There is a really cool effect that I read about in a fictional story that I can't seem to get my mind off of. The story is posted somewhere online, but I can't find it anymore. I read it on my iPhone late a night last week while I was on call overnight in the hospital and this one effect that it described captured my imagination. I think the story is titled "The Drowning Plagiarist" thought that isn't coming up on any searches. Hopefully someone who reads this will know what story I'm talking about because it is a really great read.

So, here is a description of the effect: The magician steps out on stage, and with him there is some kind of loudspeaker device. He keeps his mouth closed, and all of a sudden his voice starts over the loudspeakers. He interacts with the audience, asking them to name various things about which he then opines. He basically sells them on the idea that he is projecting his mind waves into the radio and speaking by means of that.

This kind of effect could be absolutely amazing, or it could absolutely flop in today's world because we all know that there are computers, and sound boards and so forth. What I am really wondering is if there are any magicians/mentalists who have actually performed a routine like this? It would seem to me that the many, many techniques in the arsenal of a skilled mentalist would make it possible to really sell this effect. Perhaps beginning by talking normally, then duct taping one's mouth, then, well....a good mentalist could really bring down the house with this one. What do you think? Has this ever been done? Does it sound cool or just way too risky for the potential payoff?

Hi Francisco,

Welcome to the Penny forum!

It sounds like it was a great story, but I imagine if you tried to do that on stage the audience would immediately assume that the voice from the speakers was pre-recorded.

Good thoughts,

Bob

Hey Bob, thanks for the welcome. I thought that too, but then I though, what if you picked someone out of the audience and started having a conversation with them? Or started reading from an audience-selected page of War and Peace? I mean, ultimately, you either have to have the voice pre-recorded or someone who can perfectly imitate your voice working the mic, but skilled mentalists, from what I have seen, give me the impression that they should pretty quickly be able to sow seeds of doubt into the minds of the audience about whether the voice is actually pre-recorded....

Not heard of this before, but it reminded me of a story.

UK based comedian Rich Hall http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rich_Hall once appeared on stage in a London comedy club and pretended he had lost his voice.

He proceeded to strap a tape machine to the microphone with gaffer tape and went and sat in the audience.
The tape then began to play some of his jokes, pre-recorded.

At one point, the Real Rich began loudly heckling the tape machine from the audience.
Recorded Rich (on the tape machine) shouted right back at him and the two interacted for some time in this way.

Genius.

Wow, that sounds like an awesome comedy routine! If I ever get the chance I want to go and see him perform. Even if he doesn't perform that bit, the fact that he is so creative and willing to step outside the box means that whatever he presents in his show is likely to be killer and make for a great evening!

I was working on something similar but based on bob Dylan's subterrainian homesick blues video a few questions and some help from banacheck

You need a secret assistant who can mimmic your voice - you then do all the body language while your pal interacts with the audience from a hidden vantage point to show it's not recorded you have comments specific to the interacting audience member....

I thought about doing this long ago as a close up routine when I saw David Lynch's movie "LOST HIGHWAY". There is this scene that would be SO great to duplicate in real life.

Here is the exact scene: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZowK0NAvig

Hi, Francisco...

I was thinking that I read that same story a long time ago. I'm not sure...but I seem to recall it was in one of the Twilight Zone story collections. The voice amazed the audience at first -- and then it started telling all the performer's secrets and he couldn't make it stop.

Is this the same story?

David

PS Good to have you here!

I once heard a story about a routine Fogel performed. He was standing in the centre of the stage. After being genuinely blindfolded, he turned to face away from the audience and towards the thick stage curtains. He invited members of the audience to stand up and hold up everyday objects. He was apparently able to describe the people in the audience and the objects they were holding, even though it was clear that he couldn't see anything. There were no video cameras or monitors in play and this was, in any case, before the video era.

The story goes that he had simply found someone who could imitate his voice very well. This person was standing behind the stage curtains, at about the middle of the stage where Fogel was standing, and peeking through a tiny gap in the curtains at the audience. Fogel himself said nothing at all! Then he just turned around, removed the blindfold and took the applause.

I have no idea whether this is true or not. It could be entirely apocryphal. But it's in keeping with Fogel's boldness, creativity and sense of fun.

This reminds me of an idea when I was watching a high school play with one of my kids in it years ago. The main characters where saying one thing yet thinking another and you could hear their thoughts. I thought it would be an interesting premise for a mentalism routine. Where you are talking to an audience member on stage, yet the audience hears your thoughts. Lots of places to interject humor as well as the amazement.

Performer: Please turn to any page and pick a word.
Permormers thoughts: Wow, she is pretty hot, I wonder what word she will pick out, I wonder what she would think if I asked her out to dinner after the show.. nah, she probably will be creeped out by the fact I can read her mind.
Perfomer: Do you have a word.
Perfomers thoughts: Of course she has a word, and I already know what it is but how do I make this look entertaining to the audience? Guess I can drag it out.
Performer: Good, think of any letter in that word. Are you thinking of the letter P?
Spectator: Yes
Performer thoughts: Of course it is... lets see... oh, she has a chihauhua at home.. okay back to the word.. time to reveal it is monopoly.
Performer: Is your word monopoly?
Spectator: YEs

Now of course I would not use this script but you get the idea. The thoughts would have to be sound like the performer but in a very different type echo way.

I remember when I saw this for the first time-- awesome!

d

Banachek: I think that's a brilliant and utterly charming idea.

Thanks for sharing that!

David

Heh search the bizarre forums I did that - I lovvve that film

Hey David, thanks for the welcome! It isn't that story, but I did finally find it again. Here it is: http://www.vagabondagepress.com/00901/V3I2SS13.html (I hope the link works!)

There is a guy on the radio named Phil Hendrie who immitates voices rather well. His program is pretty awesome. I wonder how common that skill is? From what I can tell it would be quite a task to find an assistant able to imitation your voice, and then a large chunk of your act is dependent upon them and not you. I wouldn't like to put myself into that situation if I could avoid it. But here is another idea I had kind of incorporating that. You could use Houdini's trusty milk can with a built-in microphone. Have members of the audience give you sealed envelopes with messages on them. Get into the milk can all tied up, and over the microphone you can read what the audience has written. That seems more feasible and would be kind of cool to watch!