Tim Ellis

Tim Ellis
Born	(1963-05-08) 8 May 1963 Melbourne
Occupation	Magician, illusionist, publisher, producer
Religion	Christian
Website
www.magicunlimited.com

Tim Ellis is an Australian performer, author and lecturer in the world of magic and illusion.

Biography

Ellis began performing magic at the age of 9 after his grandfather gave him a magic set as a gift.^[1][2][3][4] At the age of 14 he was the youngest magician ever admitted to The Magic Circle of Victoria and two years later won four out of their five annual awards. In 1980 he won the title 'Best Under 18 Magician of Australia'.^[5]

In 1986 he created and produced 'National Magic Week',^[6] a ten-day festival of the magical arts which was presented annually for the next nine years.

Ellis produced and edited 'Australian Magic Monthly',^[7][8] a national publication for magicians which came out monthly for 100 issues, while writing a regular column on the Australian magic scene for the international Genii.^[9]

Ellis created 'MagicSports'^[10][11][12] a form of improvised magic games based on Keith Johnstone's 'Theatre Sports'.

In 1992 he bought Australia's oldest magic shop, 'Bernard's'^[13][14] which he owned for several years.

In 1994 he was awarded second place in 'Micro Magic' at the FISM World Magic Championship in Yokohama, Japan.^[15] This followed the 'Special Prize of the Jury' he was awarded at the 1991 FISM in Lausanne, Switzerland for his 'Six Card Rap'.^[16][17]

Ellis was married to Sue-Anne Webster from 1998 to 2011.^[18] Ellis performed as a guest artist at the FISM World Championship of Magic, performing in the Close Up Gala in 2000 and the Stage Gala in 2003.^[19] In 2001 Ellis and Webster were voted 'Most Valuable Performers' by their peers at the close up magic convention 'Fechter's Finger Flicking Frolic' in Batavia, New York.^[20]

Ellis sat on the jury at the FISM World Championship of Magic in 2003 at Den Haag, in 2006 at Stockholm, and 2009 in Beijing.^[21] In 2004 Ellis and Webster produced three magic teaching DVDs,^[22][23][24] and together with a team of Melbourne magicians they set a new Guinness World Record for the world's longest magic show by performing non-stop for 75 hours at Luna Park, Melbourne, Australia.^[25][26] The previous record was 24 hours.^[27] In the same year Ellis produced the 29th Australian Convention of Magicians.^[28]

In 2007 Ellis was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome.^[29]

After the 2007 show Poker in the Face,^[30][31] Ellis presented two shows for the 2008 Melbourne International Comedy Festival Illusionarium with Ellis & Webster^[32] and Something About Needles & Razorblades. Later that year he performed The Wizards of Aus^[33] at The Melbourne Magic Festival. The 2009 Festival saw his new shows AspyCadabra, and Ellis in Wonderland performed with Sue-Anne Webster. The 2010 Festival saw two new shows Escape From Reality and Illusionarium 2010 and in 2011 they premiered Once Upon A Time... 2012 his solo shows The Mad Hatter's Magical Tea Party and 'Timeless Magic followed by three new shows in 2013 The Mad Hatter's History of Hattery, As Seen on TV and In Dreams.^[34] In 2014 he presented the improvised show Magic vs Music: The Audience Always Wins and 1 Defining Moment as well as Immaculate Deceptions for the Bally On High Festival.

He has performed on television programs including Midday, Good Morning Australia, The Daryl Somers Show, Young Talent Time, Hey Hey It's Saturday, Sunrise, and The Today Show. He also appears in Nadia Tass's feature film Matching Jack (2010).^[35] Tim was consultant for the TV specials of popular Australian magician Cosentino.

Ellis works in the Australian corporate entertainment field.

Awards & Honours

• Nominated Lecturers of the Year (with Sue-Anne Webster) – The Magic Castle, Hollywood (2005)
• Guinness World Record (with team of Melbourne magicians) – World's Longest Magic Show, 75 hours (2004)
• Most Valuable Participants (with Sue-Anne Webster) – Fechter's Finger Flicking Frolic, New York (2001)
• Second place, Close Up Magic – FISM World Magic Championships – Yokohama, Japan (1994)
• Special Prize of the Jury – FISM World Magic Championships – Lausanne, Switzerland (1991)
• Best Stage Magic in Australia – National Australian Magic Convention (1990)
• Best Trick – National Australian Magic Convention (1986 & 1990)
• Best Close Up Magician in Australia – National Australian Magic Convention (1986)
• Best Close Up Magician – Ballarat, Newcastle, and Adelaide Magic Conventions (1989)
• Best Card Magician – Adelaide Magic Conventions (1989)
• Teenage Champion Magician of Australia – National Australian Magic Convention (1980)
• Harmony Trophy – Magic Circle of Victoria (1978, 1979)
• Ron Kreyt's Shield for Close Up Magic – Magic Circle of Victoria (1979)
• Improver's Trophy – Magic Circle of Victoria (1979)
• Librarian's Trophy – Magic Circle of Victoria (1979)

Published works

• Australian Magic Monthly – Monthly National Magazine, Editor and publisher (1989–1998)
• The Magic Circular – Monthly publication of 'The Magic Circle of Victoria', Editor (from 1992)
• The Secret Diary of Tim Ellis – Lecture Notes (1992)
• AMM 2000 – Monthly National Magazine, Co Editor with Sue-Anne Webster (2000)
• Ellis in Wonderland – Lecture Notes (2000)
• 24 Years of Living Next Door to Ellis (2001)
• Runaround Sue – Lecture Notes (2001)
• The Tim Card Poker Deal (2005)^[36]
• Timeless Magic – Hardcover Book (2011)

Videos & DVDs

• Cunning Stunts (1993)
• Bernard's Teaching Video Series – 18 Volumes (Producer) (1993–1995)
• Ellis in Wonderland (2004)
• 24 Years of Living Next Door to Ellis (2004)
• Runaround Sue (2004)
• Ellis & Webster's Cunning Stunts (2006)
• Ellis & Webster's Most Amazing Magic Volume 1
• Ellis & Webster's Most Amazing Magic Volume 2

References

External links

• Tim Ellis' website
• Tim Ellis' fansite