Steve Truglia's THE CARD SHARK Plays the Mayfair Hotel Theatre, 15 Dec-22 March

Steve Truglia, ex Special Forces, record-breaking stuntman, and award-winning magician brings The Card Shark to the theatre at The Mayfair Hotel. Running from 15 December 2012 to 22 March 2013, The Card Shark will bring the audience into the underworld of gamblers and card cheats through the ages. The Card Shark's Artistic Director is Joanie Spina (David Copperfield Show/Ghost the Musical on Broadway).

Enter the dark and dangerous world of the Card Shark. From the middle ages through Wild West saloon bars to murderous gangsters, discover how sleight of hand techniques honed by hardened gamblers influenced modern card magic. One of the UK's foremost magicians and expert close up magic stars, Steve Truglia amazes London audiences with classic card tricks, cheats, and scams in this brand new and interactive multimedia show, with film, images, music, and live camera action.

Watch very closely...or you may just miss something...

In the sumptuous five star luxury of The Mayfair Theatre with its stunning eight metre cinema screen, Steve Truglia uses film, music, images and live camera demonstrations, to bring 'close up card magic' to the whole audience.

Steve Truglia is a record-breaking stunt coordinator and performer, Action Unit Director and an accomplished sleight of hand expert and close up magician. Having passed the notoriously rigorous performance exam for The Magic Circle, Steve sought out long ago hidden secrets within the Magic Circle's incredible library to further study these dark arts. Steve's time with UK Special Forces taught him the use of psychological operations to defeat an adversary; skills which are also used by gambling cheats and con artists to this day. A lifelong fascination with the colourful history of gambling cheating with cards, and its influence on modern close up magic, led Steve to write and produce The Card Shark. The show takes the audience on an historical whistle stop tour of the characters, stories and techniques, utilised by these shadowy figures.

Steve's stunt film credits include Saving Private Ryan, Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough, Entrapment, As You Like It, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, and The Wolfman. He is also resident stunt driver for Channel 5's Fifth Gear. Some of his personal record breaking stunts include the longest fire burn within the UK, for a total of two minutes five seconds, a 2004 Guinness World Record for the fastest ever abseil travelling 100 metres in 8.9 seconds and in 2009 Steve broke the world record with a 12 metre loop the loop stunt for Fifth Gear.

The performance schedule is as follows:

15 December at 7.30pm
26 December at 7.30pm & 9.00pm
31 December at 7.30pm & 9.00pm

and on the following Friday and Saturday evenings at 7.30pm
11 January, 18 January-26 January
2 February, 15 February, 16 February, 22 February
1 March, 8 March, 16 March, 22 March

Tickets range from £50 - £60. Visit www.thecardsharkshow.com for information and tickets. The Mayfair Hotel is located on Stratton Street in London, W1J 8LT.