In my review of WarpZag I mentioned topological effects, a style that I love.
I mentioned CardWarp by Roy Walton and Trap Door by Bob Neale as examples but there is another I neglected to mention.
There are several key reasons these tricks are so good:
- They are virtually angle free, allowing you to display everything fairly and slowly. You can really put emphasis on the physical properties that are about to become broken or distorted.
- The fairness of the procedure means that the effect is super clear. It is obvious to your audience the physical constraints you are about to break, and yet you manage it in front of their eyes. Magic moments don’t get much better.
- The magic is visual so even if performed silently, the effect is understood and needs no explanation.
- Minimal Props. They usually just use a few cards, keeping it simple and yet making it all the more fooling.
- At the end of the trick, everything can be examined.
What is the other trick that fulfils all of the above?
Out of Order by Angelo Carbone:
Four playing cards are clearly riveted together in numerical order, it seems impossible to change their sequence. Despite being securely fastened, the spectator is able to magically alter the order of two cards simply by closing and reopening the fan.
The cards can then remain in the spectator's hands, ready to be examined thoroughly.
It is a mind-blowing effect and yet it is entirely self-working. Placing the cards in the spectator’s hands increases the impact, which I suggest as a second phase having done performed it yourself first.
It obviously lends itself to being a final phase for an Oil and Water routine but is so powerful as a stand-alone effect presented as real magic rather than a puzzle.
Those of us that have been in magic a while will be very familiar with Out of Order, but as it has been out of production for the best part of 10 years may not have seen it which is such a shame.
Why am I talking about a trick which is unavailable, well watch this space……….