The Five Fickle Fingers of Fate, by Paul “Themagicwand” Bell and Iain “Abraxus” Dunford
Cost
£15 from http://stores.lulu.com/mindeffects
Difficulty
(1=easy to do, 2=No sleights, but not so easy, 3=Some sleights used,
4=Advanced sleights used, 5=Suitable for experienced magicians only)
2 bordering on a 3 if you’re new to mentalism.
- 5 dark magic/mentalism effects. We assume you have studied Corinda and Annemann. If not, well - shame on you... PSYCHIC CLUEDO! for between 4 and 12 guests...mental predictions, psychic fortitude and strange workings of the mind...you WILL need to buy a Cluedo! board game for this one... THE WHITECHAPEL MESSIAH Ooh! A spooky routine all about Jack the Ripper! This is a close up routine conducted as a psychic experiment, and best served with darkness, a few candles, and a roaring log fire. Settle down children, it’s time for a bed time story… The Echoes of the Mind A demonstration of how the mind can be influenced by colours, shapes and subliminal suggestion. Resurrection What was lost, comes back, with a physical reminder to not lose it again...a modernist approach to a form of psychoanalytical voodoo... The Spectre's story...by Bell and Dunford A participant is taken on a strange journey of the mind...on the way they discover the name of a ghost which can be verified!
Review
I forget who said it now, but one definition of a literary partnership is two backstabbers hoping that the other will do the typing. I’m glad to say that this is not the case here. This is a nice set of parlour mentalism routines, ideal for a small gathering or a dinner party booking, written in an informal, witty style.
The five effects are as follows:
- Psychic Cluedo – Paul Bell
Your volunteer picks a murderer, weapon and location, and mentally transmits it around the rest of the audience, each of whom ticks off what they think they’re receiving on a sheet you supply. The volunteer checks to see if anyone has one right or two of the selections right. Amazingly, you have all three.
The Whitechapel Messiah – Paul Bell
The spectator learns the origin of the name “Jack” the ripper by selecting the same card as was found folded up very tightly in the first victim’s mouth. You pop it in a bag for safe keeping and then send the spectator back in time in her imagination to Victorian London, to see the victim, look in her mouth, remove the card and bring it back to the present. The spectator removes the card from the bag to find that it’s aged, as if it came from 1888. You then banish the old card and it becomes new again.
The Echoes of the Mind – Iain Dunford
Presented as an experiment into how the mind can be influenced by shapes, colours and subliminal suggestion, this is 100% guaranteed. If I describe this in too much detail, you’ll realise the working. Suffice it to say, this is a very strong use of a well-established principle in card magic but very easy, making it ideal for someone who wants to have fun with their patter.
Resurrection – Iain Dunford
This is my favourite. Basically, the spectator writes down something they regret losing on a piece of paper, spears it on the end of a pencil, then ignites it with a match or candle flame. They then rub some of the spent match carbon or candle wax into your palm. You hold out your closed palms towards the spectator, tell them to wish for the thing they wrote (an early revelation), and allow a folded piece of paper to fall from your apparently empty hands. Unfolding it, the spectator finds the word they wrote down.
The Spectre’s Story – Bell and Dunford
After showing her an old photograph or having her hold an item belonging to a dead person, you send the spectator on a journey into her imagination, where she witnesses a spirit and hears its name being whispered. Coming out of her psychic state, you ask her to open an envelope that has been placed in full view since before the start of the test. It contains the name of the spirit. Now, this isn’t a routine for a beginner, but one they'll grow into as their confidence increases.
Overall
This is good workable, spooky stuff from two spooky people who work regularly. Each routine is what I call “classical” mentalism, and each effect has enough scope for you to make it your own. Above all, these are performance pieces, best served up at the end of the night in an intimate setting for a dozen or so spectators – by candlelight.
Good, solid thinking from Dunford & Bell. Recommended for anyone into spooky parlour mentalism performances. 9/10.
