Rodd thrilled to be the newest member of ‘The Magic Circle’

Coleraine magician, Rodd Hogg, has been accepted into The Magic Circle after a nerve-jangling ten minute performance at the Society’s London headquarters near EustonStation in Camden last week.

“It was awesome, just to even get into the building was surreal but to perform in front of 40 magicians was something I will never forget,” said a thrilled Rodd. “Even though I was definitely nervous I thought I did well.

“It feels great to be a member of the most prestigious magic club in the world. Prince Charles and Dynamo are among its members.”

Rodd’s performance in front of his peers and a three-member judging panel, followed “a casual chat” about magic.

“Their Council then meets to make a decision on the person applying,” sais Rodd.

“I got a Facebook message from Lee Hathaway at 1am on Saturday morning. It said: ‘Congratulations, you are now a member of the Magic Circle.’

As its newest member, Rodd can now use the initials ‘MMC’ after his name and also attend meetings of the Society.

The motto of the Society is the Latin ‘Indocilis Privata Loqui’, which roughly translates as “not apt to disclose secrets”.

Members give their word not to wilfully disclose magic secrets other than to bona fide students of magic. Anyone breaking this or any other rule may be expelled.

Before his ‘examination’ Rodd got the chance to look around the Society’s Museum.

He said: “It has the shoes Dynamo wore when he walked on water, the cups and balls used by Prince Charles when he applied to be a member and Tommy Cooper’s fez. It’s a fascinating place.”

There are approximately 1,500 members of the Magic Circle in more than 40 countries aross the world, includingDavid Copperfield, Ken Dodd, Siegfried and Roy, and Paul Daniels’ wife, Debbie McGee.

Rodd has been busy working all over the country including a punishing schedule of performing in more than 80 bars in nine days as part of Great Pub Week. Dubbed as the ‘Irish Dinamo’, Rodd made headlines last year by performing the Houdini handcuffs escape underwater in Portrush - the first in NI.