This write-up is to introduce magicians and magic fans to the wealthy historical past of magic in Singapore. It honours the notable achievements, prominence and significance of regional magicians from the past and present.
The beginning of Modern Magic in Singapore
It is the basic consensus that modern magic in Singapore (submit Planet War two) commenced with the late-Ng Bo
Oen AKA The Excellent Wong. Info on regional magic pre-war is extremely scarce. The only information located has been on The Great Wong carrying out at the New Entire world Amusement Park (then located at Kitchener Highway) in the nineteen thirties.
The Excellent Wong was born in 1908 in Shanton, a city of the Guangdong Province, China and immigrated to Singapore in 1933. He was the only specialist magician of his time in Singapore and carried out throughout South East Asia. He was acknowledged for his sharp phase magic, Linking Rings schedule and Sword Basket illusion. He was also an professional 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 important contribution to the international magic local community by publishing his well-known linking rings regimen with English script created 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 execute at the 15th Entire world Congree of Magic in Lausanne, Switzerland.
(For far more information on The Great Wong refer to ‘The Great Wong Story’ in The Intercontinental Brotherhood of Magicians Singapore Ring 115 The Quantum Ring Golden Jubilee Concern)
Yet another nearby magician who was instrumental in growing contemporary magic in Singapore for the duration of the starting was the late-Tan Hock Chuan. He was a teacher by job but performed for once-a-year special events, charity shows and private functions. He was (and still is) internationally known for his magical inventions. His effects and ideas are even now marketed dealer objects these days and have been printed in a great number of publications (of that time) such as Gen, Spinx, Pentagram, New Pentagram, Swami Mantra, Abracadabra and even Tarbell’s Course in Magic. He is the very first Asian magician to receive the Spinx Award (1936-37)
Both The Wonderful Wong and Tan Hock Chuan ended up crucial influences to numerous of the 1st generation of Singapore modern day-magicians who have paved the way for future generations.
nineteen fifties
It was only after the war and for the duration of the British Military Administration that magic in Singapore started its rise to where it is these days. 1950 was the year that the Singapore Magician’s Club was formed by a team of beginner magicians, comprising of English-educated experts.
In 1951 the Singapore Magician’s Club gained their charter from The International Brotherhood of Magicians HQ in America and was from then on was formally recognized as The International Brotherhood of Magicians Singapore Ring a hundred and fifteen. Founding associates of the club at that time incorporated Tan Ewe Chee (President), Yeo Quickly 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 very first era of contemporary magicians. In addition to the founding users of the IBM Ring and The Wonderful Wong (who joined the Ring in 1952 by invitation), some prominent very first technology magicians incorporated Lim Hap Hin, Tan Choon Tee, Tan Bah Chee, Yeo Soon Kian and his scholar Michael Lim.
The Great Wong operated the first magic store from his home cum showroom/ workshop in Singapore at 255-A Jalan Besar where he bought his personal handcrafted props as effectively as imported supplier objects from Japan. (This home/ store was wrecked in a fire in Dec 1988 causing him to get rid of most of his textbooks and props)
sixties
For the duration of this period of time, magicians like The Fantastic Wong, Tan Bah Chee, Lim Hap Hin and Tan Choon Tee conducted magic programs at the National Theatre Club and the YMCA. They had been accountable for creating energetic magicians such as Charles Choo, Wong Fok Choy, Chia Hearn Jiang, Gwee Thiam Hock and the late-Vijeyacone.
The early 60s also saw the ‘Golden Age’ of magic with magicians executing at different venues across the nation. Aside from nearby magicians carrying out in night time clubs, overseas magicians such as Socar done a grand illusion present to a full property at the Capitol Theatre (along Stamford Street) and The Excellent Nicholas at the Sky Theater in The Great Globe Amusement Park at Kim Seng Highway (Now, Fantastic Planet City).
In the late 60s, Wee Peng Guan (Uncle of Charles Choo), opened the second magic store in Singapore at a shop property together Robinson Road. All around that time, popular 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 producing a name for himself in the worldwide magic neighborhood in the subject of Mentalism. He gained several global Linking Ring Awards for his A single-Male Parades and has two books printed by Micky Hades. He was also a normal contributor to quite a few intercontinental magic magazines such as Gen, New Pentagram, Magicgram, Magicana and The Linking Ring.
Abroad magicians whom handed through Singapore provided Milo & Roger, Milbourne Christopher and Maurice Fogel.
1970s
The 1970s observed the delivery of the second era of Singapore magicians. Some properly-identified magicians who got started out throughout this time integrated The Wonderful Wong’s son Ng Kee Chee, John Teo, Tang Sai Thong, Ng Seow Kiat, Tang Yeng Fun, Bob Chua, Eric Leong, Tan Teck Seng, Lawrence Tham, Tan Tuan Seng, Lawrence Khong and Andrew Kong.
The Singapore Association of Magicians was started on 10 March 1973 in friendly ‘rivalry’ to the IBM Ring. The club was led by Tan Bah Chee with well known founding members this sort of as Lim Hap Hin, Tan Hock Chuan and Charles Choo.
Magic retailers 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. Charles Choo opened his store in August 1978 on the sixth flooring of Considerably East Purchasing Centre. (It would transfer many times to various malls but at some point returned again to Much East). His store would before long turn out to be an institution the place magicians would buy different magic products as properly as fulfill up and find out from each other.
It was a assortment haunt for numerous magicians in the a long time to arrive until the shop shut in the new millennium.
For the duration of this time period, The Tropicana Night time Club, which was positioned at Pacific Plaza, was a venue that had regular magic performances. A number of renowned magicians also visited Singapore in the 70s. In 1970, John Calvert carried out at the Countrywide Theatre. In 1972, Albert Goshman visited Ring one hundred fifteen to give a lecture. In that very same year, “The Professor” Dai Vernon also visited Singapore, lectured and interacted with nearby magicians. Other browsing magicians integrated Andre Kole, Billy McComb, and Ali Bongo.
eighties
By the nineteen eighties, the local magic scene was flourishing with healthful memberships for the two principal magic golf equipment as well as a surge in the quantity of carrying out magicians. Several of present day veterans made 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 carrying out regularly at community and personal shows throughout this ten years. Popular local venues for community magic exhibits by magic clubs held on a typical basis at that time incorporated the Drama Centre and the National Museum Theatrette.
The reputation of magic retailers also grew and in 1982, Chew Kin Track opened a Magic & Novelty Corner at the Chinese E-book Section of Popular Guide Co Pte Ltd on the 4th Ground of Bras Basah Complex. Gician Tan also opened up his initial magic shop at Parkway Parade which subsequently moved to Marina Sq. and was managed by Richard Ang. Besides this principal shop, he distributed magic things and sets via section shops
in Singapore and South East Asia.The Singapore viewers was also uncovered to globe-course magic through many magic tv displays and sequence that ended up aired on nearby Television set such as the David Copperfield specials, Magic Magic and The Very best of Magic.
Foreign magicians who visited Singapore throughout this time provided David Copperfield, Mark Wilson, Ben Harris, Paul Daniels and Gene Anderson.
1990s
The starting of this ten years noticed the introduction of the country’s third technology magicians into the nearby magic scene. Well known budding magicians integrated 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 regional chapter of Global Magicians Society was shaped, launched by its President, Tan Bah Chee despite the fact that the club’s existence in Singapore was short-lived.
The late-1990s observed a large surge in magic global reputation due to David Blaine’s street magic specials. A lot of folks started out to ‘get into’ magic and had new mediums to understand the craft these kinds of as the introduction of DVDs and the Web.
A new magic store, Magic Castle & Promotions, opened up by Vijay Kumar at Shaw Towers quickly turned ‘the place to be’ exactly where new magicians would hang out and fulfill.
Throughout this ten years, Wang Leng’s shop in Peninsula Plaza was sold to Patrick Wan. The shop was subsequently offered to Richard Ang and is now effectively acknowledged as Ang Residence of Magic. Patrick Wan opened his new store, Magic Wand, which has spawned into a number of retailers in various elements of Singapore. Steven Sim also opened Magic Supreme at Coronation Plaza which has subsequently moved to Park Mall.
The 90s was an exciting decade with numerous visits and performances by famous magicians. Aside from lectures by Michael & Hannah Ammar, Mark Leveridge and Wolfgang & Sonja Riebe there ended up also community theatre performances by the Pendragons, Princess Tenko, Andre Kole, Franz Harary, David Copperfield, Rudy Coby and Robert Gallop. Other visiting magicians integrated Larry Becker, Tim Ellis, Terry Seabrooke, Phil Cass and Albert Tham.
2000 – Present
Magic has ongoing to prosper at the local degree in this 10 years. New options and skills have emerged to elevate the art in Singapore. In Could 2000, J C Sum staged the initial ever neighborhood full-evening theatre demonstrate ‘Magic at the Theatre’ at Victoria Theatre. Just a month later, much more than a dozen magicians from the US and Canada arrived down to Singapore as portion of the Magic Festival structured by the Malls of Centrepoint. Magicians these kinds of as Robert Baxt, Rocco and Peter Gossamer done a number of exhibits at a variety of Centrepoint Malls for more than a 7 days.
In 2004, the Singapore Magic Circle (SMC) was developed by Aloysius Yeo and with its on-line discussion board drew a new pool of magic lovers together. SMC has given that developed to over 1000 members and frequently arrange gatherings, functions as well as the current Concept:Magic Micro MAGIC Convention in January 2007.
Via a big-scale theatre magic musical ‘Magic of Love’, Lawrence Khong, a pastor with Faith Group Baptist Church and his daughter Pricilla, unfold the gospel concept.
The multi-million dollar generation has been staged many occasions over the several years throughout the globe to spread the term of Christ. Subsequently, the very same crew organized two Worldwide Festival of Magic conventions in 2003 & 2005. The very first of its kind big magic activities integrated competitions, lectures, a dealers’ space and performances. Worldwide performers this kind of as Jeff McBride, Max Maven, Johnny Thomspon, The Pendragons, Lee Eun Gyeol and Tommy Ponder were booked to perform at the gala shows and lectures.
In latest years, J C Sum has turn out to be arguably the most distinguished Singapore magician of this generation. His magic has been noticed by thousands and thousands by way of his reside performances across Asia as effectively as his landmark mass media tasks on MediaCorp Studio’s Ch eight as effectively as subsequent ‘Street Illusions’ compilation DVD/ VCD.
His 24-episode ‘Magic in Motion’ collection can at the moment be seen day-to-day on Singapore Press Holdings MediaBoxOffice by means of 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 3 critically acclaimed illusion books that have been offered in much more than 30 nations to day.
An additional gifted award-successful magician, Jeremy Pei, is boosting the profile of Singapore magic within the regional magic local community with his theatre displays, arranged lectures, workshops and active participation in magic conventions & competitions in Japan, Korea, China, Thailand and Australia. His exclusive North-Asian impact type of magic efficiency has garnered him a subsequent with new budding magicians whom he teaches and guides. He has also launched several first magic merchandise which are obtainable to magicians globally.
In yet another very first, award-successful junior magician, Kyle Ravin secured a 13-episode weekly Street Magic collection, “Maya” on MediaCorp Studios’ Vasantham Central. This 30min collection noticed him execute magic for the Indian group and famous people throughout the nation.
This 10 years has observed the introduction of even more magic retailers and sellers operate by younger magicians to fulfill the demand of magic lovers and magicians. https://www.bookamagician.com/ include new ‘brick & mortar’ magic outlets this sort of as Road Magic by Tan Wei Ping, Tough Enterprise by Jimmy Wong, The Magic Corridor by Kenneth Peh as well as on-line shops like The Minor Magic Shop by Ning.