Houdini centenary, fresh ideas and a busy run of UK shows
Welcome to this week’s round-up of the magic world. A new radio series is revisiting Houdini’s life and legacy, UK stages are full of illusion and theatrical magic, and dealers are listing a broad mix of new card effects, books and practical props.
✨ New & notable at Discount Magic
This selection is taken from the products shown in the homepage’s “What’s New” catalogue feed, with the items featured in the previous version deliberately removed. It mixes playing-card essentials, a visual stage prop, a compact performer’s supply and a comedy classic. Prices below are catalogue-snapshot values; please check the linked product pages for current details.
Classic Blue Waddingtons Number 1 Playing Cards
Traditional blue-backed playing cards with a linen finish, suitable for family card games and everyday card-table use.
Classic Red Waddingtons Number 1 Playing Cards
The familiar red version of Waddingtons Number 1, with a linen-finish pack for card games and a useful low-cost addition to a magic kit.
Waddingtons Number 1 Playing Cards Classic Twin Pack
Two classic packs in one purchase—a practical option for family game nights, spares or keeping a second deck close at hand.
Fantastico Metal Appearing Cane 110cm (Wood Grain Effect)
A compact metal cane that expands to around 110cm with a fast visual appearance, designed for stage routines and silk-to-cane presentations.
Sharpie Mini Black
A keyring-sized permanent marker for performers who want a compact pen handy for signed-card routines, coins and everyday carry.
Clatter Box – Metal
A classic comedy prop: a silk appears to return to a box, only for the box to fall apart in the spectator’s hands. This metal version gives the gag an extra clatter.
Table Servante
A discreet hidden pocket that attaches along the inner edge of a table, helping close-up performers manage secret loads and vanishes smoothly.
📰 The stories shaping the week
How Houdini Made Magic is now underway
Derren Brown’s ten-part series began on BBC Radio 4 on 19 October, with the complete box set also released on BBC Sounds. Rather than focusing only on escapes, the series looks at Houdini as a performer, self-publicist, innovator and sceptic—and at how reinvention and publicity helped make him a cultural figure.
Read the RadioToday report →Houdini Halloween 100: London, 26 October
The Magic Circle’s centenary event is scheduled for Monday 26 October at the Hippodrome Casino in Leicester Square. Written and presented by Paul Zenon, the live biographical show features Houdini-inspired effects and stunts. The venue lists the event as recommended for ages 18 and above.
Event details and age guidance →Kevin Quantum’s Anti-Gravity tour starts today
The UK tour opens in Nottingham on 23 October, then moves through Bedford, Louth, Norwich and London before continuing into November. The show combines illusion and levitation with a science-led presentation and humour.
See the official tour dates →South Tyneside festival brought a fresh line-up
The South Tyneside International Magic Festival took place on 17–18 October. The announced bill included David Penn & D4RYL, Yann Frisch, Andrew Frost, Gabriel Werlen, Bron Ivy, Mark Bennett, Lee Thompson, Iain Bailey, Sid Quatrine and Steffen Peddie. Organisers said every act was appearing at the convention for the first time.
Read the MagicWeek coverage →Edinburgh MagicFest announces its Christmas programme
The Edinburgh International Magic Festival runs from 19–30 December. The programme includes close-up and stage magic, family shows, experimental performance, rare Houdini photographs and optical illusions. Kevin Quantum and Ben Hart are among the names joining forces for Magical Christmas.
Explore the festival programme →The next generation gets a bigger stage
The Magic Circle’s Young Magician of the Year 2027 competition is accepting both stage and close-up entries from young performers aged 10–18. The published deadline for applications is 31 December 2026, with eight finalists planned across the two categories.
Visit The Magic Circle →🃏 New-release watch: what dealers are listing
Trickifi’s October tracker was updated on 19 October and records 66 tricks, downloads, books and decks first listed by dealers during October. The latest entries visible in that update include products listed between 13 and 16 October—listing dates should not be confused with the creators’ original launch dates.
Countdown Repeat
By Gonzalo Albiñana & CrazyJokers, with poker-size and larger performance versions listed by Alakazam. It was one of the most recent entries in the October tracker, listed on 16 October.
Outside the Box, Stellar and Magic Knot Illusion
These three effects were among the listings dated 15 October. The same update also includes Juan Luis Rubiales’s Dominoes Prediction and Peter Heylands’s book Peter in Your Pocket—a mix of props, prediction plots and printed material.
Black Swan and new themed decks
The October list includes Black Swan by SUN & MJ, plus decks such as Voodoo Playing Cards, Behind the Fairy Tales and Cupido. This is another sign of the market’s breadth: specialist performance props sit alongside collectible and design-led playing cards.
Murphy’s Magic: current catalogue highlights
Murphy’s Magic’s homepage currently features the IARVEL Keychain, 55th-anniversary Monster Cereals playing cards—including Count Chocula and BooBerry—plus The Progressive Book Test by Michael O’Brien. These are current homepage highlights, not all confirmed as launches from this week.
Browse Murphy’s Magic →Release sources: Trickifi October 2026 tracker, Alakazam’s current catalogue and Murphy’s Magic.
💡 The takeaway
Three themes stand out this week: magic history is finding new audiences through audio and live theatre; dealers are listing everything from practical close-up tools to collectible decks; and performers continue to put as much thought into character and presentation as into method. Explore the New section at Discount Magic for more catalogue ideas, or browse the full Discount Magic shop.
Coming up: Kevin Quantum’s Anti-Gravity tour continues around the UK; The Magic Circle’s Houdini Halloween 100 is on 26 October; the Houdini centenary falls on 31 October; and applications for the Young Magician of the Year 2027 close on 31 December.
