David Nixon (magician) - Entertainment Career

Entertainment Career

With the advent of the Second World War, Nixon joined ENSA, the organisation that was set up to provide entertainment for British troops. He had been prevented from serving in a front line role as a result of suffering from pneumonia when he was a teenager. In summer 1946, after leaving ENSA, he joined the Fol de Rols, a variety troupe based in Scarborough. He was joined on stage by the actor and comedian Norman Wisdom, who wreaked havoc with his act. The partnership was a roaring success and the two subsequently appeared at the London Casino.

In addition to his magic act, Nixon sang, danced and worked front of house. In 1947 he married a singer named Margaret Burton. The same year he got his first opportunity on television in a show called Café Continental. Nixon's big break came in 1954 when he was invited to be a panelist on the British version of the highly successful television quiz show What's My Line?. He presented various series including the British version of Candid Camera, Comedy Bandbox (1962) (later David Nixon's Comedy Bandbox (1966), and was Basil Brush's first partner. His magic shows included Tonight with David Nixon (1969), David Nixon's Magic Box (1970), and The David Nixon Show (1972). He also appeared as a panelist on TV and radio game shows, most notably on the UK TV version of What's My Line?. He famously presented an episode of This is Your Life in which the subject was none other than the series' regular British host, Eamonn Andrews. A keen chess player, Nixon also presented Checkmate, a Thames Television series teaching the basics of the game.

Alongside his skills as a stage magician, Nixon liked to use television technology for humour and entertainment. In the 70s, when the technology of chromakey became available, he developed a way to interact with a recording of himself apparently on the other side of a mirror. Not only was the conversation perfectly coordinated, he also used sleight-of-hand to appear to pass objects back and forth to himself. These segments became high points of his shows of that period.

David Nixon has been recognised as an influence on future UK magicians as diverse as Wayne Dobson and Jerry Sadowitz.

With a rich and mellow speaking voice, Nixon was also in demand as a compere and narrator. Alongside this he was a popular choice for pantomimes, which he enjoyed performing in and a favourite part was playing 'Buttons' in Cinderella. One of his most memorable performances was as a narrator in the show Emil and the Detectives, at The Mermaid Theatre, London.

Half Man Half Biscuit refer to David in their song Reflections In A Flat, from the album Back in the DHSS.