Ross Skiffington
Encyclopedia
Ross Skiffington is a New Zealand-born Australian magician, actor, and theatre director, who has received two lifetime achievement awards for his contributions to magic.
, Cop Shop
, Division 4
, The Sullivans
, Holiday Island
, Carson's Law
and Skyways
. He has performed as an illusionist on television programs including The Mike Walsh Show
, The Don Lane Show, The Ray Martin Show
, Young Talent Time
, and The Bert Newton Show
.
Theatrical and magical shows which Skiffington has created and directed include: Tricks, Electricks, Patrick’s Hat Trick, The Fabulous Fontaines!, Chiller!, CHINOIS!, Silver’s Grand Magic Circus, and the Melbourne Festival of the Arts Opening Night Spectacular. He frequently works with a company of performers, dancers and choreographers whom he has gathered together. His illusions are devised and built by his illusion technician, engineer Gordon Arney.
In addition, Skiffington has worked extensively in theatrical productions, notably with the Bell Shakespeare Company
, for which he has worked as both an actor and magician.
Skiffington has frequently worked as a consultant on magic for large-scale theatrical productions. In 2006 he spent six weeks teaching actor Guy Pearce
how to perform the tricks of Harry Houdini
for the film Death Defying Acts
. He worked as a magic consultant for the 2008 production of The Magic Flute
by Opera Queensland
.
Most recently, Skiffington has been performing regularly at The Magic Mansion.
He was also the winner of four awards at the 17th Australian Society of Magicians Convention.. These were for 'favourite trick', 'stage', 'comedy' and 'caberet'.
Biography
Ross Skiffington trained as an actor, graduating with a Diploma in Fine Arts from Auckland University, moving to Australia in 1975 and obtaining Australian citizenship in 1984. He has performed as an actor on television programs including The BoxThe Box (TV series)
The Box was an Australian soap opera than ran on Network Ten from February 1974 until 1977.The Box was produced by Crawford Productions who at the time was having great success producing police procedural television series in Australia...
, Cop Shop
Cop Shop
Cop Shop was an Australian police drama television series produced by Crawford Productions that revolved around the everyday operations of both the uniformed police officers and the plain-clothes detectives of the fictional Riverside Police Station....
, Division 4
Division 4
Division 4 was an Australian television police drama series made by Crawford Productions for the Nine Network between 1969 and 1975 for 300 episodes....
, The Sullivans
The Sullivans
The Sullivans is an Australian drama television series produced by Crawford Productions which ran from 1976 until 1983. The series told the story of an average middle-classMelbourne family and the effect World War II had on their lives...
, Holiday Island
Holiday Island (TV series)
Holiday Island is an Australian television series made by Crawford Productions for Network Ten. The show aired twice weekly from 1981 to 1982, with the first episode going to air on 17 June 1981....
, Carson's Law
Carson's Law
Carson's Law is an Australian television series made by Crawford Productions for the Ten Network between 1983 and 1984. The series was a period piece set in the 1920s and starred Lorraine Bayly as progressive solicitor Jennifer Carson...
and Skyways
Skyways (TV series)
Skyways is an Australian television series made by Crawford Productions for the Seven Network.The series, which aired from 1979 to 1981, was set at the fictional Pacific International Airport and dealt with the lives of the pilots, airline staff and management team who worked there.Skyways was...
. He has performed as an illusionist on television programs including The Mike Walsh Show
The Mike Walsh Show
The Mike Walsh Show is an Australian daytime television series. Hosted by Mike Walsh, the show ran from 1973 to 1984 for 90 minutes each weekday afternoon. The program was launched on the 0-10 Network and moved to the Nine Network in 1977...
, The Don Lane Show, The Ray Martin Show
Ray Martin
Ray Martin may refer to:*Ray Martin , English association football player*Ray Martin , Australian rules footballer*Ray Martin , United Kingdom...
, Young Talent Time
Young Talent Time
Young Talent Time is an Australian television variety program screened on Network Ten, running from 1971 until 1988. The series features a core group of young performers in the vein of The Mickey Mouse Club, and a weekly junior talent quest. The "Young Talent Team" regularly performed popular...
, and The Bert Newton Show
Bert Newton
Albert Watson "Bert" Newton, AM, MBE is an Australian television personality, known for hosting television series such as In Melbourne Tonight, Good Morning Australia and 20 to 1. Newton has also hosted the Logie Awards on numerous occasions through his career.-Early life:Newton was born in...
.
Theatrical and magical shows which Skiffington has created and directed include: Tricks, Electricks, Patrick’s Hat Trick, The Fabulous Fontaines!, Chiller!, CHINOIS!, Silver’s Grand Magic Circus, and the Melbourne Festival of the Arts Opening Night Spectacular. He frequently works with a company of performers, dancers and choreographers whom he has gathered together. His illusions are devised and built by his illusion technician, engineer Gordon Arney.
In addition, Skiffington has worked extensively in theatrical productions, notably with the Bell Shakespeare Company
Bell Shakespeare Company
Bell Shakespeare is an Australian theatre company specialising in the works of William Shakespeare. It was founded in 1990 by John Bell..Bell Shakespeare is Australia's only national touring theatre company. Its current practice is to tour three mainstage productions to each Australian state in...
, for which he has worked as both an actor and magician.
Skiffington has frequently worked as a consultant on magic for large-scale theatrical productions. In 2006 he spent six weeks teaching actor Guy Pearce
Guy Pearce
Guy Edward Pearce is an English-born Australian actor and musician, known for his roles as Leonard Shelby in Christopher Nolan's Memento, Lieutenant Ed Exley in L.A...
how to perform the tricks of Harry Houdini
Harry Houdini
Harry Houdini was a Hungarian-born American magician and escapologist, stunt performer, actor and film producer noted for his sensational escape acts...
for the film Death Defying Acts
Death Defying Acts
Death Defying Acts is a 2007 supernatural romantic thriller. The film is a UK-Australian co-production directed by Gillian Armstrong and starring Guy Pearce and Catherine Zeta-Jones. It concerns an episode in the life of Hungarian-American escapologist Harry Houdini at the height of his career in...
. He worked as a magic consultant for the 2008 production of The Magic Flute
The Magic Flute
The Magic Flute is an opera in two acts composed in 1791 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to a German libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder. The work is in the form of a Singspiel, a popular form that included both singing and spoken dialogue....
by Opera Queensland
Opera Queensland
Opera Queensland is an opera company based in Brisbane, Queensland. The company was founded with funding from the Queensland State Government in 1981, then under the name Lyric Opera of Queensland, after the Queensland Opera Company was closed in December 1980.It is after Opera Australia the second...
.
Most recently, Skiffington has been performing regularly at The Magic Mansion.
Awards
Ross Skiffington has received two lifetime achievement awards:- At the 27th Australian Society of Magicians Convention, for his "contribution to the art of magic" (2000).
- From Magic New Zealand, for “a lifetime dedicated to the magical arts” (2005).
He was also the winner of four awards at the 17th Australian Society of Magicians Convention.. These were for 'favourite trick', 'stage', 'comedy' and 'caberet'.