This write-up is to introduce magicians and magic lovers to the rich heritage of magic in Singapore. It honours the noteworthy achievements, prominence and importance of nearby magicians from the previous and existing.
The commencing of Present day Magic in Singapore
It is the general consensus that present day magic in Singapore (submit World War two) began with the late-Ng Bo
Oen AKA The Fantastic Wong. Data on neighborhood magic pre-war is really scarce. The only information identified has been on The Fantastic Wong carrying out at the New Entire world Amusement Park (then positioned at Kitchener Highway) in the thirties.
The Wonderful Wong was born in 1908 in Shanton, a metropolis of the Guangdong Province, China and immigrated to Singapore in 1933. He was the only specialist magician of his time in Singapore and done across South East Asia. He was identified for his sharp stage magic, Linking Rings schedule and Sword Basket illusion. He was also an expert craftsman who developed all of his props by hand. He experienced the reward of figuring out the mechanics and methodology of magic props and fabricating them from scratch.
In 1962, The Excellent Wong made a substantial contribution to the worldwide magic neighborhood by publishing his famous linking rings program with English script prepared by Tudor Brock. Davenports Magic in London distributes his manuscript to day. In 1982, he was invited by the Federation Internationale des Societes Magiques (FISM) to perform at the fifteenth Entire world Congree of Magic in Lausanne, Switzerland.
(For a lot more information on The Excellent Wong refer to ‘The Fantastic Wong Story’ in The Intercontinental Brotherhood of Magicians Singapore Ring one hundred fifteen The Quantum Ring Golden Jubilee Problem)
An additional neighborhood magician who was instrumental in developing modern magic in Singapore during the beginning was the late-Tan Hock Chuan. He was a instructor by career but performed for once-a-year particular functions, charity shows and private parties. He was (and even now is) internationally recognized for his magical inventions. His effects and tips are nevertheless promoted vendor products nowadays and have been published in many publications (of that time) this sort of as Gen, Spinx, Pentagram, New Pentagram, Swami Mantra, Abracadabra and even Tarbell’s System in Magic. He is the first Asian magician to obtain the Spinx Award (1936-37)
Each The Wonderful Wong and Tan Hock Chuan had been important influences to numerous of the very first era of Singapore present day-magicians who have paved the way for long term generations.
nineteen fifties
It was only after the war and for the duration of the British Military Administration that magic in Singapore started its increase to in which it is these days. 1950 was the year that the Singapore Magician’s Club was formed by a group of amateur magicians, comprising of English-educated professionals.
In 1951 the Singapore Magician’s Club obtained their constitution from The Global Brotherhood of Magicians HQ in The us and was from then on was officially known as The International Brotherhood of Magicians Singapore Ring 115. Founding associates of the club at that time integrated Tan Ewe Chee (President), Yeo Shortly Kian, Lim Kim Tian, Lim Hap Hin, J.H Stafford, L.A Joseph, J.W Jackson (Vice-President) and Tan Hock Chuan (Secretary).
The 50’s gave birth to Singapore’s initial generation of modern day magicians. Besides the founding customers of the IBM Ring and The Excellent Wong (who joined the Ring in 1952 by invitation), some distinguished very first generation magicians integrated Lim Hap Hin, Tan Choon Tee, Tan Bah Chee, Yeo Quickly Kian and his scholar Michael Lim.
The Fantastic Wong operated the initial magic store from his property cum showroom/ workshop in Singapore at 255-A Jalan Besar where he offered his very own handcrafted props as effectively as imported dealer things from Japan. (This residence/ store was destroyed in a fire in Dec 1988 triggering him to lose most of his guides and props)
nineteen sixties
Throughout this period, magicians like The Excellent Wong, Tan Bah Chee, Lim Hap Hin and Tan Choon Tee carried out magic courses at the National Theatre Club and the YMCA. They were responsible for generating energetic magicians this kind of as Charles Choo, Wong Fok Choy, Chia Hearn Jiang, Gwee Thiam Hock and the late-Vijeyacone.
The early 60s also observed the ‘Golden Age’ of magic with magicians performing at diverse venues across the country. Apart from nearby magicians executing in night golf equipment, overseas magicians this kind of as Socar carried out a grand illusion show to a entire property at the Capitol Theatre (along Stamford Road) and The Excellent Nicholas at the Sky Theater in The Great Planet Amusement Park at Kim Seng Road (Now, Fantastic World Town).
In the late 60s, Wee Peng Guan (Uncle of Charles Choo), opened the second magic shop in Singapore at a shop residence along Robinson Street. Around that time, common entertainer Victor Khoo’s father Khoo Teng Heng who was a magician, a ventriloquist and hypnotist opened his magic store at Bras Basah. (where Carlton Hotel stands currently).
For the duration of this decade, Tan Choon Tee was making a identify for himself in the intercontinental magic local community in the area of Mentalism. He received several intercontinental Linking Ring Awards for his One-Gentleman Parades and has two textbooks printed by Micky Hades. He was also a typical contributor to quite a few worldwide magic journals this kind of as Gen, New Pentagram, Magicgram, Magicana and The Linking Ring.
Abroad magicians whom passed through Singapore incorporated Milo & Roger, Milbourne Christopher and Maurice Fogel.
nineteen seventies
The 1970s noticed the beginning of the next era of Singapore magicians. Some well-identified magicians who received started out throughout this time included The Fantastic Wong’s son Ng Kee Chee, John Teo, Tang Sai Thong, Ng Seow Kiat, Tang Yeng Enjoyable, Bob Chua, Eric Leong, Tan Teck Seng, Lawrence Tham, Tan Tuan Seng, Lawrence Khong and Andrew Kong.
The Singapore Affiliation of Magicians was established on ten March 1973 in welcoming ‘rivalry’ to the IBM Ring. The club was led by Tan Bah Chee with notable founding members this kind of as Lim Hap Hin, Tan Hock Chuan and Charles Choo.
Magic stores in Singapore began to spring up throughout the late seventies. Ng Kee Chee established up a magic stall at Yaohan in Plaza Singapura and Wang Leng opened his shop in Peninsula Plaza. www.bookamagician.com opened his shop in August 1978 on the sixth flooring of Significantly East Purchasing Centre. (It would shift many moments to a variety of malls but eventually returned again to Far East). His shop would quickly grow to be an establishment the place magicians would get a variety of magic products as effectively as meet up and find out from each other.
It was a range haunt for numerous magicians in the several years to appear till the store shut in the new millennium.
In the course of this time period, The Tropicana Night time Club, which was situated at Pacific Plaza, was a location that experienced standard magic performances. Several popular magicians also frequented Singapore in the 70s. In 1970, John Calvert executed at the Countrywide Theatre. In 1972, Albert Goshman frequented Ring 115 to give a lecture. In that identical yr, “The Professor” Dai Vernon also visited Singapore, lectured and interacted with neighborhood magicians. Other going to magicians incorporated Andre Kole, Billy McComb, and Ali Bongo.
eighties
By the eighties, the neighborhood magic scene was flourishing with wholesome memberships for the two principal magic golf equipment as nicely as a surge in the variety of carrying out magicians. Many of today’s veterans produced their name in the 80s. Familiar names like Richard Ang, Patrick Wan, Patrick Ng Wang Lin, Tan Hai Yan AKA Gician, Paul Koh, AB Francis and Gordon Koh ended up performing routinely at public and personal displays throughout this 10 years. Popular nearby venues for public magic shows by magic clubs held on a typical foundation at that time integrated the Drama Centre and the Nationwide Museum Theatrette.
The popularity of magic stores also grew and in 1982, Chew Kin Music opened a Magic & Novelty Corner at the Chinese E-book Area of Well-known Ebook Co Pte Ltd on the 4th Ground of Bras Basah Complex. Gician Tan also opened up his 1st magic store at Parkway Parade which subsequently moved to Marina Square and was managed by Richard Ang. Apart from this primary shop, he dispersed magic things and sets through section retailers
in Singapore and South East Asia.The Singapore audience was also exposed to planet-class magic by way of many magic tv shows and series that were aired on nearby Television set which includes the David Copperfield specials, Magic Magic and The Greatest of Magic.
Foreign magicians who visited Singapore throughout this time integrated David Copperfield, Mark Wilson, Ben Harris, Paul Daniels and Gene Anderson.
nineteen nineties
The commencing of this ten years observed the introduction of the country’s third technology magicians into the local magic scene. Prominent budding magicians incorporated Enrico Varella, Sherman Tjiong, J C Sum, Joe Yu (Chan Ee Kang), Nique Tan Li Keong, Prakash Puru, Kiki Tay, Alex Tan and Jeremy Pei.
The nearby chapter of Global Magicians Culture was formed, founded by its President, Tan Bah Chee though the club’s presence in Singapore was limited-lived.
The late-nineteen nineties observed a large surge in magic international popularity because of to David Blaine’s street magic specials. A lot of folks began to ‘get into’ magic and had new mediums to understand the craft this kind of as the introduction of DVDs and the Net.
A new magic shop, Magic Castle & Promotions, opened up by Vijay Kumar at Shaw Towers before long turned ‘the location to be’ in which new magicians would hold out and satisfy.
During this decade, Wang Leng’s store in Peninsula Plaza was offered to Patrick Wan. The shop was subsequently marketed to Richard Ang and is now properly acknowledged as Ang Property of Magic. Patrick Wan opened his new shop, Magic Wand, which has spawned into many outlets in numerous parts of Singapore. Steven Sim also opened Magic Supreme at Coronation Plaza which has subsequently moved to Park Shopping mall.
The 90s was an thrilling ten years with numerous visits and performances by famous magicians. Aside from lectures by Michael & Hannah Ammar, Mark Leveridge and Wolfgang & Sonja Riebe there had been also public theatre performances by the Pendragons, Princess Tenko, Andre Kole, Franz Harary, David Copperfield, Rudy Coby and Robert Gallop. Other going to magicians integrated Larry Becker, Tim Ellis, Terry Seabrooke, Phil Cass and Albert Tham.
2000 – Existing
Magic has continued to prosper at the neighborhood amount in this decade. New possibilities and abilities have emerged to elevate the art in Singapore. In Could 2000, J C Sum staged the initial at any time regional entire-evening theatre show ‘Magic at the Theatre’ at Victoria Theatre. Just a month afterwards, far more than a dozen magicians from the US and Canada came down to Singapore as part of the Magic Festival organized by the Malls of Centrepoint. Magicians these kinds of as Robert Baxt, Rocco and Peter Gossamer executed several demonstrates at various Centrepoint Malls for more than a 7 days.
In 2004, the Singapore Magic Circle (SMC) was designed by Aloysius Yeo and with its on-line forum drew a new pool of magic enthusiasts collectively. SMC has because grown to in excess of a thousand customers and regularly arrange gatherings, activities as nicely as the latest Concept:Magic Micro MAGIC Convention in January 2007.
By way of a huge-scale theatre magic musical ‘Magic of Love’, Lawrence Khong, a pastor with Faith Community Baptist Church and his daughter Pricilla, spread the gospel concept.
The multi-million greenback manufacturing has been staged a lot of moments above the many years across the planet to spread the word of Christ. Subsequently, the exact same group organized two Intercontinental Competition of Magic conventions in 2003 & 2005. The very first of its kind huge magic events provided competitions, lectures, a dealers’ place and performances. Global performers such as Jeff McBride, Max Maven, Johnny Thomspon, The Pendragons, Lee Eun Gyeol and Tommy Wonder were booked to complete at the gala displays and lectures.
In current several years, J C Sum has become arguably the most prominent Singapore magician of this era. His magic has been observed by tens of millions through his stay performances across Asia as properly as his landmark mass media tasks on MediaCorp Studio’s Ch 8 as effectively as subsequent ‘Street Illusions’ compilation DVD/ VCD.
His 24-episode ‘Magic in Motion’ sequence can at the moment be noticed day-to-day on Singapore Push Holdings MediaBoxOffice via 2007. In the intercontinental magic neighborhood, J C has also set up himself as an elite illusion designer from Asia with the publication of his three critically acclaimed illusion textbooks that have been bought in far more than thirty countries to date.
An additional gifted award-winning magician, Jeremy Pei, is elevating the profile of Singapore magic within the regional magic group with his theatre demonstrates, arranged lectures, workshops and lively participation in magic conventions & competitions in Japan, Korea, China, Thailand and Australia. His distinct North-Asian impact fashion of magic efficiency has garnered him a following with new budding magicians whom he teaches and guides. He has also introduced a number of first magic goods which are obtainable to magicians throughout the world.
In an additional very first, award-profitable junior magician, Kyle Ravin secured a thirteen-episode weekly Street Magic series, “Maya” on MediaCorp Studios’ Vasantham Central. This 30min sequence noticed him complete magic for the Indian local community and superstars across the region.
This decade has noticed the introduction of even much more magic stores and dealers run by younger magicians to fulfill the desire of magic lovers and magicians. These consist of new ‘brick & mortar’ magic outlets such as Avenue Magic by Tan Wei Ping, Challenging Enterprise by Jimmy Wong, The Magic Corridor by Kenneth Peh as well as on-line outlets like The Little Magic Shop by Ning.
