Guy Hollingworth - Career

Career

Hollingworth first became interested in magic at the age of 13 when he was a pupil at St Paul's School, a private school in west London. The school has a magic club called The Prestige Society, which Hollingworth joined in preference over activities such as classics or sports practice which he would otherwise have been expected to do. He was inspired by seeing footage of magician Channing Pollock, which was shown as part of the television series The Best of Magic, broadcast by Thames Television in 1989-90. Hollingworth has stated that he was also influenced during the same period by seeing Ricky Jay perform on the Channel 4 television series The Secret Cabaret. Hollingworth began his performing career with a show at the school open day. He later graduated in industrial design and subsequently in law. At the same time he continued performing magic as well as developing new tricks. Such was his success that he also began to be asked to give lectures to other magicians. He currently works full-time as a barrister, but continues to give occasional magic performances.

Hollingworth's best known creation is his trick The Reformation, in which a signed playing card is torn into four pieces and then visibly restored one piece at a time. He is also well known for his book, Drawing Room Deceptions. Some of his card magic is presented in his commercially available videos The Reformation, The London Collection and Routines directed by filmmaker and magician Anthony Davis. He was also featured on NBC's World's Greatest Magic III TV special. In August 2008, he presented a well-received show at the Edinburgh Comedy Festival entitled "Expert at the Card Table", which was based on a 1902 book of the same title.

Read more about this topic:  Guy Hollingworth

Famous quotes containing the word career:

    It is a great many years since at the outset of my career I had to think seriously what life had to offer that was worth having. I came to the conclusion that the chief good for me was freedom to learn, think, and say what I pleased, when I pleased. I have acted on that conviction... and though strongly, and perhaps wisely, warned that I should probably come to grief, I am entirely satisfied with the results of the line of action I have adopted.
    Thomas Henry Huxley (1825–95)

    He was at a starting point which makes many a man’s career a fine subject for betting, if there were any gentlemen given to that amusement who could appreciate the complicated probabilities of an arduous purpose, with all the possible thwartings and furtherings of circumstance, all the niceties of inward balance, by which a man swings and makes his point or else is carried headlong.
    George Eliot [Mary Ann (or Marian)

    Like the old soldier of the ballad, I now close my military career and just fade away, an old soldier who tried to do his duty as God gave him the light to see that duty. Goodbye.
    Douglas MacArthur (1880–1964)