talkmagic.co.uk

Michael Webber has a very good one which is in his lecture notes - he did it at Blackpool this year.

I have done many over the years as getting lots of audience members involved in what we do always goes down very well. Very well indeed.

This one involves 5 audience members (although only 4 chairs) and has what is in my opinion is a really nice "sucker" ending. I have only performed it once so far and it went down very well. It's simplicity to perform and strength of the prediction means this is probably the one I will stick with (for now).

Not quite the same but Ali Bongo's Comedy Horse Race (devised for the PD Show) has a similar ending. Spectators and chairs are eliminated leaving just one.
The participants are given (in the PD Show) Jockey caps and when a spectator rings a bell (her back towards them) they 'gallop around the set, over a couple of very low hedges, and clapping half coconut shells together to make the sound of the horses' hooves. 2nd bell and they scramble for the chairs. Then one chair is removed and so one contestant is out each time. The old Musical Chairs game.
When only one is left, the Winner's 'silver?' Cup was revealed; a rather large and battered cup! Inside was just one prediction on a paper roll. This predicted the winner.

Cannot now remember without searching the video whether the shells were used and horses' name tags for the contestants.

I did discuss the effect when Ali came to dinner at my home then he later demonstrated it to the utter delight of our Magic Club around the year 2000/2002

In 2003 I had written The Great Wild West Music Hall for our own Theatre Company. This was a Music Hall set in a Wild West Saloon.
I phoned & asked Ali if I could use the Comedy Race and he said 'Yes, of course- go ahead'.

Altered it slightly:
1. I used thick ropes for the hedges. Safer, for our Company, with the Public & a whistle instead of a bell. Plus the usual 'Tally Ho' live music.
2. Stools were used as being more appropriate to a Saloon.
3. The Horses names were; Red Rum, Muffin, Silver, Trigger, Black Beauty and even Skippy (the Kangaroo)
These were printed on thick rectangles of white card and hung round each rider's neck via magician's rope
4. Did not have the shells so I used wide yoghourt pots (empty of course!!) instead.
5. As each contestant was out--they were given a sugar lump; actually a small lollipop !
6. Finally the silver cup was revealed--The Sheriff announced it had been guarded by the Dingle Family so when it was turned round it became obvious that the cup
had been substituted for one made from 2 tins--a large Baked Bean tin, & a small Peas tin--the Dingles had appropriated the real Cup!! But had left half the labels on
the back of the 'Cup'.!!
7. I did not use Ali's gimmick. But devised one of my own. His Cup was covered with a cloth and mine with a cylindrical cover into which the cup just fitted.
8. The Predicition was written on one long roll of paper & inside the cup as well was the prize--A gold Bar. Actually a bar of chocolate wrapped in gold paper.
9. The audience was divided into 6 sections--each allotted a 'come on' cry for each horse--Obvious what as 'We want Muffin' Hi Ho Silver; Skippy, Skippy the Bush
Kangaroo.
The real horses--just Come on-then their names. As each horse lost that section of the audience was encouraged to call out, supporting one of the others.

The apparatus and full routine is now with my son in Portugal. He has even used Dad's method for other predictions.

A great piece of comedy with lots of audience participation.

Allen Tipton

bananafish wrote:Michael Webber has a very good one which is in his lecture notes - he did it at Blackpool this year.

I have done many over the years as getting lots of audience members involved in what we do always goes down very well. Very well indeed.

This one involves 5 audience members (although only 4 chairs) and has what is in my opinion is a really nice "sucker" ending. I have only performed it once so far and it went down very well. It's simplicity to perform and strength of the prediction means this is probably the one I will stick with (for now).

Hi Simon,

I'd be interested in hearing more about this. do you recall what the effect is called and which set of notes it is in? I'm looking for a fun chair test also.

Rob

I like Colin's take on the chair test. I tried to edit it up a bit to "increase the fairness" of picking the chairs. But hey, I remember being so impressed by it and by the final revelations, and I think it's a good routine for people to watch. Also I like that the set up is simple and the whole thing packs flat. Although I haven't performed it yet, you got my mind spinning about it. Maybe I'll start scripting this some time soon.

I have not read through this entire chain. But I have the best chair test.

Place chair on the ground, first make sure it is somewhat level, perhaps lean on it a little in different areas, make sure it is steady.

Then sit down on it, if it holds your weight then find somebody a little heavier, and so on. If it doesn't collapse and is comfortable it is probably a good chair.

Sorry I had to do it.

lol ^

I was thinking that you could place the chair in front of a desk on which is a general knowledge examination paper, pens, pencils etc. You say to the chair that it has exactly 90 minutes to answer as many questions as possible, no conferring, no cheating, turn the paper over and you may begin.....

Mandrake wrote:I was thinking that you could place the chair in front of a desk on which is a general knowledge examination paper, pens, pencils etc. You say to the chair that it has exactly 90 minutes to answer as many questions as possible, no conferring, no cheating, turn the paper over and you may begin.....

Dang! Wish I had thought of that answer!

Mandrake wrote:I was thinking that you could place the chair in front of a desk on which is a general knowledge examination paper, pens, pencils etc. You say to the chair that it has exactly 90 minutes to answer as many questions as possible, no conferring, no cheating, turn the paper over and you may begin.....

bmat im with you, in saying i wish id said that! nice mandrake

An updated Chair Tests list for those who are interested.

an essay on Chair Tests in Invocation By Max Maven.
　

Yaniv Deautsch's Telepathy Report: Chair Control

How to openly predict which out of five chairs a complete stranger will sit in. No pre-show, no dual reality, no secret writing, no stage whispers, no instant stooge or any other kinds of stooges or secret cuing.
　

* Tele Hypnose (first published by Aage Darling 1948 in his Danish publication "Mentale Mysterier"

can also be found in The Phoenix Issues V4 151-200 pages 623, 625

　

* Dr. Stanley Jaks had a version in "Ibidem" magazine in 1961

*Martin Gardner's Dr.Jaks's Predi-X-Ion Swami page 22

　

* Stewart James had a version in "New Tops" in 1963 Throne for a Touchdown July 1963 page 18

* Peter Warlock's version "Five Chairs" appeared in his book "Warlock's Way" (1966)

　
* The Ultimate Chairs Prediction - Gary Kurtz 1997 (The Ultimate Chairs Prediction Plus manuscript)

* Chairvelopes - Paolo Cavalli & Massimo Tira 2004 (Omicron)

* Miscellanea (reference to Corinda's 7 Chairs) - Paolo Cavalli & Massimo Tira 2004 (Upsilon, pg 54)

* Chairvoyance – T A Waters (Mind, Myth & Magick, pg 639)

* Chairvoyance Revisited – Sean Carpenter 2002 (Center Tear, Vol 1 Issue 4)

* Please be seated – Steve Shaw/Banachek (Syzygy, Vol1, Number 4)

* Be seated! – Banachek 1992 (Pre-thoughts, pg16)

* One From Ahead (The Borodin Chair Force) – Borodin (Sheherazade, pg 239)

* The Lazy Mentalist – Barrie Richardson (Theater of the Mind, pg 152 Also appears in Pabular and in Magick Vol 4 393 pages 1961-1962, 1964 as Chair-Voyance)

* Hot Seat – Larry Becker (World of Super Mentalism, pg 120)

* Chairport – Tom Stone (Gravel)

* Chair-Voyance – Eddie Burke (Professional Mental Secrets, pg 4)

* The Seven Chairs – Corinda (Thirteen Steps, pg22)

* Are You Sitting Comfortably? - David Berglas (The Mind & Magic of David Berglas, pg 334)

* Tony Forster Chair Prediction (Lecture Notes, German only)

* Peter Warlock had another version "Chairio" in "Magigram" (Jan. 1991 issue)

*Peter Warlock's The Lady and The Tramp in Pentagram vol 10 number 6 March 1956 pages 44-45

*Peter Warlock's Colour-Number vol 13 number 4 January 1959 pages 27-31

*Peter Warlock's Colour Choice in The New Pentagram vol 11 number 4 June 1979 pages 26-27

*Peter Warlock's No Code Psychics in The New Pentagram vol 16 number 4 June 1984 pages 29-31

* Jules Lenier lecture notes

* Ensconced Fundament - Patrick G. Redford (2005)

* Musical Chairs - James Biss

* Dr Zodiac "Chair'Ished" from "Untitled" (2005)

* Andy Nyman's - Chair Swindle

* "The Great Chair Prediction" by Gene Grant (Phantini) in his book "Incredible Mental Secrets Vol. 2". (page 69).

* Michael Weber Landing Pad published in his lecture notes at the second MAGIC...Live! convention.

* Tony Iacoviello Lord of the Dance, originally published in 2004 in MUM

* Lance Norris- Chair Prediction That Kicks All Other Chair Predictions in The Seat ebook

* Jack Dean's Voice of the Prophet - chair/cassette prediction

* Sebastian Black - Chairloons

* Chairman of the Board - by Kennedy

*Kennedy's Chair - by Kennedy

*Kennedy's Thoughts So Far:Sitting On Rose Petals

*Kennedy's Killers: Simple Chairs

* Marc Spelmann's - One In Thousands

* Sean Taylors "Throne Room" from "Mindstorms" book

* Andrew Gerard – Color of money * Rick Maue – Body language and Group dynamic from Mindvention 2006 lecture notes

* The paper plane chair game and The paper plane chair game match II - Hector Chadwick book

* Max Gordon's Slightly Off Target: You predict the description of someone who will sit in a chair in the audience in an envelope taped under their seat from Miraculous Minds

*Patrick Kuffs's Kuff's Stuff:Simplex Chair Mystery - can also be found in Genii August 2011

*Magiggram vol 4 number 12 August 1972 page 7 Which Chair? by Mark Weston (page 820 of the pdf)

Magigram vol 1 Double Indemnity by Ken De Curcy March-April 1967

　

　

Daniel Young's The Mixed Mind: Chairity - Chair tests and some random ideas surrounding them. 2005


Chairs impromptu chair routine by Josh Zandman

　

　

Lost Luggage by Stefan Olschewski: Magical Chairs (Journey to Jerusalem)

　

Tri-cycle chair routine by Daniel Macaluso

　

Fraser Parker's True Mysteries: Open Chair Prediction

　

Stuart Cumberland's Forbidden Wisdom Feb 2009 Chair Prediction

　

Roulette - Chris Rawlins: My Version of a Classic

Instinct's Joel Dresnick: CHAIR OPENER: by Joel Dresnick and Tatanka Tan

　

Kenton Knepper's Mind Reading Lesson 12:

Casual Jacket

Chairs Two