Desert Island Tricks
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Desert Island Tricks
Stranded with a Stranger: David Ellis
Can a hobbyist magician captivate an audience like a seasoned pro? David Ellis is about to find out as he soon steps into the spotlight at his workplace Christmas party. In this episode, David, a passionate enthusiast of close-up magic, shares his journey and preparation for the big day. From his rigorous practice routines to the excitement of attending the renowned Blackpool magic convention, David's story is one of passion and perseverance. He enthusiastically discusses his favorite tricks, including "Shrapnel" by Kim Anderson and "Magnet O" by Henry Harrius and Armando C, each bringing a touch of wonder and surprise to his performances. Prepare to be inspired by David's commitment to honing his craft and the joy he finds in the art of illusion.
In addition to David's magical insights, we present a curated selection of mesmerising tricks and tips that promise to elevate any magician's repertoire. Discover the whimsical charm of "Harry-o" by Lord Harry, where a ring vanishes only to reappear in a delightful treat, and the mind-bending transformations of "Imagine" by Harry and Peter Nardi. With tricks ranging from visual spectacles to cerebral feats, this episode offers a treasure trove of magical experiences for both seasoned performers and those just beginning their magical journey. Join us as we explore the essence of what makes magic truly unforgettable.
Find out more about the creators of this Podcast at www.alakazam.co.uk
Thank you for watching. Hello and welcome to this week's Stranded with a Stranger. This is our mid-episode episode, where you get to send in your list to us Now. If you want to be a part of one of these, then please send in your list of eight tricks, one book and one non-magic item that you use for magic to sales at alakazamcouk. In the subject line please put my desert island list. That way it comes through to me and I can get one of these recorded for you. We do have another stranded stranger with us this week, and his name is David Ellis. Now David has given us a little bio so that we can get to know him more. Here's what David says Hi, my name is David and I'm a hobbyist magician who mainly performs for family and friends. However, I'm planning to bring a few tricks to our work Christmas party in December to see how I handle performing for a larger audience. This will definitely be out of my comfort zone, but I think it will be a fantastic learning experience. To be honest, even performing for family and friends still gives me the shakes, but I've read that this eases over time, so I'm hoping that it will be the case for me too.
Speaker 1:My love for magic started when I was young, with my first favourite trick being the sword through ring effect or crystal cleaver. I loved it so much I actually wore it out. I need to repurchase it soon for the nostalgia. I prefer close up, and many of my chosen tricks aren't heavy on slides. With most of my time spent working or looking after my daughter, I only get a little time each night to practice. I'm working on some coin and card slides through Alakazam Unlimited an amazing resource with great value for the amount of content. I also try to focus on learning the tricks I already have rather than buying too many new ones, though I know it's a common challenge for all of us Because they are not slight heavy. My aim is to concentrate on the presentation. I'm also excited to be attending Blackpool for the first time next year. Although I'll be travelling alone, I hope to run into some of. For the first time next year, although I'll be traveling alone, I hope to run into some of you and talk all things magic.
Speaker 1:So, without further ado, here's my list of eight favorite tricks, along with one magical book and one non-magical item. Well, david, it's going to be great to see you, because I'm presuming you're going to come up and say hello to us. Of course the Alakazam team will be at Blackpool and it will be great to put faces to names. So please do come up and say hello, if it's your first one as well. I really hope you enjoy it. I'm sure you will. It's always a great event every year. They put so much time and hard work into it as well. It's just fantastic. You mentioned Crystal Cleaver as well. It's just fantastic. You mentioned Crystal Cleaver as well.
Speaker 1:A great trick, such a great effect. I remember having one when I was younger as well. I still have my one. I don't have the ring the ring's definitely lost, but I do still have the trick and it's just a phenomenal trick. So I'm really excited to see what your list involves. So let's get into it.
Speaker 1:David in number one has put shrapnel by Kim Anderson. He says when I first saw the trailer it blew me away with its clean look. The trick involves a safety pin that visibly penetrates a spectator's borrowed ring. My favorite part is when the spectator holds the ring in their hand and I perform the penetration directly there. I love tricks that happen in the spectator's hands, especially when there's a fun lead up. For instance, as taught by Kim, I start by asking if the spectator can link the ring and pin themselves, which usually involves them attempting to open the pin, as someone normally would Then I link them in an impossible way. Such a satisfying effect, great choice. And you know, if you guys haven't seen this trick, watch the trailer. I think the trailer opens up with a visual link straight away. It just looks unbelievable. It's really like a uh, a close-up stage illusion. It's almost like a modern linking rings. It just looks phenomenal and a great opening gambit there.
Speaker 1:So that brings us to number two, which is magnet o by henry harrius and armando c. I love bar bet style tricks or betchas. While magnet o is not sold as a betcha, I love performing it that way, betting that spectators can't knock a coin off a sharpie cap covered by an upturned glass without touching either the glass or the table. After a minute of frantic attempts, I reveal the magic, which always brings surprised reactions, but presenting it as a betcha, I feel it adds a playful quality while still keeping the magic strong. What a great way of performing it. Such a lovely idea there with the Becher yeah, superb. It's such a great trick. It's such a clever idea as well, and it's a very small moment, but the impossibility of having the glass there well really elevates it to something quite magnificent.
Speaker 1:So that takes us to number three, which is the apparition coin set by craig petty. Craig is such a huge figure in the magic community and I love following his youtube channel. Apparition coins uses a silver coin, chinese coin, and a small purse to create constant transformations where the coins switch places, appear and disappear even right in the spectator's hand. It's super visual and offers a seamless flow between phases that keeps the audience guessing. I also love that it's portable and plays so well in close-up. Another great one again. That happens in the hand, much like the ring and uh, pin, one shrapnel. Yeah, it's a great, great choice. It's a wonderful set of coins that you can do so much with, but that is the sort of standout routine for me as well. It looks incredible.
Speaker 1:And that brings us on to number four, which is Holywood by Hanson Shen. Holywood is an incredible penetration effect where a card passes through a solid block of wood. I'm a big fan of penetration illusions and while Industrial Revelation was my original favourite, holywood is lighter, more portable and visually just as impressive. As a hobbyist. I prefer something that's easier to carry, and this is perfect. When I perform it, I like to reference my favourite movie Back to the Future, explaining that the deck box is my time machine. We start with the cards and then go back in time to the cardboard pulp phase, where the card penetration happens, before finally arriving at the original block of wood. This storytelling element gives it a unique twist and the audience seem to love it. I've also heard great things about Minted by Craig Squires. I should say to something that is just bigger, plays bigger and feels more impossible. And then, when I saw Holywood, I just thought what a great idea. It just makes it so much more practical instead of having this massive, heavy lump of metal and it still looks as incredible. So a great, great choice there.
Speaker 1:That brings us to number five, which is harry-o by lord harry, an impossible location trick. Harry-o involves vanishing a ring and making it reappear inside a bag of harry bow. This is a light-hearted trick with a great reveal, and the spectator even gets to keep some sweets at the end. Instead of completely vanishing the ring, I sometimes change it to a haribo candy ring first, which always gets a laugh before the surprise reveal or the ring in haribo bag. A great choice. I know a friend of mine who does a version of this and I've seen him gig it. It gets phenomenal reactions. As long as they don't accidentally eat their ring, I think it will always be good. Yeah, it's a great choice, a great effect.
Speaker 1:And it brings us to number six, which is another very sweet trick Lucky Ladybug by Joshua Ray. This is such a charming trick, which involves three cards with logs on one side and ladybirds on the other. One of the ladybirds disappears and reappears on the back of the spectator's hands Think the web, but without the screams. I think this trick is a lot stronger because of the positive reactions. I first performed this for my daughter, my biggest fan, who was amazed by the appearance and then even happier when she found out she could keep the ladybird as a souvenir. Never underestimate the power of a souvenir, as I still have a signed bent coin from a trick I saw when I was a child. I genuinely believe this is a trick that can actually brighten up people's days and, like all of the tricks on this list, it's very simple to perform. Superb choice, yeah, I think if you watch the trailer to this, it's really sweet because they perform it to this, this little girl, and when the ladybird disappears there's a great reaction there. Then when she sees the ladybird on her hand, she's not scared at all, she's just um sort of amazed, I guess is the best way of putting it. And then when, when he says to her you can keep it, her reaction is even better and I bet she keeps that for you know, forever. So yeah, great, great choice. And that brings us to the tail end of your choices.
Speaker 1:In at number seven is Imagine by Harry and Peter Nardi. This trick is very beginner friendly but packs a punch. The effect is that the deck starts with every card's back being different. After the mind-reading portion of the routine, the entire deck changes, with both the front and the back of all the cards turning blank. An unexpected kicker.
Speaker 1:Although the technique is straightforward, it's the presentation that makes this so memorable. Multiple spectators can each select a card, which adds to the the interactive feel, and they're all caught off guard by the blank reveal at the end. Another great choice. Now I can't talk this trick up because it will give harry and peter an even bigger head than they already have. But in honesty it's well deserved, because this really is a phenomenal trick.
Speaker 1:And what's interesting is there are two aspects to this which make it so unique, in that we've had so many performers mention that a blank deck ending is so interesting for a non-magic audience. Number one, because it's just an alien thing to happen, it's just a strange thing to happen, and number two, because you know, they're not aware of blank cards. That's not something they interact with at all, that's not something that's in their world. Of course it's normal for us, but not for them. But equally, a rainbow deck, a deck of cards where each card is from a different deck of cards, is also something that's just visually striking and it's just a bizarre notion to the general public, right? So what's great is this has both of those aspects. It starts with that rainbow deck and then it turns blank, or you can start with it blank and then it turns into a normal deck, and then, of course, you have the little mind reading section in the middle as well, which you can have multiple spectators choose. So, yeah, a great, great effect, and I urge anyone that hasn't checked it out do check it out. It really is a superb effect.
Speaker 1:And that brings us to a number eight, which is Invisible Deck by Eddie Fields. I was torn between B-Wave by Max Maven and the Invisible Deck, but I ultimately chose the Invisible Deck because I use it more frequently. It's a reliable trick that gets amazing reactions with minimal setup. While some might feel it's overused, I find that audiences still find it surprising and powerful. The classic routine where a spectator shuffles an imaginary deck and flips over one card that then appears reversed in the real deck consistently wows people. I've heard people say it makes bad magicians look like good magicians, and whilst I feel that's a slight against hobbyists, I do understand the sentiment. That being said, it's something I rarely leave home without. I mean, invisible Deck is a classic for a reason. It's going to be around for a long time and it's one of those effects that I think we probably take for granted. It's not in the public domain enough for them to really know about it. So many people around the world use this day in, day out at their gigs and it really is just a phenomenal trick.
Speaker 1:So let's look back at your list, david. We started off with shrapnel by kim anderson. Magnet o by henry harrius. Apparition by craig petty. Hollywood by hansen shen. Harryo by lord har. Lucky Ladybug by Joshua Ray, imagine by Harry and Peter Nardi, and Invisible Deck by Eddie Fields.
Speaker 1:What a great diverse list of tricks there. I like that. You've got the sort of curveball in there which I would argue is probably Lucky Ladybug. There's probably not a common effect that's being performed everywhere which will make you stand out instantly. You've got the visual magic there. You've got obviously shrapnel, and then you've got apparition, and then you've got sort of the thinker tricks like imagine and invisible deck, like the ones to make the audience really think, and then, of course, you've got car to impossible location and Hollywood, which are, you know, just phenomenal ending effects. So a great, great choice. And that does bring us to our last items, which are, of course, our curveball items, because you're allowed eight tricks, but only one each of these. So let's find out what you put in your book.
Speaker 1:Position. Notes from a Fellow Traveller by Derren Brown is my choice, and it's a popular pick for a good reason. His insights and stories are invaluable and he's one of my favourite performers. His live shows have even made me question reality, like his card under box routine. The book has so many layers of wisdom for any performer to appreciate. Yeah, it's a great choice and, again, it seems to be one of those books that so many performers can relate to. It's a big, old book, but there's so many interesting anecdotes, lessons learned that we can learn from. It's a phenomenal, phenomenal book and his new show comes out next year, which I cannot wait for. I'm so excited for it.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, I think that's a superb choice and it does bring us to your non-magical item, which is pocket storage. Keeping tricks organized and undamaged in my pockets is a constant battle, so I rely on an accordion wallet from TCC. It has space for packet tricks, my TT wooden ladybirds and my magnet-o gimmick. It's a lifesaver for keeping everything in order and preventing props from getting damaged or covered in pocket fluff. The accordion wallet from TCC you know it just advances what we already have into something even more unique. So a great, great choice and a great list. So thank you so much, david, for sending in your list to us and, once again, if you guys want to send in your list, please send in your list to sales at alakazamcouk.
Speaker 1:The more of these we get, the more episodes we can get. I think at the time of recording this one overall, in terms of the main podcast and the Stranger with a Stranger episodes. I think we're on about 57 episodes, which is incredible, and our listenership, week on week, is growing. So please do share this with your friends, let everyone know about it and, you know, we may even have a little christmas special that we're thinking of recording over the next few weeks. So, you know, keep an ear out for that. Now, david, you are no longer a stranger to us. We know everything we need to know about you. So, thank you once again, stay tuned this friday for another episode of the main episode and, of course, we'll see you again next week with another episode of stranded with a stranger.
Speaker 2:Have a great week when I perform at gigs, I look at effects that tick these three boxes. Is it super strong and powerful? Yes, will it last with your spectators for a lifetime? Absolutely, and does it leave them with a souvenir that perfectly captures the moment of magic? If that all sounds exactly what you're after, look no further than the liquid forks. These forks have been custom designed to be able to bend right in front of your spectator's eyes. It's so easy to perform, it's so visual and, trust me, they will honestly keep this impossible object because they've seen it morph in front of their eyes. It literally does the impossible.
Speaker 2:Not only that Liquid Forks comes with 50 of these forks in each pack. It comes with the full liquid forks routine taught by the world famous David Penn. Not only that we have a subscription service. If you guys love these forks and you get through them at your gigs, we now offer a monthly subscription where you get sent a box through every single month at a 10% reduced fee. Like I said, you guys are going to be loving me. You're going to be performing them every chance. You can Trust me, the reactions are second to none. So, guys, head over to alakazamcouk, pick up a set of liquid forks, you will not regret it. Easy to do, leaves them with a killer souvenir. And, to be honest with you, it's not cards, it's not coins, it's not mentalism, it's something beyond belief. Check out now, guys, the liquid forks.