It is nearly mid September and the two-month In Our Town programme of street entertainment in Dumfries is drawing to an end. But not yet. Last Saturday we saw Murray the Magician and Fearchara performing for a crowd of kids, their parents and interested onlookers basking in the sun in front of Midsteeple.

Cameron Murray brought the world of illusion to the streets of Dumfries. The show diverted people for a little while from buzzing Yes and No political campaigns launched ahead of the upcoming Scottish Independence referendum, although the spectators turned up with their badges and other paraphernalia.

Murray the Magician’s act is very different in mood and approach from the one by Todd Various I photographed earlier in the season. Rather than showering his audience with a stream of jokes, he demonstrated mind reading, sleight of hand and card tricks and his signature shock magic. Some stunts appeared quite dangerous and caused a few gasps from youngsters. These included piercing his tongue with a knitting needle, setting a pack of cards on fire, or trying to guillotine a volunteer’s hand as a forfeit, or cutting a rose in Fearchara’s mouth with a sharp razor while being blindfolded, only guided by a bell ring sound.

Understandably,  the magician had to call up mostly grown ups from the crowd to participate in his demonstrations although lots of kids enthusiastically raised their hands to volunteer.

It was an enjoyable show!

Murray the Magician performs in Dumfries for in Our Town programme
Dumfries audience basking in bright September sun gathers for Murray the Magician show
Murray and Fearchara performing a rope act
Murray and Fearchara performing a rope act
Magic show spectators carrying Yes campaign paraphernalia
Diverted from Scottish Independence campaigns in town
Magic trick - tongue piercing with a knitting needle
Tongue pierced with a knitting needle
Tongue trick secret revealed
Sleight of hand – it wasn’t his tongue!
Murray the Magician sets the pack of cards of fire , one selected by a volunteer left intact
The showman sets a pack of cards on fire, one selected by a volunteer left intact
Fearchara's head in the Box of Doom
Fearchara’s head in the Box of Doom
Daggers are inserted in the Box of Doom
Daggers are inserted in the Box of Doom
Trick guillotine
A woman’s hand is about to be ‘guillotined’.
Young spectators volunteering to take part in magic demonstrations
Young spectators volunteer to take part in magic demonstrations
Telepathy trick
Mind reading: how does he do it?
The magician guesses the sign secretly drawn by the subject
The magician correctly guesses the sign secretly drawn by the subject
Fearchara holding a rose in her mouth
Fearchara holding a rose in her mouth
Blindfolded performer cuts the rose with a sharp open razor
Blindfolded performer cuts the rose with a sharp open razor
Piece de resistance - cucumber cut with a sword wielded by the still blindfolded magician guided by the bell sound
Piece de resistance – the still blindfolded magician cuts a cucumber above the girl’s head with a sword

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