Welcome

Welcome to my first weekly BLOG. This is such an exciting opportunity for me to be more involved with the wonderful people at Hocus-Pocus and to share reviews of the hottest items in magic. This BLOG will also have interviews, ideas, tips and stories from magicians around the world.

I always enjoy hearing from magicians so if you have a story, an event or any news you would like to share please email me. I am very fortunate that magic enables me to travel the world and meet many magicians from all walks of life. I will be introducing many of these people to you, including a few acts that aren't so well known in the magic community but I think you should know about.

I will also be having updates and information on routines that I will be releasing through Hocus-Pocus, giving you the chance to ask me questions and have some insight in to my way of thinking.

The past two weeks have been very hectic as I was in Brazil on a cruise ship for twelve days. Every cruise ship offers different working conditions and the ship I was on, while high end, doesn't have a state of the art theatre like many modern ships. Working on a cabaret floor like the one on the ship I was just on, always reminds me of watching Billy McComb work. I first met Billy when I was in my early 20s and living in New Zealand. Billy came over for a magic convention and he did a few private corporate shows. Watching him work for a lay audience was such an amazing learning experience. He was certainly the king of 'pack small and play big' and his personality and charm really won audiences over. His version of the Linking Himber Rings was something to behold.

Billy was such an influence on so many magicians and I was certainly one of them. With my own show I am able to pack everything in to one bag and still perform two different 45 minute shows on cruise ships. Most of the ships today seat 1000 people and over, so you still have to be able to play to a large room. Traveling as much as I do, and having the airlines lose my luggage so many times, eleven last year and once already this year, I now travel with a back up show in my back pack.

I will talk more about my 'back-up' show in a later blog, but would be very interested to hear from people what their favourite routines are that 'pack flat and play big'.

AND NOW ...

REVIEWS

Here are a few effects that are available from Hocus-Pocus that I am really impressed with and want to share with you all.

The Royal Scam by John Bannon


I have been a huge fan of John Bannons since his book Smoke and Mirrors. It is full of great practical magic that I currently use in my close-up act. I would say that I use more of his material in my close-up work than any other magic book I have ever bought!

Here is another GREAT routine by John Bannon which is an expanded version of Roy Walton's classic Cascade effect-on -steroids!

Beginning with a number of identical red-backed Aces Of Spades, the performer magically causes the packet of Aces to turn all face-up and, them, all face-down. All of the faces and all of the backs are shown repeatedly.

Unexpectedly, four face-up Aces are turned face-down and now have different-colored backs. As a complete surprise, the remaining aces now become a Royal Straight Flush in Spades.

You end clean and everything may be examined. No palming or difficult sleight-of-hand.

Step-by-step DVD instructions and a photo-illustrated e-book illuminate the workings of The Royal Scam. All necessary cards, specially printed by the US Playing Card Co. are supplied.
This is more than worth the small amount that is being asked for this trick and I highly recommend it as a very practical and eye popping piece of close-up magic.


Richard Sanders Fiber Optics Extended


I was so impressed with the first version Richard produced I couldn't wait to see what this extended version was about, and I am pleased to say I was not disappointed! You only have to watch the footage on Hocus-Pocus website to see some of the incredible moves Richard has come up with. This is very practical and as the ad says, eye popping visual magic. Great value for money and something you will keep in your act for years to come.

All the original eye-popping material from Fiber Optics PLUS 10 brand new phases, 5 brand new routines AND Hyper Ring: The visually astounding ring and rope routine!

On this 2 hour, power packed DVD, you will learn 32 eye flipping, mind crunching, hyper visual rope moves that will literally stun your audience! Nowhere else will you find this much mind crunching visual magic, without the aid of gimmicks, magnets or special props.

All 7 routines featured on the DVD are immediately repeatable with no reset, there is nothing to get ready, nothing to prepare and nothing to hide; just pure adrenaline magic right out of your pockets!

As performed at The Magic Castle in Hollywood, The Magic Circle in London and FISM in Den Hagg.

Includes NEVER BEFORE SEEN bonus footage:
10 amazing new phases
5 amazing new routines
PLUS HYPER RING, the visually impossible ring and rope routine
Super Practical:
Instantly reset for multiple performances
No scissors ever needed
Use the same rope over and over
Over 5 minutes of visual magic in your pocket
Stage or Close-up
3 Rope and 1 Rope routine include
Featured moves include:

Throw Restoration, The Ends Switch, Finger Cut, Super Slide, Gravity Pull, Endless Loop, Pop Endz, Static Cling, Clip Link, Gravity Link, Toss Link, Lickety-Split Ends Switch, Midair Morph, Ends Away, Loop Swoop, Air Toss, Opposite Ends, Middle Melt, PLUS much more!


FINALLY ...

Dream PredictionLite by Paul Romhany

I can't really review my own trick however I feel very proud about this routine and would like to give you some insight in to this. The original Dream Prediction sold through Hocus-Pocus and proved to be one of the top selling items for 2007. The reviews were great and I had some amazing emails from well known magicians who bought it and are using it in their act. Some of those magicians were nice enough to share some of their own thoughts on slightly different handling techniques which I am sharing with the 'LITE' version.
Those of you who have purchased my original Dream Prediction and would like to know a few of the differences email me and I will be happy to explain a few of the changes and improvements I have made.

This version still is the same effect as the original however because the final prediction is smaller it enables me to do a slightly different handling making it even stronger than the original. In the LITE version I explain in detail two different handling plus my Dream Date routine AND I discuss an amazing version from a working magician which takes this to a new level in the right condition. My own handling makes this the ideal ONE PERSON prediction routine with no need for offstage assistants.

The LITE version is more practical for magicians who work in smaller venues, such as homes, parlour and cabaret type situations. You can take my basic routine and either perform it exactly as I do, or come up with your own presentation. This type of routine really gives you a lot of scope to work on routines for your specific performance.

Here is the basic routine that I have been performing.

The magician talks about his dream holiday and tells the audience that he wrote it down on a large piece of paper and sealed it inside an envelope which can be seen at all times. The audience can see the prediction through the envelope at all times.

A spectator is asked to call out the name of a cruise ship they would like to travel on, the performer writes the answer down on a small white board for verification later on.

Another spectator is asked to call out a destination they would like to visit, again it is written down on the white board.

A third spectator is asked to count the change in their pocket and the amount is again written down on the white board. This spectator comes on stage to verify each of the items called out. The envelope is shown and opened, the audience can see the prediction fall out of the envelope and the spectator reads the prediction which matches EXACTLY what the audience chose.

This is an extremely adaptable routine, as you can use any presentation you like, such as a "Dream Date," a "Dream Car," or a "Menu" type routine in a restaurant. You are limited only by your imagination.

Everything in this routine is worked out through hundreds of performances, making it very easy to perform, giving you time to concentrate on your own presentation. If you have always wanted a mentalism routine that will play big and not have to worry about offstage help then this routine is for you.

Comes complete with:
Gimmick Envelopes that are smaller in size than the original making this more adaptable plus enabling you to perform Paul’s NEW way of loading the gimmick and enabling you to show BOTH SIDES of the envelope prior to the prediction falling out.
White Board
Pen
A COMPLETE Instructional DVD with cruise ship performance AND a ‘dream date’ type routine that Paul uses at private parties.
Many top professional magicians around the world have added DREAM PREDICTION to their repertoire, and now YOU can add DREAM PREDICTION LITE to YOURS.