The Modern Mystic League
OCTOBER 2024
Blackburn & District Society of Magicians
By general consensus, the visit of Chris Rawlins to our October meeting was a highlight of the year, justifying the billing of ‘Star Lecture’.
For over two hours without a break, Chris explored the truth behind his publicity claims:
Chris demonstrates super-human memory live on stage. For 15 years, he has been working to maximise his memory's capacity. This act is unique; like nothing you have ever seen before. Chris demonstrates razor sharp accuracy and concentration, showcasing the true power of the human brain. He guarantees to astound your guests with his charm, wit and fast-paced incredible feats of memory.
What Chris does have is an eye for meticulous detail, well-hidden behind a persona which appears casual and off-hand; apparently playing games rather than doing magic tricks. He also engages in a lot of research and development. The results are very flexible, and will play big on stage (as he proved at the Northern Magic Circle convention last year) as well as working well in more intimate close-up conditions.
First up was a soon-to-be-released effect, RLT (Roulette) based upon the premise of memorising numbers, followed by a card version of the Scrabble boardgame using some cunningly modified cards. Chris’s knack is to turn basically procedural effects into absorbing and engaging situations for the participants . . . with the possible appearance of surprise items such as rice or blocks of ice!
For over two hours without a break, Chris explored the truth behind his publicity claims:
Chris demonstrates super-human memory live on stage. For 15 years, he has been working to maximise his memory's capacity. This act is unique; like nothing you have ever seen before. Chris demonstrates razor sharp accuracy and concentration, showcasing the true power of the human brain. He guarantees to astound your guests with his charm, wit and fast-paced incredible feats of memory.
What Chris does have is an eye for meticulous detail, well-hidden behind a persona which appears casual and off-hand; apparently playing games rather than doing magic tricks. He also engages in a lot of research and development. The results are very flexible, and will play big on stage (as he proved at the Northern Magic Circle convention last year) as well as working well in more intimate close-up conditions.
First up was a soon-to-be-released effect, RLT (Roulette) based upon the premise of memorising numbers, followed by a card version of the Scrabble boardgame using some cunningly modified cards. Chris’s knack is to turn basically procedural effects into absorbing and engaging situations for the participants . . . with the possible appearance of surprise items such as rice or blocks of ice!
STAR LECTURE
with
CHRIS RAWLINS
with
CHRIS RAWLINS
Third in the trilogy was Memoraid, based upon the authentic-looking Memory Maker card game; the cards this time bearing either black-and-white or coloured images, with captions of differing length. The pack enables the performer to sort the images, unseen and very swiftly, into four suit-like piles.
Although fascinating in concept, this initial presentation was essentially a dealer dem, in the sense that the viewer could not go away and achieve these results without access to the special ‘props’. The value lay in the illumination of the thought processes and psychology which lay behind the various routines.
In the second half of the session, however, Chris introduced us to his simple but stunningly effective One Card Poker routine, for which he has provided a link for all MeMeL readers, sent out by Allan. Don’t overlook this.
Finally came Hide-A-Key, again involving some ingeniously designed ‘apparatus’ which allows the performer to make a key vanish before the spectators’ eyes while it is swinging with two others on a key-ring. Methods of loading a key into a spectator’s pocket or executing the ‘seven’ force were valuable in their own right, and could be applied to many situations.
Mention was also made of the impressive De-Classified effect, which Carl presented at one of our workshops.
It was, indeed, a very special session with a master of his craft, proving that Chris’s publicity claims were not simply hyperbole.
Brian Lead
Although fascinating in concept, this initial presentation was essentially a dealer dem, in the sense that the viewer could not go away and achieve these results without access to the special ‘props’. The value lay in the illumination of the thought processes and psychology which lay behind the various routines.
In the second half of the session, however, Chris introduced us to his simple but stunningly effective One Card Poker routine, for which he has provided a link for all MeMeL readers, sent out by Allan. Don’t overlook this.
Finally came Hide-A-Key, again involving some ingeniously designed ‘apparatus’ which allows the performer to make a key vanish before the spectators’ eyes while it is swinging with two others on a key-ring. Methods of loading a key into a spectator’s pocket or executing the ‘seven’ force were valuable in their own right, and could be applied to many situations.
Mention was also made of the impressive De-Classified effect, which Carl presented at one of our workshops.
It was, indeed, a very special session with a master of his craft, proving that Chris’s publicity claims were not simply hyperbole.
Brian Lead