The Modern Mystic League

FEBRUARY 2022

Copyright © 2023 MeMeL

Design by Allan Clarke.  All Rights Reserved
REVIEWS

Blackburn & District Society of Magicians

.The MML meeting on 6th February 2022 took the form of a joint lecture from our old friends Harry Robson and ‘Marvellous’ Matthew Wright, returning once more for their first face-to-face lecture in two years. After a moment of silence in remembrance of David Hemingway and apologies from Brian Lead, Chairman Roger introduced our lecturers for the afternoon. Harry and Matthew were in good form, Harry quipping that he was going to do the same stuff as last time as no one would have remembered what it was; least of all himself! He presented ‘Yesterday’s Dream’, where a chosen card matches a prediction card place in his wallet. This uses a part Al Koran deck and multiple outs in the wallet.

Matt showed part of his award winning FISM act, adapted to everyday performance with multiplying card boxes, two versions of the Four Ace trick when the pesky Queen keeps returning whereupon she is torn up and restored, albeit in the wrong order; i.e. misprinted. All presented with humour and skill and fully explained, although everyone appreciated the practice and dedication necessary to reach Matt’s level of expertise.

Harry said he doesn’t do such clever technical stuff, but his ‘Gang of Three and a Half’ is an amusing routine in which three cards are forced (using Trevor Lewis’s ‘Top Swindle Force – easy to do) and the card torn into quarters. Three quarters match the three selections, whilst the fourth said “I did not choose a card”. Harry also told us the ‘Gnus’ (you had to be there) with the vanish of a silk with pictures of Gnus on it!

Matt had a simpler version of the T & R card where the pieces can be signed by the performer and the spectator before being restored, creating a great giveaway. A signed misprinted card is likely to be kept, and is more memorable than just a signed card.
Harry explained that he was finally retiring, and that his very last lecture will be in Kilmarnock on 10th March. The meeting gave him three cheers and wished him well. He then borrowed three finger rings, vanished them in a silk and they ended up tied on his shoelace. This is one of his favourite tricks, which has guaranteed bookings over the years. Again, a full explanation was given. You need a good tailor!

After a refreshment break thanks to Allan, Matt told us about going to America to study with Eugene Burger and showed Eugene’s haunted deck routine, and then his own floating card effect ‘Haunted Horizon’, where a chosen card appears to float out of the middle of the deck. He demonstrated the thread set-ups with coloured threads.
ROBSON & WRIGHT RETURN
Harry showed he is still master of the Brainwave deck, although his efforts to make one quickly with his roughing stick didn’t work as the cards were set up wrongly, to much hilarity. Instead, he duplicated a message drawn by Anne using the original John Cornelius ‘Thought Transmitter’, out of which he gets a lot of mileage.

Matt then had a key which changed into one shaped like a superhero in the spectator’s hand, with again options for giveaways. These have been specially designed by Matt and made to his order. There were a couple of options to arrive at the correct superhero, including a phone app or using specially printed cards.

Harry and Matt then demonstrated some effects with the ‘Squid Cards’, which are like ESP cards on steroids. Lots of matching effects are possible with them, which are very effective. Harry’s was based on spelling, whilst Matt’s utilised features built into the cards.

Harry has produced many wallets over the years, but his H.O.W. Wallet is still one of the best for card to sealed envelope in wallet opened by the spectator. He also had a tip for the ‘Extreme Burn’ vouchers to notes change.

Finally, Matt showed ‘The Medal’ – a double mind reading card effect in which the first chosen card matches a prediction placed aside beforehand, and the second is matched by an engraving on the back of the ‘Mentalist Award’ Medal which he has been wearing around his neck throughout the whole routine.

President Carl gave a vote of thanks for a splendid afternoon, and then members made their purchases from Harry and Matt’s stall. As I wrote last month, I knew they would have something new and that they would be entertaining.
It is impossible to report here all the quips, jokes, bits of business, stories (some definitely unrepeatable without fear of litigation!) and just pure fun and laughter which these two fine gentlemen provided. We do wish Harry all the very best in his retirement and look forward to seeing Matt again in the not-too-distant future.

Roger