MAGICSEEN MAGAZINE

THE MAGIC MAGAZINE FOR MAGICIANS & MENTALISTS

RICHARD SANDERSTHE INFINITE IMAGINATION OF

ALSO INSIDE THIS ISSUE:KEN BROOKEPLUS...MASTERCLASS COMEDYREVIEWSLETTERSLES GIBSONMAGIC SEEN ONLINEJAMES EARL JONES

Taster Issue

No.10

READERS,LETTERSIf you have anything you would like to

tell us, whether it’s about the magazineor anything magic related, please email:grahamhey@magicseen.co.uk

DYNAMO IS WET!Am I the only person whothinks Dynamo’s shows are justfull of camera tricks, and stuntswhich David Blaine did tenyears ago? Walking on water?Call me cynical, why don’t you?H.K Stourbridge

Dear cynical, cut the lad someslack! What a breakthrough for ayoung magician to have his ownseries!!!! When was the last timethat happened in the UK? At leastthe public are talking about magicagain, which can only be a goodthing. And anyway, we thinkDynamo is ace. And there is noharder working magician thanhim. Who cares about a few

camera tricks anyway? They havebeen around for years…

DYNAMO THE KINGHow great to see a youngmagician like Dynamo on the TV! Itis the highlight of the TV week forme and my two sons. He ismaking magic really cool andsome of his tricks are AMAZING!!!!Dan Harrop, West Ham, London.

HAND IT TO DYNAMO!I’m not a big fan of Dynamo, butyou have to admire the way hegets publicity and nationalcoverage in the press. With hiswalk across the Thames river, hewas featured in almost everynational newspaper in the UK,

and the Daily Mail devoted awhole page to his exploits!

I read the article when he wasfeatured on the cover ofMagicseen, and it reallyopened my eyes to all the hardwork he had put in to getwhere he is today. When I hearmagicians criticising him, Ithink they are just jealous. Jake Taylor, Jersey

We are big fans of Dynamo, andwe don’t mind saying it. Not onlyis he very skilful, he happens tobe a really nice guy. If we had aspare room at MagicseenTowers, we would adopt him!

JACK’S TASTYMAGIC FORPIERRE!World class Chef, Marco PierreWhite continues to fall for themagical skills of Jack Stephenswho in turn continues to fall forthe wonderful food on offer atMarco’s magical restaurant(watch those calories, Jack!).

We’d just like to point out ourreference in the last issue aboutJack being rushed to hospitalwas a joke. Jack is alive and well,and performing miracles on adaily basis!

IT AIN’T ALL MAGICGreat to see an article ofalternative ways to entertainChildren, as stated in the articlechildren’s parties are not thecash cow they once were,despite other entertainers tellingme otherwise.

I have just decided to get backinto face painting, so I am eagerto read what your article on this

CELEBRITY MAGIC

subject has to offer. And a guydoing it? - well some of the bestface painters in the world todaybeing men (Brian & Nick Wolfefrom America.. Look them up).

On a side note, have you guysever considered doing a sistermag for the children’sentertainer? I don’t recall everseeing a magazine in the UK.There are loads of subjects tocover from Face painting todoing hospital shows etc, just athought.Best Regards,CHUBBZ & Co.

Thanks, Chubbz! As far as a mag forchildren’s entertainers, the idea isgood, but publishing’s an expensivebusiness these days and usuallyrelies to an extent on advertising.We will think about a regularsection for children’s entertainers –we will discuss this at our nextmeeting!

PENN & TELLER -UP & DOWN!I thought the Penn & Teller serieswas for UK magicians to try andfool ‘em. It has rapidly become ashowcase for world championsand performers from overseas.The standard has fluctuatedwildly, and there have been actsperforming which wouldn’t fool

Mr Bean! I started offenthusiastic about the series andended up pretty bored!Jane Southall, Kilmarnock

STARTING OUT!I am just getting in to magic andfound Magicseen during anonline search. Could yourecommend any books forsomeone new to magic?Miles Fenton, Salisbury

Hi Miles, You could try MarkWilson’s Complete Course In Magic,which is great, or The TarbellCourse in Magic. Also excellent arethe books by Nick Einhorn. StreetMagic by Paul Zenon is also anexcellent book, as is Pete Firman’s‘Tricks to Freak Out Your friends’.

CHRIS CROSS NOTCROSS ENOUGH!Oh, Magicseen! Excellent articleon Chris Cross – but there wereno swearwords, and barelyanything offensive! Has Chrisfinally cleaned up his act? I lovethe guy, but tell me he hasn’tdumbed-down!!Steve Fearnley, Middlesbrough

Fear not Steve, we had to edit outmore than fifty four-letter words, andseveral explicit references to sexualacts! So, to answer your question,Chris is just as loveable as ever!

YANN FOREVER!Great to see Yann Frisch on thecover. Long live the cups & balls,long live Yann Frisch, and longlive Magicseen!Karen Hardy, via email.

LEO GOES MAGIC!A short interview with thepoptastic Leo Sayer – youremember, the guy with curly hairwho used to dress as a clown orsomething like that.

How long have you been a magic fan?Since I was a kid. It seemed inthose days that there was alwaysmagic or speciality acts on TV –and there was barely a talentshow in sight!What are your earliest memories ofmagic?I was a fan of Paul Daniels –mainly when he did the close-upmagic, and I also watched andloved Wayne Dobson, because Iliked the way he did comedy,Tommy Cooper, and I also likedall the big illusion acts.Ever done any magic?I’ve used a svengali deck andone or two other gimmickedtricks - but sleight of hand? Iwould love to have the time tospend learning more skilled tricksbut I’m too busy.What did you have for breakfast?A donut and a coffee. Is thiswrong of me?What was the last magic you sawon TV?I actually watched a clip of LanceBurton on Youtube doing hisdove act. I hate dove magic, Ireally do, but when you seesomeone so skilful at it, you justhave to admire it. Even with arewind facility it’s still impossibleto detect the moves. That’s why Istuck to singing.

Don’t Learn Your ActIt can be highly amusing to watch a new actstruggling to remember the next bit of theiract - but not in the way he/she intended. Tobe certain of confirming the audience’ssuspicions that you don’t care enough aboutthem to learn your material, simply toss afew ideas around in your head without oncecommitting them to paper. Don’t even thinkabout making a list of keywords andmemorising them. No way should you try tolink the image evoked by the last gag in onesection with the first gag in the next section.The audience are a forgiving bunch and willgladly wait patiently while you trot out thosehighly original “savers” like “So...what elsecan I tell you?” or “I know this - really!”. And

for the icing on the cake, pull out yourscrappy hand-written sheets of A4, peer atthem in the dim stage light and shuffle themfrantically while keeping a fixed inane grin onyour face - it will be fine, really!

Don’t Greet The AudienceWhy bother saying “Hello”, “Evening” “Hiya”or any other greeting – this might wellintroduce you to the audience in a friendlyway and get an immediate response – whoneeds that!? Dive into your material, don’tpander to the plebs with populist attention-getting devices, they’ve come to hear yourgags, not your pleasantries. And while we’reon the subject…

Comedy...it’s nolaughingmatter!By Graham Hey

This issue, we reveal the TOP MISTAKES you mustavoid making, thanks to the good folks atVirginmirth.co.uk. If you take any of the followingadvice, you’re doomed to have less success than theEngland football team!

QUICK GAG!This is great if you have two people on stagewith you. (Or can be done if you are doingclose-up, too!)

Get two people to stand side by side, andthen say to one person: “Put your thumbup in the air...” (as if this is going to be partof a trick). Then say to a second person:“And will you put your thumb up as well?”(Again, do this as if it’s going to be part of atrick...). Once they have done this, simplytake a camera out of your pocket and say:“I’ll just take a photo for my website of twopeople enjoying themselves at one of myshows!” Then you simply go into theroutine you had planned. This always getsa really good laugh!

COMEDY

Don’t Say Goodbye and Thank YouLook – they’ve heard the gags, they eitherlike you or they don’t. It’s no good thankingthem for their attention, especially if theydidn’t give you enough of it – tell them whatyou really think of their half-arsed attempts atunderstanding the depth and substance ofyour hand-crafted material. That way they’llappreciate your honesty – even if they’re100% honest with you about whether theyever want to see you again!

Don’t Care How You’reIntroducedWith an act which has such uniquecharacter, instant appeal and a turn of witthat beggars belief, you don’t need to evenhear what the compere says about you -never mind ensuring that it sets you up in theright way! He may introduce you as a one-legged ballet dancer from Bulgaria, or just asa sh*t new act whose name he can’t evenbe arsed to read out from the scrappychewed up bit of paper you gave him earlier.A true comedian can work with anyintroduction, no matter how demeaning orconfusing, it’s just the power of a masterimproviser on display. And even if takes fiveminutes for the audience to recover from apoor intro and begin to understand whatyou’re all about, well – they’ll know nexttime!

Don’t Give Them Any QuickReliefAbsolutely no need to offer your audience aquick first gag, something that is consistentwith your stage persona or the theme ofyour act. This might only give them theimpression that you’re worth listening to andmight even give them another few laughs

later, too. Far, far better to plough straightinto your first supremely clever 5 minutepiece of comic genius full of intricatecounterpoint and obscure references to 20year old episodes of Star Trek. If theaudience aren’t sophisticated enough toappreciate a true artist who cannot beconstrained by hackneyed formulae ofyesteryear, well, darling – stuff ‘em!

Don’t Learn How To Use TheMicrophoneThe mic is simply a tool, which cannotenhance the quality of an act with highfidelity sound. You know audiences willalways readily forgive that acceptable halfminute of fumbling with the mike at the start.Even if you drop it, they’ll wait patiently andgive you the benefit of the doubt. Shouldyou be holding it too close to your mouth,they’ll just hear you all the better, and thedistortion introduced thereby will give it anauthentic “club” sound. If it’s too far awayfrom your mouth, then more of yourunadulterated aural ambience will add anatural ring to the sound (and allow them tocontinue their undoubtedly importantconversations in peace, without the constantinterruption of rip-roaring gags). So don’tever think of practising mic technique – leavethat to the androids.

Don’t Make It A Double ActLook – you’ve sweated blood over your act,practised it over and over until it’s wordperfect. It’s timed to the millisecond and,frankly, you don’t need it to be interrupted byconstant sounds of amusement from peoplewho obviously don’t give a damn that you’reon a tight time slot and you simplyhave to get through this material

right to the bitter end. If they miss the nextgag because they’re still laughing at the first(probably because the fools were too bloodythick to understand it within the allotted 0.4seconds you generously allowed for“objective audience response”) – well, theirloss!

Don’t Look At Your WholeAudienceCome on, who still believes that old garbageabout people who avoid your gaze beingshifty and untrustworthy!! People haven’tcome to be admired and appreciated bygranting them the respect of glancing atthem occasionally, they’ve come toappreciate raw comedic and magic talent.They surely don’t need the reassurance of amutual gaze which forms an unspoken bondbetween the performer and the audience,and is the best knownprecaution againstheckling.

“I took four Es last night. That was a tough hand at Scrabble.”

“Technically, shoplifting from the Apple store onlycounts as scrumping.” ‘Made in Dagenham’, a film about the struggle for equal pay, is a big hit.Producers said ‘It was cheap to make too, as it’s mostly women’.

GARY DELANEY ONE LINERS...

MAGICSEENONLINE!This month I am taking a lookat something that you maywell have heard of (and if youhaven’t, in approximatelyfour words you will), TheAcademy of Magic. This is anonline magic venture thatwas created back in 2009 by London based magician,Tom Weil.

The Academy of Magic is what started theconcept of presenting lectures online, via alive internet stream, meaning you have noconvention fees and can be sitting in thecomfort of your own home.

The team consists of Tom (as you may havegathered) as well as other Londonmagicians, Lee Hathaway, Neil Henry andDaniel Young.

We had a chat with the man himself, Tom,so I shall leave you with what happened...

WHAT IS THE ACADEMY OFMAGIC ABOUT?The Academy is about embracing the digitalera of magic. We have a huge amount ofamazing technology at our fingertips, whichonly a few people seem to be utilising tofurther our art. This is what The Academy isall about. Over the last couple of years we’vecustom developed loads of technology thatcould really benefit the learning process ofmagic across the world.

but we feel that it offers such a hugeopportunity to see those lecturers that youwouldn’t ever be able to see in the flesh. Someof the greatest teachers don’t travel and a lotof keen magicians can’t attend conventions orlectures, either for financial or health reasons.The goal is not to replace the physical lecture,but support and expand their effect.

2: Video On DemandWe wanted to improve the efficiency of videolearning, so we came up with our video ondemand system. A lot of sites are nowcalling short tutorial videos ‘on demand’ butours means it in the truest sense of thephrase. You can watch & pay for just theparts of a video that you want to see. So ifyou’re researching a particular move oreffect you can browse all the videos in thecatalogue and watch just the relevant partsof multiple videos. Like a ‘best of’ DVD butfor whatever you want to learn! Our ultimategoal is to have every magic video availableon one system. A kind of iTunes for magic,but without the inevitable trademarkinfringement that would involve.

By George Luck

Our goal is to create a centralised webplatform for learning magic, making theprocess easier, cheaper and more effective.The Academy has 3 main unique aspects:

1: Live StreamingWe did beta launch this (admittedly a littleprematurely) in early 2010 in order to stakeour claim before EMC, to enable lectures,filmed and streamed live online, to be watchedfrom the comfort of your home while stillallowing the viewer to interact with the lecturer.

Previous lectures included the likes ofEtienne Pradier, Steve Dela, AnthonyJacquin & Paul Gordon. The Academy canbe used by anyone, anywhere, to host theirown lecture – from a convention, local magicclub or your front room - and practically notechnical knowhow is required. This is agreat opportunity for up-and-comingmagicians to get their work recognisedinternationally at the click of a button.

Live streaming does receive a negativeresponse from some, for encouraging laziness,

MAGIC SEEN ONLINE

Whilst centralising all the tutorials wouldmake it much easier to learn a specific effectinstantly, it would also give the option tobroaden your knowledge-base by watchingaround the area you are interested in. Thiscan’t be done currently without the expenseof purchasing several DVDs or books. OnThe Academy, for the same price as onephysical DVD, you could watch over an hourof several digital video explanations and,what’s more, the creator gets paid for everysecond you watch!

3: SecurityThe other thing that is really important to usis the security of the video content on The

Academy. It is the most secure way ofdistributing magic tutorial videos in theworld. If videos can’t be copied then theycan’t be fileshared. Secure streamed videoand video watermarking means it’s prettymuch impossible to steal any video - whichmeans the creators don’t lose out andultimately the quality of the content of tutorialvideos will improve. We think it would becool if EVERY magic video had this security.

WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLYWORKING ON?The sad thing is we have come across anumber of brick walls, mainly through fear

and lack of understanding. However, takinginspiration from Copperfield, we’re going toplough straight through the middle of thosewalls! It’s an expensive and relatively dauntingprospect to try and change how people learnan art form; that is why we’re trying to makethis a collaborative process to build the libraryof content available for our On Demandservice. There is more information about ourvision and plans and for how you can getinvolved, visit www.academyofmagic.com

YOUTUBE CHANNEL OF THE MONTH: www.youtube.com/theacademyofmagic1COMPETITION WINNER FROM LAST ISSUE: Jack Stephens.THIS MONTH’S COMPETITION: Film a funny video that is linked in some way to magic and send it tome at geoluck@hotmail.co.uk and the winner will receive a prize...which we have not yet decidedon but will be good. PROMISE!

What got you started in magic? I got into magic when my Grandfather tookme to a local magic shop when I was 16.Behind the counter, a guy showed me asilver ball that took flight under a hank. Thenhe took a silver cup and caused a little redball to appear and vanish from under thecup and then BAM…there was an orange!

Then I saw this quiet guy in the corner of theroom doing something with playing cardsthat made my heart stop. I was watchingaces materialize under his hand literally “likemagic!”

When I left the shop I didn’t have a zombieball or silver cup, instead I had a copy of“Basic Card Technique” by Anthony

Norman. I studied it voraciously. I studied thepass, the double lift and all kinds oftechniques. The book had one or two linedrawings per move, I really had no clue whatI was doing but I didn’t care.

I was the king of card magic…IN MY OWNMIND...and it was a blast!

Years later, after muchsearching, I finally learned

the miracle that I saw inthe store years earlier, it

was Paul Harris’ “InvisiblePalm” routine.

That effect changed my life!

Were you a magic geek? By geek are you referring to a boy who wasso shy and introverted that in early highschool a girl once called out his name andhe blushed beet red for about ten minutes?If so, then yes I was an UBER GEEK.

I was a very shy and introverted kid. Myparents were divorced at a young age. I grew up with my Mom and 2 youngersisters. I was not the sociable type. I tookpleasure in things I could do on my own. Ihad two choices and magic was the choicethat didn’t make me blind. It allowed me todream, practise and create all by myself. Thereal beauty of magic however, is that magicultimately calls you to task: eventually youmust do this stuff for another human being.

RICHARDSANDERSMIRACLE WORKERAccording to the sandersfx.com website, in 15 years as a full time,

professional magician, Richard Sanders has found 16,000 freely selectedcards; vanished $24,000 worth of hundred dollar bills; caused 916

borrowed objects to float in midair; and entertained tens of thousands of peopleat corporate events, conventions, trade shows, comedy clubs, cruise ships, andmore! What sandersfx.com doesn’t tell you is the stunning reaction his originalmagic receives. His marketed effects are highly original, utra-clever, and eachone is lovingly crafted to create high-impact, memorable magic. Earlier this yearRichard visited the Magicseen stand at Blackpool for a chat, and we arepleased to report that not only is the fellow a creative genius, he is also a veryfunny and likeable guy... Graham Hey asks the questions.

Richard at the Magicseen stand inBlackpool earlier this year.

RICHARD SANDERS

“I was the king of card magic…IN MY OWN MIND...and it was a blast!”

RICHARD SANDERS

“Magic is theperfect way tomeet girls if youhave no other

options. I know thisbecause I had no

other options.”

RICHARD SANDERS

For years my humans were my 2 sisters. Byweek two, I had already sucked the love ofmagic right out of them!

Earliest job as magician?I think my first real job as a magician otherthan kids parties would have been my timeas the ‘Hostess Munchies’ Magician. I wasabout 16 and still introverted. My fathersomehow managed to convince someonehe knew to hire me on as the magicalentertainer, where I would perform magicalong side the 7 foot, orange, furry mascot. Iwas decked out in a full black tuxedocomplete with a powder blue ruffled shirtand a bow-tie. I considered this a good stylechoice (please refer to the previous question,“would you consider yourself a geek?”).

I would spend the majority of my timewalking into corner stores with the giantfluffy mascot and harassing people withcards tricks as they attempted to purchasethings like milk and cigarettes. Withoutsacrifice there can be no growth. Thatsummer I grew a lot.

Did you ever use magic to meetgirls? Magic is the perfect way to meet girls if youhave no other options. I know this because Ihad no other options.

Early on, magic allowed me to interact withgirls who I would have never had a chance inhell of interacting with otherwise. Theproblem was that after the trick finished sodid my social skills.

I realised very quickly that no matter howamazing I made him sound, women justweren’t interested in Fantasio.

Tell us about creating uniqueeffects... I have been best friends with Jay Sankeyever since I was 16 years old.

We used to get together at his Dad’s office inToronto and create magic. We cameequipped with a deck of cards, paper clips,coins, matches and anything else we couldget our hands on. I believe oven mitts werepart of one session. Jay was a realinspiration - having to keep up with Jay keptme on my toes and forced me to expand myown skills.

One of my first creations was called “Twigfrom Ear.”(Nice title eh?). As I talked with theaudience they could see the edge of a twigsticking out of my ear. I slowly pulled it out -a 2 foot tree twig! This was my start!

Your favourite effects?Interlace and Extreme Burn and Identity andFiber Optics and Ultra Gum….stop…I can’tpick a favourite!!!

Seriously, I really work hard at creating all ofthe magic that I market.

Every effect has a little of my blood, sweatand tears in it (don’t worry, all the DVD

QUICKIES! Last time you shouted? A month ago while alone in the car.

Favourite TV show? Curb Your Enthusiasm, 30 Rock, 24, Flightof the Concords, Fringe.

Fav comedians? Bill Mauer, Steve Carell, Will Ferrell, MontyPython, Woody Allen, Mitch Headberg, ZachGalifianakis.

What did you have forbreakfast? I am trying to cleanse my body. I am eatingonly fruits, veggies and nuts. So I had fruitsand nuts. I miss meat!

Last Movieyou saw? Barbie: A FairySecret. (Shut up, Ihave a daughter!)

Secret hobby? Graphic design

Personal thing? I am a LOUD snorer.

Best Venue? 5 years of workingcruise ships. A cruiseship is a fantasy job.

You are spoiled like apassenger with the added responsibility ofperforming 2 shows a week for people thatlove to laugh and have fun. Awesomememories!

“Jay was a realinspiration -having to keepup with Jaykept me on mytoes andforced me toexpand myown skills.”

29

boxes were sanitised before shipping!). I loveeach effect for a different reason.

Most of my magic has a visual slant for areason. I grew up in Montreal which, when Iwas a kid, was primarily English. As I grewup it transitioned into a French city.Unfortunately my French was not up tostandard and I had a problemcommunicating. I got around thecommunication problem by performingmostly visual magic. This became mytrademark...to this day.

Best magic books?Sankey Pankey, Art of Astonishment andWilliamsons Wonders.

Influences? Jay Sankey for incredible creativity. BillAbbott for effortless skill as a performer. DaveWilliamson and Bill Malone for comic genius.

If I was in charge of magicworld...? A public “Troublewit” burning!

Public hangings for anyone that starts theirshow with “people often ask me, what’s thedifference between magic and illusion…welltonight we are going to find out!”

On a serious note, I wish we would stopcritiquing other magicians and instead, usethat energy positively to create magic forourselves.

Best Advice? “Have fun and love your audience!” I forgotwho told me this.

1. Audience 2. Customer3. You (in order of importance): Colin Magor

“If you enjoyseeing andmaking peoplelaugh then by allmeans make thispart of yourmagic. Humourin magic shouldbe an extensionof who you arenaturally.”

Are you a solo creator? I am a solo creator but in fact I love workingwith others.

This year I released an incredible effectcalled Ultra Gum, where I worked veryclosely with Spidey and Deven Ye, two verycreative guys.

I have projects planned with Cameron Francis,Ben Williams, Spidey and more. In fact thisyear Sanders FX is on the lookout formagicians with original effects and/or ideas. Iwill personally work with you to help bring tomarket a cutting edge, top notch effect. Thecreative process is much more effective withmore than one person at the helm.

Sense of humour!!? I think humour is very important in yourmagic….IF YOU ARE FUNNY!

I think a sense of humor is a wonderful thingto have.

If you enjoy seeing and making people laughthen by all means make this part of yourmagic. Humour in magic should be anextension of who you are naturally.

People always say that if you aren’t funnythen don’t try to be funny on stage.

I disagree with this. I think the importantquestion to ask is: “Would you love to makepeople laugh?” If the answer is yes, then go

out and try to do it. Making people laughcomes naturally to some, it takes work forothers and it just isn’t a good fit for others. Ifyou never try, you will never know.Experiment with people. Try to crack a jokeduring your magic set. Try using a funnyroutine. Try an open mike night at your localcomedy club, etc.

I used to be a very quiet, polite performerwhen I started but by working at it over andover (and taking a few chances here and there)I became funnier and funnier. The funnier Ibecame the looser I got and the funnier I wasable to be. Eventually I became a funny guy. This may not be the route for everyone but ifit is something you truly want then by allmeans go out there and try it.

Who was I 10 years earlier andhow have I changed since? I performed primarily at corporate eventsand private parties. I am still doing that todaybut as a person I have changed. I am muchmore comfortable with who I am and who Iam not.

With another 10 years of performingexperience under my belt, I have a lot moreconfidence in myself as an entertainer.

I am free to do things that I would havenever done ten years earlier.

Example: At the recent Blackpool 2011convention I performed on the close-up show.The show was performed for a group of about500 people in one large room complete with alarge video screen. I had my show preparedbut after sitting through all the magic acts Ijust couldn’t stand to show everyone anothercard or coin routine so instead, last minute, Idecided to trust myself, and wing it.

I was armed with an opening joke and aquick closing trick but other than that I hadno clue what I was going to do.

I walked up to the close-up table withnothing but a trust in the universe and a trustin myself. The show was a mish-mash ofimprovised magic, bits of business andsituation comedy. I literally had no clue whatI would do next throughout the show.

Fifteen minutes later, the show was over andI received a standing ovation from 500people in the close-up room.

Richard’s Favourite Effects...

INTERLACE: A borrowed fingerring appears hangingfrom the loop of yourshoelace. I loveInterlace for thestrength of theeffect. The idea of aborrowed ringappearing on theloop of yourshoelace always struck me as an impossibleorganic miracle that would be rememberedlong after the effect is over.

EXTREME BURN: With a shake ofyour hand,paper visuallychanges tomoney. I love this becauseof the visualchanges. With nomoves and no coveryour own eyes seemoney or paper transform. The magic isundeniable!

IDENTITY:A full out cardroutine where marksjump from card tocard until they end upon the selection… andthen the marks visuallychange into thespectator’s name.

I love Identity for the killer ending wherethe marks change into their own name.The transformation of the marks to theirname at the end of the effect is like asucker punch to the solar plexus..

sandersfx.com

ULTRA GUM: Unlike traditionaleffects like this,(bill in lemon forexample), thespectator getsto see the bill inthe impossiblelocation (thelemon) only afterit is cut open. With Ultra Gum the spectatorgets to see his bill trapped inside animpossible location WHILE IT IS STILL INTHE IMPOSSIBLE LOCATION.

FIBEROPTICSEXTENDED: I love this for it’spure visualbeauty. This ishardcore, highoctane visual magic.There are about 20visual magic moments in a span of 3minutes!

It was an amazing experience but anexperience that I could never have donewithout the aid of 20 plus years ofperforming experience.

Do you like mentalism? I love mentalism done well.

I am writing this article from my hotel room inLas Vegas where last night I saw GerryMcCambridge’s show. What an amazingsurprise. He combines a comedian’s senseof humor, powerful effects and very cleverpsychology.

What makes him really shine is his ability toconvince the audience that what they arewatching is the real thing. What I found reallyinteresting is that he is funny as hell and atthe same time people are actually scared ofhim…a very difficult combination to pull off.

RICHARD SANDERS

magicseen Issue No.19 March 2008

KENBROOKE

On February 26th 1983, the

magic world mourned the loss

of probably its most colourful,

charismatic and controversial

character…the legendary,

Ken Brooke.

On February 26th 2008, in order to

commemorate precisely, twenty-five years

since that very sad day, Steve Cook officially

publishes his long-awaited book: Legend: An

anecdotal tribute to Ken Brooke.

The main aim of the book is to keep alive

the name of Ken Brooke for future

generations of magicians. It is important to

highlight ‘magic revolutionaries’ like Ken, who

has been described as the most influential

man in magic; a man who constantly strove

to elevate magic into a real art form.

“There are no tricks in the ‘Legend’ book

but some wonderfully funny, as well as some

very poignant stories”, says Steve, “there are

also some great gags, ‘bits of business’, plus

lots of priceless advice and a wealth of

excellent photos”.

It seems incredible to think that a

quarter of a century has vanished since Ken

passed away. Today, in the opinion of

countless magicians, there is still nobody in

the world of magic who comes close to

matching him as ‘the greatest magic

demonstrator of all time’.

He was often outspoken, controversial and

sometimes vehement in his opinions on magic,

magicians and show-business, which is almost

always the case with real innovators and ‘torch

bearers’. Naturally, such outspokenness and

controversy often brought him into conflict with

the magical hierarchy but, if Ken thought he

had a genuine grievance, then he’d usually air

it: contumacy is a natural progression for any

sincere ‘barrier-breaker’.

Ken Brooke was responsible for having a

major influence on the careers of many of the

biggest and most respected names in magic;

Paul Daniels, Wayne Dobson, Tommy Cooper,

Al Koran, Fred Kaps, Johnny Hart, Terri Rogers,

Pat Page, Gaetan Bloom, Juan Tamariz, Slydini,

Dai Vernon, David Berglas, Maurice Fogel, Ali

Bongo, John Fisher, Jerry Sadowitz, Alex

Elmsley, Doug Henning, Channing Pollock,

John Calvert, Ricky Jay… to name but a few!

Ken should publicly have been a star; his

desire not to pursue that route, led him to

being content within his own special magic

brookeena magical legend by Steve Cook

‘Return’ of

www.magicseen.co.uk

arena doing what he did best, and what he

did best, was demonstrating his exclusive

range of magic. ‘Demonstrating’ is actually a

weak description: it was a ‘complete

performance’. He was also a superb

salesman: top notch, the best! In fact his

sales technique was so subtle, that the punter

invariably bought from him unconsciously!

Ken knew instinctively what worked for an

audience. He cared passionately about his

art, as a dealer, demonstrator and performer.

Being a professional cabaret performer

himself, he understood completely, the rigid

demands of the professional, as well as

acknowledging the criteria sought by the

dedicated amateur: in short, he knew the

magic business inside out and back to front!

His written instructions were unique, and

respected throughout the magic world

because they explained every nuance, bit of

business and offered a wealth of professional

advice with every effect he sold. The

message was delivered in a relaxed,

humorous and intimate style.

Some magicians found Ken to be a

problematic character who often alienated

and indeed occasionally offended some of

his acquaintances and customers. To be fair,

the problem was probably with the people

who took offence, in that they failed to

comprehend the man’s humour, which at

times could be cutting, off-beat and satirical.

A few people have mentioned that Ken loved

to pull gags on others, but didn’t like it when

the roles were reversed. This may in part be

true, however, it must be understood that he

was so charismatic, that his character

actually commanded attention: he was

always the life and soul of the party… always!

Let’s be honest, there’s a selfish streak

in all performers and extroverts; the need to

show-off, to be accepted; to be the centre of

attention. It’s probably Freudian: an inherent

shyness or some other childhood insecurity.

The fact is, that if performers didn’t possess

the attention thing, then they wouldn’t

perform. Period. Which is the greater loss?

Without doubt Ken Brooke had a wicked

sense of humour, which unfortunately was

often misinterpreted. He was the sort of guy

who’d push you in the river, then jump in

after you… sometimes… he wouldn’t!

If however, Ken took a liking to you and

eventually came to trust you, then you had a

true friend for life. If that trust was abused

then God help you! Also, if he saw you do

something which, magically, he thought wrong,

then he’d tell you so in that brusque Yorkshire

dialect, but he’d also help you to put things

right. He could be embarrassingly generous

and thoughtful too, often when he couldn’t

afford to be… the mark of a true humanitarian.

Born in Leeds, West Yorkshire, on

November 3rd 1920, Ken became fascinated

with magic as a very young schoolboy. As a

young boy, he was selling Svengali decks on

street markets under the auspices of

pitchmen, such as the legendary, Joe

Squinters. Such experiences certainly helped

formulate both his no-nonsense attacking

magical style and his acute and subtle

salesmanship, which were to serve him

extremely well in later life.

Ken served in the RAF during the Second

World War in North Africa, the Western Desert

(around Cairo) and Italy. During the campaign

he was involved with ENSA and helped organise

many shows for the troops. He also met many

magicians, who later were to become famous in

their own right: Tommy Cooper, Robert Harbin,

Pablo, Jack Gwynne, among others.

Post-war Ken ventured into magic

dealing, and initially worked briefly for Alan

Milan and later for Paul Veroni in Bradford,

West Yorkshire. He eventually set up a magic

business of his own in that city but, he went

bust and lost everything… even his furniture!

Shortly afterwards, the well known magic

dealer, Harry Stanley brought Ken to London to

manage the Unique Magic Studio in Soho.

Both men were responsible for advancing the

careers of many big names in magic by

bringing them to British shores in order to

lecture, especially magicians from America

such as; Dai Vernon, Slydini, Don Alan, Johnny

Paul, Al Goshman and Ricky Jay plus, from

Holland, a man acknowledged then as the

greatest magician in the world… Fred Kaps.

In 1966, after encouragement,

persuasion and finance from his friend, Frank

Farrow, Ken decided to set up Ken Brooke’s

Magic Place in London’s Soho. Eventually the

business settled in Wardour Street (Soho),

and over the years, the studio became world

famous and a magnet for visiting magicians

from all over the world.

Ken’s wordsof wisdomBelow is a small selection of the

priceless advice from Ken, which is

included at the end of the book in a

chapter entitled: Gold Dust. It’s a cliché

to say this but, without doubt, this

chapter alone is worth many times the

price of the book. The advice is just as

relevant today as it was then:

“It is the journey that counts,not the destination.Throughout any trick, theaction should be keptenjoyable. No use having a five minute build up to a ten-second climax”“You may have a perfectsleight but, if your timing isoff, you’ll get caught out;whereas, if your sleight is poorbut your timing is good, you’llget away with it every time.Timing is everything!”“It is essential that within afew minutes of starting yourperformance, both yourcharacter (performing persona)and the nature of your act areestablished to your audience.They have to instantly warm toyou because, if they thinkthey’ll like you as a person,then they’ll almost certainlylike what you do”“When practising a move…sing! Occasionally, change thesong, say every ten minutes,but keep singing! You might bea lousy singer but, your effortswill take your mind away fromthe ‘moves’. I wish moremagicians would sing moreoften: it’s a natural thing todo. Now, change the song fortalk, any talk, just keep talkingto yourself for a further tenminutes or so. Being natural is99% of the battle: it’s thekeynote to success!”

magicseen Issue No.19 March 2008

KENBROOKE

The Ken Brooke range of magic sold there

was an exclusive collection of top class

commercial items. It was the only magic

dealership in the world which offered a money

back guarantee on every item it sold! Many of

the biggest names in magic gave Ken the

exclusive marketing rights to some of their pet

effects; great magicians such as: Fred Kaps,

Gaetan Bloom, Finn Jon, Wayne Dobson, Scotty

York, Johnny Thompson, Ali Bongo, Roy Johnson,

Terri Rogers, the list goes on and on and on!

Unfortunately, with ever-increasing rents,

problems of piracy from some of his

competitors and Ken’s failing health (he was a

real ‘workaholic’), he had to end his association

with the studio after many successful years.

There really was no place like it! If you

ever attended a convention where Ken was

dealing, then you couldn’t miss his stand: it

had the biggest crowd around it in the hall! He

held the crowds all day and he has often been

known to have sold out in a matter of hours! If

you were in Ken’s company, you just didn’t

want to leave… such was the charisma of the

man… now that’s a real star!

In 1981, Paul Stone arranged for Ken to

visit America to collect (after considerable

delay), a Special Fellowship Award from the

Academy of Magical Arts. During this time, Ken

was recovering from a serious stroke and his

speech was badly affected. Despite this, he

still managed to win over many people with his

undiminished charisma. He was often reduced

to tears by the response of his generous hosts.

Those great showmen, Siegfried & Roy, hosted

a party at their beautiful home in honour of

Ken. He was treated like Royalty: such was the

esteem in which he was held by his peers.

During the last few years of his life, Ken

was nursed with dedicated care by his partner,

Barbara McNaughton. Listening one evening to

Barbara open her heart and describe how

some of his ‘friends’ let him down badly both

prior to, and after, his death, is heart-breaking.

He didn’t deserve to finish his life that way.

After suffering several strokes Ken

Brooke finally succumbed, and passed away

probably due to hereditary circulatory

problems. Ironically, that weekend was the

Blackpool Convention.

In February 1980 (three years before

Ken’s death), at the Blackpool Magic

Convention, a Fiesta of Magic was held in his

honour, with all participating performers giving

freely of their services. A testimonial fund

(inaugurated some time before the event),

raised a substantial amount of money for Ken

in recognition of his services to magic and his

impending retirement. Ken, humble as ever,

was overwhelmed. The list of contributors to

this fund is listed in the Legend book… that list

speaks for itself, and only serves to highlight

his tremendous popularity. ms

Legend: An anecdotal tribute to Ken Brooke

is crammed with anecdotes about Ken and

lots of fascinating facts and photos. Fifty-two

contributors provide an intimate portrait of the

man, these include: Wayne Dobson, Gaetan

Bloom, Ali Bongo, Alan Shaxon, Terry Herbert,

Martin Breese and many, many more!

It is published in hard back (220 pages), in a

25th anniversary limited edition of only

1,000 copies worldwide. Once gone… they’re

gone! To be officially released on 26th

February 2008. Two charitable projects will

benefit from some of the profits from the

book. Price: £30-00 (plus £5-00 p&p - UK).

Overseas enquiries welcome. Reserve your

copy by calling Steve Cook: 01472-349753 or

Email: steve.cook243@ntlworld.com

Copyright © Steve Cook 2008

Finally, here are a few anecdotes fromthe book. These don’t even scratch thesurface… there are scores and scoresof them. Ken’s close friend, BarryStevenson, alone wrote close on 8,000words about the man!

“He once gave me a nice bit of routining with

a Vanishing Birdcage and a Jumping Stool (in

fact, I still use it today). He would walk on

holding the cage and say: “Can you see it at

the back?... No?… Just a minute…” He would

then exit and return with the stool and say:

“I’ll stand on this”. He’d start to get onto the

stool, it would jump up into the air and, as he

reached out to catch it, the cage would

vanish! He’d look around and say: “Where’s

the bloody cage?” I love it! (Pete Biro)

“Ken never lost his sense of humour, even

when he was seriously ill, and due to his

illness, he could only eat a meal slowly. Once

during this period, we both went for a meal

and when Ken was settled in the restaurant,

we ordered, and he said to the waiter: “Leave

the keys… we’ll lock up!” (Remo Inzani)

“Ken had many sight-gags, but the following

always impressed me, no matter how often I

saw it. He would hobble along the street

apparently in great pain, until he caught

someone’s attention (which never took long),

then he would stop and say: “It’s no good I

can’t go on…” (or words to that effect) He

would then remove the offending shoe and tip

from it a large stone or a piece of brick, which

hit the floor with a resounding thud, then he’d

say: “No wonder…! Or “That’s better!” etc.

People looked at him as though he were mad,

but it got a great reaction and I dare say that

it endeared him instantly to total strangers!”

(Barbara McNaughton - Ken’s partner)

“One night in a pub, Ken bet a guy that he

(Ken) could leave his pint of beer on the bar,

then walk out of the room and drink the pint

without walking back into the bar! Of course,

the guy took the bet! Ken would then walk out

of the bar and after a few seconds would walk

back in, but on his hands! He’d drink the beer

and the guy would honour the bet! He didn’t

do it for the free beer but for the laugh

because the bar was full of people who knew

nothing of the bet and, as Ken walked in on

his hands, the expressions on their faces was

‘gold-dust!’ I don’t think we paid for another

drink all night!” (Barry Stevenson)

REVIEWS ★ - poor ★★ - OK, but could be better ★★★ - reasonable middle of the road value ★★★★ - good product ★★★★★ - outstanding/exceptional

SPECTRAL CHILLAn E-Book by Jeff Stone Available fromwww.stonecoldmagic.com Price: $25 (approx. £15.50)

Jeff Stone’s presentationalupdating of the old 11 cardprincipal is here applied initially toplaying cards and transforms anold card trick into a greatconversation piece, but more fora casual setting than for a formalshow. That’s an important pointas it’s better if the audiencedoesn’t associate this with a cardtrick and it becomes more aboutthe skill of ‘reading the cards’.

The 11 card principle is one ofthose strange self workingmathematical miracles, theorigins of which are nowbecoming lost in the mists oftime. Martin Gardiner, HenryChrist and Jon Armstrong havetoyed with it and another morerecent sighting is Paul Gordon’sWhat a Triple Kick. Check JohnScarne’s Mathematical Finder inScarne on Card Tricks for a basicversion or Giobbi’s Numerologyin Card College 3.

Mathematical principles canoften be boring because it willinevitably mean a lot of dealing orcounting and guess what, that’sjust what happens in this trick!Keeping the presentation livelywith some sprightly dealing willhelp those moments when allthat happens is a lot of counting.The trade-off is a self workingroutine that becomes moreinexplicable the more you do it.What we have here is essentiallya mathematical dealing trick,although an intriguing one wherewhatever number is arrived at bythe randomness of the dealing

process you will always know theidentity of the card at thatposition.

$25 would be verging on theft forjust this underwhelming premise,so Jeff Stone has cloaked themathematical method andmoved the presentation awayfrom a card trick into the vagueand misty area of card readingwhere it becomes something alittle more real to lay people. Withthe addition of thinking on yourfeet and presentational ploysabout the methods of fortunetellers who reveal links betweenthe cards and the spectator, itbecomes the sort of thing theywant to believe even when it’sslightly off the mark!

Following this, Stone then adaptsthe whole principle to a routinewith Tarot cards in which Tarotreadings are weaved into thepresentation. This will be easy forthose already familiar with theTarot deck but will take somegetting to know for theuninitiated. For this, and theprevious routine with playing

cards, you will need to developsome cold reading skills, butgiven the arcane nature of Tarotcards with their esotericcharacters, it’s fairly easy toattach meanings to the cards asthey come up! This has thepotential to be quite a powerfulpresentation in the right hands,although you will need to get toknow the Tarot deck well in orderto have some credibility with theTarot version.

At its most basic, this is a selfworking card trick which hasbeen taken to a completelydifferent level and made intosomething a lot spookier. Forfans of the Tarot or just thespookier end of card magic, thisis a powerful presentation, butdespite its near 50 pages, it’smaybe a little pricey for adownloadable E-book. PP

WHAT’S HOT: modern daypresentation for an old card trick!WHAT’S NOT: a pricey download?★★★

THE BOOK OF LIESPaul Brook Available fromwww.heknows.co.uk Price: £65

Running to 252 pages, The Bookof Lies is a collection ofmentalism effects and ideas fromthe mind of Paul Brook.

Broken down in to chapters, thebook covers ideas forImpromptu, Stage,Psychokenesis and Media, alongwith a chapter entitled SomeConcepts.

If you have read any of Paul’sother books then you will befamiliar with the format. Eacheffect is fully scripted leavingnothing out. The book couldactually have been half its size ifnot for the scripting but Paul isoften praised for his detailing

and, I have to agree, it’s nice tosee how Paul would performeach effect even if you choosenot to use the scripting.

With around 45 effects it isimpossible to mention all of them,but highlights for me include:

‘BI-FAW’. This is a method ofmaking a billet index inside aregular wallet.

‘Watch Your Money’. Paul takesyou step-by-step in how to create,what he calls, a James Bond stylewatch which can be used to tellwhich hand a coin is being held in.And it will only cost you around£10, plus an old watch.

‘Imp-Ossible’. A drawingduplication effect with an addedThought of Word revelationusing a clever dual-realitymethod.

There is some good solidmaterial in this book - someneeding preparation, some youcan do on the fly but anyonewho performs or has an interestin mentalism will take somethingfrom this book.

Recommended. PS

WHAT’S HOT: Some great effects.Thoroughly explained.WHAT’S NOT: A bit pricey.★★★★

REVIEWS

THE TOPSY-TURVYSODA BOTTLESWalt Anthony and Michael MosherAvailable from: www.practical-magic.comPrice: £49.50 + £5.75 P&P

Here is the classic Topsy TurvyBottles done with Coca Colabottles. The effect is the timetested one. Two tubes areshown, the performer having oneand a spectator the other. Eachtakes a full bottle of coke andholding it the right way round,covers it with their tube. Withtheir palms covering both ends,the tubes are turned upside

down, then back, then upsidedown again. When the tubes arelifted the spectator’s bottle isupside down but the performer’sis still the right way round. This isrepeated a second time with thesame mis-match. Then on thethird attempt the bottlesmagically end up matching. Atwhich point the performerproduces a third bottle which he gives as a gift to hisvolunteer.

The tubes are very sturdily madeand will survive even heavyhanded treatment. One of themis gimmicked and thereforecannot be shown empty at anystage. The bottles are regular halflitre coke bottles which aresupplied empty in order to makemailing the trick lighter, so youwill need to fill the bottles withcoke or with correct colouredwater so that the bottles matchthe supplied gimmick. Having thebottles full also makes the trickeasier to handle.

The instructions I foundsomewhat difficult to follow. Theconcept of how the trick works iseasy enough to understand, butthe way that this is expressed inthe instructions by the originatorleaves a lot to be desired. Thesupplied patter is provided but it’shard to work out exactly what ishappening at any given point inthat patter. As if acknowledgingthis fact, there is an extra bit ofhandling instruction givenafterwards in which what you dois broken down into three stages,but even trying to follow it withtube and bottle in hand, I still gota bit confused! And then the extrabottle production is skipped overfairly quickly in a ‘Notes’ sectionat the finish. I really think thatthese instructions could havebeen put together far better and Ithink it spoils what is otherwisequite a nicely made outfit.

One way to make things a bitclearer is to watch the video demthat Practical Magic have on their

website. This shows a single tuberoutine with a completely differentpatter story to the one in theinstructions, and although theoriginators say it is not the ‘official’dem of the product, I thought theeffect was actually much betterthan the supplied classic one!

If you have always wanted to dothe Topsy Turvy Bottles and arelooking for an up-to-date set,these props will do you fine,especially if you already have ahandling that you are familiarwith. If you are coming to it forthe first time, be prepared towork through it until you canfigure out what is supposed tobe happening, because theneventually you will have a trickwhich would make an ideal actopener or be suitable as a quickinterlude for a compere. ML

WHAT’S HOT: the well made propsWHAT’S NOT: the somewhatinadequate instructions★★★

What's your earliestmemory of seeingmagic on TV?Paul Daniels when I was a kid.

Paul Daniels or DavidCopperfield?David Copperfield.

Best thing that'shappened to youbecause of the show?Best thing that's happened fromthe show is the recognitionbefore a gig and in the street.

Last magic you saw on TV?David and Karen on BGT - very,very good.

Most positive aspect ofBGT for you?Recognition and experience of alife time with the tour.

What are you workingon at the moment?At the moment I'm doing a lot offly backs for top holidaycompanies and cruise. Also voice

overs, had a lot of this in beforeBGT, but now the huge recognitionmakes the work more exciting.

What’s coming up for youin the next 12 months?The next 12 months has more ofthe same work but with a biggerprofile, BGT is a great platformfor my kind of act.

Seeing as Britain’s GotTalent has just recentlyfinished, we thought wewould ask one of thefinalists a few questions.We decided to chat to thebrilliant impressionist LesGibson....

CELEBRITY MAGICDavid & Karen

A FINE CHANCEby Wayne Fox

This really does pack small andplay big, in every sense of theword. I perform this ‘close up’and on stage with spectators.When I want to make animpression with mindreading, thisis the one I use. I came up withthis idea when we as magiciansare asked the tiresome question,“Do you play cards”, and “Doyou gamble”. This is a simplywonderful way of answeringthese questions and theoutcome seems totallyimpossible as you end clean.More important to this, the magichappens completely in thespectator’s hands.

Effect: You bring out an envelopewhich is in full view at all times,and explain that when you go toa casino you leave the wholeexperience to chance. Firstly youshow a list of the games you liketo play, Black Jack, Crapps,Roulette and so on, these arenumbered 1 to 6. You thenshow five different colouredchips. The spectator rolls a diceand cross-references the numberon the list and finds that theyhave landed on Roulette.

They then choose a chip colour,‘white’. The envelope is openedby the spectator and there isyour prediction, a photograph ofyou sitting next to a Roulettewheel holding white chips.

What you need: There are severalways of presenting this

depending on what props youcan lay your hands on.

Five different coloured casinochips. Fig.1. These can be foundonline and indeed most bigdepartment store sell them,costing a few pence per chip. Ifyou do not want to use chips youcan use different value coins, orindeed cut coloured card intodiscs.

A large die (large enough to beseen by all at the table)A prediction. This can be a photoof you by a Roulette wheelholding the chip of your choice.Fig.2. This can be easily done onPhotoshop on most computers.Just scan your image onto aroulette wheel. However youcould simply Google images of aroulette wheel with chips. Failingall these you could simply have awritten prediction stating yourprediction.

Six lists produced on smallpieces of thin card which areabout the size of credit cards.These are laid out as in Fig.3.Roulette is at number 1 on thefirst list, on the second list it is atnumber 2, on the third listnumber 3 and so on, rotating theother games on the lists on theway.

Set Up: Take your six lists andarrange them in a known order inthe credit card slots in yourwallet. This should enable you toinstantly grab whichever list youneed following the selection withthe die.

MASTERCLASS

WE WANT YOUR BEST IDEA!The Masterclass Award for 2011, which consists of a cash prize of £250 plus a special certificate, will be presented to the person whocontributes the best trick published in the Masterclass section of Magicseen during Volume 7. Wayne Fox is the next to contribute - so

what can you offer to wow our readers even more to put you in the running? Please send your contribution to the Editor atmarkleveridge@magicseen.co.uk as soon as you can. Four issues of Volume 7 are already gone, so you have just 2 issues left to stake

your claim to the cash! So don’t delay, show how creative you are and let us tell the world for you.

FIG 1.

FIG 2.

Make up the prediction to yourspecifications, and put this in anenvelope which gets handed to aspectator to hold.

Put the five chips and dice inyour trouser pocket and you areready to go.

Performance: Tell your spectatorthat gambling is a game of luck,and that when you gamble youleave the choice of game tochance, even the chip colour isleft to the odds of possibility.Hand your prediction to thespectator.

You tell them that firstly youwould want to know what gameto play at the casino, andopening your wallet with theinside facing you, pull out anyone of the lists inside. Show theaudience this briefly then draw itback and read just some of thegames in a random order off thelist and tell them that each gameis numbered. By not showingthem the numbers they will notbe able to remember an easyposition of one of the games,such as the top one. Slip the listback into the wallet which youclose and place down in view.

Your spectator is now asked toroll the die a few times to showit’s not a ‘loaded’ die. They stoprolling wherever they want, let’ssay ‘4’, and you now remove thelist from your wallet which has‘Roulette’ in the fourth position,and pass it to the audiencemember to read off what is atnumber four.

You now bring out the chips andlay them out on the table. Younow need to force the white chipby using a version of the RoyBaker ‘P.A.T.E.O. (Pick Any TwoEliminate One) Force’. It goes likethis…..

The P.A.T.E.O. ForceThe spectator chooses any twoof the five chips and youeliminate one, simply makingsure that if they choose the whiteone as one of their twoselections, you eliminate theother one. The remaining chip isput back with the other three.

You now point to two of thechips. You can select any twochips except the white one you

want to force. The spectatoreliminates one of these whichyou remove and place to oneside, returning the other chip tojoin the remaining two.

This leaves three chips. Thespectator selects any two andyou eliminate one that is not awhite chip.

That leaves just two, the whiteand one other colour. Ask him tohand you one of the chips. If hehands you the white one place itdown next to the games list ashis selection. If he hands you theother colour, drop that chip onthe pile of discarded ones andslide the remaining white oneover next to the games card.Either handling appears logicalgiven the way the chips havebeen handled and eliminated upto that point.

All that remains is to recap onwhat has happened so far andthen get the spectator to openand reveal the prediction.

FIG 3.

CELEBRITY MAGIC - JAMES EARL JONES

....the phone rings...MS: Oh, hello. Is James Earl Jones in?THEATRE: Which department does he work in?MS: No, he’s the star of the show!!!THEATRE: Ahh, James Earl Jones! He’sperforming right now...MS: Any chance we could have a quick wordwith him while he’s standing at the side of thestage or anything?THEATRE: No...MS: I’m ringing from Magicseen – you know,

the world’s number one magic magazine. Will that get me through to him?THEATRE: No. We’ve never heard of it. Canyou ring tomorrow and we’ll put you throughto the marketing and promotions department?MS: Have you heard of IanKeable?THEATRE: No.MS: OK, good bye and thankyou for your expertise.

We decided to ask top US actor James Earl Jones currently starringat the Wyndham’s Theatre in Driving Miss Daisy, a few questionsabout magic. This is the transcript of our phone call at 9pm...