Creative
Ideas from Ian Adair
Book Test
Obtaining
the vital information, such as certain words
appearing on the pages of a particular book,
can be done in many ways. Special slates, code
cards etc., have all been used in the past.
Here's an idea. Years ago I purchased a Jumbo
sized card frame, then manufactured by The Supreme
Magic Company of England. Other dealers have
manufactured and sold such an item. I found
that a code card, arranged in columns, in tens,
marked 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 and the first and
last words on the pages of a chosen book, could
reach into the hundreds. This code card was
inserted into the giant sized card frame. The
frame was inverted and the sand covered the
image. This meant that the code was hidden from
view. I used this unit as a slate or display
aid and used a china-graph type pencil (some
marker pens also work) to write on the glass
surface. In effect, a normal book was used.
A spectator was asked to open it at any page
and note the first or last word (or both) of
that chosen page. The display unit was introduced
and shown on both sides and the pencil was taken
up for the performer to use. Meanwhile the card
frame was casually inverted, the code now coming
into the performer's' view.
After
the spectator announces the chosen page number
of the book, all the performer has to do is
to glance at the code, spot the page number
and then the words after this. These words are
written across the surface of the glass whilst
the frame is inverted again. The bold black
writing against the sandpaper surface shows
up well as your divination.
The pencil
image can easily be erased ready for another
performance and those who wish to use a different
book in future shows could have other code cards
for replacement. It might even be worth thinking
of having several such giant sand frames with
several code cards inserted inside, so that
a number of books can be used in this book test.
21st Century
Silks
We've
got to keep up with the times.
It's
not really a new version of the classic 20th
century silks, but rather a comedy routine using
a prop which you can convert.
WHAT
THE AUDIENCE SEES:
Two purple silks are shown and knotted together
by their corners. These are gathered together
and displayed inside a clear tumbler. The magician
states that he is going to make a third silk,
a red one, vanish and reappear tied and knotted
between the two. He uses a gun. The red silk
is placed into a prop and the gun is fired.
The lid of the prop is removed showing the silk
has gone, at the same time when the trigger
is pulled, down rolls the red silk. It's a sort
of 20th Century silks in reverse.
APPARATUS
REQUIRED:
Three 18" silks, two purple and one red. A clear
tumbler. Some prop (basically one which uses
one hand to operate it) which will vanish the
red silk. A BANG GUN. There are two sizes on
the market and these are readily available.
I have used the larger model. When you pull
the trigger, the shaft opens wide and down rolls
a banner in silk (or could it be in nylon?)
showing the word B-A-N-G-!
Replace
the Bang silk for a normal red silk, sewing
the two metal rods into the bottom hems. This
works exactly the same as the BANG silk, and
when rolled up and concealed inside, when operated,
rolls down for display.
The working
is obvious.
Tie the
two purple silks together and place them inside
the clear tumbler. Show the red silk and pop
it into your container (I personally use a Merry
Switch Can, which is a great prop). Introduce
the gun and fire it towards the can. Lift the
top of the can and tilt the inner section showing
the red silk has vanished, at the same time,
pressing the trigger allowing the rolled-up
silk to unroll and be displayed.
Fun with the Coin
Wand
I have
just purchased the coin wand. I had one years
ago and so did many old, old magicians of bygone
days. The current model by Colin Rose is a good
one, very well made and effective in performance.
A simple push-up on the sliding stud allows
the folding coin to make its appearance on the
end of the wand. Why not use the old 'Purse
gag' item in conjunction with the coin wand.
They work well together.
In performance,
display the purse frame, opening it up and showing
it inside and out. It's got to be empty, since
there is no cloth outer or inner sections. Keep
the purse frame open as you poke the end of
the wand inside and then bring out a COIN. This
can be repeated several times, one coin after
another making its appearance from inside the
silly purse frame. The performer could state
that this purse belonged to the invisible man
and when he wanted to buy something he used
a magic wand and the procedure to prove how
clever he is.
The finish
to the routine could be the production of a
larger sized coin.
This
may sound cold in print, but do try it. The
purse frame notion could be part of your routine,
coins also appearing here there and everywhere
as in usual routines.
Knot Unusual
The old
gag of catching something inside a paper bag
has not only been tried and tested by countless
magicians over the years, but by comedians too,
British performers, Morcambe and Wise coming
to mind immediately. Here's the same gag but
with and added magical effect.
EFFECT:
A length of rope is displayed and lowered slowly
into a tall paper bag (sack) so that it hangs
over the top of the bag. The magician asks a
spectator to reach into the air and catch a
knot. The same spectator is asked to throw the
invisible knot towards the bag. There's a 'snap'
and a sudden movement of the bag. When the rope
is removed from the bag ( and remember - its
end has been in full view all the time) there
tied towards its opposite end, is a knot.
APPARATUS
REQUIRED:
- A paper bag of
the type which is slightly stiffer than
the average.
- A special rope
length. Inserted into one end, using glue,
is a rope magnet.
- A small portion
of similar rope, tied into a knot. Into
its end is secured another magnet so that
when both ends meet, they are attracted
to each other. The rope now appears to have
a knot tied near its end.
SET-UP:
Have the fake knot end already inside the bag
at the commencement.
WORKING
AND PRESENTATION:
Display the length of rope showing both ends.
Explain that you want someone to assist by catching
an invisible knot. Drape the length of rope
inside the paper bag leaving its top end protruding
over the edge. As the rope is being placed inside,
carefully engage it onto the magnetic knot fake
section. Hold the paper bag at top position,
fingers towards the back, thumb gripping. When
the spectator throws the 'invisible knot' towards
the bag, snap your finger against the back of
this. The audience will hear a SNAP. The knot
has arrived! Slowly remove the length of rope
showing that the knot is now tied to its end.
Light Entertainment
When
I was a boy magician so very many years ago,
I used to perform the coin in the nest of boxes
which had the little bag in the middle. This
used a coin slide, mine was made of metal. The
two outer boxes housed a small cloth bag which
was slid over the slide and secured by an elastic
band. This slide protruded from both closed
boxes. When a coin was borrowed and marked,
this could secretly be guided into the protruding
slide so it would arrive inside the little cloth
bag which was inside both boxes. The coin supposedly
vanished elsewhere and when the spectator opened
both boxes he or she found the bag (the slide
having been secretly removed by now) and there
inside, was the vanished marked coin. I have
found that the firm Bryant and May manufacture
matchboxes of different sizes, containing match
sticks of varying sizes too. I used the large
household container for the outer box. I used
a regular for the second box which could easily
nest inside. Instead of a little cloth bag I
used a small cigarette lighter which happened
to be inside a little sleeve-type bag. I used
the same metal slide, which was pushed into
the top of the lighter bag, with the lighter
still inside. The unit was behind other props
on the table.
EFFECT:
A coin was borrowed from and marked by a spectator.
Taken
by the performer, this is placed under the folds
of a pocket handkerchief (in reality, palmed-a
duplicate is already sewn into the hank). Going
towards the nest of boxes, the palmed coin is
secretly dropped into the slide, which in turn
is removed and left behind. The boxes are closed.
(Elastic bands round each will not only make
the working better but will make the trick more
effective.) "A matchbox . . .inside are things
that light. . .or not so in this case. . .because
there's another matchbox. And inside this one
is something which lights. . .it's a cigarette
lighter. Take it out sir, and see what's inside
it's case. . .yes. . .the missing coin."
Cheers!
Ian Adair
