Illusionist Uri Geller says he was buyer of John Lennon’s glasses for £40,000
Performer reveals himself as winning bidder for the round spectacles, saying he had been a friend of the Beatle
July 2024
Tony Shiels obituary
Tweedy’s Massive Circus review – a lovable lark from start to finish
June 2024
‘I cast spells at the audience’: Bat for Lashes on howling, magic and new documentary on witch trials
Natasha Khan joins Suranne Jones to speak out for women persecuted in the infamous trials – and channels their powers on stage
‘I haven’t been to school’: the superstar magician who has performed since she was six
Suhani Shah turned professional in first grade – and she has even had to convince people she’s not actually magic
Today in Focus
Magic Dave: David Copperfield’s alleged victims speak out – part 2
Sixteen women have accused the magician of sexual misconduct and inappropriate behaviour spanning decades. Copperfield’s lawyers say the allegations are ‘not only completely false but also entirely implausible’
May 2024
From the Observer archive
Casting a spell: meeting three witches in 1968
Despite what we might have assumed, it wasn’t all about the sex
April 2024
‘A part of who we are’: how a Black queer magician is carrying on a long tradition
Nicole Cardoza is one of the US’s only Black female magicians with her own touring show, highlighting the Black illusionists who came before her
January 2024
‘That’s impossible!’ Why UK theatre’s gone mad for magic and wild special effects
Need to make an elephant vanish, an aeroplane take off or a wizard fly? As magic grips the stage, illusionist supremos reveal how they turn the likes of Stranger Things into eye-popping spectaculars
Other lives
Harry Randall obituary
Other lives: Conjuror who performed all over the UK and was a member of the Magic Circle
Book of the day
Magus by Anthony Grafton review – spellbound
A serious yet accessible history of learned magic, from Ficino to Faustus
November 2023
David Berglas obituary
Magician and illusionist who was one of the first conjurors to establish himself on British television in the 1950s
A deep sense of wonder, a firm grasp on reality: what magicians can teach us about mental health
Peter Ormerod
A study suggests professional deceivers may be less prone to mental disorders, says cultural journalist Peter Ormerod
Magicians less prone to mental disorders than other artists, finds research
The Box of Delights review – the RSC makes merry with Masefield’s fantasy
British magician David Berglas dies aged 97
October 2023
British university offers master’s degree in magic and the occult
Course exploring impact of magic and witchcraft on society comes amid growing interest in folklore
September 2023
Unbelievable review – Derren Brown presents an evening of magic by proxy
There’s plenty to enjoy here as a cast of non-magicians subvert conjuring convention with song, dance and synchronised skill
August 2023
Edinburgh’s superstar magicians on secrets and surprises: ‘You have to be very good at lying’
Food review – Edinburgh festival banquet serves up theatrical spectacle
