"Magic" is the story of young Prince Tristan, whose parents have gone off on a quest and left him, an eleven year old boy, in charge of the kingdom. And then one day an alarming new tutor, Dr Bolgin, arrives, saying that he has been sent by Tristan's parents. He is only about a metre high and has large ears, large feet and a pointed nose. And what do you know, he is accompanied by a whole band of soldiers who look the same! In fact, Prince Tristan is subject to a goblin takeover. Dr Bolgin is aided in his endeavours by the Black Talon, the punning leader of a band of verminous ravens. But Tristan has friends too. One is his beautiful, if difficult, French cat, Madame Minette, who has never been fooled by Dr Bolgin for a moment. She seeks the advice of Theodosius, tawny (owl) at law, on whether she may reveal to Tristran that animals can speak to humans in certain circumstances and so reveal what is going on. Madame Minette and Theodosius help Tristan in his double struggle, both with the goblins and the bad side of his own nature. Tristan is further assisted, after a fashion, by an absent minded witch and Percival, a nervous and clumsy pigeon, who in many ways turns out to be the real hero of this story.

"Magic" was first written by Nigel Osner as a children's book called
"Magic in Ravenswood".

It was highly praised by Naomi Mitchison in the Times Educational Supplement at the time of publication:"

"good marks --- All the characters are well-defined --- There is enough irony to give it strength to deal with a traditional situation without going soft or silly."

Nigel has now turned "Magic" into a musical. He wrote the book and the lyrics. The music was composed by BB Cooper www.artfieldmusic.com . "Magic" had a successful showcase performance at the Bridewell Theatre. The performers included Cheryl Kennedy, Ian Lavender, Toni Palmer and Derek Smith. It will be featured in the Greenwich Musical Futures Festival at the Greenwich Theatre in May.

"Magic" is suitable for:

• A family show on the stage The book was written originally for children between 8 and 11. But the story, the characters and the strong melodies will appeal to adults and children alike. Its originality as far as the stage is concerned lies in its special magical effects.
  
• Television Television would be ideal for the special effects.
  
• A CD This would be an exciting adventure for children to hear.

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