Power Sees Dead People, Dies at Assembly Launch???

Physic medium, Joe Power, received a frosty reception at the Assembly gala press launch on Wednesday night (4 August), ‘dying’ on stage as he battled against an audience of sceptics and managed to single London PR supremo Mark Borkowski out of the audience for a “reading”. Assembly artistic director William Burdett-Coutts has since admitted that it was a mistake to listing Power for the gala event, which is open to members of the general public, as well as members of the Edinburgh Fringe press saying: “I regret putting him in that line-up but I don’t regret putting him on the Assembly programme.” The comedians, burlesque and circus acts performing at the event, which gives performers a five minute slot to promote their show, were received well at the event, which was compared by Adam Hills (See News, 6 August 2010) but Power’s physic act attracted heckles and boos from the audience. Pauline McLean writing for BBC Scotland’s arts blog, reports that when the medium selected London public relations maven Mark Borkowski to be the recipient of one of his physic readings, he simply sat in the audience, looked increasingly uncomfortable and repeatedly shook his head.