Saturday, April 19, 2014

How to actually get things done PART IV

Right after the rabbit story I come back to the cards starting the second card block, which is the multiple card selection/ Truimph routine. After that I ask the spectator with the 10-Euro bill, if he/she wants to have a 20-Euro bill. People usually expect me to revert it back to the 5 that we started with. But it actually turns into the 20-Euro bill. "If that was real magic, you could keep it" that line gets repeated. 

Imagine the reaction. It feels like it is building up to something, but you are so unsure about it.

Now we are nearing the end of the first part. So I wondered if there is an element that can eventually carry over to the next part of the show after the break. It took me a while to figure it out. Mentalism seemed like the way to go. What if I handed a spectator an envelope with a prediction asking him to hold on to this until the very end of the show? I liked that. But what could be predicted?

The outcome of a trick, a prediction of the person's clothing? It all depended on the method. If I would switch out what's inside then anything could go, but then again there would would be a lot of heat on that. If I force whatever is inside it would weaken the impact, as the process of the selection would be a process... So I was thinking. And with the help of some friends we deceided on the best of both worlds. Part of it would be switched out and part of it would be forced in the second part of the show.

So this is a case of working out the trick starting from the method. So I needed a prediction that would have two things about it. I realized that most predictions in mentalism are incredibly mondane. So I finally decided to go all goofy. I decided to predict the end of the world.

I would declare the bearer of the envelope a prophet and would ask him when he thinks the world would end, taking all of us with it. And that is funny. Imagine the room. This guy giving us a year. So I would write down the year, openly and then the month and the day. I do a joke on each element. "A thousand years from now? So you are on the safe side. You don't wanna be one of those lunatics who are wrong in their life time.... good call!" "In September? Good, we can all go the beach at least." And so on. 

So the process of writing down the information would be a fun one. "Now here is the hardest part of being a prophet... you will be approached during the break. Everyone wants you to open the envelope. But you say no! Because you can. So what do you say?" "No!" "Right.... and if I approach you during the break with a suitcase full of money, what will you say?" You can see that there is comedy potential.

Yeah I almost forgot, it is a comedy show!

Then I end the first part of the show with Doc Eason's Opener with the nuts and bolts. It is a great little routine. Check it out.... However there is just one more bit before everybody leaves the room.

"Hey you with the 20.... Want a 50-Euro bill?"

More in Part V

No comments: