Hi all,

A question for those of you out doing escape shows. What do you do for the closing effect? Especially in a low budget and small theater show?

I am doing a theater show soon with a group of other magicians, and I need something to end with that will stand above the magic and the rest of my set. Any thoughts?

An escape, or are you open to other possibilities?

I am not too skilled in "sideshow," but yes I am open.

I have a show in Mid - March and for closer I am doing a Magic Trick while secured and then Escaping to conclude the trick... Combo of both...

Does this help?

Cheers,

Crap

Actually that is my typical closer of MY typical 20 minute set. I get out of the Straitjacket and am seen to be holding the card I failed to find earlier on the show. It is a good bit, and gets a lot of omg's and holy spit's etc.

This is a show with several magicians and I am looking for a power finish that the audience will take home with them, the straitjacket gag is good, but not as powerful as I want.

It doesn't make sense to change what works, that you know. It can completely mess up your timing.

And you have to be careful not to get a case of jugglitis, where you'd just add something, and add something else, simply because you can. There needs to be a point to the ending, that relates to what went before.

Can the card be established as dangerous, earlier in your routine? It could be papercuts, or an unlucky number, or a suit that's out to get you. I think the card is the key.

Excellent point Harley, absolutely food for thought. Now to figure out how to make a "poison" card.

Make the card out of pork

Make the card out of Muslim !

Perhaps the entire deck is out to get you...the death of a thousand cuts. Only one card can save you, shield you from the terrors of the universe. That could involve a bunch of vols, each slashing at you with a card or two, while you escape.

Could you demonstrate card throwing, then have a card chosen, lose it into the deck, shuffle that one deck into another, continue shuffling in more decks until you have a stack of a dozen decks mixed together.

Get placed in restraint and have spectators standing either side of you with half each.

The premise is they will throw cards at you whilst you try to escape. Once out you will go through the remaining cards to find theirs.

They start throwing, you start the escape. On freeing yourself from the restraint you look over to your volunteers and notice that they're out of cards. You look dismayed. Then a little cough and the card is produced from the mouth.

What a hero!

Oooh, I like that one Ros...