Verdini

Verdini
Born	1909
Nationality	Czech

Frank Verdini was a Czech magician who settled in the UK during World War Two. He performed professionally for sixty years.

Biography

Frank Verdini was a Czech magician. Born in 1909 he had his first professional engagement at the age of 18 at the Grand Theatre in Prague.

At the onset of World War Two he was touring his native land, appearing in a cabaret show called Magic Lope. He escaped from Czechoslovakia on a French ship bound for Algiers. However, the ship went to France instead and on reaching French territorial waters, Frank was conscripted. When France fell, he was serving in the French air force. He escaped the Germans and made his way to the UK.

After arriving in the UK, he was eventually directed into ENSA where he entertained troops for the duration of the war, including out in Burma with own show called Rendezvous with Magic.

After the war, he played the music halls in the UK from 1948 onwards. When the music halls closed, he moved on to the club scene and then onto children's work and London functions until his retirement in 1986, aged 77.

In his later life he purchased Edward Victor's hand shadowgraphs act, which he played on the dinner-function scene and also adapted for his children's shows.