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I'm doing a seance/mentalism/geek show. I need a few ideas on tricks. Does anyone have any suggestions? I already have:

Zombie Ball Presented w/ Patter

White D'lites representing spirits

Razor Blades

A few Mental effects (s***i, cards, envelopes, etc.)

A levitation from Six Modern Levitations by U.F. Grant

A spirit cabinet related trick (this is a maybe)

and Closing w/ PK touches by Banachek

I need just a few more effects to complete it so any ideas would be great.

How long are you planning on performing for? There's plenty of material there to keep you going for an hour easy, especially as you're not very specific about the 'few mental bits' in the middle. You may want to reconsider the mix too, I can't personally see the zombie fitting with PK Touches for example but I suppose with the right presentation it could be pulled off. I'm no expert with this sort of thing though, anyone more qualified fancy a comment?

I watched a 'geek magic' DVD a while ago but I can remember the name. THe magician looked like Rick Moranis if that helps. That had some nice effects including making a cricket appear in a deck of cards, drinking motor oil and others.

If you have the space you could do walking over broken glass, or if space is limited you could have a small square of broken glass that you put your face in. This isn't a 'magic effect' but is appropriate if you present yourself as a having mind over matter skills or something like that. You need knowledge of how to perform but its more basic knowledge of physics than esoteric magic.

*edit - geek magic magician is Tomas Medina

If you're doing a seance/mentalism show, please please please drop the zombie ball and d'lites for a start.

Depending on how many people you are performing for, and how long you intend being on stage, I would say that less is more. Why not stick to the classics, let's say a one ahead routine, a centre tear or billet routine, and then perhaps finish up with a pk routine. There's plenty there to be getting on with, lots of scope to present it in whatever manner you want, and you won't be rushing through at a 100 miles an hour to fit everything in.

If you really want to use the zombie and dlites, just call it a magic show. I've been to plenty of seances and not one of them involved a zombie ball (despite the name).

Please don't take the above as critisism - keep posting and let us know how things develop. Consider that when it comes to the "dark side", less is more and let it all develop in the minds of your specs.

Hey - if you need any ideas me and Abraxus have a really cool ebook for sale right now. It's called the Five Fickle Fingers of Fate. Just an idea.

Okay well I changed it to a magic show with a seancey kinda atmosphere. Just because I really want to try Pk touches and that's the only way that I can actually fit it into the routine but... I don't have to do it I just really want to try it. Oh, and I will check out your ebook.

What about a spirit writing effect?

An old and largely forgotten gem is Arthur Monroe's Voodoo, from Annemann's Practical Mental Effects. Though this might not fit in the context of the show you want to create, it is a masterpiece. It fits with a seance/bizarre theme quite nicely. I have only seen it performed once (Osterlind brought it back in No Camera Tricks, though not entirely the way the original was presented), and have been dying to find the right place and time to perform it. It has the potential to be really creepy.

Josh Zandman's Back to the Future concept has some interesting applications that can be applied to a seance-style presentation. With the right thinking, it can be a truly eerie experience.

I do have a spirit writing effect in there and sorry for being unclear on the mentalism effects I'm still deciding on some. [/quote]

What is the underlying theme/script to the show. How do those effects come together? I only ask, because wanting to wedge in an effect because you like it may not be the right thing for the overall impact of the show. For example, using d'lites and the like will reduce the impact of PK touches dramatically.

I think the best advice i can give is to work with someone that you trust; it sounds like you're just slinging some effects together quickly - rather than planning out a proper show...

from what i know, shows should have a particular theme - something that has a commonality running throughout...bit like a stage-play or a story of some sort...

when's it for? how much time have you got to practice? can you link all the things you want to do so it flows and builds upon the previous effect?

think of yourself in the audience watching the show - is it clear as to what the guy on stage is doing? who is he? what is he showing? does it make sense that he does one thing, then goes onto the next item?

try to be absolutely honest with yourself before doing a stage show - with what works and what doesnt otherwise...

a few "mental effects"
followed by a spirit cabinet display
finished with PK Touches

would be enough - if dressed as a kind of victorian exploration of magic and science could work - but putting in some Dlites and some razor blades would kill it dead in my opinion...would make it all look just "tricks" to me if i was watching you...

Honestly it sounds like you are just throwing some effects together without a lot of thought. You mentioned that you wanted to try PK touches and that is why you are putting it in. I honestly believe when working that kind of effect you really need to look at the show as a whole. One effect can do serious damage to the other especially if you are leaning towards a mentalism or sceance type thing where your credibility is what will pull you through.

My advice. Get in touch with theatre people. Join a group take a class meet up with somebody who can direct who has experience in cabaret type shows.

Remember it is your reputation out there. And unfortnatly we are not like musicians where if a audience sees one bad piano player they will often go listen to another. Not true with magicians unfortunatly the one that follows you has a harder time gaining back an audience that has been tainted by a poor magician, or a poor performance regardless of the magicians skill.

Of course that raises another debate, is the magician truly skilled if he performs badly regardless of techincal ability. After all the magician is first and foremost an entertainer and if he can't do that....

Okay I went off topic. Point is be clear about what you are doing. Just throwing stuff together is not going to get you where you want to go.

And I am not saying what you have won't work, you may have something absolutly solid, I've not seen you perform I don't know what you are like. But based on what I see you planning to do, I have reservations but I've been wrong before.

I really want to try Pk touches and that's the only way that I can actually fit it into the routine

Hey, I did a seancey type thing while back and used PK Touches, I had people crying.....I posted a thread on it a while back somewere....?

PM for details on setting the mood etc....or any other help you need with it x

I read your pk touches story. That's why I wanted to include it into a show because of how strong the reactions are.

Why not just do the seance stuff from 13 steps. Hmm I feel dirty now I just said that.

Ian the Magic-Ian wrote:I read your pk touches story. That's why I wanted to include it into a show because of how strong the reactions are.

The reactions are strong dependant on presentation. Presentation is all you.