in the basement of a pub, transformed and scheduled into the above description in London for a 22 year consecutive run and am now so looking forward to the next unusual space to do it all over again.
The audiences do not have to be large events. In many ways, the larger the performance space to accommodate as much content as possible with an audience of under 100 per show (multiple shows and events per day to make up the finances) works the best and indeed enhances the story that this is a hidden event and found by the ‘lucky’ few and they have found their magic playground and have a host/magician to themselves for a few hours. It’s a very addictive ticket. The majority of my London customer were repeat families, which grew in group numbers year after year as they returned. After 12 or so years, I had the families of those who had come to the theatre with their parents and are now bringing their children. I had to apologise that it’s the same old malarkey, the same fun, but with a little bit (not too much) grey hair. This seemed to be the attraction. The magician did not need to be famous or have their own tv show or reputation. It was simply a location which had so much magic to play with and hosted with huge enthusiasm and love for the art form of theatrical magic, circus, fairground and variety. The content is so old fashioned, it’s new. Thus the longevity of the project will hopefully be transferred and taught onwards to the next generation of magical actors/presenters by me as the years go on. Our audiences, especially will always love magic and as it’s personally up close and interactive in a wonderful way, the queue of guests will always keep this project alive.
The project just needs walls.
The more unusual the better. The more inventive the better.
I have everything to make this happen …. Apart from the walls and the initial set up.
Thats not what I do …. I have the content and the project. I will look forward to your ideas.
Headline Magic Shows
Currently 6 x 80 minute Headline Magic shows to schedule in the Theatre of Magic. Presented by myself, Richard Leigh. Either 2 shows a day or within the space and set up of the logistics and design, there is two shows open each day, thus a matinee and an evening show of separate shows with side shows, exhibits in the time spaces in between. If in creation, the cafe, tea room, bar, foyer of art, or a separate room of free or close up magic helps the traffic flow of guests around the space, the incoming and outgoing of each event is fluid and the money making secondary spends have an endless line of potential income. All depending on space, location and scheduling.
‘The Magic Cavern’ – 80 minutes
‘The Magic Toy Theatre and Orchestra – 80 minutes
‘The Fun Fair at the Magic Theatre’ – 80 minutes
‘The Side Shows of Wonder’ – 80 minutes
‘The Spooky Magic Theatre’ – 80 minutes
‘The Superstitious Magic Show’ – 80 minutes
Attractions to the main shows
All the routines within ‘The Fun Fair at the Magic Theatre’ together with the exhibits within ‘The Side Shows of Wonder’ can be used as smaller attractions for guests to do whilst arriving early for the main show or afterwards. Each exhibit divided into a small 12 minute sideshow event. Depending on scheduling times, these are either presented by the host (Richard Leigh) or are presented by guests (Actors, Magicians, etc) to the project.
Free shows
Used to the advantage at the start of the season, or day or after breaks in the daily schedule. Tickets for all other advertised shows within the season are on sale during these short 12 minute scenes. Often with the banners and set in place for the main events. Always something to intrigue those that have already found us.
These free events are often my production shows, my unusual props, and the pieces of magic are taught by me in the early part of the season on site logistics and presented by dancers, circus performers or fellow magicians, especially from those interested from the local magic fraternity, which is another source of ticket buyers.
Close up magicians from the local magic fraternity, guests of repute are always invited (Paid gigs) to present magic at booths of a their close up, providing that no stories are repeated within the rest of the day or upcoming events. I very rarely work with playing cards in my main shows and so repetition of an effect is not that frequent.
Magical Exhibitions
As an added attraction to any of my shows I have an ever changing variety of timed walk around shows with myself as the curator and presenter of art, props and side show features. These events are better suited to smaller numbers and are easily presented many times per day or throughout the duration of the cruise.
These are shorter in time and thus cheaper tickets and are often available to fewer guests to give each event a personal approach and depending on the space available for flow of people. These events are squeezed as often as possible around the main events even so.
‘The Magical Hats Exhibition’ – A walk around exhibition of hats with a magical theme and hosted and narrated by the magician. 30 minutes.
‘The Magic Art Gallery’ – walk around and at certain times I am available to paint ‘live’ whatever poster or piece of art I am currently working on.
‘The Side Shows of Wonder’ – also works wonderfully with small numbers of guests each walking around the exhibits with the magician as the host. 30 minutes.
Other thoughts for potential venues
Here are a few more thoughts where this project would be ideal for existing venues and programming.
Theatres
Smaller venues of under 200 seats are absolutely perfect. A week of changing shows for the Holiday and Half Term seasons. Secure early for ‘Hallowe’en’. Providing you promote this a ‘The Theatre of Magic’ story and not the magician’s status, then this ‘magic’ show will sell better than relying on a name.
Spiegel Tents
This style of ‘pop up’ venue is not just only perfect for the story and logistics of ‘The Magic Theatre’, but opens up the endless stories of where this potential project pops up.
End of the Pier venues
If I can persuade just one unused or underused end of the pier venue or a Pier with space for a Spiegel Tent in my lifetime, then I will be the happiest person alive and with such pride to go with it. A pop up venue or an unused space made appropriate for use in operation for a summer season, used daily, surely has the potential of creating more day tripping tourists and guests as another wonderful attraction to events in the most popular or tranquil of seaside towns worldwide.
Festival tents
Circus tents, tents that house the incoming awaiting guests and then into the main tent for the main show, and then out the other side to a new tent for the final drink and horah.
Please also see the dedicated page to a secondary tent for touring or a separate room of space for static Circus proprietors worldwide.
School Halls
Invites only, but my product works well in large flat floored halls. When the school, college or university hall is not in use, is usually the prefect time when my customers and guests are on their holidays, half term breaks or weekends, where ‘The Magic Theatre’ could turn up and fill the week with a fun and probable fund raising opportunity for the school and fits the unusual spaces remit that I love. It’s also a helpful device for local publicity and footfall. Helping make these events not that difficult to achieve the numbers it needs to become financially viable. On that note, as you have probably read through the lines read by now, that I don’t and don’t wish to make millions of pounds out of my work. That’s for the promoters …. Ha ha. I have created a lifetimes work in this project and story and simply love each day I get to retell the story. Ongoing, legacy of teaching the next generation to keep this project ‘out there’ and bringing joy the the next generation.
Village Halls
This is a similar story to the above. Invites only. But if your village hall or sports hall has a few days where existing use can be postponed for a few days to leave a good 4 to 6 days free to allow me to stage this story and project, with an objective of fund raising for a local project then please, this hits the mark nicely with bringing the project to unusual places and deep into an existing community. It’s just perfection for my ears. A great story for the local press as well, and that’s our seats becoming pennies helped immensely.
Pop up shops
Again, invites only, but, as more and more town high streets have more and more empty buildings and shop fronts …. What can I do to help, with your help …. The seaside towns of old used to have ‘side shows’ along the prom. Long gone out of fashion and affordability. But somewhere for another clever brain out there …. (95% yours, 5% mine) there has to be a solution to using these empty spaces, creating footfall for the cafes, bars and coffee shops (More tea rooms I scream loudly …. ) along the high street. Even just for a week at a time during the sunshine days or the Christmas season. I will leave this with you ….. you know who you are …. X
The permanent building. The ultimate …. The pipe dream
If I had a building or tent to build up all of my shows, side shows, games, exhibitions, added spaces for other magic guests, circus spaces, above, around, …. I once scribbled and drew up a circus ring drawing where the middle of the ring was a tea room, tables inside the ring, guests soaking up the atmosphere, and then around the outside, instead of the grandstands was 360 degrees of shows, attractions, and sideshows, all shows entered though the traditional painted sideshow frontages and into a small auditorium or walk around space for the performance of that titled. Shows going on, often simultaneously all day. It was a wonderful few moments of drawing and dreaming (something I do a lot) and yet, out of my league … but certainly not with content. I have achieved the content. I just am missing the walls and the management.
A permanent building for a year at a time…. Also hits the button as far as I am concerned. That allows the main shows (plus those new ones that are in creation) to play 3-4 weeks at a time, along time a selection of secondary shorter shows and events. Thus the Spooky shows plays the natural scheduling story of the half term ‘Hallowe’en’ 10 days of potency and the perfect Christmas show is set for that season. The fairground shows plays the summer weeks.
Advertised for one year only and then moving on … but to where …..
Last thoughts in this chapter
I have the shows, product, promotional material, headers, bill boards, side show fronts. Even the set is cleverly designed (even if I say so myself) as it utilises the travelling wooden crates the show packs into, as set walls, which form pigeon holes so to speak on the backstage side of things, which reduces the storage solutions and time required to swap over the shows and features as it’s all self contained within the set itself for the backstage eye point. I am the presenter. My team required are minimal backstage. It’s an economical ship.
I need your walls ….. and enthusiasm
If someone out there can read through this lot and realise that there is also a huge amount of pennies to me made, then use your skills with mine. I am not money orientated …. I have no problem with announcing that. Be fair to me and twice as fair financially to the family of people working with you on this project backstage and front of house, but make as much as you can out of your skills in project management, and event organising should you like this collation of painted plywood and cloth.
There is a huge amount of joy, beyond that paint and glitter as soon as you add people.
’Welcome to the Magic Theatre’
Taking ideas now. Please do let’s have a chat and enquire for availability.
