Shaun,

An interesting point. You are not a street performer. mslj (Hi Simon!) and I both are. We are seeing it from a completely different perspective than you. To a real worker who is a busker that routine is worth every last quid.

Sitting in front of the tele in your lounge I agree that Malone's routine is much more entertaining in that environment. To be honest as a guy who uses comedy with his magic I would pay money to watch Bill Malone paint a house. As far as entertainers go he is an honest to god monster who ignites a room like a house fire the moment he steps into it.

All of that aside, if you are going to do the routine on the street you can not do it with someone sitting on your left and someone sitting on your right and expect an audience of people who are passing by to stop and have interest. Peter Wardell's routine involves the entire crowd. Better than that he is making them a crowd while he is doing the routine. He is making them his crowd.

If Bill Malone were a street performer you might be very surprised to find that before long he would be doing that routine to several people in the audience and interacting with the entire audience throughout the course of the routine. Eventually the structure of the physical handling would probably strongly resemble what Wardell is doing.

These are things I can see because I have done it and know how important they are. Maybe Peter should have explained it for those who have never busked before. I know I was sitting in my lounge watching it and thinking, "What a nice handling of that." Of course I am seeing it from a completely different perspective.

Go find a copy of Routined Manipulation Finale and have a look at Charlie Edwards routine. You will see that it works in the same manner of audience involvement.

I can absolutely understand how you might feel the way you do now that I understand where you are coming from with the basis of your opinion. Hang on to the disks and go out and busk a bit. When you come back to them you will be able to grasp what is going on better. Right now for you it is probably tough to see the forest through the trees. If I were in your shoes I would probably think much the same way.

Best,

Dan-

Thanks buddy! I'm glad it made sense. I thought I was starting to ramble.

Best,

Dan-

Dan
That a great post.
Mario

Regarding the silks,,,knowledge is the amunition of any performer be they street or cabaret, Gansons Finale,As I recall DVD and Pete Wardell`s offering are all info on this great effect.
The Charlie Edwards routine as in Finale is somewhat muddled and incomplete, this was put right in the after service sheets supplied by Ken Brooke back in the 60`s with such information to hand everyone with an interest in this trick would have little difficulty in putting it over and scoreing well with the minimal props and huge entertainment potential.
Refer back to Magic Mag for my own handling of this effect,,,OK it`s a bit naughty but that`s just my style.

Ken.

Holy Smoke!

Kondini, any idea where a bloke could get a hold of one of these sheets? I have been searching high and low and have spent a ton of money on Ken Brooke material over the past year hoping to find something like this tucked in an odd corner of a book or a tape.

Any information would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

Dan-

Keep searching buddy the info is red hot.
Haveing lost my originals (Lent to a "Friend"!) I found them in a small book collectors shop between Chareing Cross Rd and Covent Garden this shop has loads of very rare pamphlets and out of print magic books,,the name escapes me but I am sure London based magicians would fill you in.
I also picked up a copy of Sangers Showman for under a fiver along with the Culpitt flyer at £1 !!

Ken
BTW I was a student of Brookie for a period of over five years and have much of his original cabaret act (Including his rings (9) He taught hard and no fooling but I have made a living, street,market and showground wise on his back.

I will keep searching. At least now I know they exist! That should make it a lot easier.

Best,

Dan-

Dan,
I'm with you on this one. For those just looking for another trick to add to their arsenal, wrong choice for a DVD but if you're serious about the real work then this is right up there with Cellini & Gazzo.
For my money, it was well worth the price and the much anticipated wait for its arrival.
Watched it several times.
Bill