Hello,
I am new to these forums and I am currently designing a Kid's show. I have the whole Quentin reynolds 5 minutes with a pocket hank routine down and I have a quick question...What is the youngest age you would perform this routine for?

-thank you

The routine should be fine for kids age 4 and older. My advice to you would be to use whatever you consider to be the best two minutes of the routine. I haven't seen Quentin Reynolds perform the routine, but I have seen half a dozen others try it. Without exception, they all went at it about three minutes too long.

Yeah I am not going to do the stand up hank, and I might modify it a little more by not doing the same knots as him even though they are great.

-thank you for the advice

I've done a lot of the stuff with the mouse for kids as young as two and as old as 80.

An animated mouse made out of a hank is just plain funny. If you are also funny this thing can work for any age group. Imagine somebody like Tom Mullica doing the thing. It is a true gem for anybody that likes to entertain.

I just can't say enough good things about this DVD.

Best,

Dan-

4 and up.

You'll find the routine plays for all ages. I've done it for very young children as well as adults.

I suggest you do the routine as is for a while and after a dozen or so performances you will start to get a feel for the rhythm of the routine. Regardless of what other magicians think you must be guided by the reaction of your audience.

Towards the end of the DVD I go into a lot of the psychology of what makes the routine so powerful and it's worth your while rewatching that.

The magical literature is full of impromptu bits and pieces that can be routined into a very strong 'act'. Check out the business with hands and fingers in MY BEST as well as the ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF IMPROMPTU MAGIC. I never got around to it but there is the basis there for three or four minutes of a totally impromptu routine.

Quentin
I have seen your routine on the Dan Harlan "bandshark" DVD, and I was wondering. Have you ever done it in the US, or Canada, because I felt that it was a routine that might not play well on this side of the pond, or maybe it's just me who couldn't pull it off on this side of the pond?
Al Angello

I use it all the time here in the states Angello...its for kids of "all ages"..great reactions.

Mark

Hello Al, I have performed the routine all over the place. I've perfromed it informally for friends - adults and children in the US and it went just as well there as anywhere else.

The secret of perfroming the routine and getting the reaction is your interaction and reaction with the handkerchief - the stretching, the jumping, the knots disappearing, the hanky evolving into different items, eventually taking on a life of its own, going out of control before disappearing back into nothingness.

In a normal magic show the audience is safe, they're watching the show. It adds an enormous emotional element to your show when something apparently goes out of your control and affects the 'safety' of your audience.

I have know idea how the routine ended up on a Dan Harlan video. Are you sure?

Quentin
Thanks for your reply. I traded my Dan Harlan rubber band DVD's for a set of Daryl rope DVD's, but I remember you well. You are a tall, slim, Irish man with short red hair. The routine was very energetic in front of a class room full of children. I enjoyed your performance, but I don't think it would fit my personality.
Thanx
Al Angello

I have used the stand up hanky and mouse portions of the routine for dozens of shows at my son's daycare (here in Canada) for children 3 and up. It always plays well. I have performed it impromptu 100's of times. I seldom go anywhere now without a handkerchief in one of my pockets.

Quentin, thanks for sharing the routine.

Cheers.

I always use it for 4 to old with very good result.

Added more stuff in my routine:
+ At the end of Mouse routine I vanish it on a change bag to produce a "magic mouse" that runs arround my hands and arms.
+ Produce more funny figures and comedy like a dancer, a rabbit puppet, rose, doll, a grand ma, a baby chick and a king crown, all of them with a red color bandana and at the end I produce candies.
The routine takes from 5 to 20 minutes.

I like more Bandanas than handkercheif becuause its colors and size.

I can't wait to get this dvd. I have no advice for you, but I just wanted to thank everyone for their advice as well because it has helped me. So thank you!

This is a great routine and make sure to get a good noise winder. I got the one recommended by Quentin.

I have the DVD for sale in the DVDs for sale section, if anyone is interested.

James Adamson
http://www.seam2006.com