Escapology

Escapology - Ropes and chains and trunks! Oh my! Escapologists manage to extricate themselves form unusual and seemingly impossible conditions, including, but not limited to: jail cells, trunks at he bottom of a river and sea monsters (Harry Houdini actually escaped from one after being sown up into the creature`s belly). My personal repertoire includes the
"Straightjacket", the "Mailbag Escape" and the "Escape from a Plastic Bag".

Some of the most dangerous effects are in the books. Thirteen magicians have died trying to perform the "Bullet-Catching Trick", whereas very few magicians have died performing a "Four-Ace Trick" …unless their audiences got to them first. If you hope to start out in the field of magic, I would suggest that you wait until you' ve developed enough skills in other fields before you tackle Escapology.

In many ways, escapes aren't very entertaining. A magician is in cuffs one second and then releases himself. So what? I find all too often that magicians are more impressed with their own escape effects than the audiences. What makes the effect interesting is the seemingly impossible conditions in which an escape is performed. Everyone presumes that the cuffs are tricked in some way or that the magician possesses the key, unless the handcuffs are supplied by a police department, the magician is locked in a seamless glass box or if he is in full view of a large audience. The latter situations add interest. Comedy also goes a long way in vivifying a staid performance.

Some excellent escape effects include the "Ten-Ichi Thumb-tie" and the "Thumbcuffs". The instructions of the "Ten-Ichi Thumb-tie" can be found in any good magic book. Information on "Thumbcuffs" can be found at any well-stocked magic store.