Special Guests

Mystifieruk: If you had to pick just five, which of your special guests would you say you have the strongest recollection of? How much influence did you have over who was featured?

Sadly, your early shows came prior to my serious interest in magic but I would love to see a list of everyone who was featured. I shudder now at the thought that I might have missed the likes of Slydini.

Paul Daniels: Slydini was never a guest. I wish! He was way up there for me. An astonishing performer.

My five? The Koziaks, who had a girl doing somesaults etc on a flexible pole; The Gunslinger, Bob, whose surname escapes me at this moment; The man who caught arrows fired from a power bow; Hans Moretti and the wonderful Helga; and all of the jugglers, because I think the world does not recognise enough the hours that they put it to achieve that coordination.

Mystifieruk: I could almost cry at top juggling acts and was over the moon to see my all-time favourites 'Fackelli and Kil' return to last year's Blackpool Gala; they would undoubtedly feature in my 'All-time Dream Show'.

I can strongly remember two guys juggling on your show, a large one in a bright checked suit and a small thin one in a black suit, who also featured some card manips. Bobo and Beppi (???) or something like that. I have tried to look them up since but never succeeded. Can you remember who they were or where they were from?

I love specialty acts too and find it interesting that the only magician you mentioned in your reply was Hans who in fact verges on being specialty rather than magic.

Coleman: I personally believe more mutual respect is needed across the performance arts.

have you observed much 'elitism' (for want of a better word) between the performance arts or do those kind of negative attitudes disappear at the top level?

Paul Daniels: I think they were Russian or from the Ukraine. They were great but where I am I cannot look them up. You could ask Tim Reed...he'll have it at his fingertips I'm sure.

Elitism is in every part of the world.... interestingly I had my eyes opened when I got inside the world of ballet, which is perceived to be elitist, and found the actual dancers to be great, normal, fun... and in many cases, truly fanciable

Chabang: Would that be Buba & Buka - if so I've never managed to find a website for them in any language and the last performance I can find from them is at Monti-Carlo in 1995.

Mystifieruk: Something like that! Although not doing anything all that out of the ordinary (e.g. cane, hat and cigar), those guys had an enormous hook and I have vivid recollection of them. I would love to watch it again to see exactly why it worked so well.

My most vivid recollection of you (Paul) strangely, has to be the chimpanzees. Bloody wierd, and sometimes frustrating, what things actually make it to permanent memory.

There is a section in Orff's Carmina Burana where even today, it always brings back the memory of the small guy doing the hand-to-hand back-palm/produce bit. Amazing how this small piece of Television has stuck so strongly.

I also strongly remember the late Johnny Paul doing the cups and balls on 'The Paul Daniels Show'. Not a particularly great routine but an incredible warmth.

Paul Daniels: Yup.. that's them and I remember being astonished that he was using the old vest servante in his manipulations.

You might not think that JP's cups and balls were a great routine but I have seen him do it on a bar and get SCREAMS from lay people. Great man, great live performer.

Mystifieruk: Shame you'll be gone from this forum soon Paul. Your short stay has meant sitting on my hands because you will already be bombarded by questions but there are so many more things I would like to have asked.

As icons of British TV pass on, such as the most recent Ronnie Barker, their passing makes the national news and programmes are re-scheduled to show much loved clips. I don't want to sound macabre but it must feel strange to know that this will happen when 'Paul Daniels' time comes. It is difficult to think of any way by which a magician could reach a greater height. You have done magic a great service and have established yourself as one of its greats. Well done sir!

Paul Daniels: Thank you for that... and may it be a long time before they show my clips!!!!!

Gareth: Very nice that Mystifieruk , and Paul you have been a great guest to all of us and I wish you and your family all the best in the future.

Paul Daniels: No problem and thanks back to all you guys who have been so nice to me this week.... what time is it? 0244... BED TIME!

Pass Times

Turgon: Another couple of questions for you paul.

What do you do in your spare time (even in its scarce state)?

And secondly when you first started out into magic was there any particular area you did a lot of or want to move into? Did you do a lot of cards or did you want to do the large scale illusions right from the start?

Graham Nichols: I remember Paul appearing with his first wife as Eldarni (sp?) and doing a great card manipulation act. So if you're a small guy with podgy hands and think that manipulation acts are only for the Channing Pollocks of this world then think again! Paul was great! (and still is, of course)

Sorry, didn't mean to appear rude by answering on the great man's behalf. Just remembering a truly 'magic' moment at my end of the string.

Over to you Paul ...

Paul Daniels: Spare time? What's that? to keep up with all that you could try http://journals.aol.co.uk/thepauldaniels/PaulDanielsDiary from time to time. It's mostly a weekly thing that I do.

In the beginning I didn't want to focus on any particular aspect of magic, I wanted it all! I couldn't afford illusions in the beginning anyway but there's tons of other stuff.

As for the Eldanis....(anagram of Daniels), I enjoyed creating that act but in reality it was an act for magic shows and competitions. It was a silent act and I had to talk to take it to the length club owners wanted.

Thanks for the memory!

Stagecraft & Presence

Skorpion: Paul you mention stagecraft being essential to a routine. There's a group of us working the pubs, but 1 guy has a big confidence problem. Do you think working on a "character" for himself would help? He's good but is better when doing an effect on women than blokes. Do you think its better to be natural, or create yourself a persona?

By the way do you still have a house in N.Wales because its just down the road from where I live.

Paul Daniels: Confidence is a funny thing to acquire but at the end of the day, what is there to be unsure about? Why by shy? I was, until I saw a male stripper and realised that I could NEVER look as stupid as he did!v

I like natural performances but I have known people who have ACTED their way into that ACT becoming THEM!

I have never ever owned a house in North Wales.