It's been a busy Summer of magical adventures so far, so lot's to report, more on those stories, plus more videos coming very soon! 

​Love and Light X

We all wear a mask, in one way or another, it's just another  part of our story. It allows us to act a certain way,   to fancy certain people, enjoy a particular  cuisine, resonate with  different types of music, it may inspire or dictate the jobs we have, the art we create, the sex that  we enjoy, the jokes we tell, but it is just a mask after all right?

So what happens if you take off that mask, and try a different one? 

A whole new world of possibility explodes before your very eyes, you are re-born, re-imagined  ,  the story book that you were writing closes, and a brand new page sits idly before you, waiting for you to take up your quill of destiny, and spill some ink in search of new adventures from a whole different perspective..  

I have been lucky enough, on my journeys through Neverland, to have been given the opportunity to try various masks, to help craft different stories, to welcome muggle's into new world's of adventure, and to play some gloriously mad  characters, I am talking of course, about the wonderful  world of Immersive  Acting and Experiences. 

My first step into  this crazy new world was the character of Gabriel, an eccentric butler; partial  to a fine red, whispering into the shadows, and a purveyor of only the very finest of orgies.

He was an absolute blast to play, and I enjoyed the years I spent with Handmade Mysteries , which  opened up  the door to the Labyrinth of Immersive Games , Theatre and Entertainment.

​During my stint in that role, I was interviewed about what it takes to be a game host, as well as my influences, and what I get up to  when I'm not running round in someone else's shoes. For those that may be interested in such things, the full interview  is available here.

​I have since left that company, and am now continuing to work with the beautifully mad, wildly creative and  all-round-inspiring Ben Tucker, of spanking new games company, BuckBuck games.   

He has already  created a truly wild trip down into a Wonderland you have definitely never seen before, in  the first immersive experience, 'The Hunt for the smoking Caterpillar' , photo from the launch event below. 

Now whilst I may be ever-so-slightly biased, I    highly  encourage a trip down the rabbit hole!
So take a look at the info on that quest, and many other bonkers adventures on his shiny website   here , as well as his corner of that  other part of the interwebby, the book of faces,   here.  ​ 

Inspired by aspects of all my various roles, masks, and characters from the different worlds that I have played in so far, I have decided to begin crafting my very own strange adventure. It it's very much under wraps for now, but safe to say, you heard it here first....   

So that's it! Be brave, be bold, waltz outside of your safety box,  and tumble down into a different world, experience life from a  new perspective and try on, a new mask, a new you, a new story. I look forward to meeting 'you' there  xxx

So  this is it, 2019 is here, 2018 seemed to vanish in a haze of magic, adventures and all things  Circus, The Soapbox Circus in fact! 

This time last year, it was really   just an idea, to bring together my wonderful performing friends under one  shiny umbrella and see what mischief we could cause, and  (even if it is blowing our own trumpet!) we certainly didn't disappoint!  We performed in just about every capacity possible, sprinkling some extra magic on intimate events, Private parties, Weddings, Promo's , Festivals and all the way up to hosting an entire Big Top of entertainment for 3 days at  Enchanted Horsham Festival, and everything else in-between! 

2019 already looks like it's going to be bigger and better, with some exciting events already booked, and some new projects currently in the works, as well as our   Public show; 'The Soapbox Circus Soiree'.  We are taking over the Mesmerist every quarter, for a night of walkabout Sideshow, Carnival Games, Face painting and Tarot Reading, plus our 'Midnight show' , featuring 3 of our amazing performers on stage.

So if you haven't met us yet, then come on down  to the Soiree, and indulge in a shiny night of all things Circus!

Friday 1st February
The Mesmerist Bar 
10pm-2am
Free Entry 

​Fancy dress Highly Encouraged!   

​Here's a little look at what we got up to last time....
See you at the Circus! 

Most people are fascinated by Magic, and for good reason;  by it's very nature it is something that is mysterious, amazing, confusing, amusing,  entertaining and.... Magical!

And yes it's amazing whens things vanish before your very eyes, but when it is  performed by a great magician, it can take  you to new places, twist your reality in ways you never thought were possible, it could even make you question the way you think, see, and perceive the world. It can also simply just make you laugh hysterically,  drop what your are holding, swear your head off (I have experienced even the most seemingly reserved people suddenly empty a whole load of $%^$£%$%^ ,  out of the blue!)  stand in complete and utter silence, or even cry....

No matter what reaction it causes, it is that moment, when you are faced with seeing something impossible become possible, and the feeling  that  it causes inside of you,  that  is what Magic is , that   is what  we strive to achieve, and to share with you as Magicians. It's not so much about  the precise moment the coin fell upwards instead of downwards, or when an entire deck of playing cards vanished at your fingertips, or when you held onto something in your own hands, and it changed to something completely different, those moments are amazing, but they are the effects, they are the triggers, and they may only last half a  second, but it's the  feeling     that it    causes   inside of you, that we hope lights you  up for a moment, that makes everything else melt away, and leaves you with an experience you will never forget.

That is what we are striving for, an unexplainable   experience  that can move mountains, both outside and inside of you. That  is what we hope to achieve as magicians, that is our gift to the world, and that    is why I love to do what I do. I hope it finds you soon, and stays with you in your hearts for a lifetime. 

Thank you  for helping us to share it. 

If you have had an amazing  experience with Magic, feel free to share your story in the comments  below.

Thanks for reading, Love and Light

Leon Simmonds. 

​

 It has taken me a very long time to realise; 30 years,  9 months,  26 days,  7 hours and  28 minutes to be precise. During that time I have visited so many amazing places, had so many experiences on my adventures; danced in the light, sunk into the shadows, met some incredible characters, faced demons, climbed mountains and most importantly learned some extremely valuable lessons along the way. Today, I may have even  coddiewomped my way to the most important answer of all, the one we spend most of our lives searching for:
who, or what  am I? 

Whilst I also don't necessarily  believe too much in being able to define yourself  as one 'thing', this particular realisation is not as limiting as  being defined or shoved into a tiny crowed box might at first seem. Instead, it comes as a breath of fresh air, a spark in a cavern  of darkness, something that opens up a tiny, shiny, keyhole into an magical world,  and whilst all of this might sound incredibly cryptic, the reality really couldn't be any simpler;  
I am  a fairy.  

Now it has taken me a long time (refer back to opening line)  to  really understand , appreciate and believe  that definition of magic, and so I was completely floored only this time yesterday afternoon, when I heard that very definition reveal itself, and not from some ancient and wise master, but from an adorable 6 year old child. (There is a lesson to be learned there, personally I believe that there is  an creative,  caring , and undoubtably wise master in every child that is well worth listening too and remembering, but that is a  story for another day!)  
What made the situation even more interesting was that it was a fairly large group of children, and she was one  of the most reserved, at first glance you might  even say shy, but in hindsight, she was just  waiting for her moment, and with a fist-full-of-fairy-dust,  POW! there it was..  

​Allow me to set the scene,  one of the kids wasn't really getting into the magic,  and was having more fun heckling and trying to cause trouble (bless em!) and starting to ruin it a bit for the others,  so just as I was wondering the best way to approach that, this wonderful little fairy came seemingly out of the woodwork.... The little boy(/shit!) said, with every ounce of know-it-all-ness he could muster;  "We all know that magic isn't real you know" , and at that moment, she lept forward, right into the center of the group, eyes wide and sparkling, with  a smile on her face that could  light up a room from across the street,  and so clearly and  confidently  said, 
​

What a magical moment!  What an incredible  little fairy!  What  a massive 'fuck you'  to  the  power of negative energy,  and our sometimes seemingly intrinsic need to tear things apart! All delivered in the least 'fuck you' way possible, with a smile, with a sparkle, with love and most importantly with a true conviction and belief in  what she said.  It wasn't spiteful, it wasn't  an attack, it was a carefully delivered lesson, one she took the courage to stand up for and share,  and so the one I believe deserves to be shared with the rest of the world.  

Thank you little Fairy.

 I  often get asked, "What do you do  when a trick goes wrong?" and I always say the same thing, "I laugh", that's not to say for a second that I don't fully appreciate my art, pour everything I have into a performance, to create suspense,  mystery, intrigue and ultimately wonder, but  the real magic runs way deeper than the tricks that you see. It is an experience that  I am trying to share, an archaic form of visual art that has entertained and inspired people of all ages, backgrounds, colours and classes throughout the ages to ultimately convey a simple message; to remember the importance of wonder, the things it can show and teach us, and the feeling it can leave inside all of us.  We just need to remember to open ourselves up to real magic, to learn to welcome it into our lives as much as possible, to understand it, appreciate it, harness it, and most importantly, share it  and use it to inspire others to do the same. 

Seeing that unquestionable  fairy in that wonderful little being, and what she truly believed about magic, (before 'real life' had got hold of those beliefs and distorted them, as it unfortunately does for so many of us)  helped to remind me  that we share the very same values, and what I strive for in what I do for a living, and life in general, is an echo of those magical principles; to help spread that magic throughout the world, to continue to be what I now know  I am, what I have always been, one of the magical folk, the sparkly sprites, the Faeries. 

Thank  you for reading,   please  help to spread the magic by sharing this with those you feel would appreciate   this, and her wonderfully wise words. 
Thanks you to all the people I have met on my  journey so far, (especially  quite recently whilst travelling and since)  that have shown an interest in what I do,  enough to ask questions, to encourage and to keep inspiring me to carry on this magical journey, I really would not be where I am without you .
And also thanks to the universe for providing me with a few reasons to start writing again , something I have always loved, but often  shy away from. 
Most of the artwork here is by Brian Froud,  an amazing artist  an the conceptual artist for two of my favourite fantasy films, 'The Dark Crystal'  and 'Labyrinth'. Please check out  Brian's amazing work here.

​Love and light to all,  let's keep making magic.  xxx

​Thanks to the  University of Sussex  for booking me to perform at their Community Festival, and for the kind words:

it So it's been a rather long time since I have written a blog, which means I have been performing here, there and just about everywhere else in-between!! 

Needless to say there has been a LOT to report, but i'll tackle it a bit at time, first of all-

"Weddings, I love weddings! Drinks all around!!" 
(Guess the quote?!)

It's been a great summer for weddings, and they really are one of my favourite places to perform. It's a absolute honour to be able to sprinkle some magic over such a special day. There are people of all ages , so it's a great reminder that magic is definitely for everyone and it always helps bring people together to share a moment   that they will remember for a lifetime.

Andy and Martine were happy for me to share some photos of me in action at their  lovely wedding at the beautiful  Upwaltham Barns  , here they are.:

They also  left  a lovely  testimonial :

It may sound incredibly cheesy, (okay it does  sound incredibly cheesy!)  but I can honestly  say that magic  and weddings go  hand-in-hand almost as well as the happy couple themselves!

It's a great ice-breaker for people that might not know each other, it brings people of all ages together and keeps people entertained in what might usually be a 'lull' point in the day. 

There are many ways magic can be adapted to best suit your plans and I like to personally tailor each performance to the day, to really make the most of it. for everyone.

So please  contact me directly if you think you would like some magic at your wedding and  I will do everything I can to work with you and help make your day even more special. 

                            Thanks again to Andy and Martine for allowing me to share these photos and kind words.

Of course it's not just traditional weddings  that I have had the pleasure to be involved in. You don't really have to go very far on my website to see that I  also do lots of weird and wonderful work too!  
I was therefore lucky enough to be named 'Misfit of the  Month'  this Summer , by  Misfit Wedding.com-  an internet based Wedding company, providing  details and  contacts for anyone looking for something a bit  different for their special day. 

What do you enjoy most about performing magic?

​"For me it's all about interacting with people I have never met before, magic is a great ice-breaker and more than anything else a bit of fun! We live in a world now where we know so much, everything is available at our fingertips and anything we don't know, we can find out in seconds. It's nice to have something that can cut through all of that just for a moment, to be able to show someone something they haven't seen before and to make them wonder. I think it's a little unrealistic now (unfortunately!) for people to believe everything that they see, but if you can put a smile on someone's face, it makes it all worth it."


You can read the full interview, as well as seeing my face in it's various guises here 

With the evenings beginning to draw in and the temperature starting to drop, it can only mean one thing- CHRISTMAS is on the way!! 

Now before you start moaning, I don't mean Christmas in December, I mean the one at the end of October of course- Brighton Christmas, a.k.a- HALLOWEEN!! 

Riddles in the Dark have been extremely busy behind the scenes, working on our biggest and most bad-ass project to date and we can't wait to invite you along!!! 

There's a bit more information on that below, but firstly it's been a while, so a little catch up may be in order!...

FESTIVAL ADVENTURETIME DRAWS  TO AN END!

It's been one hell of a magical adventure in the festival fields this Summer!  I ended up doing  Smallworld, Wildlife, Lubstock, Secret Garden Party,  Bimble, Shambala and Bestival!! 

I had the best times, taking my glittery-magical-mischief on the road, making new friends, frolicing with old ones and even finding love , all together now- awwwwwww! 

Thanks to everyone for the adventures , we've already been working on plans for next year so stay tuned- it's going to be BIG!

Here's to a true Summer of  Love, one I'll definitely never forget!

GIGIDDY GIGGIDY!

So in-between the sparkly madness, I have been gigging myself senseless with everything from a Pirate performance for Kraken Rum, to  50th Anniversary parties for Age UK , an EP launch party for The Black Fields- and even more in-between!

Age UK seemed particularly impressed and gave me the following feedback- 
"With his engaging and professional manner Leon was the perfect magician to welcome guests to our 50th Anniversary party! He wowed guests of all ages with his showcase of table magic tricks that were truly incredible! We have had lots of positive feedback and feel that Leon’s charisma and talent made it a very special evening."
Lauren Pridmore |  Advocacy Assistant  | Age UK 

Loads more coming up too so follow me on Twitter @LeonSimmonds on on my Facebook page to keep updated.

THE SORCERER'S SPEAKEASY SUCCESS!!

Things are really heating up for Riddles in the Dark- with our big Halloween show just around the corner and the Sorcerer's Speakeasy getting more successful than ever!! We have seen loads of new faces, amazing outfits and have had some  of our best acts yet! 

Thanks to another spot on Juice Fm with Stu Boogaloo- last nights Speakeasy was another huge success and quite possibly our best one yet! 
We had the sensationally soulful and sassy  Esme as our guest performer who went down a treat! Check out her Facebook page here and check out one of her original songs in the audio link below. 
Also keep up to date on our Riddles in the Dark antics and events on twitter @RITDmagic and our Facebook page here. 

THIS IS HALLOWEEN!!!!

As mentioned before we are EXTREMELY excited to  unleash our plans for  Brighton-Christmas this year!!!... 

Ladies and Gentlemen, freaks and fiends, dreamers and believers- prepare to face your biggest fears as we open up  our big top of dark-delights and welcome to to..

Satan's Circus- House of Horrors

In true House of Horrors style, we have stripped apart the traditional cabaret show format and created a full interactive and immersive experience , with something to see, play with  and even taste in every corner! 

We have full reign over both floor of The Joker Brighton  and we can honestly say this is going to best the very best party in town! Tickets are already selling fast so check out the details and grab them while you still can  here.
Also keep up to date with sneaky pre-views, competitions and giveaways on the Facebook event page. 

That's about all for now folks, thanks for reading and see all of your sexy faces very soon! 

Every now and then it's nice to take a look back at your journey- luckily (or sometimes unluckily!) for me, a lot of what I have  done with magic has been captured on video over the years.

The whole process of recording yourself is a testing one, you never quite look or sound how you think you do which means it can be pretty cringe-inducing at times!  It's helpful though to have a visual aid, something to ultimately learn from- or just to look back and laugh at!

Either way it's been quite a journey so I thought it might be interesting to put a few of my best and worst videos in one place... 

So here it is,  hopefully it's not too self indulgent- I'm sure that whether it's the good, the bad or the ugly, there's something in there to entertain you, which is ultimately the aim of the game.

Enjoy!

After a  short break, I'm back to blog myself senseless for your reading and viewing pleasure- you lucky people you! 

It's been a mad couple of months in Wonderland and I've been performing at a great mix  of all my favourite types of shows- private parties,  cabaret, weddings, my Riddles in the Dark events and finally  (especially as the sun has put his hat on) Festivals!

It's also been a mixed media affair  with  appearances on Juice FM, a promo video for new events company- Discerning Events and even a brief appearance on Channel 4 !! 
Here's how it all went down... 

Just like the great British summer, festival season has finally started heating up, kicking off with one of my favourites- Small World Festival in Kent.

I was asked by the  awesome Castle stage to provide a few acts for a late night cabaret show each night, it turned out to be very late- with the show kicking off at 2am each night!  I took along my seasoned RITD performers Jack Kristiansen and  Sirona Thorneycroft and I'm glad to say we smashed it each night  and had an amazing time at the festival. Big thanks to the Castle stage and Small World Festival for having us- see you next year!

Then it was on to Wildlife Festival at Brighton city airport, aka- Shoreham, (where little baby Leon was brought into this crazy world! )

I was contacted by Mad Ferret who I had a great time performing with last year at Kendal Calling and Unknown in Croatia, to put a team together and help add  some extra magic to the proceedings, so I was more than happy to oblige! 

I delved into our Riddles in the Dark collective and put together a mighty crew of performers, face painters and our awesome photographer- Infinity Photograhic. We were all set and ready  to let the wild rumpus begin!
We had an absolutely amazing time at the festival, the outfits we were given were incredible and it was ridiculous fun getting painted up and into character, before being unleashed upon the unsuspecting crowds. 
We were even filmed and made a brief appearance on Channel 4 as part of their documentary featuring the festival!
Huge thanks to Mad Ferret and  Wildlife for getting us involved- here's a little look at our adventure via Infinity Photographic's epic snaps, plus a behind-the scenes- video by Coco Deville. 

It's been a busy couple of months for private events too, and a good mix of birthday parties, weddings and a big Expo event at Portsmouth University. 

Of all the private events I do, I think it's definitely weddings that I enjoy the most. Everyone is there to have a good time, you get a great mix of people of all ages and backgrounds and it's an incredibly special day to be involved in, so it's always an honour. Here's some feedback from my most recent client...  

COMPETITION TIME!

After spotting a poster online, I decided to enter the 'Mr and Mrs Proud' competition for Proud Cabaret in Brighton. The prize was a years performing contract and a magazine feature- plus a pampering package  (the main reason for entering of course!) so it was all to play for. 
I decided to try something new in the qualifying round and after a moment of panic, the routine worked out fine and I sailed through to the final....

After not doing a very good job of learning my lesson in round one, I decided to try another brand new routine for the final! I worked it in with some of my usual material and I have to say I was pretty scared BUT all's well that ends well- once again it paid off, I'm happy to say I smashed both my performances and had a great time performing with everyone. Alas I  didn't win the prize but it was very deservedly won by Cherry Liquor  and Lilian Lake who were both absolutely amazing!
Same time next year!!! ;-) 

Still here?!?! Good, I have one more thing to show you!...

I was recently asked to join new events company- Discerning Events  to help add some magic to their events . To help spread the word I was also asked to get involved in the promo video, so one sunny afternoon in a  warehouse in Hove we managed to shoot this , enjoy ;-)

Thanks for reading, there was a lot to catch up on and you've done very well- gold star! I'm just about to launch into a big run of festivals and will be taking my camera along with me for the  ride so expect updates to follow!

For anyone that might be there, I will be performing at Lubstock , Secret Garden Party, Bimble  Bandada, Wilderness, Shambala and Bestival- come and find me for glittery magical mischief! 

See you in a field! 

It might sound like the start of an epic fantasy novel, but  I'm very happy to say it is purely an accurate description of my life in the last month or so, allow me to explain....

The first weekend of April saw Sugarkicks return to the Rialto Theatre for  the 'At the Movies' Show. I was incredibly excited for this one  as some time ago I was asked to perform at a children's party as Gandalf. 
Almost as soon as I got the outfit, I realised there was a whole other act in there that I wanted  to take to the stage- absolutely NOT suitable for children!  After some thinking and planning I  pulled it off and managed give people a Gandalf they have definitely never seen before..  Less middle earth, more maximum girth, with a generous helping of sex drugs and rock and roll!  A WIZARD SHOULD YOU KNOW BETTER!

The performance was filmed and may well make an appearance (ba-dum-chhh!) at some point but until then, here are some awesome photos of Gandalf  in action. Photography by  John Fox Photos and Toms Udris Photography.

Next up was Gypsy Disco's medieval Inspired  'Feast of Fools'.

As as big fan of all things Medieval I was really excited about this one   and it definitely didn't disappoint!


Check out the video below. 

Then it was a trip down to  Shrewsbury for the Wedding of Elaine and Charlie.  It was an amazing weekend as I was performing as well as being a guest so I actually got to stick around and enjoy the shenanigans for once! 

Photos on the way soon but here's a quick look at my new snazzy jacket which was purchased specially for the occasion (and been worn almost religiously since).

Congratulations to you both and thanks so much for having me there, it was an honour.  xxx

After three months of planning, it was finally time for the Riddles in the Dark crew to unleash all hell upon earth with our rock and roll cabaret show- 'Satan's Circus'. 

After popping along to the Juice FM studios for an interview with Boogaloo Stu, we completely sold out the day before!! After a few last minute changes to the bill, we opened up the doors of our big-top of dark delights and put on one of the best shows I have ever had the pleasure to be a part of!

It was amazing to see so many people getting dressed up , drawn on and rocking out! All the performers, DJ and crew absolutely smashed it, I couldn't have hoped for it to go any better.

We have a video on the way shortly but for now, here's a look at some of the highlights, Phototography by Toms Udris Photography .

Like our Riddles in the Dark pagehere or follow us onTwitter to keep up to date with what's next up our sleeves...

As you can see it  was certainly one hell of a month (pun absolutely intended!)  With festival season just around the corner it's not set to slow down any time soon. I am pleased to say I am already confirmed to perform at Small World ,  Secret Garden Party,  Give, Wildnerness and Shambala.  Can't wait to get back in a field, covered in glitter and start spreading the magical luuuuurve ..

I'm still looking to get involved with more festivals too so  I recently chopped together a new showreel for 2015. It focuses on what I think performing magic is all about: connecting with people, creating a moment of mystery and ultimately making people laugh and smile, life's too short not too! 

Check out the video (make sure to switch it to HD) and if your feeling extra specially sexy then give it a share for me across your preferred social media and I'll promise to send some pixie dust your way  ;-)  

That's all for now folks, thanks for reading if you got this far! My next blog will be less of a diary entry , more  something to really wrap your brains around and hopefully engage with so watch out for that soon. As always you can follow me across social media here:

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Thanks, glittery magical love to you all x