talkmagic.co.uk

I don't do close-up, and I don't do card tricks. But tonight I had a gig doing 'stuff' at tables. I told them I would not do traditional magic, but would do my own stuff, and they were quite happy.
However I spotted a card on the ceiling of the venue, forced that card on someone, and flung a deck at the roof. It was lovely to get credit for someone else's work!

Haha I like it. Grab every opportunity when you can, as you never know when the next one is gonna come round

That's great Tony!

Yes the legendary Max Malini (see the Dai Vernon/Lewis Ganson book) always took the opporunity as it arose from producing a brick or a block of ice from usually under a hat to ripping off someone's jacket button & restoring it!

There was a manuscript by U.F.Grant called 'Challenge Magic' in which you borrowed articles from the audience and did an Act with them.
He had a system of course--carrying certain things, as a TT, deck of cards or a handkerchief in your pocket or in a small box as you were working Stand Up.
He also suggested various effects that looked entirely impromptu.
There was a magician in the UK Variety Theatres that worked this way--his name escapes me at present.

I suppose these days you would check magicians' DVDS as Jay Sankey's for effects of an impromptu or supposed impromptu manner.
or if like me, you prefer books: there is;
Pocketful of Miracles by Hugh Miller
and the massive Encyclopedia of Impromptu Magic by Martin Gardner
Ken de Courcey's books are another source.
Banachek's 'Psychokinetic Touches' is one of ther most devastating impromptu effects you can perform as is Luke Jermay's variation,'Touching On Hoy'(in The Coral Fang)and also published in Stan Allen's Magic Magazine.
I did have other American book on magic on the spur of the moment and will try to recall its title.

One lecture I once delivered was called.'An Act From The Pockets'
This was material that came from your pockets and enabled you to perform an entire Stand Up Act.
I demonstrated 20 effects fitting the title and gave them a list of 60 other effects that fitted the concept.

In another Workshop, one sequence involved a handkerchief. From memory:
1. Stretching a Hanky
2. Coin Vanish- 2 ways
3. Coin Penetration thru hanky
4. Pen thru Hanky
5. Glorpy--the ghost under the hanky
6. Wagging Hanky
7 Broken & Restored Match ( my method--1 match)

It made a good, just long enough sequence.

Allen Tipton

Nice one Tony, I firmly believe that if we spot such opportunities it would be most ungracious of us, and possibly against the law, if we didn't take advantage!

That's great opportunism Tony, I'm going to be looking at the ceiling everywhere I go now

Karma wrote:I'm going to be looking at the ceiling everywhere I go now

*BUMP* ....... oops, watch where you're going lol

moonbeam wrote:

Karma wrote:I'm going to be looking at the ceiling everywhere I go now

*BUMP* ....... oops, watch where you're going lol

me too!

I spotted one at madame tussauds just as i was about to perform the exact trick he he (its in the royalty/pop star bit if looking for it!)

There's a hotel in Windsor that has a SIGNED card (nine of diamonds I think) stuck on the ceiling - about THIRTY feet up! It's been there years because the cleaning staff can't get up there. Someone told me Etienne Pradier did it. The great thing is that it's so high you can only just see that there is some sort of signature on it which opens up great possibilities. Force card. Get it signed. Palm it out. Show it has vanished. Point to ceiling. Complete astonishment! Did it loads of times last gig I had there - great stuff.

TheStoner wrote:There's a hotel in Windsor that has a SIGNED card (nine of diamonds I think) stuck on the ceiling - about THIRTY feet up! It's been there years because the cleaning staff can't get up there. Someone told me Etienne Pradier did it. The great thing is that it's so high you can only just see that there is some sort of signature on it which opens up great possibilities. Force card. Get it signed. Palm it out. Show it has vanished. Point to ceiling. Complete astonishment! Did it loads of times last gig I had there - great stuff.

F-ing!!! nice one Stoner!!

thats it i believe the challege is now on:

who can get the card on ceiling card the highest or in the most unique place?? hehe be interesting to here your storys!!