I am think about getting in to escapes my shows are getting bigger. I thought that an escape would be good for a larger crowd. What woult be some good references to help get me started.

First, comb through threads in this section, to see what catches your eye. There's a lot of solid background material here.

What he said. But don't pay too much attention to a guy named Newman. Never seen him, can't vouch for him. Gives great phone though.

I am an escape newbie and by no means means an expert. I started with Jay Leslie's 100' Rope Tie Challenge which got me excited for more. I also loved Danny Hunt's "Escape" DVD's which gave me ideas for much broader ways to build more elaborate presentations and also got me started on lock picking. This stuff has been a blast to learn and use.

Dan.

I was going to pick up the 100' rope challenge

That's a good place to start. How you advance depends on what you want to achieve with escapes. If you just want it as an interlude, then stick to the basics like the already mentioned 100 foot ropes escape. The Kellar Tie would be good for some laughs if you play it right. If you are doing illusions, the Sub Trunk is fun.

But, if you don’t plan on getting too serious with it, stay away from the challenge type effects like handcuffs and so on. Escapes takes a lot of work and knowledge. And that doesn’t guarantee that you’ll be successful with it. The showmanship is different as described by Doug Henning in his book about Houdini.

There are a lot of good books. A good place to start is John Novak’s series on escapes.

I also recommend Burling Hull's "33 Rope Ties and Chain Releases."

Avoid any advice from bald moustachioed men with chains and shackles in their picture.

That's right, listen to the guy who hangs boat anchors from his nipples.

Hi modfrog,
I've been performing escapes professionally for 5 years (which is nothing compared to the other guys here). It has been a while since I've been active in the forums again.

As I am the first escape artist in Singapore, I didn't have any mentors or people to talk to.

As Harley suggested, read through the threads in this forum and you'll pick up useful hints, ideas and suggestions. This was what I did when I first started out.
Also, do think about the rest of your show. Will the escape be done as a "break" from magic/illusions? Will it be done as a comedy routine? What is your stage personality like? I do not know what the rest of your show is like, but it's definitely something to think about.

I second on the books as suggested by the pros here. I definitely recommend Burling Hull's booklet, and the videos by Jay Leslie (straitjacket and rope challenge). I also picked up both of Steve Baker's books a couple of years back, and he talked about building an escape act in a show.

Do update us on what you'll be doing for the show and best of luck! Most importantly, be safe!

Rock On!
Iron Will