Toronto: A Series of Unfortunate Effects

From Five Academy Magic:

Tuesday April 29th, 2014
The Revue Cinema (400 Roncesvalles Ave)

If you love magic, movies, and laughing this is the event for you. Combining a story-driven plot with a magic instructional, join Toronto's top magicians as they premiere their long awaited movie, A Series of Unfortunate Effects!

After witnessing an amazing magic trick performed by the Five Card Stud Lee Asher, Chris Mayhew enlists his friend Ben Train to help him discover Lee’s secret.

These two soon discover that uncovering the secrets to magic are not as easy as they once thought. Join Chris and Ben as they learn magic from underground magicians Jeff Hinchliffe, Glenn West, and Chris Westfall, all while avoiding destruction at the hands of crazed card collector Bill Abbott. Get ready for a wild story-driven magic instructional, filled with laughs and incredible card tricks.

Read more.

Trailer: A Series of Unfortunate Effects

Watch the trailer for A Series of Unfortunate Effects on YouTube:

Train and Mayhew: A Series of Unfortunate Effects

From Ben Train's Twitter feed:

For the past year I've been working with @chrismayhew1 on a project we're finally ready to share. Check it out! facebook.com/SeriesOfEffects
— Ben Train (@ErdnaseinTO) February 4, 2013

From the Facebook page of A Series of Unfortunate Effects:

After witnessing an amazing magic trick performed by the world-famous Lee Asher, Chris enlists his friend Ben's help to discover the secret.

They soon discover though that learning the secrets to magic aren't as easy as they once thought. Chris and Ben need to help Lee find something he's looking for before he'll share the secret with them. In order to do that they have to go through magicians Jeff Hinchliffe, Glenn West, and Chris Westfall, while avoiding destruction at the hands of crazed card collector Bill Abbott on a wild adventure filled with laughs and great card tricks.

Coming Spring 2013

National Post: Hogwarts in Hogtown with the Potted Potter crew

Updated March 9th, 2018, to add:

• The National post article "On the Town: Hogwarts in Hogtown with the Potted Potter crew" was written by Ben Kaplin and published on March 3rd, 2012.

From the National Post:

The British comedians sit down for a magic show and proceed to have their minds blown. It’s not so much that the magic’s amazing — although the kid magician is oddly cool — it’s more like the entire afternoon has been weird. A publicist picked up Daniel Clarkson, 33, and Jeff Turner, 31, stars of the show Potted Potter, from their temporary quarters at the Pantages Hotel and saw it fit to bring along her small dog. Now, the actors are sitting around a table at Browser’s Den of Magic and trying to pay attention to the card tricks and disappearing loonies, except a man pulls up beside them and proceeds to slurp from a large bowl of soup.
 
Read more (including a nice bit with Jeff Hinchilffe).

Toronto: Jeff Hinchliffe lecture Saturday, February 4

From The Browser's Den of Magic:

JEFF HINCHLIFFE NEW LECTURE ‘OVER – EASY: Many of you know Jeff Hinchliffe as a card man…a very good and respected card man. A magician or should I write cardician who really knows how to handle cards and have them dance around effortlessly and produce magic.

BUT ARE YOU READY FOR THIS? Are you really ready?

Okay…Then….Jeff will be giving a Two-Hour Plus lecture on EASY TRICKS. That’s right the material that Jeff will be performing and explaining are tricks that you can master right away.

Read more and buy tickets.

Toronto: Card College Clinic at Browser’s Den

From the Browser's Den:

INSTRUCTOR-Mr. Jeff Hinchliffe

Date & Time: Wednesday nights for ten consecutive weeks beginning Wednesday, September 21, 2011. Each class will run from 7:15pm until 8:15pm at our new shop location, 3220 Dufferin Street

Course Focus- Card College Books by Roberto Giobbi

Cost: Only $99.00 plus tax (In Advance Please) for ALL 10 CLASSES!

Read more.

Toronto: L.A.S.T Fundraiser – A Gala of Comedy and Magic

From the Abracadabaret website:

Friday, June 24 and Saturday June 25, 2011 at 8pm
Alumnae Theatre, 70 Berkeley St., Toronto
Price: $20.00 Adults / $15.00 Child

Starring:James Alan, Jeff Hinchliffe, Nicholas Reynoldson and Chris Westfall

Headliners:Mike D’Urzo (Friday)
Dan Trommater (Saturday)

Hosted by: Shawnathan
Presented by Lost At Sea Theatre

To purchase tickets or learn more about this event, visit the Abracadabaret website.

Magical blogs

Recently, someone asked "Any good magic blogs out there?"  Good question. 

Here's a list of blogs written by magical Canadians (former and current) about which I'm aware:

• Aaron Jones
• Andrew Musgrave: Ye Olde Magick Blogge
• Chris Philpott's Film and Magic Blog
• David Ben: Tricks and Tweets
• Evelyn Matlin: Perfect Magic Then and Now
• Gwyn Auger: The Magic Assistant
• Jay Sankey
• Jeff Hinchliffe
• Keith Brown
• Magicana: Sharing Wonder
• Mark Lewis: Ramblings of a magic genius
• MCA: Mystery & History
• Ryan Joyce
• Shawn Farquhar

Please leave a comment if you'd like to be included or know of others that I'm missing.  The list will appear as a feature in the middle column, below the "Sponsored by" section, under the title "Magical blogs."

Book launch: "The Lives of a Showman"

Last Friday I had the pleasure of attending a book launch party for “The Lives of a Showman” by Mark Lewis. (I live tweeted the event with the tag #TLOAS though I missed tagging a few tweets here and there.)

Upon entering Browser’s Den of Magic, I was instructed to direct my attention upward. Hanging from the ceiling were more than a dozen cheerful Lee Asher sign creations containing “Markisms” such as “If they were all the nine of hearts it would look like this” and “You're quite slow, do you work for the post office?” The mood was set!

It was clear that Mark has a tremendous amount of support in the local magic community! I found myself shoulder-to-shoulder with Jeff Pinsky, Jeff Hinchliffe, Ariel Fralich, Mia Ngueyn and Adam Harmes who had all made contributions to, or were mentioned in, the book. Other notables present include*: Gordon Precious, Owen Anderson, Paul Pacific, Chris Westfall, John Pellatt, Richard Lyn, John Michalson, Shawna Ross-York, Dan McLean, Steve Shrott, Joe Schwarcz and young Daniel (one of Mark’s students).

While reading from his book, we were regaled with stories of Mark’s experiences with The Worst Audience Ever at The Blue Angel and his early days of (not so) psychic readings in Ireland with Adam Harmes. Mark also read a piece written about him by Mai Nguyen, winner of the Jerry Gladman Memorial Scholarship in Journalism.

To round out the evening we were treated to James Alan’s rendition of Mark’s “Pig Trick” and then we all laughed ourselves silly through Jeff Hinchliffe’s impersonation of Mark doing his Svengali deck hustle.

It is always a delightful experience to hear an author read his own words. If the rest of the book is even half as entertaining as the launch party, it should be a good read indeed!

To purchase “The Lives of a Showman” visit Mark's website, Browser’s Den of Magic or contact your local magic dealer.


--
* If I’ve missed listing anyone who was there please send me an e-mail or leave a comment below! Thank you to John Pellatt, Ariel Fralich and James Alan for providing attendee intel on the parts of the room I didn’t make it to.

Toronto: Second helping of "A Slice of Magic"

On March the 14th, enjoy a night of magic, prizes and  food at "A 2nd Slice of Magic" at Boston Pizza (40 Eglinton Ave. E, (Yonge & Eglinton) Toronto).

Performers include:

• CHRIS WESTFALL- comedy magic
• JEFF HINCHLIFFE- card expert & magician
• SHAWNATHAN - mentalist

Please visit PickAnyCard.com for more details about this event.

Jeff Hinchliffe lecture tickets now on sale

From BrowsersDen.ca:

This afternoon of magic will take place from 2pm-7pm (with two 10-minute breaks and one 40-minute break) on Sunday, January 23rd, 2011. Space is limited for this event. Tickets are $40 per seat, limited to 25 seats. Start the New Year by attending Toronto’s first magic event of 2011… The Jeff Hinchliffe Experience. 

TICKETS ON SALE NOW. Please call 416-783-7022.

Details can be found at the Browser's Den website.

Jeff Hinchliffe lecture in 2011!

So says The Browser's Den:

"Jeff Hinchliffe will be giving a FOUR HOUR Lecture/Seminar at the shop on Sunday, January 23 for only $40.00. Details soon."