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Twilight Lounge
by Andrew
Normansell
Soft cover A5 booklet, 18 pages, 13 items, mostly cards and coins.
Reviewed
by Al Smith
This is a glossy booklet, the inside
work being flanked by covers sporting photographs of the author and an
unidentified female. The idea seems to be to create a lounge lizard type of
effect. Stark black and white. Not exactly noir, but not far removed.
I confess I’m not sure what the ee cummings/kd lang lower case type
approach is all about. And the frequently wayward punctuation make it a bit
difficult to follow. Not impossible, just not easy. Also, in an age when
magicians are reluctant top read titles, let alone books, this could add
up to a real turnoff. Added to which the lower case concept is not consistent,
which is a shame. It’s a nice idea, but should have been more closely monitored.
So, what’s what. The material is fine. I’ve always had a soft spot for Nick
Trost’s Eight Card Brainwave, a very strong effect, varied by many over
the years. Andrew’s New Wave is a serviceable version and may persuade some to
give it a try. That said, it does use the Hamman Count, which is not everybody’s
favourite plaything.
Equilibrium is a nifty version of the perennial Do As I Do plot,
its one disadvantage for me is that it requires a Stebbinised (or similar)
stack. There are myriad versions that don’t. But if you like the Stebbins thing
as I do, this is worth a pause or two for thought.
And there’s a fair bit more, some presentation ideas and odd thoughts on this
and that.
I watched Andrew demonstrate some of this material at the recent Lincolnshire
Convention and there’s no doubt that seeing it performed lifts the stuff off the
page and brings it to life. And I think that’s where it scores, like all magic,
of course. I also asked him the name of the unidentified female on the front,
but typically, I’ve forgotten.
Worth checking out, but get Andrew to dem the stuff if you can. He’s currently
lecturing up and down the land as well as appearing at a few conventions, so it
shouldn’t be difficult.
Price £10-00 from www.andrewnormansell.co.uk
© Al Smith, July 2010