talkmagic.co.uk

Hey guys,

I'm just wondering what your best impromptu trick or illusion is when out in public with no props and no (or little) preparation needed?

You know... when someone finds out that you're a magician and someone nearby hears that and says "do a trick!". What's the first trick or illusion that comes to mind that you know will get a great reaction?

I'd give them a mini reading of a memory from childhood.

Steal their belt. And tie. Why not both.

I like to pull out some coins or borrow some, and do some simple vanishes and productions. Always a cracker with borrowed money. Especially if you manage to palm some duplicates of your own for some 'lickety-split' type effects.

There's also numerous things you can do with pens & paper, ranging from predictions to drawing duplications.

The more you learn about basic magic, the more ammo you have to create something from nothing.

Years ago i came up with a small routine showing a coin passing trought my hand using 3 diferent method. Lately i've added Stuck as a final for this routine and its now an impromptu of an extreme beauty all togheter.

I love it and use it all the time as an introduction.

There is so much you can do.

I like to do Silver Dream with half dollars or some borrowed coins.

Some great impromtu mentalism pieces are well, My Relic ( i always wear it ).. or Ring of truth ( from psychological subtleties and Banacheks PSI series ). 'Reversal' gets some good reactions and Ive also recently learned the solution to Reversal ' The way back to the subjects original number ' which goes down great and really gets under the skin of anyone what may work it out or just gets cocky and asks ' Well, what was my original number? ' !!

Interlace and Ladybug are always impromptu as I always have them set up.

I also carry my Outlaw wallet everywhere with me so I have multiple mentalism pieces in one place.. kioku, sanctum, peeks, billet work etc.

TT takes up just a teeny amount of space but you have a whole act based on visuals right there too.

That's a point. I'm always fro getting the Haunted Key on my keyring!

Center tear always good aswell, Out to lunch principle in my stealth assasin wallet and the peek is alway's useful

Those are some GREAT replies! Thanks guys.

Now I'll take a look at some of them and see what I can learn. I'm also very interested in what's called the "ultimate beginners levitation device" which is a ITR inside a pen. Once you're good with IT, I'm sure that'll make a great impromptu unless there's a good amount of prep time involved.

Althought technically speaking they are props. The TT and Swami Gimmick are so small and require no setup that they can be carried at all times for impromptu displays. A vanishing TT can be obtained for those concerned that the public are too aware of the existence of the TT.
I have used the TT with intelligent people at the major London universities out and about in night clubs and bars and have genuinely only encountered three people who knew the technique out of literally hundreds of demonstrations over the years.
Although thr TT is common place for a silk vanish etc when used in mentalism for example the audience is not conditioned to look for the TT even if they might know of it's existence.

To the lay man, a TT and Swami Gimmick can produce some oustanding effects and I believe these items are often over-looked by magicians who over engineer tricks when they are dealing with casual audiences.

Also ''Voodo ash'' or the ''360'' hand twist may seem childish, but again you would be surprised how often they work as long as you are bold and time them correctly in the right atmosphere.
They are completely impromptu and require no props.

Only two weeks ago I showed the ''360'' hand twist to a friend of mine who has a 1st in History from the London School of Economics 7 consecutive times and he just said ''well, you must have some strange deformity''.

p0et,
Do cards count as props?
I know my local keeps a pack behind the bar next to the dominoes, you see.

Well would be cards, but without them I'd often do a few note tricks (ghost bills that sort of thing).

Another favourite when I was starting out was just a simple mind reading demonstartion using the one ahead principle.

Ever since I purchased Elliott Brelser's switchcraft, I'm never without a small stack of business cards. Here's my current "kit"

Business card holder with 15-20 business cards

Outlaw Wallet which holds:
Sanctum Card
Kioku
Video store membership card for Haim Goldenberg's brilliant Video Rental effect

I also carry a deck of bikes.

I also carry a pen, a wet erase marker and a sharpie

It always makes me smile when someone asks for ideas for an impromptu "trick" that requires no props. People start mentioning TT, wallets, and cards straight away! Hardly impromptu and propless!

Tomo hit the nail on the head. It has to be a reading of some description. Absolutely impromptu and absolutely no props. And take it from me guys, a good reading is more effective than any TT, wallet, haunted key or ladybug!

Since when are business cards props?

I agree on the propless aspect (which I'm guilty of breaking that portion), but if you're already carrying these items on your person, it is, technically, impromptu.

Edit -

For items that are truly impromptu and without props (of my own)

Looch's Watch Routine
A few hypnosis items - like a locked hands test
Graphology experiment - I'd have to borrow a piece of paper (I usually use a napkin, if available)

I really need to invest in Tomo's book... stupid bills and responsibility.