FISM 2012 - DAY FOUR - BY CRAIG MITCHELL

Day 4 – Thurs 12 July 

The final day of the close-up competition and another 17 acts to get through. With sleep now becoming a rare commodity – the contestants have to pull out all the stops to make an impact with a very magic weary audience. 

1. Jeremy Tan – Micro – Singapore
Ouch. Not the start to the morning we are looking for. A fumble at the beginning ... ring to coins, a standard three fly and coins back to ring. A polite smattering applause.

2. Henning Nielsen – Parlor – Cheff Magic – Denmark
Lame jokes with magic to match. Chopsticks to cutlery, substandard sleeving, an elbow permanently cast at a 90 degree angle ( I wonder what he may be hiding ) and my personal favourite – flatulence on fire.

3. Vittorio Belloni – Micro- Italy
Everyone’s favourite coin matrix returns with a difference featuring transparent cards and even transparent coins. The one vanishing sequence was particularly effective.

4. Vincent Hedan – Parlor – France
An experiment in a memorised deck which unfortunately failed to hit the mark. Something clearly went amiss in the routine.

5. Javi Santos –Micro – Spain
Whatever happens in front of the mirror becomes real behind the looking glass. Appearing dice, matrix with dice and compulsory dice stacking. Best line of the act “my English no perfect”

6. Johan Stahl – Parlor – Sweden
Presenting the same act from the previous FISM, Johan’s performance is one of sheer beauty. Presented from the perspective of the on-stage volunteer, miracles happen with a simple cup and sugar cube that must be seen to be truly appreciated. A beautiful act that is certain to place.

7. Mong Fung Ip – Parlor – Hong Kong
What a bizarre trainwreck. Perfume and fragrance themed with cards with scents and appearing Chanel #5. Being a little tad metrosexual himself – the audience erupted with his dead-pan line – “a journey through time, space and gender” 

8. Yves Domergue – Parlor – France
The act flopped with the grand prediction failing to materialise. One novel highlight was the chair he was sitting on made completely of paper that he later squashed.

9. Andy Huang – Micro – Andost – USA
Andost featured a simply incredible color change that looked like something straight out of a movie ... a single card on the table – ever so slowly changed color before our eyes. A very beautiful moment. The act takes color changing cards to over drive ...

10. Ryan Lam – Parlor – Hayashire 
Hayashi’s thoughts are made real via accompanying soundtrack as he performs cups, cups and more cups. Unfortunately the piece never connects with the audience.

11.Ludovic Julliot – Micro – France
A gangster character helping a client with his money woes. Vanishing chain from pocket watch, coin to card productions, matrix and multiplying coins.

12. Yann Frisch – Parlor – France
Our new Grand Prix winner who presents a piece of theatrical magic unlike anything seen before. His dramatic take on a crazed man dealing with the unexpected magic of a cup & ball is sublime. Fantastic!

13. Barry Olivier – The Netherlands
A grown man with a paper heart on his chest. Enough said.

14. Hector Angel – Parlor – Spain
An endearing personality of a magician who takes his deck to sleep with him and finding a named card within the box. 

15. Steve Sandomierski – Micro – South Africa
An ex-pat American with a highly infectious laugh and a somewhat bizarre discovery of a signed card in tin of baked beans.

16. Kristian Nivala – Parlor – Findland
Compulsory dramatic close-up music ... with a multitude of items being produced from his shoe.

17. Ricardo Rodriguez – Parlor – Spain
Another member of the” bring your video camera to Blackpool club” - a strange act set within a dressing room that suffers tremendously due to the language barrier. Very little magic all round unfortunately.


This brings to an end the close-up for FISM 2012. The undeniable stand-out acts today are Yann Frisch and Johan Stahl ... with my money on Yann to take the Grand Prix.

90 minutes to go until another 4 hours of stage contest followed by the “gala banquet” dinner and Blackpool circus.

In the words of the legendary FISM musical maestro, “There’s magic all over the world ...”


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Full reports to follow ... but just some news ...

- stage & close-up contests were brilliant today. Some spectacular acts with definite prize winners on their way. France and Korea are taking over the world of magic.

- David Sousa committed career suicide with the most awful 'comedy magic' act imaginable that should have been red lighted for being below standard.

- France overwhelmingly beat Blackpool's attempt to host FISM Europe in 2014 ... which would you choose ? Luxuy cruise liner visiting exotic ports or Blackpool, England ?

- the trip to the local circus was reportedly an enjoyable highlight for those who actually got to attend. In an example of very poor scheduling - those in the first sitting were required to miss the last 5 contest stage acts should you have wanted to see the show. Pity.

- the "gala banquet dinner" was abysmal. A 'buffet' dinner restricted to a single plate of food. Held within the halls of the Winter Gardens - the peeling paint was a nice decor touch.