Chicago-born Tim Licata learned magic from his favourite uncle – but Sal had more secrets than just how to make cards disappear.
Now living in Edinburgh, and with a career both as an actor and stage magician, Tim is one of the stars of this year’s 15th annual MagicFest.
His show, which combines theatre with tricks and illusions, talks about how Uncle Sal turned out to be part of the Mafia and Tim’s long-held suspicion that he might have been a notorious hitman known simply as “The Knife”.
He said: “Sal was my favourite uncle, he was great at cards and also at card tricks – which he taught me when I was a boy.
“But as I grew up I discovered there was much more to him than this. The show is partly about him, what he taught me, and my theory that he might actually be ‘The Knife’.”
Close Up and Personal takes place on 29 and 30 December at the Scottish Storytelling Centre, one of the main venues for this year’s Edinburgh International Festival of Magic (MagicFest).
There’s lots of magic, humour and audience involvement throughout the show – which is just one of a host of fabulous performances taking place from now until 30 December.
Kevin Quantum, international magician and founder of MagicFest, said: “Tim is just one of the many great performers we have this year – a superb sleight-of-hand magician, with an amazing tale to tell.
“And we have so much more to offer like up-and-coming star, Dan Bastianelli, who got his start as a boy through MagicFest, and has gone from strength to strength, including having his own sell-out show at this year’s Fringe.
“The festival is a great way to add extra sparkle to the festive season, with shows to suit the whole family, featuring everything from mind-blowing spectacle to breathtaking mind reading.”
Dan’s MagicFest show Deception is a masterclass in close-up magic and takes place on 29 and 30 December.
And, with a new year on the horizon you can also see Lorenzo, with his show Lorenzo, Oracle: Do You Want to See the Future?
It’s a jaw-dropping thought-reading experience that has audiences grinning, scratching their heads and wondering if they have glimpsed their personal future – a premonition party.
- Full MagicFest line up and tickets here magicfest.co.uk
