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Mark Leveridge Magic Reviews – new products 2010
Reviewed
by Jay Fortune
February 1st always brings a new batch of magic from the creative mind of Mark
Leveridge. This year’s releases include a large number of card magic products,
Mark being well known for his novel plots, subtlety over sleight-of-hand and
developing material for use in the real world.
The Collected Card Magic of Mark Leveridge: This is the first in a
projected four volume set of card books. Produced A5, 70 pages, with a soft back
cover, mixing photographs with original illustrations, these volumes will
collect together many of Mark’s previously published routines. Volume one
contains 15 card effects, many of which were previously marketed in the Mark
Leveridge Magic catalogue, and two tricks, namely Give Me A Number and
Brainstormer remain in the catalogue to date. At £15, this is good value for
money – the current catalogue price of Brainstormer (where two freely named
cards magically print in an otherwise blank deck) is £15, and this trick is
detailed in volume one! A good book, recommended for those looking for some
nicely routined card magic to include in their various performances. Tried and
tested before a real audience, if the other volumes are of this calibre, the set
will indeed be very worthwhile to any magician.
Mini Leveridge Envelope: Mark Leveridge has been toying with envelopes
for years, creating novel presentations and original magic using these everyday
items of stationary. Here, Mark has produced a smaller version of his Leveridge
Envelope, which can switch, vanish or produce anything that will fit inside.
Nicely made in sturdy black card, these will be of particular interest to
professional close uppers, as they look smart, slick and allow for many business
card tricks, plus a poker size Bicycle card fits perfectly. For £10 you receive
3 of the envelopes (only one required for any performance) and basic handling
instructions. No routines are provided, but Mark’s e-book Forever Flapping (£15)
contains routines for this, and many other gimmicked Leveridge envelope
creations.
Impossible: Mark Leveridge Magic hosted their unique Dealer Nights around
the UK throughout 2009, and this trick was perhaps the highlight for many who
attended. A very baffling piece of magic for layman and magicians alike. In
summary, a two card transposition with red and blue decks, but at the finish no
duplicate cards are to be found. Here, Mark gives the full routine and method
both written and on an accompanying CD in Windows Media Player format. An
additional card is provided in Bicycle, the purchaser requires their own red and
blue decks. £10 for one card trick, with only one single card provided, may seem
a little high, but the effect is certainly worth the price.
Vacation Destination: This is a novel coincidence type trick, the plot
similar to the many spelling tricks in magic literature and on the market, but
the method is totally different. Based on holiday destinations and airlines, it
involves many spectators and would work well after a dinner, when the table has
been cleared and you have a few minutes to entertain. The method doesn’t rely on
any memory work, so there’s no need to worry if a spectator makes a mistake with
any of the counting. The trick comes with all the props necessary, including the
special cards printed on quality card stock. £15
Ring and String Deluxe: Originally one of Mark’s Master Routine tricks,
this new DVD tuition features a further two moves to the previously available
routine, totaling six moves to make a borrowed finger ring penetrate on and off
a length of unprepared thin cord. Two of the moves are a penetration of the ring
onto the cord, and four to make it penetrate off. With handling subtleties on
one of the moves by Jon Allen and Nicholas Einhorn, you know that mastery of
these moves will give you some very strong, almost impromptu magic used by some
of the top pro’s working today. The DVD comes complete with 3 meters of cord,
allowing you to experiment and create several pieces suitable for the
performance of the moves, and a printed colour ‘memory jogger’ supplement, to
aid when practicing once the basic handlings have been learned. Whilst practice
is necessary to ensure smooth performance of the penetrations, all look most
magical, some deviously fiendish in method, and the final move Mark teaches of
the ring penetrating off whilst all is held in a spectators hands is magically
very strong. I recently saw Mark perform this final penetration to a table of
punters and blew them away! Buy this and practice; you won’t be disappointed.
£15
Full details and video dems are available at
www.markleveridge.co.uk
© Jay Fortune, February 2010