Barry and Stuart
Encyclopedia
Barry Jones and Stuart MacLeod are a two-man magic act from Scotland
, who perform as "Barry and Stuart" or "The 2magicians". They are known for their dark and gory performing style, and for taking as inspiration the accounts of Biblical
miracle
s to form the basis for some of their illusions.
, Scotland
. MacLeod was born on 4 July 1980 in Aberdeen and grew up in Peterhead
, Scotland
. MacLeod lived in Peterhead and studied philosophy and psychology at Aberdeen University, while Jones grew up in Old Portlethen, before moving to London
to study multimedia computing.
They met in Aberdeen
in 1994 and started making videos of themselves performing magic. This is where their style of acting out scenes in character while performing illusions developed. The filmed results of these magic sketches eventually reached a television production company and led to the making of their first TV series “Magick.” The show was nominated as Best Comedy Series at the international television awards in Montreux
in 2004.
In 2005 Jones and MacLeod hosted the Channel 4
studio magic show Dirty Tricks and presented the clips show When Magic Tricks Go Wrong. Most controversially they put together a TV special entitled The Magic of Jesus, in which they drew inspiration for their illusions from the accounts of Jesus’ miracles found in the New Testament
.
In 2006 Jones and MacLeod put together a second special called Tricks from the Bible, in which they took inspiration from the stories of the miracles of Moses
among other Old Testament
events and performed illusions based on these accounts. They currently live in London
where they perform live together in comedy clubs.
In 2009, Jones and MacLeod were awarded the 'Best Comedy Illusionist' Award at the World Magic Awards.
on 1 February 2007 as Sick Tricks, and is aired in America as Crack Magic. The series had a dark comedy that would mix with the magic on the show.
This series featured reverse film magic, where the magic was performed backwards and the film later reversed to reveal the backmasking
.
In one of a series of ‘crimes’ caught on CCTV
, footage captures two men being caught en flagrante in a public toilet by a police
officer. To get out of trouble, one of the men hides the other behind his coat and makes him disappear. In another incident, a man breaks into a car by sticking his hand through a glass window without breaking it.
Secret filming in a supermarket captures MacLeod and Jones magically sabotaging the products by putting dead insects into sealed bottles of mineral water and penetrating razor blades through the foil lids of ready-meals.
In 2004 this four part series was nominated for a Rose D'Or
comedy award in Montreux
.
, Ali Cook
and Jonathan’s Escapes as well as guest appearances from international variety acts and celebrities. These acts included Penn & Teller
and Kevin James.
At the end of every show, the presenters "killed2 the radio and TV presenter Neil Fox in a horrific and painful manner. These included him being cremated, stabbed and crushed.
to present illusions which included apparently walking on the surface of water in a glass tank, turning water into wine, causing a blind person to temporarily 'see', appearing to raise a deceased person, causing a virgin to apparently become 'pregnant' and feeding 5000 people.
The show caused controversy among newspapers and other press, with John Beyer of Mediawatch describing it as "a calculated attempt to cause offence".
, casting some of the plagues of Egypt
on two fans in an enclosed part of a restaurant, a transformation into a pillar of salt, exorcism of a demon, robbing a man of his strength as Samson
had, apparently raising someone from the dead and pulling a coin from the mouth of a fish, performed on a boat in the Red Sea
.
is a five-part BBC primetime show, that aired during January 2011. It featured Jones and MacLeod alongside fellow magicians Luis de Matos
and Chris Korn.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, who perform as "Barry and Stuart" or "The 2magicians". They are known for their dark and gory performing style, and for taking as inspiration the accounts of Biblical
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
miracle
Miracle
A miracle often denotes an event attributed to divine intervention. Alternatively, it may be an event attributed to a miracle worker, saint, or religious leader. A miracle is sometimes thought of as a perceptible interruption of the laws of nature. Others suggest that a god may work with the laws...
s to form the basis for some of their illusions.
Biography
Jones and MacLeod are both previous winners of Scotland's “Young Magician of the Year” competition. Jones was born on 16 April 1982 in Aberdeen and grew up in PortlethenPortlethen
Portlethen is a town located approximately 7 miles south of Aberdeen, Scotland along the A90. The estimated population is currently 7,327.To the east of Portlethen lie three fishing villages: Findon, Downies and Portlethen Village .Although Portlethen has been granted official town status, it...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. MacLeod was born on 4 July 1980 in Aberdeen and grew up in Peterhead
Peterhead
Peterhead is a town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is Aberdeenshire's biggest settlement , with a population of 17,947 at the 2001 Census and estimated to have fallen to 17,330 by 2006....
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. MacLeod lived in Peterhead and studied philosophy and psychology at Aberdeen University, while Jones grew up in Old Portlethen, before moving to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to study multimedia computing.
They met in Aberdeen
Aberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
in 1994 and started making videos of themselves performing magic. This is where their style of acting out scenes in character while performing illusions developed. The filmed results of these magic sketches eventually reached a television production company and led to the making of their first TV series “Magick.” The show was nominated as Best Comedy Series at the international television awards in Montreux
Montreux
Montreux is a municipality in the district of Riviera-Pays-d'Enhaut in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland.It is located on Lake Geneva at the foot of the Alps and has a population, , of and nearly 90,000 in the agglomeration.- History :...
in 2004.
In 2005 Jones and MacLeod hosted the Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
studio magic show Dirty Tricks and presented the clips show When Magic Tricks Go Wrong. Most controversially they put together a TV special entitled The Magic of Jesus, in which they drew inspiration for their illusions from the accounts of Jesus’ miracles found in the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
.
In 2006 Jones and MacLeod put together a second special called Tricks from the Bible, in which they took inspiration from the stories of the miracles of Moses
Moses
Moses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
among other Old Testament
Old Testament
The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
events and performed illusions based on these accounts. They currently live in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
where they perform live together in comedy clubs.
In 2009, Jones and MacLeod were awarded the 'Best Comedy Illusionist' Award at the World Magic Awards.
Magick
Jones and MacLeod's first television series Magick debuted on 5 October 2003 and was described as "comedy magic featuring surreal characters in bizarre and uncomfortable situations." It began airing in Australia on SBSSpecial Broadcasting Service
The Special Broadcasting Service is a hybrid-funded Australian public broadcasting radio and television network. The stated purpose of SBS is "to provide multilingual and multicultural radio and television services that inform, educate and entertain all Australians and, in doing so, reflect...
on 1 February 2007 as Sick Tricks, and is aired in America as Crack Magic. The series had a dark comedy that would mix with the magic on the show.
This series featured reverse film magic, where the magic was performed backwards and the film later reversed to reveal the backmasking
Backmasking
Backmasking is a recording technique in which a sound or message is recorded backward on to a track that is meant to be played forward...
.
In one of a series of ‘crimes’ caught on CCTV
Closed-circuit television
Closed-circuit television is the use of video cameras to transmit a signal to a specific place, on a limited set of monitors....
, footage captures two men being caught en flagrante in a public toilet by a police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
officer. To get out of trouble, one of the men hides the other behind his coat and makes him disappear. In another incident, a man breaks into a car by sticking his hand through a glass window without breaking it.
Secret filming in a supermarket captures MacLeod and Jones magically sabotaging the products by putting dead insects into sealed bottles of mineral water and penetrating razor blades through the foil lids of ready-meals.
In 2004 this four part series was nominated for a Rose D'Or
Rose d'Or
The Rose d’Or is one of the most important international festivals in entertainment television. It was founded in Montreux in 1961 and has taken place in Lucerne since 2004. Producers, executives from independent and public service broadcasters and heads of production companies from over 40...
comedy award in Montreux
Montreux
Montreux is a municipality in the district of Riviera-Pays-d'Enhaut in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland.It is located on Lake Geneva at the foot of the Alps and has a population, , of and nearly 90,000 in the agglomeration.- History :...
.
Dirty Tricks
Dirty Tricks was a six part series hosted by Jones and MacLeod. It was described as as “magic meets Natural Born Killers.” The show also had regular spots from Pete FirmanPete Firman
Pete Firman is an English magician and television presenter.He has appeared in British television magic shows on Channel 4, Five, and Sky1. He is also the presenter of two gameshows on CBBC: Stake Out and Wait For It..!....
, Ali Cook
Ali Cook
Ali Cook is an English magician, comedian, actor and film producer originating from Yorkshire.Cook is known best for writing and starring in seven British television magic shows for Channel 4, Channel 5, and Sky1, produced by Objective Productions.Cook is a respected headliner on the British stand...
and Jonathan’s Escapes as well as guest appearances from international variety acts and celebrities. These acts included Penn & Teller
Penn & Teller
Penn & Teller are Las Vegas headliners whose act is an amalgam of illusion and comedy. Penn Jillette is a raconteur; Teller generally uses mime while performing, although his voice can occasionally be heard during their performance...
and Kevin James.
At the end of every show, the presenters "killed2 the radio and TV presenter Neil Fox in a horrific and painful manner. These included him being cremated, stabbed and crushed.
The Magic of Jesus
This one hour special aired over the Christmas holiday period in December 2005. In this show Jones and MacLeod drew inspiration from the accounts of Jesus' miracles in the New TestamentNew Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
to present illusions which included apparently walking on the surface of water in a glass tank, turning water into wine, causing a blind person to temporarily 'see', appearing to raise a deceased person, causing a virgin to apparently become 'pregnant' and feeding 5000 people.
The show caused controversy among newspapers and other press, with John Beyer of Mediawatch describing it as "a calculated attempt to cause offence".
Tricks from the Bible
Following on from “The Magic of Jesus” this one hour special aired in June 2006. The duo drew inspiration from the miracle accounts in the Old Testament. Jones and MacLeod performed illusions such as turning staffs into snakes in Egypt, exactly where it was said to be performed in the Old TestamentOld Testament
The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
, casting some of the plagues of Egypt
Plagues of Egypt
The Plagues of Egypt , also called the Ten Plagues or the Biblical Plagues, were ten calamities that, according to the biblical Book of Exodus, Israel's God, Yahweh, inflicted upon Egypt to persuade Pharaoh to release the ill-treated Israelites from slavery. Pharaoh capitulated after the tenth...
on two fans in an enclosed part of a restaurant, a transformation into a pillar of salt, exorcism of a demon, robbing a man of his strength as Samson
Samson
Samson, Shimshon ; Shamshoun or Sampson is the third to last of the Judges of the ancient Israelites mentioned in the Tanakh ....
had, apparently raising someone from the dead and pulling a coin from the mouth of a fish, performed on a boat in the Red Sea
Red Sea
The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez...
.
The Magicians
The MagiciansThe Magicians (TV series)
The Magicians is a British family entertainment television show, first broadcast throughout January 2011 on BBC One. The show features magicians Luis de Matos,Barry and Stuart, and Chris Korn performing a number of magic tricks with guest celebrities, competing for audience support...
is a five-part BBC primetime show, that aired during January 2011. It featured Jones and MacLeod alongside fellow magicians Luis de Matos
Luis de Matos
Luis de Matos is a Portuguese magician and was voted magician of the decade 2000-2009.-Biography:Luis de Matos was born in Portuguese Mozambique in 1970, a Portuguese overseas province until 1975. At the age of five he moved with his parents to Portugal where the family settled near the city of...
and Chris Korn.
See also
- BackmaskingBackmaskingBackmasking is a recording technique in which a sound or message is recorded backward on to a track that is meant to be played forward...
- ChristianityChristianityChristianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
- ExorcismExorcismExorcism is the religious practice of evicting demons or other spiritual entities from a person or place which they are believed to have possessed...
- JesusJesusJesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
- MiracleMiracleA miracle often denotes an event attributed to divine intervention. Alternatively, it may be an event attributed to a miracle worker, saint, or religious leader. A miracle is sometimes thought of as a perceptible interruption of the laws of nature. Others suggest that a god may work with the laws...
- Performance ArtPerformance artIn art, performance art is a performance presented to an audience, traditionally interdisciplinary. Performance may be either scripted or unscripted, random or carefully orchestrated; spontaneous or otherwise carefully planned with or without audience participation. The performance can be live or...