When you see flea circuses for sale they are often described as “Walt Noon style” or “Built using a Walt Noon design”, but where do these designs come from and how can you build your own? Well just head over to Walt’s website and order yourself a copy of his complete flea circus package. The package comes in three parts: a DVD, a CD and a manual providing you with enough information to build your own “humbug” flea circus.

The Manual, called “The Mystery In Unveiled! – Walt Noon’s How To Make A Flea Circus”, begins with an introduction explaining what you can expect to find on the CD and DVD along with a bit of history about flea circuses and the levels of research Walt undertook to learn about this lost art. It’s actually a companion to the DVD providing drawings and additional notes on the construction of each of the main “events” of the circus as well as listing several U.S. suppliers that can help you acquire the parts required to build the gimmicks.

The CD is a pretty eclectic selection of flea related information. It includes music that you can use when performing your circus, along with images and high resolution scans of backgrounds all of which can be used in construction.

The DVD though is what we’re all waiting for. It begins with some real turn of the century footage of a real flea circus, followed by the step-by-step instructions covering how to build your own, ending with some footage of flea training and a television appearance. The step-by-step instructions are extremely detailed covering such topics as: choosing a suitable suitcase, construction of the flea parade, cannon, pool, high-dive, high wire, trapeze and a few additional ideas at the end. The methods at times are quite ingenious, with some great results (my favourite being the cannon), and although a few power tools are required I would say that the skills required are not particularly high. I believe anyone with enough time and patience could construct one. As Walt points out in the commentary the intention of the guide is not to follow it religiously but to be inspired and take ideas to make your own unique circus.

Walt is an engaging presenter and his style makes you feel like a friend watching him at work in his workshop and his enthusiasm for the topic leaps of the screen. I really enjoyed this rather unusual collection and suggest you get a copy if you are in anyway interested in this lost art.

Finally the best description of the Flea Circus package comes from Walt himself from an email he sent me:

“The Flea Circus package has been a huge, consuming labor of love for me. So, you’ll find hundreds of meg of material collected and generated over the last 10 years on the CD and DVD. It’s as much a collection of everything entertaining with fleas and projects as it is a step by step to help you build a circus. I hope you enjoy it very much! Thanks! (The fleas thank you as well.)”

Walt Noon can be contacted via his website www.noonco.com

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Flea Circus, Video

The effect is simple yet breathtaking: a spectator is asked to find a quarter (or ten pence piece here in England) and sign it with a marker. The performer then takes a regular can of fizzy drink and hits the coin against the bottom of the can whereupon it vanishes. At this point the coin can be heard rattling against the inside of the can, and when the can is opened the signed coin is found within.

The DVD is well produced, and begins with showing the effect as performed on MindFreak. This is followed by a step-by-step instruction performed by the tricks creator Wayne Houchin. Criss is present and adds his own insight into the trick and explains variations that he introduced to make the trick his own.

I believe that this is one of the most impressive impromptu tricks around. All items used in the trick can be borrowed, no switches required, and the result can be breathtaking. The skill level of it is not particularly high, and I really would recommend buying this DVD.

Here’s Criss performing the effect:

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Criss Angel, Tricks

Originally published as 13 separate booklets and sold at Corinda’s shop in London in the 60’s, it is now more common to purchase it as one (sizable) book. Each of the steps covers a different technique that the master mentalist can use to devastating effect. I have the third edition, printed in 1968, but I understand the later publications are largely unchanged.

Step One – Swami Gimmick

This first step covers use of the mentalists favourite tool: the Swami Gimmick. He begins by discussing the different types available, and suitability of each for different circumstances and a recommendation of the type he would use. Corinda moves on to talking about technique: how to use the gimmick safely and convincingly. How to minimise use, and reduce possibilities of detection. This section also covers use of other props and misdirection techniques. Finally he moves onto to detailing a number of distinct effects making use of the swami.

Step Two – Pencil, Lip, Sound, Touch and Muscle Reading

This step could be summarised as using your senses to gain information from your target. He covers use of pencil reading, and how to amplify the movements of the pencil to make your job easier, moving on to lip-reading, sound reading (including sound reading of the written word), touch reading and finally the muscle reading of the spectator. Each of these sections includes examples of effects that can be performed with these techniques.

Step Three – Mnemonics and Mental Systems

This step covers a number techniques that can be used to help you perform seemingly impossible mental feats. Corinda begins with methods for memorising lists of objects. Next he gives some techniques for performing speedy mathematic calculations such has squaring, cubing and calculation of roots followed by a method of rapidly filling a 5 by 5 magic square. The step carries on in the same vein including some ideas for memorising and using stacked decks.

Step Four – Predictions

Corinda begins by explaining the value and nature of predictions, then moves on to covering a large number of techniques that could be employed by the mentalist to achieve the desired effect including switches, forces and even use of stooges. We then look at a number of effects designed for the stage and finally the drawing room.

Step Five – Blindfolds and X-Ray Eyes

This section begins with a humerous quote:
Child: “Mummy, what’s that man doing up there?”
Mother: “He’s putting on a Blindfold, my dear”
Child: “What’s a Blindfold, Mummy?”
Mother: “Something you wear so that you cannot see”
Child: “Why’s he wearing one, Mummy?”
Mother: “So that he can tell us what he’s looking at…”

Corinda begins by discussing different types of blindfolds that could be used: masks, silks, bags and even dough. After introducing us to methods of restricting our vision, he then let’s us in on techniques that can be used to glean information despite the blindfolds, including a section on “Patter and Movement During Performance”. The third section of the step details a number of tricks that can be performed using the techniques previously discussed including the heart stopping blindfolded driving of a car.

Step Six – Billets

This step is split into two sections. The first covers a number of techniques that can be used to obtain information from billets (a small piece of paper with undisclosed information on it – either folded or sealed in an envelope). This is generally through some form of switch or tear. The second section details a number of routines that can be performed including tricks by Stanley Jaks and Al Koran.

Step Seven – Book Tests

This step is different in style to previous steps as it describes ten different tricks that could come under the category “book tests”. It ends with an interview with Maurice Fogel discussing his work as a mentalist and some interesting performance tips.

Step Eight – Two Person Telepathy

As Corinda points out himself, this is a huge topic, and Corinda does a great job at covering the subject. He has two sections detailing a number of techniques to be employed under the headings “Major Systems” and “Minor Systems”. This includes use of verbal systems as well as electronic gimmickry. The final section has eight different routines that can be employed, each showing how difficult and time consuming this sort of act is too learn.

Step Nine – Mediumistic Stunts

Of all the steps – this is perhaps the most outdated one. I’m not sure anyone could really get away with ectoplasm production today – it is really a sign of the times. This basically covers the sort of effects mediums were performing turn of the century: spirit writing, ouija boards and the like. Interesting in a historical context, but personally not as useful as other steps in the series.

Step Ten – Card Tricks

Despite Corinda’s plea that card tricks do have a place in a mentalists act, I’m not entirely convinced. Despite this, there are a number of interesting card tricks detailed here, but to be honest if you want card tricks there are better books to be had.

Step Eleven – Question and Answer (Readings)

Now we are back on track with a step totally relevent to a mentalist act. It is split into two sections: dealing with questions that are known, and dealing with questions that are unknown. In “dealing with questions that are known” a number of techniques are supplied that can be used to obtain information. Much reference to previous steps is made (such as pencil reading and billet switching) along with a number of new (and very sneaky) techniques.
When “dealing with questions unknown”, again a number of techniques are described including a good introduction to cold reading.

Step Twelve – Publicity Stunts

As we reach the penultimate step, Corinda moves into a section that really covers the marketing of a mentalist. He discusses a number of ideas to create interest both in you and your act, then moves onto a number of large scale stunts and tricks that can be used to increase exposure. Again this step is perhaps beginning to show it’s age, but with a bit of imagination the same techniques can be updated and made relevant to today.

Step Thirteen – Patter and Presentation

The final step covers the following areas: the essentials of good performance, personal appearance, manner and speach, patter, good effects, handling, misdirection, co-ordination and finally an interview with Claude Chandler the vice-president of the Magic Circle at the time of publication. It is really a sequence of rules to making a good performance, and like all rules: once learned the skill is to know which ones to break.

Summary

Look, if you are interested in mentalism you have to read this book. You will disagree with some of it, already know some of it, and be inspired by other parts. One things for sure the 13 steps is one of the definitive tomes for a mentalist and will equip you with a wealth of techniques you can make use of in your own act. Buy it and I guarantee you will return to it again and again.

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Books, Corinda

After some initial problems with the lighting mind-reader Marc Salem took the stage. He began with a little introduction, rattling off his impressive list of qualifications and experience (including being director of research at Sesame Street), before moving into the first part of the act. As a “warm up” (the running gag being that his warm up lasts for virtually the whole show), in true Banachek style he threw a screwed up ball of paper in to the audience to randomly select someone. They threw it on until we had selected three people, and they had selected three numbers. Marc then proceeded to follow Corinda and created a magic square. Following this the act continued with the mentalist effects you would expect to see: number predictions, colour predictions, a book test, pick the envelope with the money in through to stopping his pulse (performed a little too fast I’m afraid) and finally a blindfolded “sightless vision” reading of billet cards and objects collected from the audience.

All of the effects were performed with great technique and delivery. His style of performance is affable and it almost feels like we are seeing a kindly uncle performing his act to his nephews. There were several kids in the audience, so maybe that enhanced the feeling. The show lasted just over an hour and a half, and we got through a fair number of tricks in that time. His act is a very “old fashioned” style of mentalist act with lots of scribbling on pads, and asking for numbers and colours and so on; but I think that just adds to its charm. OK, so anyone who’s read Corinda knows how the tricks are performed, but that’s not really the point. Although the techniques behind what he does are simple and well known, he still manages to pull off a great performance, that ensured most of the audience were totally bamboozled. It was interesting to see the sheer afront at using a Swami gimmick while walking through the audience, and making no attempt to conceal it (his use of it was totally visible to me), and yet no-one else in the audience seemed to suspect or see it’s use. As Corinda says when talking about Swami gimmicks: “they should be flesh coloured or made of dull metal – not because they are liable to be seen by the audience, but because it will make you feel happier” – and never was this so obviously true than at the Tricycle.

He finished the act with his oft quoted line: “any ten year old can do what I do – any ten year old with thirty years of practise”, and this sums up his act. Yes, it’s old fashioned – yes anyone with an interest in magic knows how it’s done, but he is great at what he does and let’s face it: there aren’t many opportunities to see mentalist acts on stage these days. If you are in anyway interested in magic, mentalism or mind-reading, get yourself down to Kilburn and experience the show whilst you can.

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Marc Salem, Performance

The book is split into three sections entitled “Practical”, “Magical Artistry” and “Direct Mindreading” and is written with a great wit and style that will come as no surprise to those of you who’ve been lucky enough to see him perform live. The three sections are really quite distinct, and I get a feeling that they originally were three distinct manuscripts now wrapped together into a single package – three books for one. After a brief introduction we rush straight into the “Practical” section that discusses ideas and techniques to ensure your tricks and effects have maximum impact on your audience. He begins by discussing how important it is to find meaning for your effect, so that your audience feels enlightened rather than puzzled by your magic. He is keen to stress that although you can introduce humour into the performance it’s important to have an underlying seriousness to the magic and that you too should believe in the powers you profess to have in order to have a sincerity that will make your tricks all the more startling. He briefly touches (so to speak) on the pseudo-hypnotic technique of “anchoring” your subject to a good feeling or mood, so that you can replay it later to the advantage of your performance.

He moves onto what I believe is the crux of how Derren’s magic works so well in the chapter entitled “Risk and Delight”. In summary, he’s a great believer in throwing in tricks that rely on chance. When these high risk tricks work the result is astonishing. If they fail, you just move on, and get them some other way. This of course is not new, many of the effects Banachek demonstrates have several “outs” so that failure can be turned into mind-blowing success. I cannot agree more with Derren on this point, and I love using these techniques myself. When they fail, it can be disappointing but as long as you don’t seem too surprised or troubled then neither will your audience. The rewards of success far outweigh the risk. This technique is a running theme throughout the rest of the book, with most effects having some elements of chance to them.

As we move into part two of the book: “Magical Artistry”, the book changes its focus and describes a number of card tricks from routines Derren was performing at the time. The tricks discussed and described in thorough detail are “Zamiel’s Card”, “A Three Card Routine”, “Magicall” and a section entitled “Magno Conatu Magnus Nugase” that Derren describes as “A selection of moves, sleights and assorted nonsenses”.

The third section, “Direct Mindreading” covers a number of tricks that we see performed in Derren’s infamous pre-fame DVD “The Derren Brown Lecture”, so fans of that DVD will be interested to learn the secrets behind these effects (I never did work out how he got the date of that 10 pence piece). The tricks covered in this section are: “Smoke”, “Plerophoria”, “Perfect Coin Reading”, “Transformation” and a couple of verbal card forces. This section should really be considered to be accompanying lecture notes to the afore mentioned DVD, and interesting they are too. Plerophoria has to be my favourite of these tricks, and the results when pulled off, are fantastic. I have a third edition of this book and I understand that two tricks: “Lift” and “Reminisence” were detailed in the the first edition, but removed in the second and later editions as Derren still performs them. These tricks are demonstrated in the lecture DVD, and if there is anyone out there owning a first edition and willing to share the details with me I’d be mighty interested.

This is a good book, and one that should appeal to magicians wanting to take their performance to the next level. The only downside to this book is that it is now out of print, and the Derren Brown fans have hiked the price up for a second-hand copy to an unreasonable level (they go for over £100 on ebay presently). If you are interested in the ideas and effects covered in this book, I would recommend first getting a copy of “The Derren Brown Lecture” that is available at a much more reasonable price, and covers some of the ideas and effects published in this book. After that you can judge whether you should get hold of a copy to take it all to the next level.

I will leave you with a sentence from the first chapter that, in hindsight, shows the great things to come:

“So these effects here are borne out of a desire to push mindreading into somewhere new, and a wish (which I hope one day to achieve) to combine conjuring, hypnosis and psychic effects into a heightened new form of close-up entertainment.”

I think we can all agree, that day has come.

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Books, Derren Brown

Although not strictly a book on magic, it is a non-fiction account of the career progression of sword-swallower and author Dan Mannix working in the sideshows of a travelling carnival. It begins with incredulous paragraph:

“I probably never would have become America’s leading fire-eater if Flamo the Great hadn’t happened to explode that night in front of Krinko’s Great Combined Side Shows”

Here begins a nostalgic and entertaining account of Dan’s career as a fire-eater and sword-swallower in a travelling carny. He begins his career swallowing fire and swords, progressing to swallowing potentially fatal neon lights before ending his career with a mind-reading act. He is hired by Hindu fakir Krinko, who’s speciality is sewing buttons on his eyes, to join his ten-in-one sideshow. Along the way he works with acts such as “The Impossible Possible”, Captain Billy the “tattooed man”, 50 stone “Jolly Daisy”, master of regurgitation: “The Human Ostrich” and Aunt Matty the palm reader; Oh, and I nearly forgot Dot the five legged horse.

I just loved this book. OK so I’m not entirely convinced by the accuracy of this story, depth can be lacking at times and I guess it finishes quite abruptly, but the sheer thrill of the stories make you just want to run away and join the circus. There are some fascinating technical passages for instance how to overcome the gag reflex that allows one to swallow a sword without vomitting, the grind of continually upping sticks to the next town and descriptions of genuinely touching lives of these freaks and outcasts that live on the fringe of society. I highly rate this book as it is, in my experience, unique in cataloging this time in history, and it’s still in print now. A must read for social and magic historians and lovers of circus and carnivals.

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