The Return
of Ned!
THE
RETURN OF NED! By Simon Lovell and
Ned the Lemming
Just
when I thought I was safe it happened.
Some extra punch from the Halloween
party bowl and I was flat on my
back. Some of our guests kindly
carried me through to the bedroom
(charging a mere $20.00 each for
doing so) and laid me out. I later
discovered that they'd opened a
book quoting odds on how long it
would take me to come out of my
coma! Meanwhile I wobbled around
in my dreams seeing the pretty colors
and furry animals that only a total
overdose of alcohol can create properly.
Then I saw a furry creature running
towards me - It was Ned! He told
me that he hadn't seen me in a long
time and so had hypnotized a guest
to cruelly spike the punch. That
explained the other guests who I
could also see wandering around
my dream world. I imagined that
my appartment looked like a Jim
Jones Fan club meeting.
Still
having found Ned I decided to test
his awesome knowledge of performance
and asked him about Card To Wallet.
It's obviously a great trick but
how should I sell it to be as strong
as possible? Ned chewed a small
piece of apple pie for a while before
answering.
Then
he spoke ... use any or all of his
ideas with his permission. Personally
I use them all but he threatened
to bite me if I didn't.
1.
Ned thinks that it is very important
for the card to be signed and for
the signature to be highly visible
at the end to all the spectators.
He strongly advises forcing a red
2 or 4 spot card and having them
sign the card (with a fattish Sharpie)
right across it. This ensures a
highly visible signature at the
end. This actually holds true of
all signed card effects. It's important
that the whole crowd see that it's
the chosen card at the same time!
2.
Having controlled the card to the
top ask the spectator, "How do you
shuffle cards? Show me with your
hands ... just mime it!" All eyes
go to the spectators hands giving
you a perfectly directed moment
to palm the chosen card from the
top of the deck. As soon as you've
palmed the card, drop the deck in
front of them (or hand it to them
if doing walk-around) and say, "Yep,
I can handle that, really shuffle
the cards!"
3.
The hand goes to the wallet, loads
the card and removes the wallet
as you say, "If I can't find your
card I'll give you the contents
of my wallet" Open the wallet to
show it empty but for a grubby one
dollar bill. Say, "It's not much
but where I live that's rent money!"
Close up the wallet and ask someone
to hold it to, "Look after the bet!"
This is pretty cool because the
card has been loaded very early,
the wallet is out for a logical
reason and, most important of all,
it's being held by a spectator.
Later, says Ned, it will be very
tough to back track to when that
wallet came out!
4.
Take back the shuffled deck and
do some fancy flourishy kinda thing
with it as you say, "A simple cut
that any seven year old child could
achieve with only thirty five years
practice!" (I use a nifty little
six way one handed cut that Ned
taught me!). Show the top card -
they say it's not theirs. You say,
"Do you know how tough that cut
was - you could have lied!!"
5.
Say, "OK, You win the contents of
the wallet. Hold the wallet at your
face level and fold it back upon
itself (I use a Kaps Wallet - Ned
has apparently got some deal going
with Fred's Ghost and said he'd
bite me if I didn't use the one
he gave me).
6.
Say, "Not the note but what's in
here". Undo the zip but keep the
wallet at face level. Gently pull
out an index corner of the card
and say, "It looks a bit like your
card!"
7.
Pull the card clear keeping both
hands high as you say, "Actually
it looks exactly like your card!"
Theatre guys and gals will recognize
this as the famed 'high hands =
applause' position! Plus the whole
group see the card at the same time
which is important if they are all
to applaud at the same time!
So
there you go said Ned. Nothing revolutionary,
nothing really that new but such
a great effect doesn't need that.
It just needs to be smooth, logical
and have a kill high hands finish
to get you the applause you deserve.
Personally I think Neds being uncommonly
low key here. Having tried his routine
I can tell you it has improved the
response immeasurably, especially
the high hands finish! Also the
moment of palm direction takes all
the heat of you giving you an easy
palm even if palming worries you!
The quick take out of the wallet
ensures that you palm the card for
the shortest possible time! I love
that little furry critter!
As
a bonus when I came round I discovered
that I'd won the coma sweepstakes!
Ned had cunningly entered me in
before started to chat. I'd wondered
why he'd nibbled at the pie for
so long! That little psychic deviant!
All
the best,
Simon
and Ned!
