Murray the Escapologist Opens His Blackpool Magic Shop

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Murray the escapologist in a straitjacket. © Alamy

When legendary escapologist Murray retired from the stage in 1953, he chose Blackpool for the next chapter of his remarkable life. Already recognised internationally for his daring escapes and illusion work, the Australian-born performer settled in the resort and opened Murray’s Magic Mart, a specialist magic shop that would become one of the most important meeting places for magicians in Britain. Murray opened Murray’s Magic Mart on King Street, opposite the Hippodrome/ABC stage door, before later relocating to Cookson Street.

More than simply a retail shop, Murray’s Magic Mart became a destination where professional entertainers, amateur magicians and curious youngsters gathered to learn from a man whose career had taken him around the world. Visitors could purchase tricks and illusion equipment, but many came simply to hear Murray’s stories, benefit from his experience and receive advice from one of the greatest escapologists of his generation. For more than thirty years, the shop formed an important part of Blackpool’s entertainment culture and reflected the town’s long-standing association with variety and magic.

One of the young visitors who regularly walked through the shop door was Karl Bartoni. First visiting Murray as a seven-year-old in the late 1950s, Bartoni quickly became a familiar face. Murray recognised his enthusiasm and gradually took him under his wing, introducing him to the art of magic, stagecraft and professional showmanship. Rather than immediately teaching escapology, Murray encouraged Bartoni to master the fundamentals of performance while sharing stories from his own extraordinary career.

Murray the Escapologist has handcuffs fitted by detectives. Photo by Sam Hood, February 1928

As Bartoni developed as a performer, Murray’s guidance became increasingly influential. In 1968 he helped shape Bartoni’s music hall-style act, and later suggested that he attempt a public escape to gain publicity. The advice proved to be life-changing. Bartoni’s first major escape in 1970 launched a career that would eventually establish him as one of Britain’s best-known modern escapologists. The bond between the two men endured throughout Murray’s life. Bartoni frequently acknowledged Murray as the mentor who inspired and encouraged his career, while Murray took great pride in watching his former protégé continue the tradition of escapology in a new generation. When Bartoni successfully completed his famous upside-down escape from Blackpool Tower in 1983, Murray saw his influence carried onto one of the town’s most iconic landmarks.

Magic acts during Murray’s 80th Birthday (the Escapologist). Taken from the Cyril Critchlow Collection at Showtown Museum & Blackpool Council

Murray also enjoyed a long friendship with Blackpool magician, entertainer and collector Cyril Critchlow, whose lifelong passion for preserving the town’s rich entertainment heritage helped safeguard Murray’s own remarkable story. A regular visitor to Murray’s Magic Mart, Critchlow shared his enthusiasm for magic and became one of the leading historians of Blackpool’s variety and magical traditions. Through his extensive collection of programmes, photographs, posters and memorabilia, much of which now forms part of the collections at Showtown and the Blackpool History Centre, Critchlow ensured that Murray’s contribution to the world of magic and to Blackpool’s entertainment history would continue to be remembered by future generations.

Although Murray’s performing career had ended before he settled in Blackpool, his contribution to the resort was arguably even greater. Through Murray’s Magic Mart and his encouragement of young performers such as Karl Bartoni, he helped ensure that Blackpool remained one of Britain’s foremost homes of magic and illusion. His legacy continues to be recognised as an important part of the town’s rich entertainment history.