In fact, that’s not quite the effect. In this very strong presentation you have a conversation with the spectator where they ‘imagine’ something which happened earlier – and at the end of the effect the outcome is exactly what they have described.

The title of the effect tells you the method (and again – if that doesn’t help you I’m not going to tell you!). If you’ve been around in magic any time this will not be a surprise to you. What you are really buying are the subtleties in Mark’s very sneaky handling. It is sleight of mouth, not sleight of hand here.

What do you get?

A nicely produced DVD which includes a couple of live performances and a studio performance. The explanation is full without becoming tedious and there are some really useful details on the way. You also get an envelope and all the necessary cards – though these are un-gimmicked and you could swap in any you wanted to use.

What do we think?

For me this ticks a lot of boxes. You end clean/examinable, it takes up little pocket space and is instantly re-set. It relies more on presentation than complicated moves. But it is precisely that which makes it difficult to rate. I could imagine a poor performer making a right pig’s ear of this – yet in competent hands it could be a miracle. It is not inherently ‘difficult’ – but some of the performance skills needed are difficult to teach – so at the end of the day you need to get out there and get doing it.

For only £11.99 I think this is great value and well worth a punt. B’voque is available from Merchant of Magic (with thanks to Mark Elsdon (who kindly supplied the review copy).

For a similar approach – but with the Twisted Sisters type plot, you should also consider John Bannon’s excellent Duplicity.  If you like Mark’s work, you may also enjoy On the Mark – one of my go to walk around effects.

The post Mark Elsdon B’voque – review appeared first on Bicycle Cards.

Here are some of the latest and greatest new magic items in June…

I’ve long had a fondness for the myriad variations on the plot of Phil Goldstein’s B’wave – and have owned and used many. B’voque – the latest version from the prolific Mark Elsdon ends clean and examinable – relying on clever subtlety rather than gaffs. Worth a look at only £15.99 [UPDATE – full review now available here]

If you’re looking for a classy new deck, look no further than the Totem Deck. Inspired by Chinese mythology and in a super-colletable run of only 2,500 for each edition you’ll want to snap these up! Available in red and blue. £11.50

Our next suggestion requires a bit of an investment – but I am convinced it will be worth it as the author knows his stuff inside out. I am one of many who grew up to Paul Daniels as THE TV magician – and on
Bravura he spills the beans on all you need to know about his act. The tips on here are bound to be gold-dust (we’ll try and do a review if time permits) – one for the magician who is serious about improving their act. £119.99

And a final tip – especially for anyone beginning to think about summer reading! This isn’t new, but I have been reading Darwin Ortiz’s wonderful Designing Miracles book recently – and it is full of really helpful ideas which will help you strengthen the impact of your magic. Well worth a read if you haven’t done so. £30.99

That’s all for now. Watch this space for loads more card and close up magic reviews and news…

The post Trick of the month – June 2014 appeared first on Bicycle Cards.