Set in a near-future Britain, where violence and civil war threaten to overturn a revolutionary government, The Magician follows a young man on a quest to find the only person who might have the knowledge to stop the burning and the hate.
A cast of over 200 Leeds citizens were involved in filming at some of the region’s most impressive locations, including the Yorkshire Dales and the Peak District, alongside a team of professional film and theatre makers.
Amongst the cast were 90 children from Ingram Road Primary School in Holbeck who staged a battle re-enactment in the grounds of Temple Newsam stately home, complete with war paint, smoke grenades and replica weapons.
Written and directed by James Phillips, The Magician stands alone as an original film and also takes place in the world created by the sell-out show “Camelot: The Shining City”, which premiered at the Crucible, Sheffield in 2015. In 2020 Slung Low transferred the saga from stage to screen with a new story, The Good Book. The Magician is the second installment in a planned screen trilogy.
You can see both films in a special LEEDS 2023 screening at Leeds Everyman Cinema on Wednesday 27 September at 5pm. Tickets are free, but capacity is limited, so booking is essential. Book at: leeds2023.co.uk/whats-on/the-good-book-the-magician-double-screening
The Magician was Written and Directed by James Phillips. Director of Photography Quason Matthews. Designer David Farley. Music by Heather Fenoughty.
The Magician was created by Slung Low and Leeds People’s Theatre. The film was commissioned by LEEDS 2023 and supported by Arts Council England and Leeds City Council.
The film will be available online at www.slunglow.org from 5pm on Thursday 28 September 2023.
This post is based on a press release issued by Slung Low
While you’re here, can we ask a favour?
South Leeds Life is published by a not-for-profit social enterprise. We keep our costs as low as possible but we’ve been hit by increases in the print costs for our monthly newspaper – up 83% in the last 12 months.
Could you help support local community news by making a one off donation, or even better taking out a supporters subscription?
Donate here, or sign up for a subscription at bit.ly/SLLsubscribe
