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Mark James LIVE (Penguin LIVE)


One of the funniest comedy magicians in the UK teaches tricks from the repertoire that's made him a rising star! SUPPORT LIVE MAGIC. DOWNLOAD THE FULL LECTURE TODAY.
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"You are one of the funniest people I’ve ever met." - Wayne Dobson

"Very few magicians on the planet have the talent you have." - Richard Sanders

"Mark James developed a first rate act." - Peter Duffie, Magic Magazine

"I’m glad Mark lives across the pond, otherwise not sure I would be working as much. Mark is a real crowd pleaser. I have always wanted to be an entertainer first and magician second. Mark is both at the same time. His magic is terrific and his comedy is for everyone. A real magic star on the rise. Respect and props to this fine young man." - Michael Finney

What will he teach?

Subliminal Numbers - An all but self working, easy to do number prediction with a killer ending for stage.

Book Test - A multi phase, multi method book test with a double twist finish and some laughs along the way. 

Chop Cup - Mark’s take on the classic effect in magic. Mark breaks down his favorite parts of the routine along with the psychology and bits of business. 

Envelopes - A funny bit of business that may just fool you. Envelopes is a quick bit of business that can go before almost any effect or routine on stage.

Sponge Balls - Some tips on the classic close up trick including a little add on that will not only fry your audience, but leaves you set up to end your routine. 

Thought Of Card Under Cup - The think of a card plot has never been more surefire. Mark takes Joe Riding's plot, as taught to him by Mark Mason and gives you the confidence to go out and do it. 

Almost Impromptu Pateo - A ‘pack small, play big’ effect that fits in your wallet and uses everything single person at the table. 

12welve - A great twist on a card prediction.

Skittled - Direct from Mark’s DVD with thanks to Michael Kaminskas. A great take on a torn and restored sweet packet. 

Force Deck - A quick impromptu force deck you can make at home, Mark used this to solve a small problem on a cruise ship.

Plus, much more!

Mark will be covering a mix of styles and ideas in the lecture. Some things are direct from his current one hour show, some are things he uses when required to perform up to two different hours on cruise ships. Some of the material comes from his close up and corporate work or his time as a children's show performer. 

What you can be certain of is that they are all tried and tested routines that have been in Mark’s repertoire for a number of years. There will also be a small selection of ‘thought starters’. Bits and pieces that will allow you to take the core ingredients then go out and create your own presentations using the methods. Mark will also discuss many topics in a theory section. How to get more money from your bookings on the phone, why creating visual moments in your show will be important, how to write your routines with the help of wikipedia, why the opener is more important for you than the audience and a lot more. 

He’ll also include some funny stories from his own experiences in performing and meeting other magicians such as...What happens when you take a pinata to a kids show for the first time? And, why does having your pants pulled down in Africa mean you can’t sit down for a week?

Who is he?

Mark James is a comedy magician based in the UK. He has worked professionally for over a decade on land and at sea in over 40 countries worldwide. He first became known to magicians in 2009 following the release of his critically acclaimed DVD set ‘Supercharged Classics’. Prior to its release, Mark was a full time member of the JB Magic team under Mark Mason and held down three restaurant residencies per week. 

This was soon followed up by an appearance alongside his friend and mentor Wayne Dobson in 2011 on ‘A Life In Magic’. Sometime in mid 2010, Mark was approached by Wayne to feature on a DVD that would showcase some of his finest stage and close-up routines, but all presented in a close up environment. Mark considered this opportunity a huge honour and was delighted to be working alongside Matthew Dowden & Michael J. Fitch. 

It was around this time that Mark started really getting into his stride with lectures. He has since given over 80 lectures to magic societies and conventions in the UK and overseas. Highlights included the Cyprus Magic Society and The UK’s annual IBM convention. 

Throughout all of this, Mark’s true passion has been performing on stage. Since leaving JB Magic, he has all but given up performing close up magic shows in order to perform stage and cabaret magic all over the world. A typical week sees him on stage at least 5 out of 7 nights, touring for holiday companies or flying out to cruise ships. 

He now has a cabaret show of which he is incredibly proud. Having tried out every discipline or genre of magic he could get his hands on, he’s settled into a show that features a mix of comedy, magic and even juggling. In the search for the show that fits him best, he spent time performing mentalism, manipulation, kids magic and a whole host of other styles and ideas. It is from this experience he draws much of his lecture material.

Thanks to multiple performances in trailers for a host of magic producers, worldwide lectures, convention appearances and a non stop live performance diary, Mark has remained prominent in the UK magic scene, most recently appearing on the cover of MAGICSEEN magazine. 

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Great Lecture Report this review
Verified buyer Pro Privacy ON (login to see reviewer names) on February 21st, 2016
Mark James is a very personable, funny, and entertaining performer who is technically excellent and has perfect timing in both comedy and magic. His lecture was excellent and the material taught was superb and there is something here for just about everyone. He is also a good teacher.

I’ve commented of some of the material taught, but not all. He went on for almost 4 and a half hours (between performance and interview) and covered a lot of stuff.


I do question some of the material he taught as it was not his and is currently being taught by others who created these routines, or routines identical to what he performed before he performed them. There were also issues on crediting.

Below are a few comments on standout pieces of the lecture, along with the description provided on the lecture advert.


Subliminal Numbers - An all but self working, easy to do number prediction with a killer ending for stage.

This is a fantastic routine. I really enjoyed it when Mark Paul performed and taught it in May during his lecture.
Mark James credits Mark Paul and says he say him perform it at a lecture. I’m not sure why Mr. James is teaching it as Mark Paul just taught it, and is teaching it during HIS lectures.

An accepted rationale for teaching a routine is if one has significantly changed the methodology or significantly changed the performance, neither of these were done by Mr. James, in my opinion. The structure of the routine is identical, as is the methodology. And the teaching of the routine was not as in depth as Mark Paul’s either. The only change(?) in the routine was in how he revealed the prediction, instead of the many methods Mark Paul used, he used a PEPSI logo.


Book Test - A multi phase, multi method book test with a double twist finish and some laughs along the way.

This was very entertaining. A fantastic routine and methods for adapting an off the shelf book for book tests.
The crediting was incomplete; the primary method taught and attributed to being based on Larry Becker and his Flash Back books is infact Dan Tong’s Peek-A-Book principle, exactly as Dan published it. Also, Larry Becker credits Dan Tong for the basis of the principle in his books.


Chop Cup - Mark’s take on the classic effect in magic. Mark breaks down his favorite parts of the routine along with the psychology and bits of business.

A straight to the point routine that was great. There was loads of helpful tips and bits of business explained, and Mark’s loads are completely invisible.


Envelopes - A funny bit of business that may just fool you. Envelopes is a quick bit of business that can go before almost any effect or routine on stage.

This was a nice routine, entertaining on its own, Mark uses this to allow for new routines to be added to the show without any worry about how well they will work or fit with the rest of the show. A really nice concept.


Sponge Balls - Some tips on the classic close up trick including a little add on that will not only fry your audience, but leaves you set up to end your routine.

Another very nice routine. What I liked the most out of this was a sponge ball vanish that can be done by those of us who have issues with their hands and movement of the fingers. It is essentially a moveless vanish.


Thought Of Card Under Cup - The think of a card plot has never been more surefire. Mark takes Joe Riding's plot, as taught to him by Mark Mason and gives you the confidence to go out and do it.

Mark’s work on this is fantastic. In addition to this and several other card routines, Mark teaches a wonderful top change, provides tips for top palming, give a course on the classic force, and teaches the miracle move and a strike double lift. It is a short master Class in card handling.


Almost Impromptu Pateo - A ‘pack small, play big’ effect that fits in your wallet and uses everything single person at the table.

The routine is an impromptu worker. I’ve been doing versions of this for years and it is always a strong piece. The table is filled with objects borrowed from the audience, they are eliminated one at a time, and the last remaining item marches a prediction that has been there since before the objects were borrowed.

Nothing new is added here again, though. The routine is almost identical to Richard Osterlind’s on his Penguin 13 Steps series and on his new Eerie DVD. The only addition was adding an envelope with the word “NO” printed on it for the prediction and some jokes before presenting the routine.


Force Deck - A quick impromptu force deck you can make at home, Mark used this to solve a small problem on a cruise ship.

OK, a force deck that can be made up very quickly if needed. My dislike is that it makes the helper an instant stooge. Mark explains the situation he was in, and how this came to be. It shows that he is creative and resourceful.


Salt Pour

Mark’s performance was upbeat and fun, but the routine was typical. His opening line was similar to Dave Williamson’s from his salt routine, but as Mark says, material on DVDs is free for anyone to use.

Mark says it is not performed much anymore, but it does seem to be taught a lot, and with Tony Clark just adding his routine for sale, it is selling quite a bit too. His explanation was good and covered all the points needed with references to a few of the resources (Kozak and Levent). Mark also mentioned the lid he used on his salt shaker, allowing for a pour without having to remove it. The rest of the explanation was standard and covered better by Scott Alexander is his free Penguin lecture a few months ago,


Toy Routine

Mark says this is not an Earth shattering effect, and it isn’t. He says he taught is to show correct methods (or something along those lines) of forcing. The routine is also excellent for personalizing a presentation. In his presentation, a toy and its color are randomly selected. This can actually be anything, perfect for products, special events…

Mark did ask about the color force, he was once told it belonged to a Patrick. During the lecture it was mentioned that the force was originated by Patrick Kuffs for his Tossed Out Cube, but was left at “his use was different.” True, he had cards covering every square on the cube, 54 card stickers.

BUT, the color force was previously used. In July 2007, Anabelle Taylor’s BENEATH THE MASK was published, her routine Red Hot Rubik’s Cube in this book uses the color force, and she credit’s Kuffs for the method. (Just to set the crediting of the Rubik’s Cube color force straight.)

This was an excellent lecture, the teach was good, the performance was excellent, and the material is great and covers closeup, parlor/stage, intimate, and mentalism. Everyone can get something from this lecture.
7 of 8 magicians found this helpful.
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Simply OUTSTANDING Report this review
Verified buyer Pro Privacy ON (login to see reviewer names) on February 18th, 2016
Mark's lecture should be a MUST buy for anyone claiming to be a magician. The sheer amount of knowledge, performance tips and psychology that he shares here, in the most charismatic of ways, is invaluable for both the beginner and full time pro alike.

Mark's expertise lie not only in his expert handling of his props, but in his approach to, and expert handling of his audience.

The moments of theatre that he creates border on sheer genius.

Unlike certain "comedy" magicians, Mark is genuinely funny! In fact he is hysterical, and when you pair that level of humour with his level of insight and psychological understanding you are getting the bargain of a lifetime. If I may be blunt, if you don't buy this and study it, you are really missing out on a genuine treat...

Chris Dugdale - www.closeupsuccess.com
6 of 6 magicians found this helpful.
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non-stop gems Report this review
Verified buyer Pro Privacy ON (login to see reviewer names) on February 16th, 2016
Four 1/2 hours of non-stop gems. there is so much material that i've had to watch the lecture twice just to get notes on it all. i suspect a third viewing will bring about even more tips and ideas that went over my head due to sheer overload.

a great lecture, well worth the time and $. watch it with a note pad and prepare to be impressed - plus get some inspiration that you can start using in your material right away.
4 of 4 magicians found this helpful.
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Great Lecture - Sound is too low Report this review
Verified buyer Pro Privacy ON (login to see reviewer names) on March 24th, 2016
It is really great to see a lecture with stage magic in a world full of close up. That said there is also close up stuff here - for the lecture 5 stars. However on my laptop with the volume up full, it is still quite hard to hear, so 5 stars Mark -1 star for Penguin.
3 of 3 magicians found this helpful.
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You should buy this. Report this review
Verified buyer Pro Privacy ON (login to see reviewer names) on February 16th, 2016
Mark is my friend. As such, I hold him to higher standard than most magicians. His lecture is full of workable material peppered with his winning personality. If you perform magic for living people to make money and not for a video camera you will find a treasure trove here. I would pay 30 bucks for even one piece on here but you get 4.5 hours of tricks and advice from one of England's top pros. Don't be stupid. But this download and start doing magic for real people.
3 of 3 magicians found this helpful.
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Funny, Practical Magic Report this review
Verified buyer Pro Privacy ON (login to see reviewer names) on February 15th, 2016
Mark has delivered solid working material. There's something here for everyone. I definitely will be revamping my book test and adding an Add a Number plot because of Mark. I cannot recommend it enough!
3 of 3 magicians found this helpful.
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Mark James Report this review
Verified buyer Pro Privacy ON (login to see reviewer names) on February 15th, 2016
Fantastic so many ideas hints and tips, possibly one of the best lectures, i cant wait to see him at blackpool
3 of 3 magicians found this helpful.
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OMG Report this review
Verified buyer Pro Privacy ON (login to see reviewer names) on May 30th, 2016
I just passed the halfway point in this lecture and I'm already blown away by the quality of material and advice. I bought this lecture by itself, which means I paid full price and I'm so glad I did. Mark is right up there with Mr. Mason with regard to showmanship and quality of entertainment not to mention how he handles an audience. I have to go now so I can watch the rest...because I can't wait any longer
2 of 2 magicians found this helpful.
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Four and a half hours of gold! Report this review
Pro Privacy ON (login to see reviewer names) on February 15th, 2016
What a great lecture! Some of the best advice about approaching and FINISHING at a restaurant table, I've ever heard.... complete with a slick, fast and dazzling opening routine.

Lots of great material and tips; from cards to mentalism to sponge balls... some even too good to share. (right, Dan?) Mark also offers advice on simplifying some of the basic, essential sleights... and his tips on finding and using humor really hit home!

Plus, we witnessed the birth of a great trick/routine created by Mark just days ago, which Dan helped to hone, as only Dan can.

If this review sounds like a Penguin Live! promo, it's only because Mark James' lecture was that good!!!
2 of 2 magicians found this helpful.
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Excellent! Report this review
Verified buyer Pro Privacy ON (login to see reviewer names) on May 1st, 2016
This is one of the best lectures I have ever seen! He presents a ton of workable material, and is hilarious to boot. Mark is a true professional, and there is gold in this lecture!
1 of 1 magicians found this helpful.
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