The National has produced a lengthy piece discussing the revival of interest in magic entitled "Magic is Having a Moment."
As a pastime, magic has not traditionally been the preserve of the cool. Sure, David Copperfield shuffled around a few buildings and briefly won the heart of Claudia Schiffer, but such prowess is rare. More often, magicians have come in the form of Paul Daniels figures – irritating pranksters who make balloon dogs and think that pulling gaudy flowers from a sleeve is the height of sophistication.
But this is changing. Over the past decade, magic has wised up. Enter Derren Brown, 38, and David Blaine, 36. Both are often referred to as illusionists, both have silly goatee beards, both have a penchant for attention-seeking stunts and both are often scoffed at. Their increasingly ambitious magic tricks have attracted millions of followers. Get with the programme please, people; no longer can spinning plates or rabbits and hats impress when we’ve seen a man stand on a pole for 35 hours (Blaine) or pull a handgun on himself live on television (Brown). The plucky pair are leading a magic renaissance.
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