I am looking for a good routine. Does anyone have any suggestions?

andy

Do a search.

There must be 1 million posts about the Professors Nightmare on this forum

I just got done watching Jon Allen's "Spectators Don't Exist" tape. On it he has a great routine--and a very good and detailed explanation. Not your ordinary Professor's Nightmare routine.

I agree, I went through Jon Allen's rope routine last week and then used it at a strolling gig at a wedding.
The hand switch of the ends was very deceptive, also the ropes return back to its original state in the spectator's hand is quite astonishing.
Try it guys you'll like it.
Richard Lyn

The DVD "In The Trenches" by Paul Green has an excellent Cut & Restored rope routine that leads into the Professor's Nightmare, therefore allowing you to "make" the set right in front of your audience. The psychology to your audience is that the rope really is not gaffed.
Iven

Whit Haydn's Mongolian Pop Knots can't be beat. If he wasn't doing it here in Hollywired I would use it.

Thanks, Pete.

Thanks, Iven.

Hi Whit! Hehe.

Regards,
Paul

Paul Green does have a great Prof's Nitemare routine. Check it out.

Someday I should put my Nemo Rope routine in print... (tease)...

It's great to get ideas by watching other magician's rope routines; however, once you've digested the tapes and DVDs, it's time to use your own creativity to mould it into your OWN routine. It might be merely the chronological order of the basic moves, it could be the novel patter, a surprise ending, etc.

In my routine I dress in a chef's hat, and mix the spaghetti in a bowl, end up getting fired, and the uneven ropes end up as a bag of chips which is given to your helper.

Darryl the Wizard

The two best I've seen are James Lewis, Hypnotized Rope, and the Professor's Incubus from the Heirophant (not sure which volume). Both are very clean. Guy Hollingworth's handling that was published in Genii is also worth a go.

Regards,
Steve Roth

The idea of creating the set of ropes during the performance goes back at least as far as Slydini. He had his method in one of the early books, and I've used it for years.

Incidently, the standard proportions for the Nightmare are, one foot, two feet, and three feet. But, I like to use a more extreme difference. Something like six inches, two feet, and three feet, six inches. It emphasizes the difference nicely, and lends itself to some of the routines where the short rope is concealed by pinching it on the end of another rope. (Sandsational, Daryl's, lots of Tabary stuff, etc.)

Dennis Loomis
http://www.loomismagic.com

I'm not sure about Prof's Nightmare. Isn't it a bit used to death and well known?

I'm not trying to offend anyone. I just tend to think it's too charming for words these days.

I remember when I first saw it, and saw through it too in that same moment.

What do others think?

Count Zapik

I love the routine called Three Ropes and a Baby from Richard Sanders. This is a great routine also including the Prof's Nightmare.

Markus

Hi Count Zapik:

Yes, Professor's Nightmare is done to death, but it's great magic, just like the rings, cups and balls, and egg bag.

Look at the number of working pros who do it: Whit Haydn, Daryl, Paul Green, Jon Allen, Dan Fleshman, etc.

Ron

Hi Ron,

Yes I agree it works as a vehicle for entertainment and lots of folk like it. I'm not knocking it too seriously.

But I do know that when those "old warhorses" that you yourself mentioned come out, I kinda settle down to watch what I expect.

And maybe lots of spectators do too. Most of us recognize these plots too well. Maybe? However, it's just an opinion and I can see I may be wrong.

We all learn to discover what works for us and that's great.

Best wishes Count Zapik

Count

If you only want to perform for other magicians, then I would not use PN as everyone in that group knows it.

But if you, like me, want to entertain people then PN accompanied with the proper patter still works well and will always work well.

I've had people come back with others and ask me to do PN again for the new ones. That's what it is all about.

Another vote for the Mongolian Pop Knot. I tried it out at a Rennaissance Faire and it went over *very* well. And, as Whit recommends in his manuscript, the bigger and more ungainly the knot you tie, the better the effect when it goes flying off into the audience.

It also allows you to say things like, "And when done properly, it's barely noticeable...see?" while holding up a wad of rope by the loose ends.

Where can Professor's Nightmare be learnt?