Ken de Courcy

It was that well-known West Country entertainer, Roy Van Dyke, who made me realise balloons can be used for more purposes than screwing into strange shapes sometimes resembling animals. He has a terrific opening trick that has colour, movement and noise that never fails to grab and hold the attention of today's show-saturated audiences.

• Introduction
• Bursting a Balloon
• Explosive 20th. Century
• Cut and Restored Rope
• The Hydrostatic Glass
• The Sharpshooter
• Milk in Light Bulb
• Upside Down Bottle
• Balloon Bouncing
• The Break-a-way Bouncer
• Balloon Destroyer
• The...

From the Introduction:

For a long time Billy McComb and I have been searching for the "perfect" routine with Sponge Balls. It's taken a long time because we laid down some rather stringent conditions:

1. The set-up (and re-setting) must be both quick and easy.
2. It must be workable standing up without the use of a table.
3. There must be no danger of the balls dropping off the volunteer's hand and bouncing all over the place.
4. It must be loaded in such a way that it doesn't bulge out a thin mohair suit.
5. If possible, it must contain at least...

Magic with credit cards.

Credit cards are easier to handle than playing cards because they're smaller and they're also a lot more valuable. In short, a borrowed credit card is an ideal thing with which to conjure. This ebook will give you a few ideas to include in your program.

• Foreword
• Gimmicks
• Crossed Credits
• Credit Card In Wallet
• Credit By Chance
• Card To Cash
• Credit Shower
• Through Credit
• Unlocked Credit

EFFETTO:

Il prestigiatore mostra un comune mazzo di carte, lo mescola apertamente e chiaramente ( il miscuglio è reale e può farlo anche uno...

Jack Yates really needs no introduction; his name usually comes up wherever subtle magic is discussed. He tends to produce devious principles, then simplifies them down so anyone can use them. Foreshadowed is an interesting twist (literally!) on the well-known three objects prediction (a la Mental Epic). What makes this version different is that the predictions are written on blank pieces of cardboard...

EFFECT: The magician introduces a pack of cards. The cards are genuinely shuffled and then dealt into two piles, one containing Clubs and Hearts, the other Spades and Diamonds. The Clubs-Hearts pile is again dealt into three face-down piles, one to...

PDF 10 pages

From the center of the floor, the magician says, "Sir, I think you are looking at a Queen of Spades. If I'm right, please remove it from the other cards and hold...

EFFETTO: Una signora del pubblico viene invitata come assistente e le viene chiesto di scegliere una delle quattro buste presentate apertamente su un tavolo. Le rimanenti tre vengono lasciate in piena vista. Viene consegnato all’assistente...

"Accusation" is a court-room drama, not exactly legal, of course, but realistic enough to cause the accused to lie and the witnesses to commit perjury! If the trick does not have impact, it will be your own doing.

This book first appeared in 1953 in serial form in Goodliffe's ABRACADABRA. At the time it was the first treatise to be published on the subject and many people were kind enough to say it helped them overcome the difficulties always found in after-dinner shows.

All the information it contained was learned by experience as it was a field in which I specialised. And, although it was written nearly thirty years ago, almost nothing has changed; which is surprising when you consider the sweeping changes in other spheres of entertainment.

• Preface And Acknowledgement
• Foreword Be Natural ...

EFFECT

A spectator shuffles a pack of cards, then merely thinks of a card as the performer counts some over before his eyes. The cards are shuffled, then the performer shows the cards at the top and bottom of the pack; the selected card is not among them. Next, he introduces two paper...

In the original effect, a committee was invited on the stage to examine a solid steel plate. Then circular drawstring curtains were placed at the front and the rear, the magician walked behind...

A deck of cards is shuffled and put in trouser pockets, any card called for produced, then any non-playing card (birthday card, membership card, postcard, ...) called for, with gags and card castle finale.

This manuscript has not been available for a long time. This comedy and mysterious act, which has not been seen for a number of years, contains all the ingredients for hit entertainment today.

THE EFFECT

The performer comes on to a stage which bears only a table. He introduces a pack of cards and hands them out for shuffling, then has them cut into two halves and, after rapidly glancing...

An "even bet" gambling routine in ten stages with no preparation and no sleight of hand.

A gambling routine which is completely different to anything that has gone before, because it doesn't deal with the usual card games such as Poker, Blackjack, Bridge and so on. Even Stephen is a routine, you don't play for money, instead play for matches ... and yet you win. Even with poor luck, you "scoop the pool". It's all so easy to do, the main skill being in presentation. 'The last Bet' is the only one needing a little handling and even that shouldn't place a great strain on your ability. Altogether...

Four prize winning routines on the "find the ace" theme, performed with extra giant cards that you can print yourself.

IN PERFORMANCE

The performer shows three extra giant cards. The audience are asked to follow the movements of the Ace of Diamonds, The Ace is mixed up with the two other extra giant cards shown - the Two and Three of Clubs. The audience never are able to discover the whereabouts of the elusive Ace. The Ace transposes continuously in an incredible manner even while it is in the hands of a spectator or while it is marked by a clip. The spectator himself takes the ace in...

A very easy to do routine in which a black card repeatedly flies from hand to pocket leaving spectators amazed again and again, despite the performer trying to simplify things. All can be examined.

Imagine deliberately counting five cards....four of which are red with only one black. Each and every card is called and shown - without a single false move four cards are tossed to the table and the black card is seen to have vanished. It is reproduced from the pocket. Now Imagine that you can do it again and again each time eliminating one red card to make it easier for the public to follow the...

A gradual transposition of three silver coins and three golden coins with an unexpected climax. Two routines.

Many methods have been devised for the classical effect wherein three coins pass invisibly through space to join three more. "Dubbelkross" and "Simulkross" are two further variations on the same theme; but, not only are the methods altered, the effects are, too. In fact, "Dubbelkross" represents the first attempt (as far as I know) at giving this transposition a definite climax. "Simulkross" does not pretend to give a startling climax, but is interesting because coins pass simultaneously...

Find any card a spectator takes from a borrowed and shuffled pack.

EFFECT: The magician tells his audience he has trained his mind to work like a computer. To demonstrate its computer-like capabilities, he asks a spectator to shuffle a pack of cards then, without looking at it, remove one card and place it in his pocket. Taking back the pack, the performer runs through it quickly, then goes through it again even more quickly and pulls out one card which he places face down on the table. The spectator removes his card from his pocket and places it face-up alongside the magician's card, then...

Instantly find any card called for by spelling out its name. No sleight of hand requested. No force.

This is Ken's version of "Magic Spell" by Hen Fetsch. Although it looks incredible, with a simple preparation of the deck you will be able to immediately find any card named by someone in the audience simply by spelling it. You will be able to do this with different spectators one after the other. Yes you can take out the pack of cards and spell any of the 52 cards...and, yes, the Joker too.

In the complete instructions by Ken de Courcy you will find in detail how to do the simple preparation...

A "Coin Assembly" with a signed and torn playing card with a surprising finish.

EFFECT: A spectator shuffles a pack then removes a card. The card is signed on the face by the spectator and torn into four quarters, and then an indifferent card is shown and laid aside face down on the table. One at a time the four quarters of the chosen card are vanished and reappear under the indifferent card. When the fourth corner should have arrived, however, there is nothing at all under the card ... all four have vanished. When the card is turned over, it is found to be the chosen card, complete with...

A multi effect comedy card routine with audience participation and an unexpected climax. Cards mysteriously increase and decrease of number in magician's hands defying the laws of mathematics in a crescendo of surprises.

EFFECT

The magician fans a pack of cards to a spectator asking him to choose one and place it in his inside jacket pocket. The performer tries to read the mind of the spectator and to guess the chosen card but he fails. In desperation he slings the pack high in the air. With hardly a break, he removes some more cards from his pocket and goes straight into another trick...

You correctly guess how many red and black cards a spectator has casually put into four pockets with an unexpected climax. No skill required.

EFFECT

A spectator is given a pack of cards, or he can use his own. He shuffles it, removes some cards, splits them into blacks and reds and places the blacks in his left trouser-pocket and the reds in his right. He takes some more cards, splits them as before and conceals the black cards in his left jacket pocket and the reds in his right. All this has taken place while the performer's back is turned.

The magician asks the spectator to again...

EFFECT:

A card is selected from a pack, then returned and the deck is cut a number of times...

Effect: Having enticed a spectator up to help, the magician hands him eight jumbo cards and says, "Please give me any four....and keep four yourself." This done, both performer and spectator carry out some simple movements but, when the cards are counted over, all the magician's cards are face down...

You will have to make up the squares of cardboard for this. The trick itself is self-working, the real work having been put into the evolution of the effect, but they are useful for...

You deal out the shuffled Aces, Kings and Queens, yet miraculously when the hands are turned over they have separated into suits and, what is more, each hand is in their right order, Queen, King, Ace! Something very different in card magic.

1st edition 2018, 5 pages.

• The Original Himber Routine
• Richard Himber's StaggeRing
• The K de C Triple Link (Ken de Courcy)
• About Rings and Things (George Blake)
• Ring, Pin and Cord
• Chinese Coins and Rings
• A Ring and a Loop o'String
• Sefalaljia-By Hand
• BewildeRing

1st digital edition 2018, 19 pages.

Cards are shuffled and cut both by the spectator and the performer (really!). The spectator mentally chooses a card (free choice) and the performer does the same. Then the cards are shuffled again. Unbelievably, the magician and the spectator get cards of the same value and colour. It almost works itself.

Effect: The performer cuts a portion off the pack, hands it to a spectator and asks him to do exactly as he does. First they both shuffle their packets,...

A word about the tricks themselves. As far as I personally am aware, every item is original in some way, either in effect or method.

• Introduction ...
• Foreword ...
• CHAPTER ONE: MAGIC WITH CARDS
  • Reggie the Rattlesnake
  • Ri-Ki-Ki Poker
  • Silken Card Discovery
  • The Travelling Phoenix
  • The Snake Charmer
• CHAPTER TWO: MAGIC WITH THE MIND
  • Eve v Adam
  • "Hail, O Swami"
  • Tangled Thoughts
  • The Devil's Key
• CHAPTER THREE: MAGIC WITH ANYTHING
  • No Knot
  • The Sympathetic Note Trick
  • The Jeweller's Dream
  • Which Witch?
  • The Chinese Picture
  • The Fiddled Furniture
  • The Ju-Ju...

The effect is startling because it appears to happen in the spectator's own hands. As always Ken provides precious ideas for an intriguing presentation.

• Easy to do
• No palming
• The card can be signed

1st edition 1986; 1st digital edition 2018, 4 pages.

• No palming
• No force
• Use any wallet
• Easy to do
• Diabolical method

1st edition 1985, 1st digital edition 2018, 4 pages.

EFFECT: A lady is invited to assist. She chooses one of four envelopes and the remaining three are left in full view. She is then handed a red-backed pack to shuffle while the magician shuffles a blue pack. Then the packs are exchanged and shuffled again if you want. ...

Effect: The magician introduces a circle of yellow tissue paper and hands it to a spectator to crumple into a ball. He receives it back then, holding it at his fingertips, concentrates on it for a few moments. The tissue ball is placed on an ashtray then ... it suddenly bursts into flames and burns away.

PDF 6 pages.

Impromptu tricks for audiences who speak little to no English.

In today's global world it is important to be able to do magic for folks who do not speak your language or who do not understand the cultural nuances and jokes you may have in your primary program. Many of the tricks taught are impromptu. From the introduction by Billy McComb:

I can't think of anyone better qualified to write this than Ken de Courcy. He and Susan take at least a couple of holidays a year to strange exotic countries where the inhabitants speak little or no English. He doesn't, like some magicians, drive his wife potty by...

The Four Ace Trick is deservedly popular. There are many versions, from the semi-automatic to the almost impossible finger-flinging variety, so it's within the scope of every performer. It starts, necessarily, with the abstraction of the four Aces. One can simply run through the pack, locate them and toss them out. Or, if you want considerably more impact, you can produce them magically. That's what this is all about ... producing the Aces in an interesting way as a lead-in to whatever Four Ace Trick you normally do. Here, you'll find both easy and more complicated...

The routine is in three parts. In Part I, a borrowed signet-ring is threaded on a rope, then penetrates it. Part II sees the ring again threaded and also knotted on the rope. Nevertheless, the ring visibly dissolves through leaving just the knot. In Part III the ring is threaded and knotted on the rope then a handkerchief is wrapped round it and the whole thing is held by a spectator. When instructed, he allows the handkerchief to drop to the floor to disclose an 'empty' rope; no ring ... not even a knot.

Since...