talkmagic.co.uk

Hello all,

Please allow me to apologise in advance for one of many things which may be incorrect in this post: Terminology, forum location etc. I do believe however it is in-line with forum etiquette.

With that said, on with the sho--erm, question.

I once saw, what I considered, a rather good street magician whilst bumming around Covent garden with some friends who were visiting London for the first time as he was performing right outside of a pub we were drinking at.

Anyway, this guy (whose card I've since unfortunately misplaced) had his finale which was something like the following:

He took two wine glasses and placed one of them on the ground beneath him in between the audience and himself. He then proceeded to fill this wine glass about half full with water. Taking a regular sized napkin he submerged about half of it into the water and allowed the water to soak it through. Producing his second wine glass he squeezed a little of the water out from the napkin and rolled it into a spherical shape and placed the balled napkin into the wine glass.

He then begins swilling the glass and the obviously the napkin begins to swirl around the edge of the glass. After 10/15 seconds he stops, and tightly squeezes the remainder of the water out before replacing the now, much smaller, napkin back inside the glass. He begins swilling again. During this second swilling the ball does become visibly larger. Once it's reached a similar size to its previous state, whilst still swilling, he asks for a member of the audience to step forward. Once (s)he reaches him the swilling stops and ta-da the napkin is now and egg.

He carefully removes the egg from the wine glass and asks the spectator to hold the glass by the stem upside-down. He takes his egg and gently taps it against the base of the glass and, upon cracking it, a mouse runs out.

I ended up watching this guy perform his street act a couple of times that day (we didn't move far from the pub) and I was equally impressed each time.

So, I guess my question is; does this effect have a name? Is it a new technique of his or a take on something old? I only ask because I've not seen it anywhere before or since and can't seem to find videos of anyone performing it elsewhere on the intertubes.

Please let me know if I messed up anywhere above and I'll get my editing finger out!

Thanks,
- FB

Sounds like a variation of Egg on Fan - http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=3117" target="_blank" target="_blank - presumably there would be a couple of instances of good misdirection and sleights involved as well.

Mandrake wrote:Sounds like a variation of Egg on Fan - http://www.hanklee.org/xcart/product.php?productid=3117" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank - presumably there would be a couple of instances of good misdirection and sleights involved as well.

You're right, it does read fairly similar. There's no doubt on sleights nor misdirection but, as was probably his intention, I couldn't for the life of me make them!

Thanks for the link, I'll get it book marked for when I'm ready to begin to buy proper effects!

- FB

The actual gimmick is a process to make and takes a little time but really not that difficult. You can do it. the sleight is just using your favourite switch. This is an old effect and done correctly is really quite enchanting.