|
|
Go to page [Previous] 1~2~3~4 | ||||||||||
jamesmwood Regular user Buda, Texas (near Austin) 113 Posts |
I've just learned that practically the entire routine for "Five Minutes With a Pocket Handkerchief" is on Quentin's website at: http://www.magicfunshows.co.uk/
A few other routines by Quentin are on his website. They're lots of fun -- also instructive for seeing how to entertain children and keep them under control at the same time. Thanks, Quentin! |
|||||||||
Quentin Inner circle 1020 Posts |
Thank you everybody for the kind words.
I sometimes do the routine for adults, exactly the same way but my opening lines put it into context. Let us say, I'm performing at a party in James' house and there are about thirty-five adults there and I've decided to do the routine to finish my spot. I will say, "I'm inviting you on a journey, back through time to when James was six. Six years-old. Remember when you were six? It is his birthday party and you are his friends. You have all had tea and now it is time for the magician." And now go into the routine. |
|||||||||
jamesmwood Regular user Buda, Texas (near Austin) 113 Posts |
Quentin, thanks very much for sharing this "adult friendly" introduction. I have been doing the Mouse routine for adults without such an intro, and have found them generally very receptive anyway. However, this intro will provide some good mental preparation, so they won't be surprised when parts of the routine become obviously child-like (for instance, the slapstick part where the mouse gets out of control). Also, the intro will remove any doubt that I am a child's magician who has accidentally been engaged to entertain adults.
I wonder if you might answer a question that has worried me? I haven't yet tried the Mouse trick with older children (say, ten years old) or with teenagers. Older children and teenagers are sometimes offended by tricks that seem childlike. I think in part they feel condescended to, and in part they don't want to respond with pleasure to a child trick (even if they like it) because they're insecure about possibly appearing child-like in front of their peers. Would you recommend doing the trick for these age groups? If so, do you have any advice for not offending them... for instance, does the introduction you have just described for adult audiences work with these "between" groups also? It is a real pleasure to be able to ask you about these issues. Jim Wood |
|||||||||
Quentin Inner circle 1020 Posts |
Jim,
If I were performing for teens and wanted to include the routine, I would use a similar introduction … inviting them to pretend they were six. Ian Adair has written a booklet on the handkerchief mouse which has extra moves in it. Before my time an English magician named Tom Harris built a reputation for doing a routine with the mouse, and as far as I know he performed it for adults. Ian discusses this in the booklet. From what I gather Tom didn't do the extra bits that I use as a lead up to making the mouse. Last year, Jeff McBride told me that George Sands did a routine with the mouse and at the finish dropped the handkerchief in front of his face, saying, "Curtains". When the applause started he would scrunch up the handkerchief from the top and smile obsequiously at the audience, allow the handkerchief to drop again in front of his face and shout, "Bravo, bravo". Then he would scrunch up the hanky again and smile and nod humbly and repeat this a couple more times. It's all schtick! It's the schtick that sells the trick. |
|||||||||
Mr. Woolery Inner circle Fairbanks, AK 2149 Posts |
This was one of the first kid magic DVDs I ever bought. It is also one of the best values because I can use everything on it.
My venue used to be entertaining kids during snack time at a private school. My kids were there, I was a volunteer. I got to spend 10 minutes with each of 5 different grades, so I got to try a new trick every week on five different age groups. Very useful for early development! Anyway, with the older kids, my presentation was along the lines of "how many of you carry a handkerchief? None of you? Oh, that's too bad, let me show you why you should always have one." The hat and the earing were left out, but the iron was in case they found their uniforms wrinkly when the bishop came to visit the school, the moustache was a disguise for when they forgot their homework, and the mouse was a companion during recess when they are kept in for not doing their homework. It was, as Quentin says, all schtick. But the mouse trick makes the schtick really easy. Younger kids got the presentation pretty much as it is on the video. -Patrick |
|||||||||
billmonroe1972 New user 54 Posts |
I love this routine as well. I perform it in my kids shows and always gets a great reaction.
Cheers, Bill |
|||||||||
Greensboro New user 73 Posts |
I'm the odd man out here, but I've always thought "Five minutes with a pocket handkerchief" runs about four minutes too long. The routine was a huge hit among magicians when it came out and for awhile it seemed everyone was performing it. Having seen several people perform this (or perhaps I should say "attempt to perform..") I'm of the mind that this requires greater acting ability than many magicians possess. I put this in the same category as "D-Lites", It's something magicians love, so they persuade themselves that audiences love it too.
|
|||||||||
TrickyRicky Inner circle TrickyRicky 1653 Posts |
Hi Quentin.
I noticed that your will be in Toronto lecturing --Thursday October 4th at Browsers Den of Magic. I live in Toronto and I would very much like to have you out for dinner either before the lecture or after. Richard (Tricky Ricky) |
|||||||||
The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » The little darlings » » Quentin Reynolds' Pocket Handkerchief...use it? (1 Likes) | ||||||||||
Go to page [Previous] 1~2~3~4 |
[ Top of Page ] |
All content & postings Copyright © 2001-2024 Steve Brooks. All Rights Reserved. This page was created in 0.02 seconds requiring 5 database queries. |
The views and comments expressed on The Magic Café are not necessarily those of The Magic Café, Steve Brooks, or Steve Brooks Magic. > Privacy Statement < |