Physical Medium in The Collected Works of Alex Elmsley (p.200) may be of interest to some. It's a thumb tie idea, where you take your jacket off while tied.



Not the source you would expect from something like this

Thanks Paul. Funny to think Alex Elmsley, an expert card-man, would have a thumb tie in his book!

When you said "Elmsley" and "thumb tie" in the same sentence, I was picturing the difficulty I would have performing an Elmsley count with my thumbs tied!

It seems like a few people in the past have performed a jacket or vest removal/reversal while fully tied up, or thumb tied. People like Falkenstein and Willard, the Pendragons, and Mark & Sheila Cannon (using cuffs instead of thumb ties) have all performed some version of it, each with very good response. It's a good effect and can be played as a fun comedy effect.

It's possible to perform it solo too. (I'm thinking out loud here) If you have a backdrop or prop that you can walk behind for some momentary cover, you could start by wearing a jacket, have your thumbs tied, then walk behind one side of the backdrop and quickly emerge from the other side without your coat, but with thumbs still tied.

Being out of the sight of the audience is not the best situation, but if you are talking to them the entire time (to keep their attention) and even move the backdrop while you pass behind it so that their eyes can follow some movement on stage, I thing this could be a quick, surprising effect.

Maybe you could be walking behind the curtain under the ruse that you "forgot the scissors back there" and emerge saying that you can't find them. You appear without your coat on but YOU don't notice that it's been removed.

Could be fun in a kids show! Hay, could be fun in any setting! How about going quickly behind the curtain and 2 seconds later you emerge without your coat and you're wearing a different shirt and tie. Hay, I think I'm going to try that one out myself!

Thanks for bringing up that Elmsley reference Paul! Now I'll have to go out and purchase the book!

Joe