Issue 23 - November 08
Play-Time
Rodger Lovins
Available from: www.worldmagicshop.co.uk
Price: £15.99
Play-Time
is a method for revealing two chosen cards. What you get is a double sided
photograph of a small baby surrounded by magic props and a suggested patter line
of your early start in magic. On the reverse side of the photograph the baby is
seen holding a photograph of the chosen card. The key to the double revelation
is a method that allows the second card to be revealed using the same
photograph. The second revelation can occur in a spectator’s hand. There is
also a nicely produced mini booklet with three suggested presentations.
This
very direct revelation of a chosen card does not make for a strong effect as the
spectator can easily infer a method. It does not take a great leap of logic to
work out that if the first selected card matches a pre-existing photograph “You
must have known what card I would choose”. Even the best force in the
world will not overcome this rather obvious, and in this case correct,
conclusion.
The
second revelation may be more of a puzzle, but once the door to a plausible
method has been opened, I think the effect remains just that, a puzzle. The
appeal of Play-Time rests on the novelty of the second revelation and on the
‘cute’ picture and patter line. If ‘cute’ is your style you might like
this. The size of the props makes this suitable only for small groups, possibly
in walkabout or in restaurants. As one novelty item in a stronger set it might
be OK but why bother when there are so many stronger card revelations to hand?
I was
left wondering what the market for this effect might be. My guess is that a
working magician would prefer something with a stronger impact. A novice might
be, in my view would be, better advised spending the money on a decent pack of
cards and The Royal Road to Card Magic. SB
What’s
Hot: Novelty – more tepid than hot
What’s Not: Weak effect
Star Rating: **
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