Courtesy Sunday Star Times :
In a world laden with entertainment options, magic still casts a spell. Jeremy Olds meets some Kiwi practitioners.
Late on a Tuesday evening, a mysterious crowd convenes for a top-secret meeting at the Surrey Hotel in Grey Lynn, Auckland. The 15 are part of an exclusive, members-only society, and there’s an air of confidentiality as they gather in a room away from prying ears. Yet, anyone standing in the hotel carpark could surmise what was taking place, based on the vehicle number plates.
‘I TRICK’. ‘C MAGIC’. ‘MAGIC 1’.
The 14 men and sole woman inside the hotel belong to the Brotherhood of Auckland Magicians, an elite club for those serious about the practice of magic. Each member has been selected to join by the club’s ‘inner circle’ and, on joining, has placed their hand on a wand and sworn the Magician’s Oath:
I, [insert name here], do solemnly swear, at all times, to uphold the traditions of the arts and crafts of Magic, its secrets and its codes of ethics…
In a rare departure from protocol on this Tuesday night, the Brotherhood has permitted an outsider to observe the first half of their monthly meeting. Continue reading “In the Press … Tricky Business : Sunday Star Times Feature Story”