This report is to introduce magicians and magic lovers to the abundant background of magic in Singapore. It honours the noteworthy achievements, prominence and importance of local magicians from the previous and present.

The beginning of Present day Magic in Singapore

It is the general consensus that contemporary magic in Singapore (submit World War 2) began with the late-Ng Bo

Oen AKA The Fantastic Wong. Details on neighborhood magic pre-war is really scarce. The only details identified has been on The Wonderful Wong executing at the New Globe Amusement Park (then located at Kitchener Highway) in the thirties.

The Fantastic 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 performed throughout South East Asia. He was known for his sharp phase magic, Linking Rings regimen and Sword Basket illusion. He was also an expert craftsman who developed all of his props by hand. He had the reward of figuring out the mechanics and methodology of magic props and fabricating them from scratch.

In 1962, The Fantastic Wong produced a substantial contribution to the worldwide magic neighborhood by publishing his well-known linking rings program with English script created by Tudor Brock. Davenports Magic in London distributes his manuscript to date. In 1982, he was invited by the Federation Internationale des Societes Magiques (FISM) to complete at the 15th Globe Congree of Magic in Lausanne, Switzerland.

(For more info on The Wonderful Wong refer to ‘The Great Wong Story’ in The Global Brotherhood of Magicians Singapore Ring one hundred fifteen The Quantum Ring Golden Jubilee Concern)

Another nearby magician who was instrumental in growing modern magic in Singapore in the course of the commencing was the late-Tan Hock Chuan. He was a teacher by career but done for once-a-year particular activities, charity exhibits and private get-togethers. He was (and nonetheless is) internationally acknowledged for his magical inventions. His results and suggestions are even now marketed seller items right now and have been released in many publications (of that time) this sort of as Gen, Spinx, Pentagram, New Pentagram, Swami Mantra, Abracadabra and even Tarbell’s Program in Magic. He is the first Asian magician to obtain the Spinx Award (1936-37)

The two The Great Wong and Tan Hock Chuan ended up critical influences to numerous of the very first generation of Singapore contemporary-magicians who have paved the way for potential generations.

nineteen fifties

It was only right after the war and throughout the British Armed forces Administration that magic in Singapore began its rise to where it is these days. 1950 was the year that the Singapore Magician’s Club was shaped by a group of newbie magicians, comprising of English-educated specialists.

In 1951 the Singapore Magician’s Club obtained their constitution from The International Brotherhood of Magicians HQ in The united states and was from then on was formally acknowledged as The Intercontinental Brotherhood of Magicians Singapore Ring a hundred and fifteen. Founding associates of the club at that time incorporated 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 start to Singapore’s 1st generation of modern day magicians. Apart from the founding members of the IBM Ring and The Fantastic Wong (who joined the Ring in 1952 by invitation), some prominent 1st era magicians integrated Lim Hap Hin, Tan Choon Tee, Tan Bah Chee, Yeo Quickly Kian and his student Michael Lim.

The Great Wong operated the initial magic shop from his house cum showroom/ workshop in Singapore at 255-A Jalan Besar the place he sold his very own handcrafted props as effectively as imported dealer things from Japan. (This residence/ shop was ruined in a fire in Dec 1988 causing him to drop most of his textbooks and props)

nineteen sixties

For the duration of this time period, magicians like The Wonderful Wong, Tan Bah Chee, Lim Hap Hin and Tan Choon Tee performed magic courses at the Nationwide Theatre Club and the YMCA. They ended up dependable for generating lively magicians this kind of 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 various venues across the place. Aside from neighborhood magicians doing in evening clubs, foreign magicians these kinds of as Socar performed a grand illusion demonstrate to a total house at the Capitol Theatre (alongside Stamford Highway) and The Great Nicholas at the Sky Theater in The Excellent Planet Amusement Park at Kim Seng Highway (Now, Excellent Planet City).

In the late 60s, Wee Peng Guan (Uncle of Charles Choo), opened the next magic store in Singapore at a store property alongside Robinson Street. About that time, common entertainer Victor Khoo’s father Khoo Teng Heng who was a magician, a ventriloquist and hypnotist opened his magic shop at Bras Basah. (the place Carlton Lodge stands presently).

Throughout this decade, Tan Choon Tee was making a name for himself in the international magic local community in the area of Mentalism. He gained many global Linking Ring Awards for his 1-Man Parades and has two textbooks revealed by Micky Hades. He was also a regular contributor to quite a few global magic publications these kinds of as Gen, New Pentagram, Magicgram, Magicana and The Linking Ring.

Abroad magicians whom handed by way of Singapore incorporated Milo & Roger, Milbourne Christopher and Maurice Fogel.

nineteen seventies

The 1970s observed the delivery of the second generation of Singapore magicians. Some well-identified magicians who received started out for the duration of this time provided The Excellent 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 Association of Magicians was founded on ten March 1973 in helpful ‘rivalry’ to the IBM Ring. The club was led by Tan Bah Chee with well known founding members such as Lim Hap Hin, Tan Hock Chuan and Charles Choo.

Magic shops in Singapore started to spring up during 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 6th ground of Considerably East Buying Centre. (It would transfer a number of times to a variety of malls but eventually returned back to Far East). His store would shortly grow to be an establishment where magicians would acquire different magic merchandise as well as meet up and discover from every other.

It was a assortment haunt for many magicians in the several years to arrive till the store closed in the new millennium.

Throughout this period, The Tropicana Night time Club, which was positioned at Pacific Plaza, was a venue that had standard magic performances. Many popular magicians also frequented Singapore in the 70s. In 1970, John Calvert done at the Nationwide Theatre. In 1972, Albert Goshman frequented Ring 115 to give a lecture. In that very same 12 months, “The Professor” Dai Vernon also visited Singapore, lectured and interacted with nearby magicians. Other visiting magicians included Andre Kole, Billy McComb, and Ali Bongo.

eighties

By the nineteen eighties, the regional magic scene was flourishing with healthier memberships for the two principal magic clubs as nicely as a surge in the amount of carrying out magicians. Many of present-day veterans manufactured their name in the 80s. Acquainted names like Richard Ang, Patrick Wan, Patrick Ng Wang Lin, Tan Hai Yan AKA Gician, Paul Koh, AB Francis and Gordon Koh have been executing routinely at general public and non-public demonstrates for the duration of this decade. Well-known neighborhood venues for public magic exhibits by magic clubs held on a standard basis at that time included the Drama Centre and the Nationwide Museum Theatrette.

The popularity of magic stores also grew and in 1982, Chew Kin Tune opened a Magic & Novelty Corner at the Chinese E-book Section of Well-known E-book Co Pte Ltd on the 4th Floor of Bras Basah Complex. Gician Tan also opened up his initial magic store at Parkway Parade which subsequently moved to Marina Sq. and was managed by Richard Ang. In addition to this principal store, he distributed magic things and sets by way of section retailers

in Singapore and South East Asia.The Singapore viewers was also uncovered to planet-class magic by way of many magic television displays and series that had been aired on local Television which includes the David Copperfield specials, Magic Magic and The Ideal of Magic.

International magicians who visited Singapore throughout this time included David Copperfield, Mark Wilson, Ben Harris, Paul Daniels and Gene Anderson.

1990s

The starting of this ten years observed the introduction of the country’s third technology magicians into the local magic scene. Well known 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 neighborhood chapter of Worldwide Magicians Culture was shaped, founded by its President, Tan Bah Chee even though the club’s presence in Singapore was brief-lived.

The late-nineteen nineties observed a large surge in magic world-wide acceptance due to David Blaine’s street magic specials. Numerous individuals started to ‘get into’ magic and experienced new mediums to discover the craft this sort of as the introduction of DVDs and the World wide web.

A new magic store, Magic Castle & Promotions, opened up by Vijay Kumar at Shaw Towers quickly became ‘the location to be’ the place new magicians would hang out and meet up with.

In the course of this ten years, Wang Leng’s store in Peninsula Plaza was bought to Patrick Wan. The store was subsequently offered to Richard Ang and is now properly known as Ang Residence of Magic. Patrick Wan opened his new store, Magic Wand, which has spawned into a number of outlets 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 fascinating decade with many visits and performances by famous magicians. Apart from lectures by Michael & Hannah Ammar, Mark Leveridge and Wolfgang & Sonja Riebe there had been also general public theatre performances by the Pendragons, Princess Tenko, Andre Kole, Franz Harary, David Copperfield, Rudy Coby and Robert Gallop. Other browsing magicians incorporated Larry Becker, Tim Ellis, Terry Seabrooke, Phil Cass and Albert Tham.

2000 – Existing

Magic has continued to flourish at the local level in this ten years. New opportunities and talents have emerged to elevate the art in Singapore. In May possibly 2000, J C Sum staged the very first ever local full-night theatre present ‘Magic at the Theatre’ at Victoria Theatre. Just a month later on, much more than a dozen magicians from the US and Canada came down to Singapore as element of the Magic Competition arranged by the Malls of Centrepoint. warlockmagicspells.com/lovespells Magicians this kind of as Robert Baxt, Rocco and Peter Gossamer done multiple exhibits at numerous Centrepoint Malls for above a 7 days.

In 2004, the Singapore Magic Circle (SMC) was produced by Aloysius Yeo and with its on-line forum drew a new pool of magic enthusiasts collectively. SMC has because grown to more than a thousand associates and routinely organize gatherings, functions as nicely as the modern Idea:Magic Micro MAGIC Conference in January 2007.

By way of a massive-scale theatre magic musical ‘Magic of Love’, Lawrence Khong, a pastor with Religion Neighborhood Baptist Church and his daughter Pricilla, unfold the gospel information.

The multi-million dollar creation has been staged numerous times over the years across the entire world to unfold the word of Christ. Subsequently, the very same staff arranged two Worldwide Pageant of Magic conventions in 2003 & 2005. The very first of its kind huge magic events integrated competitions, lectures, a dealers’ space and performances. Intercontinental performers this kind of as Jeff McBride, Max Maven, Johnny Thomspon, The Pendragons, Lee Eun Gyeol and Tommy Surprise had been booked to complete at the gala shows and lectures.

In modern a long time, J C Sum has become arguably the most prominent Singapore magician of this technology. His magic has been noticed by tens of millions via his dwell performances throughout Asia as properly as his landmark mass media assignments on MediaCorp Studio’s Ch eight as nicely as subsequent ‘Street Illusions’ compilation DVD/ VCD.

His 24-episode ‘Magic in Motion’ sequence can at the moment be seen daily on Singapore Push Holdings MediaBoxOffice by means of 2007. In the worldwide magic local community, J C has also set up himself as an elite illusion designer from Asia with the publication of his 3 critically acclaimed illusion publications that have been bought in far more than thirty countries to day.

Yet another proficient award-profitable magician, Jeremy Pei, is increasing the profile of Singapore magic within the regional magic neighborhood with his theatre demonstrates, organized lectures, workshops and active participation in magic conventions & competitions in Japan, Korea, China, Thailand and Australia. His exclusive North-Asian impact fashion of magic functionality has garnered him a subsequent with new budding magicians whom he teaches and guides. He has also unveiled a number of authentic magic merchandise which are available to magicians worldwide.

In an additional very first, award-profitable junior magician, Kyle Ravin secured a 13-episode weekly Street Magic series, “Maya” on MediaCorp Studios’ Vasantham Central. This 30min series saw him carry out magic for the Indian group and famous people across the place.

This decade has observed the introduction of even more magic shops and dealers run by young magicians to meet up with the demand of magic fanatics and magicians. These consist of new ‘brick & mortar’ magic stores this kind of as Avenue Magic by Tan Wei Ping, Challenging Business by Jimmy Wong, The Magic Hall by Kenneth Peh as well as on-line outlets like The Small Magic Shop by Ning.