talkmagic.co.uk

Great routine Mark, I just watched your video and loved it, thanks for sharing.

Brilliantly done, and very entertaining! I also thought it was clever how you incorporated the trade show elements.

And as a Christian who cringes whenever God's name is (mis)used, I liked how you dealt with the one spectator who blasphemed. Do you just do that for humour, or because you find it offensive?

Given how you spread the cards, am I right that you're using a Mirage deck with r/s, and not just a plain Svengali? I haven't spent much time with the Svengali deck (yet), but would like to learn a basic routine, and felt that the Mirage deck would allow for stronger presentation of impossibility, do you have any thoughts on that?

I am not using a Mirage deck or as we British call it a Rough and Smooth Deck. I am using a plain old svengali deck without the sticky stuff which is quite unnecessary anyway. There is nothing that can be done with a mirage deck that you can't do with the svengali deck. The only problem is that magicians don't know the methods of doing so. The best way to handle that little problem is to purchase the little book that Mandrake mentioned on this thread. It can be obtained here and I know the author personally.

https://www.marklewisentertainment.com/ ... short.html

As for the blaspheming I was using humour with no religious overtones.

However, since you brought the matter up here am I at work in one of my more unholy activities with the deck:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxwujHN0w7s

I suppose the way you see the Svengali depends on the direction you're coming from. Mark is selling it; if I used one (which I don't) I'd be using it as a mentalist.

Barry

I certainly use it for selling purposes. However, I also use it as a magician when I am booked to perform, particularly at trade shows. But yes, I will concede the use is very limited!

Sadly mine is also the same as a couple above. The Svengali deck, and ID as well.. Great carry around props, and many options available.

I actually have a course for sale on pitching svengali decks and the best way to go about it. However, I am not quite sure which section I should mention it in or even if I am allowed to advertise it at all. Perhaps Mandrake can advise. It consists of three DVDs and a pile of books with a couple of small samples of various pitch items.

I am not quite sure which section I should mention it in or even if I am allowed to advertise it at all.

Unfortunately that would be freebie advertising which is definitely frowned upon. Perhaps anyone who is interested could PM Mark for details in private?

Probably Jumping Gemini.

Difficult to say what I have performed MOST, as I haven't kept count.

However, I would take a guess at:

- Svengali Cards
- Cups & Balls
- Dynamic Coins

Nope, I have never worked for Marvins Magic. These were all from the Paul Daniels range (marketed by Dubreq?). I was working from 14yo at Weekends, in a Joke & Magic Shop in Greenwich, South London during the late 1970's to 1981.

The shop was owned by a real character - Dave Demont Falcon. Dave had worked himself, as a youngster, in Tony Corinda's shop in Tottenham Court Road.

As Dave said to me when he took me on - "nothing is better than a youngster demming magic. It proves to the adults watching that they must also be able to do the tricks". Good psychology I guess. This provided a fantastic starting point for gaining experience of handling audiences, other than just friends and family.

It also gave me tremendous experience of how to hustle. As Greenwich is a tourist area (for The Cutty Sark and The Observatory) there was a never-ending stream of people coming into the shop. The amount of times each day that I said "these are the last dozen......when they're gone, they're gone". Quite surprisingly (or maybe not!) I always managed to forget about the extra cartons of products in the store room. "The cards are £1.50, the cups are also £1.50 and the coins are £6. All three tricks and change from a tenner.......who wants the last of 'em" (as I put a limited pile of each) on the counter.

As an aside, I also used to do the phone ordering for jokes, masks and novelties. I think the company that I used to call was in North West London or Watford area - and was owned by a relative of Tommy Cooper? They always used to try and push some complete tat onto the order though!

Happy Days indeed.

Moving on.

Although I don't know how often as in exact numbers but the tricks that have been 'stayers' for over 40 years are:

- Elmsley 4 Card Trick
- Edward Victor's E Y E
- Peter Kane's Gypsy's Curse
- Sponge Balls - Ken Brooke's routine
- Coins Thru Table (no lapping) - Pat Page
- Torn & Restored Cigarette Paper
- Card to Wallet - Pat Page wallet and routine
- Roped In - Cut & Restored Rope routine of Joe Riding
- Irish 3 Card Trick - Joe Riding
- I'll Start Again - Paddle routine of Jimmy Rodgers
- Devano Rising Cards - Lewis Ganson routine
- Egg Bag - Ken Brooke routine

All of these effects are still the current content of my working act.

Card tricks - many too numerous to mention but mostly from The Royal Road to Card Magic.

Types of cards used - everything and anything; irrespective of whether the box says Waddingtons, Piatnik, Bicycle or Tally-Ho, etc. To me, a pack of cards is a pack of bleedin' playing cards; albeit I do prefer Bridge size.

Another Trick that went over well but I'm no longer doing, as times have changed - cigarette in jacket (using a T.T. of course).

Sorry if the list is too long!