Desert Island Tricks
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Desert Island Tricks
Martin Peirce
What if you could turn a banana into unforgettable magical experience? Join us for an exciting episode of Desert Island Tricks as we sit down with the ingenious magician Martin Peirce. Known for his captivating and practical magic tricks, Martin shares the fascinating story behind his book test, "Lucky Numbers," and gives us a sneak peek into an upcoming release. From frequent TV appearances to his love for quirky magic, Martin adds a unique twist to traditional illusions. We kick things off with Charles Gauci's "Body Language," a trick that masterfully combines psychology and humour.
Ever wondered how to captivate an audience with coin magic or a card trick? This episode is packed with remarkable routines that do just that. We delve into the charm of David Penn's Coinvexed, a coin-bending trick that never fails to astonish. I share my own hilarious mishap of attempting the trick with a two-pound coin, proving that even magic can have its comedic moments. We also highlight the inventive card trick "Sweet FA," designed to keep audiences guessing and laughing until the very end.
As we near the finale, Martin reveals the secrets behind some of his most engaging performances, from the whimsical "Mini Rubik's Cube to Chocolate" by Henry Harrius to the mentalism marvel "Down to One" by John Allen. We explore how these tricks blend creativity, structure, and surprise to leave lasting impressions. We also discuss the inspirational book "Magical Mathematics" and the simple yet memorable "Great Banana Trick." Don't miss this episode brimming with magical insights, humour, and the enduring charm of Martin Pierce's exceptional talent.
A podcast about being an artist from a practical perspective. The series will...
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Find out more about the creators of this Podcast at www.alakazam.co.uk
That's when we actually learned that you can't actually write a banana. It's too wet. So Robin peeled the banana and she tried to write on it with Sharpie. Just killed the Sharpie couldn't write on it. So then she goes I know what to do, I'll get some nail varnish. So she got some nail varnish and she wrote melon on the nail varnish, got the hairdryer out Nope, still didn't dry at all. So we actually learned it is impossible to write on a peeled banana.
Speaker 3:Hello and welcome to another episode of Desert Island Tricks. Another guest joins me today taking a trip to his desert island. This guest today is a big fan, a big friend, of alakazam. In fact I have one of his tricks in front of me now. It's a very, very, very clever book test called lucky numbers, um. And he also has another trick coming out with us in a future and he's also got previous tricks out with us, which is excellent. That's because he's just super, super clever.
Speaker 3:If you look at the methods that this gentleman puts together, you'll notice that all of the methods are really well thought through, must take an incredible amount of time to put together, but all of them are practical, really well thought through, always a little bit quirky, which we all know I love. I love the quirkiness and just overall really fun tricks to perform. So if you've not heard of him, please do go check out his products because they are phenomenal, especially the one that's coming up. I'm not allowed to say anything about that. So, with that being said, uh, today we have a gentleman who loves popping all over tv for very many reasons, which I'll let him explain. We have mr martin pierce.
Speaker 1:Hello, martin thank you, jamie, for your amazing introduction. Yes, yeah, it's always a bit quirky, always a bit different, but yeah, that's just me, I'm afraid no, never be afraid.
Speaker 3:It makes for a wonderful trick and a wonderful prop, I think. Um, it always makes them sound out like lucky numbers, in particular, for those that don't know, it's a book test, but it's based on the lottery. But all the way through the book there are real lottery facts, so it's an enjoyable read. I actually read it when I was learning it, from cover to cover, just to get used to all of the stories, so that I had things to think about.
Speaker 1:Yeah, well, don't say too much, Jamie, because that's coming up in my list. Oh, there you go, so we'll find out more about that a bit more later on, and the reasons why I'd love to have it on a desert island and, uh what I think it would add to the uh anyone that's on this island with me?
Speaker 3:so uh yeah well, I presume it's very easy to win the lottery when you're the only one on the island playing the lottery yes, that's a good point.
Speaker 3:Yes so I'm very excited to see where you're going to go with this. Now. Normally I try and have a guess about the sort of tricks that people are going to put on there. I'm going to guess Lucky Numbers is on there. It is well done, yes. But I'm not going to have a guess on any of the others because, to be honest, I'm not 100% sure the sort of tricks you're going to go for. I could guess that maybe a former release might be in there, but I'm not sure.
Speaker 1:I think you might be there. But yes, we shall find out very shortly.
Speaker 3:Okay, good. So let's just clue everyone up on the format. If this is the first episode that you're listening to. The idea is that we're going to whisk Martin away to his very own desert island. When he's there, he's only allowed to take eight tricks, one book and one non-magic item that he uses for magic. The particulars like how big the island is, where it is, are there boats coming there every day? Does he have an audience? All of that sort of stuff, it doesn't really matter. It's just about the ultimate list of tricks that martin would perform if he could only perform them for the rest of his life. So, with that being said, we're going to hop on a plane and a little dinghy, go to Martin's lovely island and find out what's in his first position.
Speaker 1:Thank you very much, Jamie. Yes, I'm on Desert Island Again. We don't know what company we've got, but you always have to be prepared. So I say my sort of magic is a little bit different. But one of the magic tricks I really, really love I'm not sure the right way to say his name, I think it's Charles Gouchy or it might be Gucci he invented a trick called body language and so basically you have five balls in the bag and you always say my job as a magician is to find which one has the black balls. You've got one black ball and four pink balls and I look down at the balls and I hold one up. I said there's a black ball, there it is, thank you very much which always gets a laugh. It's great for restaurants as well. You can say hi guys, I'm coming here hope you don't mind and get me balls out and, of course, into the bag and put all the balls on the table. Always gets a great reaction and it just gets people on board.
Speaker 1:But I just like the whole premise of there's five balls. My job is to find the odd ball out. So basically everyone picks a ball. I hold a ball up in the hand and use a bit of psychology, a bit of mind reading, et cetera, et cetera. Just work out who has got the black ball. You can build it up. I mean, I build it up. Quite well, they just hold their arms, hold the ball in their hand they have a look at it and then I say, digest it not physically, mentally and they all hold their arms out like this.
Speaker 1:Well, you can't see what I'm doing, but they hold their hands out and I say, righty-ho, obviously one of you got the black ball, four of you got the pink ball. I'm going to work out by your body language hence the name of the trip, by Charles Gautier which one of you is holding the pink ball. And of course we start off quite fun, you know. Look in their eyes. Oh, you're too easy to read. That's a pink ball. Hold the bag out and they drop the pink ball in there. The bag's totally ung team. And then we get down to two. I say I'm gonna ask you both the same question. Uh, whatever I ask you, you have to say yes, which again gets a laugh because people are sort of, you know, coming up with questions. No, no, it's not that sort of uh, not that sort of magic. And I say someone, you have to say yes, have you got the black?
Speaker 2:ball, and I say yes, have you got the black ball?
Speaker 1:and I say yes and at that point you say just, you do it one more time. And then you tap the hand and say pink ball here, black ball there. And you're in this nice position at the end where you just take the last black ball in your hand, smile and everyone gives you a lovely round of applause. Very easy to do. It's a great trick. As I say, there are sort of different Karusoki presentations and tricks out there, but the one I like about this one it pays for parlour, it pays for close up, it pays for stage. You've got entertainment all the way through. At the end you're left with a very strong thing where they look back and say, actually we didn't know what was going on there. I mean, he's actually managed to find a black ball and yeah, it's just a lovely little presentation that I like.
Speaker 3:It's great. Karasuke style routines are always incredible. I think that I mean surely in the UK, der incredible. I think that I mean surely in the UK. Derren Brown very much popularized it in the early days of his stage show. In fact, a strange story was when I was at school, we had a course called the English communications course, and it was basically just language and how language is used, and I remember the teacher actually using Derren Brown's version of karasuke as a case study for being able to detect lies, and it was only when I said to the teacher well, you know that that's, that's a trick, that's not quite real. Um, of course, he didn't know what to say, so it just goes to show that it really connects with an audience. I'm interested to know, though do you present it in a comic style or quite serious?
Speaker 1:uh, to be honest, it's definitely a comic style at the start. As I say, I go to the restaurant, I say I hope you don't mind, I'm gonna get my balls out and again, everyone just sort of is on board. But uh, after the first couple of views, I say right, we're gonna get a bit serious now. I've got lucky once, I've got lucky twice, I might be lucky three times, but this is like the main bit for this to be successful. And I think you know, you know I put my fingers on their forehead and things like that, or hold their pulse your whole. You know I can feel your pulse getting a bit, a bit quicker and things like that. But it all depends on the feedback you're getting from the people around you.
Speaker 1:But definitely a restaurant. It'd be more of a fun presentation if I was doing it in a parlor situation where I'm getting people at the front and holding their arms out and things like that. It would be a bit more serious. Someone to imagine a blackboard's getting heavier, your arm's getting a bit lower and things like that and just little subtle things like that. Uh, I will give a shout out to your, your bane as well, because uh, bane is amazing. Your russian roulette routine is uh fantastic with the cocktail shakers and things like that. So, uh, yeah, I had a chat with robin. I said I can't put that in there. He's had to get too big but he's amazing I'm glad you like it.
Speaker 3:Yeah, they're all great, I know that. Um. Have you ever seen? Um, uh, better kennedy's version.
Speaker 1:He has one called golden balls um which is a really good version as well, yes, I, I have seen that. Yes, uh, yeah, I have seen that. Very good, I know, I know ken will. Uh, if I'm honest, I do prefer the, the body language version.
Speaker 3:But no disrespect to ken's golden balls uh, yeah, very, very good choice, excellent choice. And that brings us on to your second item. What did you take in its second position?
Speaker 1:right. My second item is one I've used for a long, long time. It's a david pen creation and it's called coin vex. So what I like about coin vex is you can borrow coins to do it or you can produce your own coins. Uh, it's great for strolling, so you don't need a table to do it. So I'll use it a lot of weddings.
Speaker 1:And the good thing is, when you're performing it, the spectator has no idea what's going to happen, or no idea what's going on. So with a card trick, you know they're going to choose a card and ultimately you're going to reveal the card in a certain way. Uh, with coin vex, you put your hand in the pocket, you produce a load of coins and I say to someone oh, look at all these coins here. I'm going to trust you with some real big money here and I was given the one pence piece. So again, it all just gets a laugh. And I say to them it's going to be the only one pence piece with your name on it, and I produce a sharpie and they sign their name across the sharpie and again a few lines in there, like, like, unless you did it earlier, and all things like that. Then, as you take the 1p back, you're given the two pence piece and you say so, this time I want you to draw a stick man on the two pence piece. Uh, and as they're drawing stick man on the two pence piece, you're doing what you need to do. And then you put the 1p and the 2p in their hand. The job is done, and I say you've got no idea what's going on at the moment, have you and everyone's like getting excited? And they hold their hands together and say I want to imagine that sick man's burst into life and he's walking around your hand, that one pence piece of your name on it. Oh, he doesn't like it and he's squashing it. And you sort of do the motion of squashing, squashing the coin. And oh, now he's got tired, he's gone back to sleep. On the 2p, did you feel it happen? And they go no, no, but sometimes they do. They really play along and say I can feel heat. I said don't be scared, don't be scared, just just stay with me, and little things like that. And after that they just remove their top hand and they can see the coin that they signed or borrowed even is totally bent and the sick man has miraculously bent their one pence piece. So, uh, yeah, it's one of my favorites.
Speaker 1:As I say, it takes up literally no room your pocket. You're always carrying a sharpie. You're literally just pulling out a handful of coins from your pocket or to say has anyone got any coins I can borrow? Yeah, and it's something I've done for a long time and, yeah, I'll get the most out of it, and I'm sure a lot of people do as well, but for me it works. It's visual as well. People do not know what's going to happen. They've got no idea what's coming along. And the thing is as well, they never throw the coin away, they go can I keep?
Speaker 1:this and I do a residence home as well and I go there and say, oh, you still got the coin. I did you and things like that.
Speaker 2:So yeah, they never throw the coin away, even like friends and family they still have you on the side.
Speaker 1:Uh, once I made the mistake of actually borrowing a two-pound coin. So, yes, so, as I said, oh, you know, write your name across it. Thinking I've done this like hundreds of times now. So, yeah, draw a stick man on there. And I'm thinking, well, this isn't quite going to plan with this two-pound coin. I said, oh, just, you know, give the stick man a name. Think of a first name that comes into your head At this point, if you know the effect beads of sweater coming across my head. And eventually the deed had been done and it was like, oh, we actually managed to bend the two-pound coin and it was with the name stick man, that had three other aliases, middle names and things like that. But it took me a while, but that's what I learned, uh, you can't really do it with a two pound coin yeah, great choice.
Speaker 3:In fact, I did the same thing. So I did it with a two pound coin by accident early days. Now I'm not sure if you noticed this when you did it, but the problem for me was, as I did it, the middle section came loose from the coin and then flew across the room. Oh, okay. So it pinged out and there's no real way to cover that in performance.
Speaker 1:Not really. As I say, it's a live and learn situation. Honestly, I've got too complacent. I've done it like probably like thousands of times, and it was just a case of, oh, I can borrow any coin I want to. And it's just when I thought, oh, just that moment of doubt, I think, oh, I don't think I can, I need a bit more time here. So, you know, give that person a name and then give them a middle name and then just write the name of our president on the back of the coin. It's actually like it's by and by shy, but the moment it was done it was like, oh, my goodness me, that was like a workout down the gym, but yeah.
Speaker 3:It's a great choice. I think it's one that many, many performers must be using or have used previously. It's just a phenomenal trick. It's so well done.
Speaker 1:The thing I like about it. I always say in performance you've got no idea where this is going, have you? And they've literally got no idea what's going to happen. No, that's correct, and it's a little souvenir that they keep them.
Speaker 3:As I say, I go around people's houses you still got that bingo, you name it on the side and things like that. So, yeah, it creates a memory. It's one of the ones for wedding couples. It's really good for that reason. So I remember one of the first gigs I ever did. When I was 16 I did a wedding and, um, I did coin vexed, uh, and maybe I don't know, 10 years later she was in a local shop and I bumped into her and she said, oh my god, you're the magician that was at my wedding. And then she had a purse on her.
Speaker 1:In her purse she keeps the bent coin and all those years later she still had it that's when you know you've created such an impression that every time she gets her purse out she's quite willing for anyone to say to her what's that coin and she's quite happy to say that's what I got married with. I had this amazing magician come along and this coin actually bent in my hand. So she won't remember how it got there or anything like that. She'll just remember to pick it up and say the magician made this coin bend in in my hand and I actually held the coin. So yeah, it's absolutely brilliant.
Speaker 3:It is a great choice, excellent, excellent second choice that takes us onto your third position. What's in the third place?
Speaker 1:Well, my third place is actually one of my effects. It's called Sweet FA by Martin Pierce. So obviously there's card tricks out there. There's hundreds of card tricks out there, thousands, tens of thousands, probably even more than that. So when I created sweet fa, my my goal was to create a car trick that's going to be remembered. So obviously there's lots of car trick choose a coin or there it is, etc. Etc. And there's the great car tricks. I'm not knocking anyone's car trick at all, but I just wanted a card trick where it's always going to be remembered.
Speaker 1:And I like to think I've done it with Sweet FA. They remember the card and in their mind they just remember everything and literally once you've performed it they say oh, go and do that on George, go and do that on Peter, go and do that. And they will literally just follow you around. They're not interested in the method or anything like that, they're just waiting for that big reaction at the end. So if you're not familiar with Sweet FA, you bring a deck of cards out and it's got a prize deck on the box and I say to someone I like you, I like you so much, I insist that you're going to get a prize today and I drop the prize deck on the table, obviously in a box, and I say to you we're going to get a card chosen. All you've got to do is win a prize to name a card. But we're not going to do it the easy way. We're going to get some of your friends to help you. Have you got any friends here? Lots of lines like that oh, I've got a number for a friend, a friend, and all things like that.
Speaker 1:First thing, we you want. So you say to someone do you want to have the red cards or the black cards? And then you want to say, say, say, black. You say, do you want to have clubs? Do you want to have clubs, babes? And then you say, do you want to have odd cards or even cards? And the last choice is always down to him. So let's say he's left clubs, nine of clubs, but put the jack in there, it'll be 11 of the king of clubs. One of those prizes is going to get you a prize for a lifetime. They name anyone they want to and you go oh no, I just don't believe it. Let's say they name five of clubs and, okay, let's open the box and see what you would have won If I said, oh're the king of diamonds, you'd have won £1,000 worth of Amazon vouchers.
Speaker 1:I've got a joke for them. I say that'd be grand, wouldn't it? £1,000. And they would have a laugh like that. Let's say, oh, seven of diamonds would have won you afternoon tea at the Ritz. Well, that's a cracker of a prize, wouldn't it? And then you say, oh, five of hearts, cabbage chocolate for a year. That'd be sweet, wouldn't it? And then you've got kenyan safari experience for another card. Can you believe you didn't win that?
Speaker 1:And then you go through all the cards. It looks like you're going through all the cars. Obviously I'm not real too much, but you're literally going on and on about all the prizes they could have won and they've not won. They're holding the cards. Let's say it's the fiber clubs and you build it up. You build it up. You've not won this rolex watch. You've not won that. Let's see what you want. And they turn it over and it says yeah, basically uh, with the little message by the hand as well. So it gets a great reaction.
Speaker 1:You build it up and the thing is, it's so well structured, they're making all the choices, the friends are making all the choices. Any dirty work is in your hand all the time. There's nothing, anything to see. Every card you put on the table can be totally examined and I'd say it seems to them like it's the fairest choice in the world. And remember, they do make all the decisions. They make the final decision and their friends make all the decisions. They go for the prizes. When you go for the prizes, there's always great comments as well. Once a speedboat. Do you ever watch ball side? Uh? Seven nights in las vegas.
Speaker 1:Remember you went to las vegas, so we don't talk about that anymore. Honestly, there's so much built-in banter there. For me it's a full routine. It's exciting as well. People are playing along with excitement let's see, let's see what they're going to win. Let's see what they're going to win, let's see what they're going to win. And they turn it over and it says basically F-O with the hand gesture Always goes down well, don't be afraid to use it. I've even done it in Alvika in our church because she's going why does everyone laugh when you do that car trick? I said don't worry and show you. Actually she's quite trendy and down with it because they're blazer up, but yeah, it always goes down well. And with the invention of a sweet FA plus. So once you've done it to the adults say they've got like a six-year-old son. I'm going to go and do it on young Johnny over there.
Speaker 1:Oh no, you can't do it, no, no, it's fine, and we've got a version now where you can switch the necessary out and Johnny gets to name a card and his prize is a fantastic magic show. So yeah, so that's all. Oh, no, you can't do that. When you show it to him he's like oh, Very nice. So, yeah, for me it just again. I like to create a memory, create excitement and they will follow you around. And yeah again, that's another one where they don't see it coming.
Speaker 1:They've got an idea, but I don't know how blatant it's going to be. And when you hit them with that punch it's like, yeah, amazing.
Speaker 3:I never knew about the plus. I think that's excellent, so what?
Speaker 1:happened was when Sweet FA came out a few years ago. It literally sold out the first day at Blackpool and everyone in the Ruskin was doing all come over, here's a chance to win a prize. I think that was my trick, but go on, then I play along with it. I didn't know who it was, etc. Etc. And, uh, everyone was doing it at the time.
Speaker 1:So it got a bit further down the line and people saying can you come up with a softer version? Which, uh, I don't think it's necessary, but fair enough, if you want a softer version, we'll do a softer version. So you've got the band of cards that you need for the Sweet FA, and literally just a band of cards with a fantastic magic show, and you can switch them out and it'll take you about five seconds to do so, just for the cleaner version. You can do the cleaner version if you want to, if you don't want to be hard hitting or if you just want to sort of you know, get people excited, I'm going to do it on so-and-so, do it on so-and-so. And they're a bit worried about the reaction. That does the job as well.
Speaker 3:Yeah, great. I just like the idea of you going up to a kid and all of the parents going no, no, you can't. But then that payoff at the end will be great for two reasons A, because you get the reaction from the kid, who it will be a nice reaction, but also then the reaction from the family who would be like, wait, how did that card get there?
Speaker 1:As well. You've changed every card in the deck Just by doing that. You know, like that 10-second switch of cards, it's like taking some to the bottom and adding some to the bottom Just by doing that. They're not aware you've done that, so they think everything is contained in that deck of cards there. So again for them it's like my goodness me, he can change that card and do anything he wants to.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I think it's excellent, Very, very, very funny routine and that takes us to your halfway point. So you're at number four.
Speaker 1:Well, as you know, I do some children's entertainment as well. I've been lucky enough to be some very special sort of people as well. I've done shows for well, I can't say too much. But yeah, lots, lots of famous celebrities and their sort of children and the effects that I really enjoy performing. Obviously I you know, when you perform a magic trick for children, it's got to be exciting. It's got to be like the first time you've ever performed it, the first time you've ever seen it. It's got the elements, it's got to be entertaining. It's got to go a bit wrong. You never see it go wrong and at the end it all goes right and things like that.
Speaker 1:So my favourite is Skeleton in a Cupboard, because the fact is it's quite a universal prop. I come up with a routine with it which actually showed Peter and Harry at the shop and they thought it was like wow, never seen that before and Peter bless him, he didn't even know how it was done. It's one of those effects, even when I perform it at the kids' shows and the adults are watching. It's the one where the adults always watch as well and they will come up at the end and they say how did you do?
Speaker 1:the skeleton in the cupboard, I said I can't tell you it's magic. And also you, I said you'll be disappointed as well. So that's what I like about it as well, the fact that I've even, like fooled the adults with it as well. I'm not there to fool adults, I'm just there to create excitement for the children, have them all screaming at me and have an amazing time. So if you're not familiar with the effects, you say, I'm going to show you something a bit scary. It's even scarier than George's dad first thing in the morning, which always gets a laugh.
Speaker 3:It's a skeleton.
Speaker 1:He's a bit shy and he's in the cupboard. And he's in the cupboard and you bring out this light little cupboard and say, if I show him to you, you're not going to be scared, are you? And they go no, no, not be scared. And literally as you lift it up a little bit, you sort of slam it down. Everyone goes, oh, and they'll sort of jump out the first bit, okay. And then you say, okay, it's a skeleton, arms crossed, legs crossed and bones crossed, bones crossed. But again it just starts sitting there beautifully, for during the whole routine they do not move a muscle. I've got no worries about anyone coming up Just by using that line. You've got to cross your arms, cross your leg and cross your bum. They just sit there like little angels and they show Fred Boney.
Speaker 1:I say he's not been very well, he's been to the hospital, he's come to see us for George's party. Let's give him a big clap. And as I give him a big clap, I accidentally knock his head off. He goes flying across the room and I go oh, you did that. I said who did that? Was that you George? No, no, no. And they were screaming you did that. Oh, no, I didn't. Oh yes, you did. So basically you have to put him back together again. His head's on at the bottom. I go there he is. He's back in one piece. Give yourselves a big clap. Yay, let's just take the cupboard off.
Speaker 1:they were screaming like no no, his head's at the bottom, his head's at the bottom. Oh no, poor old fred, he's standing on his head I say okay, we do it again, and this time you put him back together, and that's definitely right.
Speaker 1:We've definitely done the right way this time. There we go, take it off, yeah, like a little floss, a little victory dance, and this time his head is in the middle of his body. I said, oh no, why has he got his eyes in his belly? It's going very well, and the last time we do it he keeps playing tricks on me. So I'm going to play a trick on fred boney and I put his head in the cupboard the wrong way around.
Speaker 1:This is going to be really funny when I take the cupboard off and everyone go nanny, nanny, nanny, your head is on the wrong way. And, of course, take it off and his head is on the right way, and I'll say, haha, that's each. And they go. No, he said that can't be the right way because I put it on the wrong way. I turn around, I look at like, oh, how did that happen? He's like, oh, that's amazing. Oh, he's too clever for me. Everyone say bye, fred, and we just pop him away. So for me it's like six or seven minutes of absolute fun. The children do not move a muscle. They're having the greatest time ever. The adults are absorbing all of it. And yeah, if you're on a desert island, I think that'd be just great for all ages.
Speaker 3:Yep, I reckon you'll probably find a few skeletons on your desert island as well, yeah that's the former magicians that were stuck on there that didn't get back off.
Speaker 1:I look forward to doing it. When you go to a show you think, oh, I could do Fred Pony in a minute. Oh, I'm getting all excited. Yeah, that's really nice.
Speaker 3:It's nice when you're looking forward to performing the trick, just as much as you know the audience. It's great. Yes, yeah, yeah so that takes us over your halfway point. Now to number five. What's in your fifth position?
Speaker 1:Right, my number five again. It's a perfect plays big and it packs small. To say definitely packs small is Down to One by John Allen. So I'm not sure if you're too familiar with this one. It's an amazing mentalism effect and all you need is like it's like a poker chip. It's got red on one side and it's got black on the other side, and you could have a hundred people in the room. Everyone can stand up and play if they're capable. And the idea is you're going to get down to one person by playing the heads or tails game from this poker chip.
Speaker 1:And what I do? I have a washing line on my stage that runs from one side to the other, with an envelope that's got a prediction in it. I never pay any attention to it at all. It's there from the start. Everyone stands up. If you think this is going to be a red, put your hands on the head. If you think it's going to be a red, put your hands on the head. If you think it's to be black, put your hands on the back. So we do this and we get down to one person. You know, obviously you eliminate them. Say it's red first of all. Okay, we're going to get rid of it. Anyone's got their hands on the back, everyone sit down. So, basically, you're going to go down to one person in the end and that person is going to get a chance to win a prize, either through Sweet FA or any other version. I've got lots of games. I do like a prize thing where you give out and you think they're going to get a great prize. Of course, they don't often win, I will be honest, but it just adds to the excitement of it all. So, yeah, this one person out of all let's say there's 100 people there. Again, it's great for corporate. You can basically choose a person you want to win. I can't reveal too much, but yeah, you can reveal the person who's going to win. Oh, you've won it. Of all these 100 people, you made all those decisions yourself. You're the one that made the correct decision all the way through it and again, all the way through it.
Speaker 1:You can have bits of fun. There's lots of bits of banter. Oh, there's a washing line there. It's got an envelope in it. Uh, just take the peg off. I take the peg off and then you literally, bit by bit, reveal the first line.
Speaker 1:Uh, the winner of this competition is going to be a woman. Let's say a woman's won it, and everyone goes, oh, that's a good start. And then the next line is or a man, so that's automatically like the comedy bit, or take it down a bit, uh, but the winner will be wearing and basically you describe what she's wearing her shoes, what's the scarf, etc. Etc. And the final winning call will be towels. And, of course, take it out, the final winning call will be towels. And she's made all the choices herself. Yet you predict to the start that she's going to win the whole lot.
Speaker 1:I have a chance to go to win a prize. So very, very clever thinking. It's very easy to do. You are in control the whole way through it. So if someone says I want this person to win it, or if the CEO says, oh, you know. Oh, it's Trisha's birthday today, it'd be amazing if you get Trisha at some point. This would be the great thing. You go and look, see what Trisha's wearing, have your main predictions at the start and just say she's going to be wearing red shoes, she's going to have an Armani handbag, etc. Etc. And everyone's just amazed that you've predicted that this person wearing this outfit, who you've never met before is going to win the down-to-one game, and then they take it further to win a prize.
Speaker 3:So, yeah, that's john allen's down to one. Uh, yeah, I love it. Yeah, I mean, that's the ultimate pax ball plays big right, because it's not just six participants, it's the entire audience and all you've got is one, one little prediction and a chip is it it is, it is the ultimate.
Speaker 1:yeah, as I say, when it first came out I was thinking, oh, I'm a bit unsure. But once you start using it, you realise how strong it is. That's the thing, if you look at it on a website or a thing like that, you think oh you know is it is. It is it.
Speaker 1:But honestly, once you start performing it, you realise the value of it, of how strong it is and the control you have. As I say, you can literally have anyone you want to win even your final prediction. You could have all the funny bits and there can be a man or woman or this this woman's going to kiss a magician and she can come up to you. It's just just like little bits like that. Or she's going to make the ceo, ceo a nice cup of tea later on, things like that. It's just, you can add what you want to it, so you can make it as serious as you want or as funny as you want, but yeah, the bottom line is out of them, 100 people. You're predicting everything. So, uh, yeah I love it hello guys.
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Speaker 3:And that brings us on to your sixth item. So what's in your sixth position?
Speaker 1:Ah well, sixth item I love a little bit of switching when it's all possible. So I'm going to choose Trio and it's by Asta, which is basically a stand you can use to switch in cards or you can switch billets with it or anything that fits in a stand. So you've got a stand that's got one, two and three in it. My routine is I come out of a box and in the box I say to this person and it's wrapped up like a sort of a birthday present box hold on to this box, don't let me touch it. If I go near it, you have permission to shoot me, poke me in the eye, flick me fingers or whatever you want to do. So just all comedy things like that. And a couple of times during the performance I will go near the box, uh, just for the audience to go. Oh, he's going near the he's going near the box.
Speaker 1:He's going near the box. So again, that's just part of it. So my routine is I have the one, two, three there, and if you don't know Trio, you can see through the stand. It's totally blank. You wave your hand either side of it just to show it's totally gimmicks as such. So I'd say for the first person we've got some famous singers here. We've got Elvis, we've got Cliff Richard, we've got Donna Summer.
Speaker 1:Give them a mix-up, who is your favourite singer? And they can throw them down and give me any one of those cards they want to. And let's say well, it doesn't matter. They give me a card and I place it in position number one and I say to the next person here we've got lots of soft drinks. We've got Pepsi Cola, we've got Cherry Ape, we've got lager, we've got wine, we've got vodka, and again you can have that banter with them. What is your favorite drink? Again, and then mix them up Whenever happy. Just give me one of the cards. I'll put the other cards there. I take their card and put it in.
Speaker 1:Third one I showed them 15 animals. So they go through the animals. There's a dog, there's a cat, there's a giraffe. Again at this point. I tell some really corny jokes like what's the dog's favourite pizza, pepperoni? Why's the giraffe got a long neck? He can't smell his feet. You know my children stuff coming out there, lots and lots of jokes like that. Where did she go get the shoot coke in the head? Cut the barbers.
Speaker 1:So basically the person who gives me the animal that goes to number three. They don't know what they've chosen. They've seen all the cars are different from the start. And I say, well, let's see what's happened. And you turn it around, it'll say elvis, uh, coca-cola. And it'll say a dog. I'll say to the person holding the box I've not been in that box at all, have I? Would you be amazed if elvis was that box? And? And they'd go oh yeah, it'd be quite funny, you're quite good. Would you be amazed if there was Coca-Cola in that box? And I'd say, yeah, how about if there was a dog in that box? Would that be amazing as well? And literally they get them up on stage, they take the lid off and out comes Elvis, like a toy dog. He's drinking a can of cola for a straw and the last bit he's got a name tag on.
Speaker 2:I said, elvis, that two out of three ain't bad he's drinking cola and he said two out of three ain't bad.
Speaker 1:I said what was the singer's name, elvis? And you turn the name badge around on the dog. He's got a little name tag on and it says hi, my name is Elvis. So yeah, it's very easy to do. What you have to do is literally half a second and all you have to do is turn the stand around. Just by turning the stand around, the three chosen items choose to go into the items you want yourself. So yeah, I do love a good switching item. I love a maze box as well. That was very close to getting in there, but the one I use all the time is Trio by Assets. It's a great little sage effect.
Speaker 3:Sounds great. I love the structure of the dog with the name tag as well. That's really really nice. That's great.
Speaker 1:No, I like to be a bit quirky. I mean, to be honest, you could just do it with playing cards. But again, you can be a bit more excited than that. You've literally got so much control. You could literally get three playing cards chosen, the three playing cards chosen, the three playing cards match, which again is fantastic. But you know, I don't think people can remember that more than the sort of Elvis the dog drinking Coca-Cola great choice that brings us on to the tail end of your A-tricks already.
Speaker 3:Um, I'm what's in the seventh position?
Speaker 1:Well, I think I'd better do it with.
Speaker 1:Lucky Numbers. So yeah, lucky Numbers is one of my creations, it's a book test. It's a book test with a difference. With a book test, you usually reveal a word and for a kicker you usually reveal another word. So I just wanted something a bit more vivid, a bit more colourful, a bit more exciting. And with Lucky Numbers you don't get one or two reveals, you get 16 completely different reveals. And yeah, with a book test as well, people say book tests are examinable, and when they say that they're not always examinable, this one is if you go through this a million times, you're never, ever going to find anything. I showed Craig Petty this before it came out, just in the initial thing, and he said you really need to take that on pen and paper because there's no way in a million years you're going to fool them 1 million percent.
Speaker 1:There's no way, they're ever going to know how that's done. So that's another thing I like about it. Book tests are a bit black and white. This is bright, it's colourful, the lottery is exciting. People have got exciting lottery stories. This has got 100 pages. They are true stories. The names have been changed, obviously for purposes and different things. So what happens is people can choose a story or they can choose a page number.
Speaker 1:They can look through the book first of all to start with, and when they go there, you can get them to look at the first ball. Send you the colour of that first ball to your head. You can reveal the colour. You can say can you turn that ball around, have a look at the numbers on there? And then you can reveal the numbers on the first ball. Then you can do the colours on, basically, on all six balls. Uh, all six numbers, the amount they won, the date they won it, whether it's person's, male or female. There's, as I say, there's so many different reveals. You can reveal as much as you want to, or you can reveal as little as you want to. Uh, yeah, it's been. The reviews have been amazing for it and I thank you for everyone who's purchased it. It's not a sales pitch here. I do apologise if it's going that way, but yeah for me lucky numbers.
Speaker 1:If I was on a desert island, I'd just go through here and just read the funny stories about people how they wasted their money. You know, put bits of money in their garden, they bought a bit of land on the moon. They bought a walking stick. They joined Tinder. They've gone to NFL games. They've bought racehorses. They've got to the theatre, bought every seat in the theatre because they want to be the only one sitting there. There's lots of great stories I think we could all relate to.
Speaker 1:There's nothing worse than going to a theatre sitting behind someone you paid a lot of money for a ticket and they're just rustling popcorn in your ear, opening a bag of sweets, or they're just annoyed by a bit of noise in the distance and they're trying to get out of their head but, no, they just have to think about that.
Speaker 1:A bit of noise all the time. So why not go to a theater, buy every ticket and have the whole performance for yourself? Sounds like. Sounds like a great idea to me. But yeah, I did lucky numbers.
Speaker 1:Uh, I was on a train once doing going to a show in London and uh, I had my, and there was all these drunken northerners there. They're all going to watch the dance and they're going, oh, dressed up there, what's in the case? What's in the case you go? I'm going to show you what's in the case. I'd open up the case and I showed them lucky numbers. I said to the first person what would you do if you won the lottery? And he'd just come out this door. I, yeah, your outfits, et cetera, et cetera. So he shows to any page and I didn't even reveal half the things I could have done. I just said to him look at the lowest number ball on there, just send the color over to me. And I said, oh, I'm not sure if it's your suit, but I'm getting like a blue color and he's like oh, my goodness me, how did you know that?
Speaker 1:And he's looking behind me as if someone pointed me. I said you're too easy to read. Give the book to the next person. And he passed this book, basically. It went on the train. I reviewed the six numbers and everyone was high-fiving me. Everyone thought it was the greatest thing ever, and all I did reveal was six colors of the balls, and they can do so much more with it.
Speaker 3:So, uh, yeah yeah, I agree, this is one that I've been concentrating on to try and get really good, um at doing it well, as good as you, which is going to be near impossible because you're just so smooth with it, um. But it's true, I've, since I got into magic, I've collected many, many, many, many book tests, um, all the way from Mother of All Book Tests when I was really young, all About Eve, the Sandman Book Test, just tons of different book tests, and this by far is one of the most interesting ones and definitely one of the most fooling, because every single page and that's no exaggeration at all is completely different. There is nothing repeated in this book. So you know, without tipping methods, obviously in some other book tests you may find a couple of similarities here and there, in order to facilitate the method. In this one there's nothing repeated, as in nothing repeated.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I was a big fan of the Economica when it first came out. I think that was Wayne Dobson Great book. Test Absolutely loved it.
Speaker 1:But, yeah, I just wanted something again, everyone was black and white in it. I just wanted something. Lucky Numbers is like an A6 size. It just fits in your pocket. I just wanted something a bit more colourful and, yeah, I just wanted something where the reveals were exciting, stories that people could relate to. Everything was examinable. I just wanted something that tipped all the boxes. It took me a long time to come up with it, but I'm really pleased with it. So, yeah, there's two different things in there. You can choose a page number, they can choose a story and straight away you know what's going on.
Speaker 3:As a little nod to how good the book is. Just as a book, I had it on a table and it was discovered by my family who, when I came home, had it on their table and I said why do you have that there? And they had literally been reading through it one by one, not knowing it was a magic book. They just didn't know why it was there. But yeah, they read through it. Although they loved it, they thought it was a great little book in itself.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's the sort of thing you get from a train station or an airport flight. You know, doug O Smith for £3.99. But yeah, it's great, thank you.
Speaker 3:Yep great choice. And that brings us on to your final trick. What is your final trick?
Speaker 1:Yeah, it was tricky. Obviously there were some things I was going to get in there. Obviously your bane was at the top of the list and a maze box was right on the cusp and there's plenty of card tricks I could have quite easily put in there. But my last one is I love Rubik's Cubes. So when I was I'm a self-taught rubik's cube as well. So when, when I was a youngster uh, quite a while ago, 16 years old, even younger than that people brought rubik's cubes to school and no one could solve them. So I thought I ain't gonna solve it. So again, this was no tutorials. You can't go on youtube in them days, because there was no youtube and things like that and I managed to solve it myself. So it's something I'm always proud of. So my method of solving it is probably not like your usual method of people solving it, but I can do it. Yeah, probably about a minute and a half, I can do it. So I said to my daughter as well I've obviously got her into rubik's cubes, uh and she said Dad, what do you want for Christmas? I said my ultimate Christmas present would be if I could give you this Rubik's cube mixed up and you sat and solved it for me on Christmas morning. That would mean so much to me. So I taught her a little bit, little bit, little bit at a time and on Christmas morning she said watch this. And about two and a half minutes later she solved it better and it made my christmas. And she can do a lot quicker now as well. She can do it even quicker than me, which is good. And she's got a platypus cube, she's got all like she just loves a rubik's cube and she loves just the fact that she can solve a rubik's cube. So I recommend it. Uh yeah, it's great for a confidence and it's just brilliant. So I like the mini Rubik's Cube to chocolate by Henry Harrius, so it's a great effect. You can.
Speaker 1:The way I do it is probably not the way that he would explain to do it. I have the Rubik's Cube covered in a box and I put like a sparkly silver handkerchief over the top of it and I introduced some cards that have everyday objects written on them, like apple, mobile phone, remote control book, etc. Etc. And I say to someone have a look at the cards and choose anyone you want to. They choose the card and their card says m&ms on it, but they don't show me, they just put it down to there. And I say, oh, I think your card has something to do with colours. Is that right? Because obviously, that price of both things I think that they're quite small as well, aren't they? And I say, can you announce to everyone the card you chose? And I turn it around and say M&M.
Speaker 1:At that point I just whisk the handkerchief off and obviously there's a Rubik's Cube sitting there. Oh, was it not a Rubik's Cube? No, no, it's M&M's. I'm sure you were going to choose that.
Speaker 1:And I put the little Rubik's mini Rubik's Cube in their hand M&M's. You know what M&M's looks like. And I just put my hand over the top and bang. The Rubik's Cube just turns into like 50 M&M's, which is like so visual, so colourful. You've got a bit of mentalism in there as well. And yeah, I'll just take one of the hands and eat it. They're quite tasty, these M&M's.
Speaker 1:I might actually get some just after you've done it as well. There's that little gasp as well, just before the pause point as well, because you're not expecting this little mini Rubik's Cube to turn into like 50 M&Ms. So you always want to do it. It's great and you've got that moment to do your little bit of dirty work, because it's so visual, because it's all happening in your hand. It's literally like there's a Rubik's Cube bang, it's turning into M&Ms in their hand. While they're looking at it, you can ditch what you need to ditch. They're looking at that and go wow, and you have that little gap and everyone goes wow and then and then they just genuinely clap after that. So uh, yes, henry harrius, I love a rubik's cube. There's lots of great rubik's cube out there, but this one you can use in parlor and you can use it in close-up. If you've got children at a restaurant at a table, perfect for them. So yeah, and it resets very quickly. Mini Rubik's Cube to Chocolate by Henry Harrius.
Speaker 3:What a great effect to end on. What an excellent choice. It's such I love I've not heard it routined before into like a proper routine. So I love the idea that they've got the wrong card, because that would feel so unfathomable to them that anything could change at that point yes that's what I mean, as I say, I like to be a bit different.
Speaker 1:I like to maximize effects. Obviously, ruby's cubes, chocolate, it can be done really quickly. If you just put the cube in the hand, it turns eminem. So that'd be good. But I like to put a bit of structure to things and uh, yeah, it works for me, and uh, yeah, it gets reactions I want from it.
Speaker 3:So uh, yeah, it's a great choice, superb, superb list. And again, even looking at your list, it's such a varied list. We've gone all the way from, you know, kurosuke style routine, which is quite serious in some respects, um, all the way to Lucky Numbers, which is a quirky book test. You've got the Down to One which is like a whole audience builder, sweet FA, which is a little bit naughty. You've really covered an entire spectrum of different tricks here.
Speaker 1:These are ones that I really like. If someone said to me you're going to be stuck on this desert island, these things will entertain me, let alone anyone else on the island. I could just do these on myself and I'd be quite happy.
Speaker 3:That's what I was just going to get onto. It seems like you are probably just as excited to perform these the way that you've spoken about them, than it is from your audience's point of view. It seems like really, really, especially, uh, you know the skellington one. When you were talking about that you were so animated about it yeah I'm quite passionate about me magic for people that know me.
Speaker 1:But I and I say when I always think when you perform magic, it's got to be the first time you've done it yourself. Your energy's got to be there, as if it's like you know, don't coast you to host. Literally. You want to be that exciting person, you want to put your passion. It comes across and I think when I perform it it comes across and I like to think people watch it and they get excited by it. When I do a lecture, people say I've not felt that way about magic for a long time, which is lovely to hear because, as I say, they feel my passion. And these things here, as I say, they just they feel my passion and these things here, as I say on the desert island, are just things I love performing.
Speaker 3:I could just perform myself over and over again and, uh, be happy. Yeah, it's a good, good way to be, I think, uh. But that takes us on to your two curveball items, because you only get to choose one of each. Um, of course, you are allowed honorable mentions. We do allow that here. Um, but what did you take for your book?
Speaker 1:right, a book.
Speaker 1:Again. It's probably not one that that people are more familiar with. It's called magical mathematics. Uh, the authors again, I don't think they're brilliantly known, but I think they've done an amazing job. They're ron Graham and it's Percy Diaconis, so what it is, it's like an A4 hardback book. It's probably got about 150 pages in it and it's just got some brilliant, brilliant methods in there.
Speaker 1:If you know me, I'm a method man. I like to take a method that hasn't got to be a particularly difficult method. I like to take a method, use it for something and come up with a routine from it. And as I read this book, I'm thinking I could use that for a rock paper scissors routine, or I could use this for a card routine, or I could use this. Honestly, there's so many clever, clever methods in there and I like to think I'm quite clued up on my methods.
Speaker 1:And when I first read it, I thought I don't know this method and I got really excited about it straight away. My mind's clicking and clicking and clicking. I'm thinking, oh, I didn't know it was. I'm on this one and I've come up with a couple of things that I've got coming out in the future. Uh, just by tweaking the methods a little bit to get the effect that I want. I like to come out with an effective thing, or wouldn't it be good if I could do this and then say that and produce that? And just by reading this book I've actually achieved like two or three of the things that I want to achieve. So, yeah, it's Magical Mathematics, it's by Ron Graham and Percy Diaconis. They've used the methods. A lot of them are for card tricks, of card tricks. Some of them aren't, but the methods you can take away and and use for other things as well. So it hasn't got to be card tricks at all.
Speaker 1:And yeah, very very clever and, as I say, for me, I could know I can take things away from there and uh, yeah, put it to entertaining routines. I read it and I think I've got to read this again. I really enjoyed that. I'm not really a book person. I probably, you know, realistically not read enough books in my lifetime. The ones I have read have been magical books.
Speaker 1:I haven't read your Pride and Prejudice at Macbeth at school because I was sort of forced into reading it. And I read some Dick Francis books. My dad used to be a bookmaker and I can relate to sort of the Dick Francis. All his books are about horse racing and things like that. So I can relate to those a bit. But as for your, you know your everyday books that people have read. I haven't read many of those, not enough of them anyway. But this book for me is literally. I read the first chapter and I'm thinking I don't want to read the rest of it. I want to read the first chapter again because I know I'm doing it so much. My mind's going click, click, click and, yeah, straight away I literally got three or four things. A couple of them are coming out, hopefully very soon as well. So it just gave me the ideas for them. So very clever thinking, very clever people.
Speaker 3:Yep, that sounds like one I'll be purchasing, just to have a little read through.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I can't remember how I came across it. I weren't sure if it was in like like a charity shop, or I saw it in the window. It's just one of the things. I think it's quite undiscovered. I think you know it probably is on amazon and things like that. But yeah, I fully recommend it. It's really entertaining. As I say, it's a really clever methods I enjoyed superb.
Speaker 3:I'm sure lots of people will be on amazon as they're listening to this looking for that, or they will be once they finish driving or walking or whatever they're doing. Um, but that takes us to your curveball item, the thing that I genuinely never know where this one's gonna go um. So what did you take as your item?
Speaker 1:well, I took a banana, okay, uh, there's a story why I took the banana. So, uh, I come out of a trick called the great banana trick. Uh, and how I introduce it? I always say, sir, someone I said. People often say to me martin, what was the first trick you ever bought? And I lean forward and wait for them to say, martin, what was the first trick you ever bought? And I lean forward and wait for them to say, martin, what was the first trick you ever bought? I'm not telling you. And then just cuts it off there and then gets a laugh and I say, oh, it was a great banana trick.
Speaker 1:And I go into basically what's called the great banana trick, a trick that can't go wrong. I put a banana on the table and I show a load of cards and I've got all different fruits on. I've got, oh, we've got pineapple, we've got peas, we've got sweet corn, we've got beetroot. Give them a little mix-up, like that. I'm going to deal the cards on the table one at a time. When you want me to stop, you say stop and again, remember, this is a great banana trick. And the banana's on the table, I wonder what you're going to stop on. Build it up like that I'm going to deal the cards on the table, one at a time, and whenever they say stop, they stop, I say you didn't want that one.
Speaker 1:You didn't want that one, you didn't want the pear, you didn't want the apple, you didn't want this. It's a great banana trick. I wonder what card you stopped on. And I turn it over and it the shop. I can't want a trick, that can't go wrong. And it says melon. He says ah, I remember what he said to me If the trick ever goes wrong, just lift the banana up. And you lift the banana up and on the banana it says melon on it and everyone's going oh, that's really good. So honestly, it goes down really well. There's a couple of stories to go with it as well.
Speaker 1:So Robin helped me with this one. Uh, we had a competition and you had to link three magic tricks together for the competition and the third one, it had to link a banana to it, because the second one they did a banana. So we come up the great banana trick and ideally I wanted to peel the banana and have melon written on the banana. Once they peeled it. That's when we actually learned that you can't actually write a banana. It's too wet. So Robin peeled the banana and she tried to write on it with Sharpie. Just killed the Sharpie couldn't write on it. So then she goes I know what to do, I'll get some nail varnish. So she got some nail varnish and she wrote melon on the nail varnish. Got the hairdryer out no, still didn't dry at all.
Speaker 1:So we actually learned it is impossible to write on a peeled banana, so we had to seal it. We even tried cocktail six piercing writing melon on the inside of it. But then again you don't know until you open it whether it's worked or not. And also because it's got so many holes in it the first time we'd done it, you open the banana and it's just like filling a clump on the table. The safest thing was just to write melon on the outside of the banana. But yeah, it's one of my favourite tricks and I always say what's the first trick you ever bought? And I always say it's a great banana trick and I perform it and for me it's got the aspect they could have stopped on any card. And of course I chose melon and you lift the banana up and it says melon on the banana.
Speaker 3:So, uh yeah, great, that sounds excellent. That sounds really really good. Um, I had no idea where that was going. I was so intrigued throughout that yes, my history as well and that sounds superb.
Speaker 3:Uh, joel dickinson has got a great trick called fruit cocktail, which that will go perfectly with. Um, oh, I don't know that one. It's great, it's, it's the same sort of idea. Um, so in his he has a prediction and he says in this bag, I've got the the answer. When he takes out, it's a can of fruit cocktail. So that's that's sort of the the joke.
Speaker 3:But when you open up the can the fruit is inside as a single piece of fruit so yeah, both of those hand in hand will be. Maybe you could have like a little fruit related act uh, yes, just a fruit.
Speaker 1:yeah, I'll do that lecture and again, that's enough one people get excited about and I always say, try and remember how obviously I explain how to do it and I try and remember and they come up at the end I can't remember how you did it, though, and I say just buy the book, it's in the entertaining match. Just buy the book, it's there. If you forget it in a week's time, where can they go? Well, obviously, alakazam magic, they can google martin pierce.
Speaker 1:It's built p-e-i-r-c-e uh and you'll see a lot of my uh stuff on there. I've got a couple of books out which I fully recommend. Uh again, I'm not from a south spanish.
Speaker 1:It's just like lots of exciting magic that you can do magic you want to do, magic you'll be able to do, which is the most important thing. I think they might be sold out at the moment, but I dare say Peter's going to get some more back in stock by popular demand, hopefully. It's stuff I perform at lectures and it goes down really well. There was a lecture I did recently and the first four effects which was a great banana trick 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, paranormal, all things like that, if you know my stuff. And the person said oh, I'm glad they're all in the book. And he thought that was going to be the only four tricks in the book and he said I'll be quite happy to pay like £20 if there's any more tricks in the book.
Speaker 1:And he opened it up and he goes well. There's 120-odd pages in there. There's like 21 effects in there. So, yeah, you can get the Entertaining Magic books.
Speaker 1:I'm on Facebook, I'm on TikTok, I'm on Instagram as Martin Pierce Magician, anything like that. And, as you say, now and again, I crop up on television now and again with the game shows. If you know my face, you might see me on Winning Combination, the Chase Eggheads, all things like that. I've done lots of Countdown. I've done lots of game shows. I'm very competitive. Whatever I do, I frame myself into 100%. It's all or nothing with me. There's no middle ground. If someone says I want you to create a trick with this, I guarantee within a week I'll be like bang, okay, you're going to get that. I try and make the most out of things. I do try and make things exciting. I call someone on Facebook as well. I perform as Martin Marvel. Things exciting, yeah, and of course, I'm on Facebook as well. I perform as Martin Marvel. So if you can just find me as Martin Marvel on Facebook as well.
Speaker 3:Great. That means that if you go to your local pub quiz and Martin sat there, just walk out, just walk out, don't even try.
Speaker 1:I have very sad memories. Jamie, I don't mean to do it, I just take it all in and all the time, if I even like the weekend I did children's shows, I you know. I say to people what's your name and I don't remember all their names. I don't do it on purpose. Someone said to me try and remember all their names, won't be able to do it, but I literally go George, come up, tracy, sue, I just know all their names. Again, I don't do it on purpose, it's just like for some reason it sticks in my head and it probably helps with the magic as well. I probably got some sort of ocd complex as well.
Speaker 3:But there you go, that's me I'm sure many, many people listening wish they had that sort of memory, me included. I can't retain short-term information for love nor money. Well, thank you so much for taking us through your list. Um, again, really interesting one. I will definitely be getting you to show me the skeleton in a cupboard when you're next day. Oh, you've got to do it.
Speaker 1:I say I did it for peter. Harry was the audience and peter had no idea and he's saying we need to sell this. I said it's skeleton in a cupboard. I'm not sure you'd have to. Obviously the routine different from the thing, but I'm not sure how you go about that sort of thing. But honestly, he even got a camera out for Peter. He even got a camera out and recorded him hurry watching, making all the noises of the children. So that was entertaining in itself.
Speaker 3:Well, thank you so much, Martin. If anyone wants to check him out as well, do check out Unlimited, because hopefully, by the time this recording goes out we're recording this currently in may um, and I think this is due to go out in august we have it slated for um, so by then, hopefully, martin's journeys will be released on unlimited. So do go check that out. But we also filmed a load of really, really cool effects for Unlimited. One in particular which Martin knows which one it is that requires a blank card, and a blank deck is a particular favourite of mine. In fact, I have the cards kicking about here somewhere because I'm going to be doing it. It's a superb routine, so do check it out.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you'll come across like a slight-hand genius, I promise.
Speaker 3:So, with that being said, thank you to Martin for his list and, of course, thank you guys for listening. We will hear from you all again next week on another episode of Desert Island Tricks. Goodbye.
Speaker 2:Island tricks. Goodbye shopping experience even slicker at Alakazam. You'll also get exclusive in-app offers and in-app live streams. So go download it now and we'll see you on the next podcast.