L - BP2

"That's better.'' It's as if you momentarily break character and show your cheeky side. Another alternative is to delay seating the participant. After you've asked them their 50/50 questions, look a bit confused and say ... "I've got to be honest Samantha, I have no idea what's going on in your head. Stay right there for a moment." Invite the remaining participants up on stage, get their signals, hand them their envelopes and direct them to their seats. Finally seat the participant whose signal you failed to get in the only remaining unoccupied seat. By a process of elimination, you know that it will be the correct seat for their colour. H 50 0 Q ST 0 S At the very start of the routine the audience will have seen you write a 'prediction'. When the 'prediction' is later revealed it will create the impression that you were somehow able to predict that the person in seat one would choose Red, the person in seat two would choose Orange, the person in seat three would choose Green, and the person in seat four would choose Blue. However, because you are seemingly unaware as to which colour pen each participant chose, the question some members of the audience may ask themselves is: How were you able to direct each participant to the correct seat to match your 'prediction' when you didn't know what colour pen each participant chose? What ability do you want the audience to believe you are demonstrating to make the effect work? This is where the 50/50 questions come into play. They act as the perfect disguise and rationale for you directing the participants to sit in

specific seats. Without explicitly saying so, you want the audience to believe that the participants' responses to the 50/50 questions provide you with some clue or insight as to what colour pen each of them chose. If a participant's answers to the 50/50 questions really did lead you to believe that they had chosen the Red pen for example, then you would logically direct them to sit in seat number one because that is what your 'prediction' requires. You want the audience to believe that the participant's answers to your 50/50 questions are guiding you to seat them in particular seats. Below are some of the 50/50 questions that I use: Inside or Outside@! Indian or Obinese Oats or On Sweet or Sour@! Prefer to be Cold up OR Hot and cool down@! Sweet or Sal.ted Po1:>corn11 H s As each participant is answering their 50/50 questions you are able to glance at the markings on the envelopes in your hand and select the correct envelope to hand them. You can literally pull out the correct envelope from wherever it is in the stack, and hand it to the participant as they take their seat. Alternatively, you may prefer to arrange the envelopes in the same order as the signals are received from the pens, and then hand the envelopes out from the top down once all four participants are seated. TH H TH From the perspective of the audience, since the envelopes have been mixed, you should have no knowledge as to the contents of each envelope. However, despite handing each participant an envelope in a seemingly random and arbitrary fashion, when the envelopes are eventually opened the coloured envelopes inside match the colour of the pens chosen by the participants. Additionally, the individual words on the back of (and inside o~ the coloured envelopes are in perfect order, so that. when those words are combined they create two coherent and meaningful messages@ How is it that you are able to hand each participant the correct white envelope so that the effect will work? What ability do you want the audience to perceive you are demonstrating which enables you to do that? Are you creating a forced coincidence by ending up with each of the four white envelopes in the correct order? Is it just blind luck, or a_re.you using some form of unspecified psychic intuition?

I dwelled upon this question for a long time and experimented with lots of ways to introduce the white envelopes. Sometimes I would just start with the envelopes already in the correct order, one on each chair. Although it eliminated the discrepancy, it made the finale obvious and unimpressive. The other method I experimented with was to have the white envelopes mixed, and then create the impression that the participants selected their envelopes based on their own intuition. To do this I had a duplicate set of white envelopes in one side of Banachek's wonderful Psychic Pad-folio. I would walk out into the audience, open the Pad-folio, and instruct someone to take the four white envelopes and give them a mix. Once the envelopes had been mixed they were placed back onto the Pad-folioo At no time would I even touch them. As I turned to face the seated participants on stage, I would execute the move to switch the mixed envelopes for a stack of envelopes which were set in the correct order. It was then simply a matter of moving down the line of four participants and having each of them select an envelope from the top of the stack one at a time. The audience at large believed that the participants had a free choice of any envelopeo In reality though, I would just gesture for each participant to take the top envelope. This worked welle The downside though was that it added extra procedure and introduced an additional prop without adding anything significant to the routine. I mention all this because I eventually concluded that the only person who seemed to be worried about the discrepancy was ME. After hundreds of performances of this routine nobody has ever come up to me afterwards and mentioned it.

R D H DR ING Because you know the colour of the pen each participant chose, you know which drawing belongs to which participant just by looking at the colour of the ink used to make each drawing. How though do you know what the last drawing is so that you can duplicate it? THE I imagine most of you will have spotted my use of Larry Becker's wonderful 'Sneak Thief' peek in the routine. The 'Sneak Thief' peek is one of the most well-known and deceptive peeks ever devised in Mentalism and you can find it in Larry's 'Stunners Plus' book. Larry is a friend of mine and he has helped me greatly over the years whenever I have needed assistance. I wholeheartedly recommend you support this great man's work and buy.everything ever released by him. The moment of the peek happens right after you have taken back the envelopes from the participant in seat number one, once he has given them a mix. When you take the envelopes back make sure they are squared up and hold them so that they are horizontal to the floor. Turn to face the audience and start walking towards them, away from the participants. After a few paces your body will effectively block the participants' line of sight so that they won't be able to see the envelopes in your hands. At that point flip the top envelope over (keeping it on top of the stack) whilst simultaneously bringing the stack of envelopes to a vertical position and displaying the first drawing to the audience. Keep the envelopes reasonably close to your body with your hands holding their edges, so as not to obstruct the audience's view of the drawing. It is at this moment that you discretely peek the drawing on the bottom envelope (ala Sneak Thief). It's so easy to do because the drawing is almost staring you in the face, and since you are walking toward the audience and your body is blocking the participants' line of sight they won't be able to see the bottom drawing as you obtain your peek. As you are displaying the drawing to the audience, keep walking towards them and approach one of your tables. As you get closer to the table, with one hand take the three envelopes on the bottom of the stack and shift them to a horizontal position as you casually place them drawing side down on the table. Your other hand keeps hold of the top envelope in a vertical position, all the while displaying it to the audience. This all happens in one seamless motion. To the audience it appears as if you're merely freeing up your hands by placing the other three envelopes on your table so that you can focus on the first drawing. When you eventually get around to duplicating the last participant's drawing so much time has elapsed since you got your peek that it's virtually impossible to for anyone to backtrack. The perception of the audience is that the envelopes have been isolated on the table the entire time and that you couldn't possibly know what the last drawing is. The beauty of the 'Sneak Thief' peek is in its boldness and timingo At the moment of the peek the audience's attention is focussed on the drawing you are showing theme This provides you with the perfect cover to do the sneaky stuff right in front of their noses. Try not to smile when you do it. Although this is a straightforward piece of choreography, it is vital that your movements are smooth, unhurried and entirely natural. Take the time to practice handling the envelopes and getting the peek until it becomes second nature.

TO R D ? m Rather than having the participants draw images, I have experimented with having them write down 'things' that are meaningful to them in some way, such as: The last A hobby or interest11 A favourite ING H D While the participants are busy doing their drawings you will be left with some uncomfortable 'dead time' on stage. I use one of the following methods to fill that 'dead time': I have the audience the whole audience to become involved in the routine and inclrease~s "l"AT'\nnn.m It also clear indication how I the 'Oountdown' TV theme tune (30 second :musical interlude11 UK audiences ::tns~m1a:r re~~o,~.se :1n1stj.nctiireJ.y know when to American audience you :may wish theme tune .for similar e;i;J~1:c11,a,. OPT 0 S R E R p s Although optional, this is something I'd recommend when you first starting performing this routine. During performance, when your back is to the participants, you will find it's actually quite difficult to resist the urge to turn around and speak to them. Be warned though. As soon as you turn around to look at the participants the audience will likely suspect that you are either peeking the colour of the pens in their hands or the pens in the pot. This isn't good because the audience need to be utterly convinced that you couldn't possibly know the colour of the pens chosen by the participants. To get around this you can use a makeshift screen to block the pen pot from view. I used an open sketchpad standing in a 'V' shape with the pen pot stood inside, which works well because you're able to use the sketchpad when you duplicate the final drawing during the routine.

0 LA R NC 'S S GG TION Laurence Hookway had a brilliant suggestion when I first spoke to him about the routine. Instead of using a pot to hold the pens, he suggested using a larger opaque box with a lid on it. You would need to gimmick the box to hide a powerful magnet in the bottom so that the tags inside the 'Color Match' pens will work. The benefit here is that by using an opaque box you can create the illusion that the participants had a choice of lots of different coloured pens, not just four. At the start of the routine you would open the box, shake it around a bit, and bring out a handful of pens, saying ... o "Inside this box I have a whole bunch of different coloured marker pens and felt tips. In a moment, I will ask some of you to come up on stage, reach inside the box, and choose any colour pen you like. It's important though that no-one sees what colour pen you choose, so once you've chosen a pen, put it behind your back or in your pocket to keep it hidden." Using a box also serves the same purpose as the screen mentioned above. If the audience themselves can't see the pens then they have no idea as to what colour pen each participant chose. If they don't know then it reinforces their belief that you can't know either. The audience are never aware of how many pens there are, so when the last participant chooses a pen, you would say ... "Alex, you know the drill by now, head up here, take a marker pen and hide it then take a seat. Everyone, please give Alex a round of applause." This makes the audience think there still more pens left in the box. SI IN 0 ST ? m I have experimented with performing this routine with the participants standing rather than sitting. Having the participants stand appealed to me because visually it moved away from the look and feel of a typical 'chair test' style routine. I had four laminated cards laid out on the floor with numbers on them so that the participants knew where to stand. On the opposite side of the laminated cards were the four colours, which served as the 'prediction'. Experience has taught me that more things went wrong when the participants were standing rather than sitting. At various times during the routine your back is to the participants and I believe that having them sitting (rather than standing) minimises the opportunity for potential problems. UC IS OD UC ? m As I said at the start of this chapter, this routine was born out of my desire to take a simple method and extract as much out of it as possible in terms of reveals and applause. Another phrase to describe this would be 'Milking it for all its worth'. There comes a point though where you start to ask yourself, 'How much is too much?' Rather than using a sketchpad for the 'prediction', you could include the traditional 'chair test' reveal where you have different coloured cards on the backs of the chairs that match the order of the colours selected by the participants. It's a visual and theatrical reveal, hence its popularity. The reason I use the sketchpad for the 'prediction' is that this routine is only one part of my bigger stage show. When I apparently write down the 'prediction' on my sketchpad I am in fact secretly writing the outcome to something else that I predict at the end of my showe

The 'massive round of applause' message on the back of the coloured envelopes and the final message on the papers inside the envelopes, are essentially two sides of the same coin. If you feel you're 'milking it' too much you could omit the 'massive round of applause' reveal from the back of the coloured envelopes and skip straight to the final message reveal. In my experience though the audience are so overwhelmed by everything they have seen happen, and so invested in the routine, that towards the end they will applaud, cheer and shout at every opportunity. That being the case, give them what they want, and 'milk it' for all it's worth. YO DON'T 'CO OR No problem, I have a 'non~electronic' version of the routine that is practically identical to the one you have just reade In this version you have a pack of coloured markers in their packaging and simply offer your participants a free choice of any marker. I offer the pens for selection in the following way: I hold the behind my back with the ope1n:u12: towards the IJCL.lb 11a.1.'l.i.1..µa.L.11.11a1 so can see the coloured caps of the pens111 .As soon where remove a pen I insUmt;Jy know which pen need to and which need hs.ve111 The method is inspired by Stephen Tucker's 'Visa Cabaret' effect, but instead of using a wallet I'm using a pack of coloured marker pens. I haven't found packs with just four markers, so get hold of a pack with six markers, they're easy enough to find at any stationary store. You need to make two modifications to the packaging of the marker pens to use this method. ING RST HICH C TION H B S CTED This modification will allow you to know which pen has been selected the instant it is removed from the packaging. Using a scalpel or sharp craft knife, carefully cut a long thin rectangular hole out of the back of the packaging. You want to cut the hole along the width of the packaging so that you can rest your four fingertips in the hole. This will allow you to feel the pens when they are inside the packaging, and when a pen is removed you will be able to feel the empty space where the pen once was. Please take care when cutting the hole. I advise placing something hard inside the packaging so that you don't accidently cut through to the front. I cut a small piece of 15mm MDF to size and inserted it into the cardboard packaging, which allowed me to cut into the back panel of the packaging without damaging any other part. Once you've made the rectangular hole remove the MDF section and proceed to making the second modification. SE N Since we're only using four pens in the routine if you put four pens in a pack meant for six you'll notice that the pens move around inside the packaging.

To overcome this you need to make four compartments so that each pen will stay in place when inserted in the pack. To do this cut some strips of card approximately 25mm thick and about ~ the length of the barrel of each pen. These strips of card will act as dividers to keep the pens in place. Fold the strips of cards lengthwise and at a 90 degree angle then carefully adhere them to the inside of the packaging using double-sided tape. Use these dividers to create four compartments will stop the pens from rattling around inside the packaging. Insert your four markers into thee compartments in Red, Orange, Green, Blue order, from left to right and you're good to go. In performance when a participant removes one of the pens from the packaging, you will feel which one they have removed. Ask them a couple of 50/50 questions then hand them their envelope and direct them to sit in the appropriate chairu Once all four participants have been seated I retrieve the envelopes that have been mixed by a member of the audience. As I am walking back towards the participants I apparently give the envelopes a final casual mix, but in the process arrange the enve],opes in 1234 or 4321 order, whichever is more expedient by looking at the marks. It's then a simple matter of handing the envelopes out from left to right if they are stacked in 1234 order, or from right to left if they are stacked in 4321 orders When I'm handing out the envelopes I walk along the line of participants and I apparently offer them a free choice of envelope, in reality though I literally hand them the envelope they need to haveu My body is blocking the line of sight of the audience, which creates the illusion that the participants are 'choosing' any envelope they wish. As I'm handing out the envelopes, I say: "The envelopes were thoroughly mixed by a member of our audience Just take any one ... it doesn't matter which, there are four of you and four envelopes." The four participants interpret this to mean that since a member of the audience has mixed the envelopes it doesn't matter which one they get because they're in a random order anyway. The audience at large though will get the impression that each participant is actually 'choosing' an envelope as I move down the line. You can use this method of handing out the envelopes if you are using the 'Color Match' pens, and there is ample opportunity to surreptitiously arrange the envelopes in order when the participants are selecting their pens.

c SING 0 NTS There is something extremely rewarding about being able to accomplish so much from so little, which is what makes performing these kinds of routines so much fune At the time of writing this routine has been in every stand up show I've done since 2010, which should tell you how highly I regard it. The 'Color Match' method offers you an incredible degree of freedom and cleanliness but occasionally you may have an issue with the signals. The 'non-electronic' method is surefire but more 'hands-on', so you lose that element of freedom and cleanliness. Personally, I use the 'Color Match' pens when I perform this, but regardless of which method you use the overall effect and number of applause cues is the same. You and your audience are guaranteed to have fun and a memorable timee Cot orm.atcll 1louti.ne

THINKIN OUT THINGS ITT E DI R NT Pe:it-fo·rm~Ln~ my first Q&A wasn't that came easy to me, far .trom it. For years I had avoided Q&A like the that it didn't lend itself to the Entertainer' persona I had created for ... "'"'""""'"-"-® In I didn't the or the p~orcnm1d Jl.W.IJC:l.'l.i\MI it can have on an audience11 As I grew in confidence and maturity I experimented with the types of effects I performed, and I realized that not everything needed to have a 'psychological' angle or rationale. I began to introduce occasional effects in my shows which didn't have any kind of explanation, be it psychological or otherwise. The reactions to these effects were different, not necessarily better or more enthusiastic, but certainly different. They added contrast to my show and an air of mystery to me as a performer. Don't get me wrong. I still wanted my audiences to understand and accept the various psychological premises that I suggested were at work early on in my show. My goal was still to convince my audiences that what I was doing was accomplished using a combination of learnt extraordinary skills .. However, once they had come to that understanding, I would then perform an effect that wouldn't fit this psychological profile I had helped them construct in their minds. I'd do something for which there was no explanation, triggering a huge reaction and making the audience feel as if they had just witnessed something truly extraordinary and inexplicable .. I wanted them to feel unnerved and completely baffled, looking at me as if to say;

'I was following you up to a point, but how in the hell is THAT possible?" This was a refreshing and liberating change in direction for me as a performer. I felt as if I had set myself free from the 'psychological' post I had willingly chained myself toe I realized that it was OK for me to suggest psychological trickery one minute and nothing the next. I was becoming the 'Mystery Entertainer'. That was when I started to seriously consider how I could make Q&A a part of my act. I researched as many methods as I could get my hands on, and my studies took me along many different paths. I loved the idea of Banachek's 'Psychic Pad Folio' for a smaller parlour style Q&A. His time misdirection and use of a Drawing Duplication as a prelude to his Q&A is fantastic and worthy of study for anyone who is not familiar with it. It is on Banachek's 'Psi -Series' DVD set as well as his 'Psychic Pad Folio' OD-ROM. I placed that to the back of my mind because I wanted something for a larger audience, where I could perform a more traditional Q&A act. My friend John Riggs released his 'Masterpieces of Mentalism' DVD in 2011 which he focussed on the 'The Hull Oard' and his version of Burling Hull's 'Volta Supper Club Act'. Watching John perform, I was blown away by his boldness and simplicity of method. No one in the audience had a clue as to how he was reading their thoughts; it was fantastic and mesmerizing to watch. In the explanation section John kept mentioning Dr Charles 'Oicardi' Scott and his Q&A act. My interest was piqued and I searched for information on 'Oicardi'. Loren Tindall had released a 2 DVD set with Oicardi in 2008. I ordered it, and when I saw Oicardi in action, that was it - I was hooked on Q&Ae The methods that John and Oicardi used were based on 'The Hull Oard', made popular by Burling Hull, but the way in which they utilised the move in their acts was unique and differente Oicardi also used a blindfold, which was something I was very fond of tryinge I set about creating a hybrid Q&A routine, drawing inspiration from both acts, until it I had something that was more 'me'. R T Q&A After many months and countless practice sessions I felt ready to try my first Q&A out on a real audience. I was booked to perform at a gourmet banquet for a very prestigious clienta Unfortunately, after a five course meal (with specialist wines in between each course) half the audience were pretty drunk when I took the stage. When I got into the Q&A routine the reactions I received were not what I had been used to. I have always taken great pride in generating enthusiastic audience reactions during my showse Eager applause, cheers, laughter and good banter made the show fun for the audience and for mee In that first Q&A though, as I stood there blindfolded, I felt somewhat alone and strangely disconnected from my audience. I couldn't SEE their reactions, which felt weird, and for the first time in a long time I didn't feel completely in control. I answered the first question and was greeted with audible gasps, followed by hushed silence as I moved onto the next question. I couldn't see the audience and they were so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Was it working? Were the audience with me? As I answered each subs.equent question I could sense the tension in the audience building. In my head I knew that what I was doing was becoming more and more impossible, and I imagined more and more fascinating to watch. Here was this blindfolded guy stood in front of them answering specific questions that they had been thinking of throughout the evening. Even without a visual connection with the audience I knew tl:~at they were on the edge of their seats, hanging on my every word. Speaking with other

performers of Q&A, I learned that the main reason everyone pays complete attention during Q&A is that they never know if their question will be answered next. It is the not knowing 'if' or 'when' their question might come up that captivates the audience. As I brought the routine to a close, there was a moment of worrying silence, and then the audience erupted into deafening applause, releasing all their built up tension. They knew that they had just witnessed something utterly inexplicable, something beyond anything I had shown them before. Chatting with the guests informally after the show, it was all anyone wanted to talk about. Arter that first Q&A, I never looked back. If you have never performed Q&A then I trust that what follows will give you the confidence to try it, at least once. If you already use Q&A in your act then my hope is that you'll be inspired to try one (or maybe more) of my alternate Q&A presentationse R Q s CE In a traditional Q&A the performer 'psychically' divines questions from members of the audience related to their past, present or future. He then answers those questions, providing some insight and understanding to the respective authors. That's a serious responsibility to take on. Remember, in Q&A we are potentially dealing with important personal questions related to people's lives. We therefore need to exercise extreme caution and careful judgement with the answers we provide. This was one of my reservations with taking on Q&A in the first place. You must be acutely aware that the answers you provide will almost certainly be taken seriously by some people. For that reason, when I give my answers I never say anything that might inadvertently encourage someone to make a life altering decision which could have negative consequences down the line. I never suggest or imply anything that might create a feeling of false hopee Answering questions in Q&A is an art in itself. The amount of material written on that topic alone is vast. As I'm formulating and delivering my answer I keep in mind; Don't Using these precepts has helped me when it comes to answering Q&A questions. If there's a question I don't want to answer, or one that I feel I can't answer in a benign or ethical way, then I don't answer it. I move onto the next question.

I have on occasion attended Psychic Fairs and overheard some pretty disgusting .'advice' given by supposed Psychics. I heard one lady 'advise' her 'client' to start an affair because her husband was on military service abroad and she was lonely! It is that kind of dangerous and reckless advice that really angers me, it's so irresponsible. A traditional Q&A act isn't so much about the 'questions', it's more about the 'answers'. That's what people are most interested in. When I'm on stage, 'how' I answer the questions is dependent on my performance persona AND my fundamental role as an Entertainer. I'm there to entertain my audiences by demonstrating abilities that are amazing and truly extraordinary. I'm not there to be a Clairvoyant Counsellor, advising people on how to run their lives and providing some kind of supernatural insight into what will happen in their future. With that in mind, learning to craft my 'answers' and conveying them in a way that is interesting, entertaining and helpful (albeit in a commonsense and non-committal fashion) is the skill I've worked hardest to attain. It's what elevates Q&A to a level above everything else, which is why I now close my show with it. The burden of responsibility you take upon yourself when you attempt to answer people's most important and life defining questions is enormous. Don't take it lightly; Q&A is a tricky beast to tame. So, how can you get a feel for how Q&A works without that burden? That's where the idea of 'Audience Reading' comes into play. DI c With a traditional Q&A act the performer has a responsibility to provide answers that won't be misconstrued or misinterpreted by the audience; every answer you give needs to be carefully measured and thought out. Being able to do that 'on the fly', and at the same time creating a believable and entertaining routine, is a daunting prospect. Rather than 'jumping in the deep end' as it were, you might want to 'dip your toe in the water' first, and perform what I like to call an Audience Reading routine. The key difference between Q&A and Audience Reading is in the type of information you request from the audience, and the way you feed it back to them. Instead of writing down 'questions' of a personal nature (as in a traditional Q&A), with an Audience Reading the audience merely write down 'information' of some description that is pertinent to them in some wayo The methods employed in an Audience Reading are the same as in a traditional Q&A, but the emphasis during performance is on revealing and feeding back the written information in a fun and entertaining way, rather than answering potentially difficult personal questions. In an Audience Reading routine there are no personal questions to answer, in fact there might not be any 'questions' at all. That being the case, you don't have to worry about people making life-changing .decisions based on your responses. This gives you far more freedom in how you respond to what the audience members have writteno y u u R u C R D G? Firstly, some of the questions you'll encounter in a tradition~ Q&A can be quite serious in tone, which might be incompatible with the expectations of your client or the nature of the event you're performing ato Because

my primary objective is to satisfy the needs of my clients, when Q&A isn't appropriate I'll perform an Audience Reading routine instead. Secondly, Q&A and Audience Reading essentially share the same methods and techniques. When you're getting to grips with Q&A learning the 'method' is secondary to learning 'how' to answer the questions, for all the reasons I've previously discusseda Working on an Audience Reading routine allows you to learn the methods you can later employ in Q&A. There's less pressure with an Audience Reading though because there are no questions to answer and you're merely feeding back information. You don't have the added concern of making sure you are answering the questions in an appropriate fashion as you do in Q&A. After you've performed a few Audience Readings you'll eventually become experienced and comfortable with the underlying method. This means that during your first Q&A you can focus your attention primarily on 'how' you're answering the questions, rather than being overly distracted with the method and other technical aspects of the routine. You already know them from the Audience Readings you've done. Here are some of the differi;;nt presentational angles I've used for my Audience Readings. s IC Q& H S As much as I love performing my Q&A routine, I would like to offer an alternative approach, something that the 'psychological' performers will love. It provides a way of performing Q&A without having to compromise your 'psychological' persona. I call it 'The Scam'. I've only performed this for private parlour bookings with 10-100 guests, although I expect it will translate to larger audiences also. The irony of this presentation is that although you will be demonstrating techniques that Psychics often use, you are still offering practical, sensible, commonsense and ethical advice. The only prerequisite is that you need to gain access to some of the written questions, either 'peeking' them in real time. There are many published methods for accessing the written questions, but my personal preference is to use Banachek's excellent 'Psychic Pad Folio'. Early in my show I use Banachek's 'Psychic Pad Folio' to switch out the question cards, replacing them with dummy cards that are deposited into a large clear glass bowl on stagee The Pad is placed in my case and forgotten about as I proceed with other effects. Towards the end of my show, when I'm ready to perform my Q&A, I casually retrieve the Pad from my case. The effects I have performed since the initial collection of the questions create some wonderful time misdirection. From the perspective of the audience the question cards have been visible inside a glass bowl the whole time! I've not gone near them since they were put there. No-one ever suspects the Pad since I'll obviously be using it to 'make notes' during the Q&A. If you don't have this fantastic prop a great alterative is a clever device from my friend Dave Moses called 'The Banny Pad', which is included as downloadable content (DLC) on the website. Here's my script for the 'Psychological Q&A.

"Raise your hand if you genuinely believe, without any shadow of doubt, that a Psychic can give you a definitive answer to a question pertaining to your future?" A small handful of people raise their hands. "That's quite a few of you. Let me ask you thisuo raise your hand if you have ever visited a Psychic, or had a Tarot Card or Palm Reading?" More people raise their hands. "That's good, hands down. As we can see a large percentage of you have seen a Psychic of some sort. It's a massive industry; billions of pounds are spent each year by people wanting to know the unknowable. I've been lucky enough to have been involved in this industry for a long time. I have to confess though that as much as I genuinely want to believe that real Psychics do exist, I have yet to see any conclusive proof thus far that they do. We should question what a Psychic tells us. The moment we do though, we inevitably run into problem$. Have you ever tried to tell a Psychic that they might not be able to communicate with the 'other side'? It's not a pretty sight. One of the reasons I'm sat on the fence so to speak, is the fact that the vast majority of people who go to see a Psychic do so because at that moment in their lives they are vulnerable in some way. They might be grieving and in pain. They might be seeking closure on some traumatic past experience, or worried about their family, friends or future." Regardless of your own beliefs, it is entirely possible that there will be some members of your audience who genuinely believe in Psychicso Some people fervently believe that Mediums CAN communicate with the 'other side', and Clairvoyants CAN see the future. If you dismiss or discount someone's deeply held beliefs, you risk offending r Cue &. HaJ them and you potentially open yourself up to a heated debate or argument. If you're perceived as being judgemental then you yourself will be judged, most likely in a negative way. That's why I'm circumspect in my opinion, suggesting to the audience that, 'I'm on the fence', and 'generally want to believe but I haven't seen any conclusive proof thus far that they do [exist]'. I'm not bashing the Psychic industry as a wholeo I know some 'Readers' or 'Intuitives' personally who treat their clients with respect and are ethical in their interactions with themo They firmly believe that they have a 'gift', some kind of heightened sense of 'intuition', that allows them insights beyond the norm. I highlight this by sayingm "I know that there are some Psychics who sincerely believe they possess some kind of Psychic ability, and who do their utmost to offer ethical practical advice in the belief that they are doing good. By saying that, any 'believers' in the audience will assume that I'm talking about the Psychics they respect or have interacted with. Presumably, the Psychics they trust and believe in will be ethical and full of practical adviceo Whether or not this is actually true or not is another matter. The upshot is that you want the 'believers' on your side. Unfortunately, there are many unscrupulous Psychics who prey on our vulnerabilities and insecurities." Designating some Psychics as being 'Unscrupulous Psychics' strikes a chord with 'believers' and 'sceptics' alike. A 'believer' would condemn .those in the Psychic fraternity who actively prey on people's vulnerabilities and insecurities for their own gain. The 'sceptics' in the audience probably view all Psychics as unscrupulous. Either way your statement will be viewed a reasonable assertion to make. It is the 'methods' employed by this ephemeral group of 'Unscrupulous Psychics' which will form the premise of the presentation. The performer pulls out a Black marker pen from his pocket and continues:

"It is the methods and techniques used by these 'Unscrupulous Psychics' that I want to draw your attention to. They know the most common issues and concerns that people have on their minds; in fact there are seven main categories of questions that people usually want answers to when they visit a Psychic. They are: Travel, Health, Education, Sex, Career, Ambitions and Money. It sounds like quite a lot to remember right? Not if you're an 'Unscrupulous Psychic' though." Repeated use of the phrase 'Unscrupulous Psychics' reassures the 'believers' that you're not talking about the Psychics they believe in. Let's take the first letter from each of those categories. Travel eu T" The performer writes a large letter 'T' on a flip chart stood to the side of the performance area. "Health ... H" The performer writes a large letter 'H' next to the 'T', continuing for each of the previously named categories until the audience see a word spelt out in front of them. SC The reaction of the audience once they see the phrase, 'THE SCAM' varies. I've experienced laughter, giggles, whispers, people asking me questions or nodding in apparent understanding. At this point you will have retrieved the 'Psychic Pad Folio' from your case and read one of the question cards. Let's assume the first question reads; "Will I live a long and healthy life?" - Mary Jones. You continue: "So, with THE SCAM in mind I bet there's at least one person here tonight who asked question that fits into each of the categories. Let's take Health for example ... Statistically, females tend to ask health related questions, more so than males. It's usually a question along the lines of 'Will I live a long and happy life, and not get ill?"' People will naturally look around, curious to see if anyone posed that particular question (or one similar). Ideally the person that actually wrote the question (Mary) will make a comment or appear excited at the mention of their question: "Oh my, I thought of that exact question!" When this happens it generates a great reaction, reinforcing your assertion that people's questions typically fit into general categories. As the audience are reacting, surreptitiously read another question. If you encounter a question that fits into the same category as the first then immediately feedback that question, it's better for continuity. For example, if you read a question like: "Will my daughter be healthy in later life?" - John Waters.

You could continue with: "The next most popular Health question will be about somebody else, usually a close relative. Something like, 'Will my daughter be healthy in later life?' In fact, this question is more likely to be from a man." The questioner will either react strongly, or laugh and raise his hand to show that he did indeed think of that very question. Follow up these questions with real world practical advice, for example: "John, many of us have those same concerns when it comes to our loved ones. All we can do is raise them right, look after them when they are ill and always consult specialists in times of ill health. The journey of life will throw up many obstacles along the way, but if we are prepared beforehand it places us in a good position." I like to suggest to the audience during this presentation, that you are far more likely to get constructive advice and moral support from your friends and family. They already know who you are and they're in a far better position to help you. Cue &. Ha~ ING ppy E R A high percentage of my private bookings come from weddings. Sometimes I'm hired to perform in a 'Mix & Mingle' capacity, strolling around and performing informally for the guests at the drinks reception, etc. Other times, I'm asked to perform my after dinner show. Traditional Q&A is too heavy for weddings, so instead of asking the guests to focus on questions related to them personally, I ask them to write down things about the bride and groom. I developed a unique take on it that enhances the positivity and overall celebratory feeling of the day. Some of the topics I typically suggest are: the A that involves bride or My friend Dave Moses had the brilliant idea of using different colored slips of paper; pink for the bride and blue for the groom. That way I can balance the information I reveal, so that it's not too heavily biased towards the bride or groom. I have a ballot box in a prominent part of the venue, beside which is a stack of different coloured slips of paper and a pot of pens. A printed laminated sheet next to the box explains what I would like the guests to do. If you

perform at a lot of weddings, go the extra mile and match the aesthetic of the day by using things such as heart shaped chalk boards, instructions embroidered onto bunting, etc. If you make a big deal out of the display it will attract the guests and they'll eagerly fill in their slips of paper. In performance I become a conduit between the happy couple and the guests. The bride and groom become an integral part of the effect because the information is focussed on them, and the guests get to say nice things about the happy couple on their wedding day. This approach to an Audience Reading creates an extremely positive and upbeat vibe, adding to the spirit of the occasion. Try it at your next wedding show; I promise you'll be amazed at how different it is to your more traditional Q&A. T Cue &. Ha;J T N OU CR T Q Instruct your audience members to write down a 'secret' about themselves that no-one else knows. No names, everything is kept anonymous, so there's no chance of anyone being embarrassed in front of the rest of the group. As you divine their 'secrets' the audience will naturally try to figure out who each secret belongs to. This can create some great moments of humour if you allow it, but please carefully control it. This type of Audience Reading is perfect for 'Hen Do's' here in the UK, or indeed any type of event where the emphasis is on celebrating and having fun, i.e. Christmas & Birthday Parties, etc. I wouldn't perform this in a more formal setting such as a wedding or corporate event. Some of the 'secrets' I've seen written down have been quite racy, and revealing them in those settings wouldn't be appropriate. s A conversation I had with Dave Moses inspireq me to come up with the following presentation. Dave is a writer and he likes to try to describe his guests as if they are characters in a story, and reveal things about them. He explained to me that there are three fundamental things that make us different to one anothero They are: What we LOVE .... What we HATE m and what we WANT. Upon reading those three things I had a 'light bulb' moment. Why not do an Audience Reading routine in which people to write down:

Want. Underneath those three pieces of information, the participants should also write their full name. Feeding that information back to the audience gives ample scope for a great presentatione Dave creates a scene in the minds of the audience containing the elements Love, Hate and Desire chosen by each person. "I put them into a scene where the things they Love, Hate, and Want come out." For example, imagine you have secretly read the following information: I LOVE going to the Cinema.I HATE being stuck in Traffic., I WANT to go on holiday to the Caribbean. John Dune One example of feeding back this information could bem "Do we have a John in the group tonight? John, I try to imagine people as if they are characters in a story, and describe the feeling that I get from them, do you mind if I do this with you? The first thing I sense is warmth, like a blanket, but made of sando Does that make sense? Something very warm and relaxing? John, do you have a middle name?" "Not really." "What's your surname, John?" "Dune." "Ah OH sand dune uo that's why I was getting warm sand. It's not just that though. There is warmth surrounding you. Do you prefer to be indoors or outdoors?" "Both really." "Have you been thinking of spending more time outdoors recently? Do you want to go away somewhere, maybe a holiday?" "Yes." "This is strange becausE:l I'm getting somewhere warm indoors as well. I'm seeing you sat somewhere relaxing and warm, but I don't feel this has anything to do with your holiday right? You're trying to relax but there's and uneasy feeling. Either you've just experienced something stressful or you are watching something stressful. This wouldn't be at a cinema would it?" "That's right! I love going to the cinema!" "I can't figure out why I'm getting this feeling of stress. I'll describe what I'm seeing and you let us know what it might mean. On the screen are lots of carso They are waiting, like in a traffic jam? Does that make sense?" "Oh my god, I hate traffic jams!" Do you see the difference here? No tricky questions to answer. You have free rein to paint a picture in people's heads based on the information they wrote down.

THE INTER TING' Q People generally like to talk about themselves, and everyone has some interesting bit of information that they don't mind sharing. With that in mind, asking the members of the audience to write down, 'An interesting fact about yourself', is an ideal way to grab their attention .. Don't give any more details than that, and ask them to write their name beneath their 'interesting fact'. By allowing them a wide scope to draw from, you will find that some of the 'facts' are hysterical, unpredictable and extremely 'left-field'. Here is a short list of genuine facts I've encountered when performing this. I still. I in the 1987 Guinness Book of' World Records. I flushed my 10. As you can see, the facts don't always pertain to a skill or a contemporary fact. Many people will reflect back on their lives and write down something interesting from their childhood. One tip is to try and remember a few of these facts during the presentation, but don't use them at the time. Instead, try to incorporate them later in your show to add depth and strength to other routines. Here's a genuine example that I experienced a few months ago. I had committed to memory one. of the example facts: 'I flushed my pet goldfish down the toilet when I was 10'. I knew the chap in question, but I didn't reveal the information. Later in the show as part of my 'Color Match' routine (also in this book) I had four participants sat on chairs, each with a different coloured marker pen. They had each drawn a picture on the back of an envelope they had been Cue & HaJ given, and I noted that the chap who had 'flushed his goldfish down the toilet' was in seat number 2. The way in which the 'Color Match' routine is structured meant that he had also selected the Orange marker pen. I made the association of Goldfish being Orange and made the following comment; "Interesting how you had a free choice of marker pen, yet you felt drawn towards the Orange one. Was there any particular reason you chose Orange?" "I just like Orange" "Have you ever owned a Goldfish?" "Yes (starts smiling)" "You flushed your goldfish down the toilet when you were younger didn't you?" He burst out laughing and nodded his head. His reaction triggered the rest of the audience to respond accordingly and roar with laughter. You can use these facts however you see fit, but trying to incorporate humour or the element of surprise is always a recommended approach.

c s p Q A Can it exist? Of course it can. Remember Annemann's routine, 'A Question and the Answer' from 'Practical Mental Effects'? That's as stripped down a version of Q&A as possible, wherein someone thinks of a question, and the performer gives an appropriate answer. Any tarot or palm reader is essentially giving a one to one Q&A every time they do a reading. Mentalists however seem to restrict their Q&A performances to the stage, but we can incorporate Q&A into our close-up performances with relative ease. I genuinely believe Larry Becker's 'Sneak Thief' is one of the most natural ways in which we can do this for 3-5 participants in a close-up setting. Larry's now classic effect is in his 'Stunners Plus' book and is essential reading for anyone with an interest in Mentalism. I won't be explaining Larry's method for peeking one of the questions; I expect everyone who has bought this book will already know it. Instead I will outline how I perform a quick Q&A style routine using the method and structure of 'Sneak Thief'. I give each participant one of my business cards, nail nicking them as I do. I nick each card in a different location so that I can later determine which person has which cardo You can nick the cards any way you want, but I prefer to nick them from left to right along one of the short edges. The last card is not nicked. Nail nicking your business cards on the fly is a useful skill to acquire and a valuable tool for any working mentalist. Once it becomes second nature, it opens doors to being able to perform some powerful business card mentalism without any preparation. One of the ways in which I used to practice this was to nail nick my business cards every time I handed one out when networking with prospective clients. After a short period of time, the whole process becomes second nature; you'll never have to think about nail nicking ever again. With my business cards handed out I instruct each participant to write - I I Cue &. Ha~ down a question that pertains to a specific area of their life that they would like an answer to; something they might discuss with friends in a pub over drinks for example. Once the questions have been written down, I ask for them to be mixed writing side down on a table, or passed to one of the participants and mixed in their hands. The business cards are then handed to me (writing side down) and I turn the top card over, revealing the question. I give an answer to the question and identify the author based on the nail nick on the card. I do this for each card in turn, except the last. The owner of the last card is obvious at this point, so instead I provide them with an answer to their question sight unseen - courtesy of Larry's 'Sneak Thief'. I wholeheartedly recommend this routine to anyone who has an interest in Q&A, but has never actually performed one before. It has the inbuilt security of being able to know who wrote what question, and ends with a strong climax that 'feels' like traditional Q&A. It is a suitable 'crossover' piece to introduce a Q&A feel to your close-up act. If you like 'Sneak Thief' then Andy Nyman's 2004 DVD 'Get Nyman' has an excellent effect called 'Magicians Graphology' which is well worth checking out.

0 0 E Q OUTINE The following is one of my favourite billet routines; it has all the ingredients to fulfil my SAD criteria - Simple and Direct. All you need is a single participant, a billet, a pen, and a whole load of balls! It was inspired by Annemann's routine, and is ideal as a one to one Q&A, or even a parlour routine with a single participant. "Years ago, many Psychics would have their audience focus on a specific question or concern they might have on their mind. The Psychic would then attempt to divine that question or concern, and then give an answer. There are specific areas of life that people dwell upon which are of common concern, like relationships, careers, health, money, etc. I'd like you to focus on a specific area of your life, and think of a question you want answered. Take your time and simply raise your hand when you have a question in minda" One by one members of the audience raise their hands. The performer casts his eye around, and decides upon one person. "Hello, what is your name?" "Caroline" "Pleased to meet you, Caroline. Do you have a question in mind about a specific area of your life that you don't know the answer to?" "Perfect, come up and join me. Everyone, please give Caroline a warm round of applause."

The rest of the group responds as she joins the performer on stage. He shakes her hand and requests that she stand facing the audience. "Caroline, tell us a little bit about yourself and where you are from?" "My name is Caroline, I'm 35 years old, married and I work as a nurse." "Excellent, how long have you been a nurse?" "About 9 years." "Right now, your question only exists in your mind. I would like you to make that question a physical reality, something we can use as a focal point." The performer hands her a billet and a pen. "Jot down your question, don't let me or anyone else see what it is. When you've done that fold the paper up into quarters, like so." Caroline writes her question and folds the paper up. The performer turns back, holding his palm outstretched, and Caroline places the billet on his palm. The performer continues: "Years ago, questions were apparently answered by seers, or psychics by gazing into crystal balls.'' "I want you to imagine your question physically engraved inside a crystal ball. In fact if I close my hand into a fist with the question sealed inside, we could almost imagine it being a physical representation of that." The performer closes his hand into a ball and turns it over. He encourages the participant to come in closer and focus intently on the 'crystal ball' and her question. "Is this a concern or thought you have had for a while?" "I guess for the past couple of yearso" "Does this question pertain to you directly, or to someone else?" "I would say it involves both." "If we both focus intently on the ball, between us we might be able to get an answer." "The feeling I'm getting as I try to focus in here is that of a partnership. Does that make sense to you?" "Yes definitely." "You're married aren't you?" "Yes I am." "Would I be correct in feeling this is related to your marriage, yes?" "Yes." "I'm also getting a sense that it involves a third person, but I cant seem to focus in on who this might be. Is there another person involved here?" "Oh my god, yes there is, and I know why you can't focus on who it is!" "This person doesn't yet exist do they?" "No!" "Caroline, Are you wondering when you will have a baby?" "Yes I am!" "Let's see if we can find your answer." The performer takes a step back a little and brings both hands together to create an even bigger representation of a crystal ball. "Step closer and focus with me. How long have you been married?" "4 years."

'Ii "I'm not seeing any immediate problems here. Your relationship seems strong, although you'd probably like to share a little more couple time. Work often gets in the way of the things you like to do together. Having said that, I feel you both need to introduce a little more spontaneity into your relationship, perhaps a 'date night' on a regular basiso Value this time that you have together, and use it to build a solid foundation for the family you will hopefully have someday. Does that answer your question?" "Yes it does, thank you!" ET D This really is as sneaky and bold as it gets. The first time I tried this routine I found it difficult not to laugh at the sheer brazenness of the method. It is 'cheeky' with a capital Co Many Mentalism routines rely on techniques that have their roots in Magic; this routine is a prime example of that. Although the routine plays as a pure mental effect, the main subterfuge is in fact a classic coin magic moveo In JB Bobo's 'Modern Coin Magic' there is a routine entitled 'Coin to Key' (p78) which describes a wonderful coin 'steal'. That's what I'm employing in this routine, although I'm stealing a single billet, rather than a coin. STE NG THE As the billet is placed·on your outstretched left hand, try to have it positioned so that it lies across the base of your fingers, in the same position as it would be if you were to finger palm it. As you begin to. curl your fingers to close your hand into a fist, the billet begins to turn over.

If you rotate your wrist 180 degrees at this point, you are able close your hand into a fist and work the billet out so that it is clipped by your fingertips. The illustration shows how the fingertips hold the billet, but in performance your wrist will be turned over so the billet faces the ground. With the billet. clipped by your fingertips outside your down turned left fist, point towards your closed fist with your right hand and say the following: "Is this a concern or thought you have had for a while?" The time it takes for you to ask this one simple question is all the time you need to sneakily steal the billet with your right hand. You will definitely want to practice this in front of a mirror to appreciate just how clean this steal looks. As you say, 'Is this ••. ', your right hand will be pointing with its index finger and moving towards your left fist. By the time you have said those two words, your right index finger should be touching the back of your fist. As you continue your question, and with no pause whatsoever, begin to slowly rotate your left fist anti - clockwise 90 degrees. Your right hand provides ample cover so that the billet is not seen. As soon as you reach the 90 degree mark, your right thumb and right index finger grip the protruding billet. In one continuous motion you steal the billet and raise your left fist upwards about 6 inches. Your right hand pulls the billet inside your fist and starts to move back whilst still pointing to your left fist. It's all down to timing, so take one step at a time and try to get the question timed correctly. The illustrations highlight the move clearly. There has been much in print regarding billet switches, and tears but I've rarely seen anything about billet steals. Practice the steal over and over and you will have a powerful and invisible weapon in your arsenal. You will need to experiment and practice to understand the appropriate angles that this can be executed at. Once you've mastered it though, this bold steal will open up possibilities previous unavailable to you. 0 ING E You draw attention to your left fist throughout the routine by suggesting it is a visual representation of a crystal ball. As the focus will be on your left fist, your right hand will slip behind your participants back and secretly open and read the billet. To facilitate this, encourage your

participant to step closer and they do so bring your right arm behind their back as if to 'bring them in close'. With your participant blocking everyone's view of your right hand you will open the billet using a move called the 'Umbrella Move', popularized by Al Baker in the 1930'se It has since become the standard manoeuvre for opening a folded billet one-handed. The move is easier to execute if you relax and take your time. In the heat of performance the billet might not open as easily as you would like. Don't panic, remain calm and focus on your presentation and patter. If you succumb to panic it will affect your physiology, which will in turn affect your breathing and ultimately your speech. Once this occurs, it's the performer's kiss of death and your audience will start to pick up that you are no longer being natural and that something is amisse To do the 'Umbrella Move' you need to insert your thumb into one of the folds of the billet. Once it's inserted, grip the billet tight with your fingers and push into the centre of the billet with the thumb. The billet will pop open, like an umbrella, hence the name of the move. G H With the billet now open and hidden from view behind the participant's back, I ask another question; "Does this question pertain to you directly, or to someone else?" I am looking at the participant as they begin to answer, making sure that their focus is locked on my closed left fist, i.e. the imaginary 'crystal ball'. As they respond, my eyes dart down momentarily to the open billet behind their backo I glimpse their question then immediately look back at them. It takes all of a second but no-one spots it because of the staging; it really is a sneaky peek. NG THE After you've read the billet, and with your hand still behind the participant's back, you will need to secretly refold the billet. I refold the billet by maintaining pressure in the centre with my thumb, and pushing with my index finger, causing it to fold in half. Once the first fold is complete, you can remove your thumb from the centre and use it to help facilitate the next fold, which is executed by clipping the billet between the index and middle fingers and folding it into quarters with the thumb. Once the billet has been refolded you can easily maneuver it back into finger palm. Once you've stolen and read the question you will need to reload the billet into your left fist. Don't rush, you aren't being chased, and no-one suspects the billet is anywhere else except in your left fist which has been in full view the whole time. After I have revealed the question, but before I begin to answer it, there is an offbeat moment when I state the following: "Let's see if we can find your answere" I take a step back, take a deep breath and bring both hands together to create a larger 'crystal ball' to focus one As I do this I just have the billet palmed in my right hand and when both hands come together I simply drop it in between both hands. I keep both my hands held high together in a ball like shape. To provide extra cover, you may even wish to request your participant to also bring her hands up and over your hands as you both focus ~n answering her question.

A Tl STE L My friend Mark Ohandaue suggested this alternative billet steal during a recent lecture I gave in Nottinghamshire. It is still cheeky, but it offers slightly more cover if you are working surrounded. Like the first steal, its origins can be found in JB Bobo's book, detailed in an effect by Bill Simon simply entitled, 'Gone' (p32). As before, the billet is held in your lef't fist, secretly worked outside it and clipped by your fingertips. From the perspective of the audience, your right hand will then move underneath your lef't fist and pull back your lef't sleeve, supposedly to give everyone a fairer view. In the motion of pulling your sleeve back, relax the fingertips of your lef't hand and allow the billet to secretly drop into your right hand. Take hold of your lef't wrist with your right hand, instructing the participant to reach forward and hold onto your wrist in the same fashion. Once they do, your right hand containing the billet casually drops to your sideo The billet is then read in the same fashion outlined aboveo U T T DUG TS Y D N R I asked my good friend and excellent thinker Iain Dunford to share some of his thoughts on Q&A and Audience Reading effects. Iain specialises in small gatherings in pubs and private parties here in the UK, and has performed many variations of Q&A over the years in this type of setting. Iain has an incredible sense of humour, and the fact that he's also an all round fantastic bloke means you're in for a treat with his thoughts and ideas. "Ever since we discovered our own insecurities, we have sought out the advice of others to tell us how to live our lives. We put our faith in Psychics, in chance, in dreams, in Russell Grant and his shit-tastic horoscopes, even in the lottery. We believe less and less in ourselves. We tend to pretend, and we pretend to tend to our real life. Instead we tend that little imaginary, fantasy, almost life we have in our heads, that helps us believe that ignoring our problems is the best way to go." And that, ladies and gentlemen, would be the most brutal Q&A opening gambit in the world. Part of me would love to do it, to address the big white elephant in the room, that we are all great pretenderso I think that's why in part, some of us seek out extremes, and rather than see a therapist we consult a tarot card reader. Plus, it's cheapero When we experience a taut and tight piece of Mentalism, one that draws us in and makes our heart beat just a little faster, or drenches us in that sweaty white sheet of 'oh my god, oh my god' fear and excitement, we remember it for a long time. It becomes a memory we will treasure and share with otherso So Q&A is part of that.; The moving finger writes... and it sways and points at YOU! The mentalist will home in on you, and that question you need answering. Even if you know deep down that you should be seeking that answer yourself and not relying on being spoon-fed it. Still, it's for entertainment; everything is OK, relax, have fun. I am not a stage performer, I have in my past performed quite a fair bit at house parties, after dinner do's (and don'ts), for small groups at private H,

H parties and sealed off areas of bars and pubs. Q&A is hard to port over to that environment at times. The psychic seesaw means you probably have time to answer all questions - but where's the fun in that? How do you address that? How do you get at the questions when all eyes are on you in such an intimate setting? What follows is how I have approached it: CHE PSKATE Q&A You will need; Marker Pen. 0 This is best suited for a small gathering of around 6-10 people. Each person is handed a single index card, folded from left to right, with the index card in a landscape position. Each card is printed with the word NAME on the top left, and the word QUESTION on the top right. The audience are instructed to write their name on the left half, and their question on the right half. They are then asked to carefully tear their cards in half along the center crease. If you have a perforating device then feel free to perforate the cards to make the tearing easier. The audience are asked to fold both halves into quarters, and to hold the name half in their right hand, and the question half in their left hand. Two envelopes are brought out (without introduction because their purpose will become obvious). One envelope is clearly marked with the word 'NAMES' on it, the other with the word 'QUESTIONS'. The names are collected in the 'NAMES' envelope and placed on your table. The questions are collected in the 'QUESTIONS' envelope, and placed on your table also, right next to the 'NAMES' envelope. The performer explains what is about to happen. He will take a card out of the 'NAMES' envelope, focus on that person mentally, and then attempt to answer their question. As he is explaining this he takes the 'NAMES' envelope and places it on a stand or gives it to someone in the audience to hold. The performer takes a card out of the 'NAMES' envelope, opens it up, and reads the person's nameo He tosses the card aside and focuses his attention on that person. Inexplicably he starts to reveal the substance of their question, and provides them with an answer. This is repeated for most of those present. TH SE The method is simplicity itself. The labels on the front of each envelope are made from the front panel of a matching envelope and are removable. A circular disc is cut from the matching envelope and the edges of the circle marked in black ink. This circle is carefully adhered to the envelope using repositionable glue. The envelope with the word 'NAMES' written on it inside a black circle, is removable. Underneath it, on the envelope itself, is an identical black circle with the word 'QUESTIONS' written in it. The envelope that everyone sees with the word 'QUESTIONS' written on it is also removable. U_nderneath it is a circular shape with the word 'NAMES' written in it. H H, tf Cl

When you place each envelope on your table after collecting the cards, rotate your wrist and pull your thumb up. This will release the detachable disc of paper from the envelope and move it into a finger palm. Alternatively, you can add some adhesive to the table itself, or the back of a notepad, anywhere that you want, and detach the paper discs that way. From then on, it's a simple matter of picking both envelopes up at once and casually switching them. No-one will be paying attention to the order of the envelopes, because they will be focusing on you. In performance, when you are apparently removing a card from the 'NAMES' envelope you are in fact removing one of the 'QUESTION' cards. The back of the card is pencil dotted so you know who has written on it. Using each corner as north, east, south and west, and the centre of the card gives you one to five. Double dotted gives you six to ten. Of course if you are performing this at the end of your set, you will have learned the names of your small audience. An alternative idea would be to have the participants initial their question cards as well as write their full name on the name section .. THE More often than not, Q&A is presented in its original form, people ask questions they do not know the answer to, and the mind reader gives an answer. The excitement is in the performer somehow knowing, and then there's the open ended thought of 'How do we know if he'll be right?'. Only the individual will know, so in a strange way, it's more about the question than the answer to the rest of the audience, and to the person asking the question, they want to know the answer. Go figure. We don't read too much about different themes of Q&A or Audience Readings. Looch has included some fantastic ones above, and now I'd like to offer a few more to tinker with. A Q Participants write down a recent or recurring dream. You describe their dream and explain what it means to them. E ORY Q Participants write down a memory of theirs. You describe the memory and explain its hidden meaning as well as what a future memory might be like, influenced by the one offered up. ISH Q&A Participants write down a wish that they want to come true. They do not necessarily get this wish, but it gives you an insight into what they are focusing on if nothing else. I'd like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the bearded one for contributing his thoughts. I particularly love the cheapskate method and will be employing that myself. Seriously Iain, thank you!

77te world\$ fir.st 'Man V-s. Mach/ne 1 cha/I~ at re.st/val of' the M1'nd ( 2014) Coald a Menta//-st really beat an Mach/ne at read/n:J thou3ht-s? Ih late 2013 I was ,Pre.SeJ?ted w:th ah Uhe)(,PeCted a.nd -f'a.J?tast:c o,P,Poriuh:ty. CoM,Pletely out o-f'the blue, l>r. AheUr;h l<ehherley, a re.Searcher at the lfh;Ver.s:ty al' 5he-f'/;1eld ;h the di<, wrote the -f'ollaw:173 letter to Me:

F i.e.{ d 1'eport My /nterest was Mo.St deli n/tely ?;f Lted, and tea.M/173 Lf? w/th a ?t-est/:y'oas lln/vers/ty woald be ha3ely benelic/al. I Met LL? w/th ltnaer/n to d/scass h/s /deas and olcject/ves .f'or the ?t-c?Ject. >7"e wanted to /net-ease ?Lfbl/c awareness o.f' Mf(I by 3/v/173 an ex0ft1?1e o.f' what /t coald do. Dnf/173 Mf(I to the /dea o.f' 1 M/nd /(ead/173' was a 3reat wq; to e173a:Je ?Lfbl/c /nterest. 77-?e show was to be ?art o.f' a b/-annaal event held /n MY hoMetown o.f' 5he.f'lield called (rest/val o.f' the M/nd'. 77-J;s /s a lln/Vers/ty or3an/sed 11 dq; event wh/ch /nVolves creat/ve collaborators work:/173 w/th de?artMents w/th/n the lln/Vers/ty. lo3ether, they create ?t-cyjects and deMonstrat/onS to edacate and /nsr're the ?Lfbl/c w/th re3ard to the CCJ?ab/l/t/es o.f' the haMan M/nd. It was t-Jjht LL? MY alley. Rnear/n had a conCe?t whereby a randoM MeMber o.f'the ?Lfbl/c woald be ?laced /nto an Mf(I Mach/ne and shown a Ser/es o.f' ;Ma:JeS V/a a V/deo Screen. RS the /Ma:JeS were be/n3 Shown to the ?art/d?ant, the/r bra/n act/v/ty woald be scanned and the SLfbSefLfent data analyzed. Rnear/n /n.f'orMed Me that the ?art/d?ant 's bra/n act/v/ty woald be d/.f'.f'erent de?end/173 on wh/ch ;Ma:Je was be/173 shown. Once the live ;Ma:JeS had been d/s?lq;ed to the ?art/c1f>ant, the Mf(I o?erator woald ask: theM wh/ch ;Ma:Je they woald l/fe

to .See °!]a/h. !he ,Part/c/,Pa11t would Mafe a cho/ce a11d tell th~ o,Perator V/a ah /hterC-o/Y/ /ho/de the Mach/he. 4hLter/h a11d h/.s teCJ..M would be outs/de the .:5Cahh;h3 roo/Y/ at th/.s ,Po/ht. /hey wouldh \t be able to hear or .See the ,Partlc/,Pa11t \.:5 cho/ce of' ;M°!Je. /he ,Partlc/,Pa11t would be .showh the/r cho.Seh ;M°!Je ohC-e More, a11d the M!fI would .SC-ah the/r bra./h a.ct/v/ty ohe I? ha.I tlMe. ])ur/17.:J the actual .show, 4heLtr/h a11d h/.s teCJ..M would be 3/Veh the raw data .f'ro/Y/ each o.f' the l?ve .sca11.s, a11d they would create a .Ser/es o.f' 1 v/.sua.I Mo/.:5 \ d/.s,Pla;/11.:J the ,Partld,Pa11t \.:5 data a11d .show/11.:J the/r bra/h act/v/ty wheh they were .f'ocu.sed Oh each of' the l?Ve d/.f'.f'ereht //Y/°!)e.:5. /he teCJ..M would e)(CJ..M/he the data .f'ro/Y/ wheh the ,Partld,Paht wa.:5 .f'oC-Lt.:5/11.:J Oh the/r chooeh /M°!Je a17d Lt.Se /t to Create a11other 1 v/.sual Mo/\. !he theory wa.:5 that 4hLter/h a11d h/.s teCJ..M would be able .to deter/YI/he what ;M°!Je the ,Partld,Paht had cho.Seh bY CoM,Par;h:J the ( v/.sua.I Mo/O \. Ih e.:5.SehC-e they would be u.S/11.:J the M!fI to read the ,Part/c/,Pa11t \.:5 /Y/;hd. It .SoLthded l/fe a toh:JLte-/h-Cheef cla/M, bLtt 4heLtr/h told ,l'Y/e that /t /.s techh/ca.lly ,Po.:5.:5/ble. By all accoLtht.S ah 4Mer/ca11 CoM,PaJ?t/ (who weht bY the .strqpl/he 1 No De M If I\) o.f'.f'ered l/e detect/oh .Serv/ce.:5 .f'or court tr/a.ls u.S/11.:J a .S;M;lar ty,Pe o.f' CoM,Parat/ve M!fI ,ProC-e.:5.:5. 4heLtr/h wa11ted to br/17.:J Me oh board to /1zject ah eleMeht o.f' ehterta/h/Y/eht /hto what would be a ,PLtbl/c_ .sc/ehC-e .show. We dec/ded Lt,POh a I Mah V.:5 Mach/he\ ,Pre,l'Y//.Se, r'tt/11.:J ,l'Y/e °!]a/hot the M!fI Mach/he ;h a battle to d/.scoVer wh/ch o.f' Lt.:5 could read the ,Partld,Pa11t \.:5 /Y/;hd. 4heLtr/h rece/ved qp,Proval .f'or the ,Pr9ject .f'ro/Y/ the !.lh/Ver.s/ty, a11d ;h the /Y/Ohth.s that .f'ollowed we Met Lt,P .f'rec;Ltehtly to ,PIM r i.e.{ d 1leport the .show. THE 'LOOCH' THE 4.s ,Part o.f'the ,Pr9ject I wa.:5 /hv/ted to the !.lh/Ver.s/ty '//o.S,P/ta./ to e><,Per/ehC-e ah M!fI .SC-ah /Y/yoel.f'. lh/.s I thou3ht wa.:5 a .f'a11ta.st/c /dea, Ltht/I 4heLtr/h /17.f'or/Y/ed Me that ;h the eVeht o.f' .SoMeth/11.:J 1 ,ProbleMat/c \ be/11.:J .f'oLthd dur/17.:J the .sca11, he wa.:5 le3a.lly obl1jed to /17.f'or/Y/ MY floctor. My Ma/h CohC-erh wa.:5 that they would have trouble l?hd;h:J a.;-yih/11.:J to .SC-ah. I Lthderweht the exact ,Procedure the ,Part/c/,Pa11t would e><,Per/ehC-e, ahd I wa.:5 .showh the l?ve ;M°!Je.:5 dur/17.:J ah hour loh:J .SC-ah. It was c;u/te clau.stro,Phob/c be/11.:J .strqp,Ped ;hto a 3/a11t dou3hhut .shqped ,Pod, a11d .sulcjected to /hteh.Se MeC-hah/cal a11d electroh/C ho/.Se a.:5 the ls M/ll/oh .SC-ahher d/d /t.s job. It wa.:5 c;u/te d/.f'l?cult to reMa/h awafe .f'or the .f'ull .sca11, a11d I CM well ;M°!J;he MY aud/ehC-e.:5 e><,Per/ehC-e the .SCJ..Me d/.f'l?culty dur/17.:J MY .show.:5. /he ho/.Se wa.:5 .So /hteh.Se a11d re,Petlt/ve wh/le ;h the M/fithat I be3a11 to hear rhythM.:5 a11d MLt.:5/c w/th/h the ho/.Se. It re/Y//hded Me o.f' hard techho /Y/Lt.S/c ( Gabba) .f'ro/Y/ the Ndherlahd.S, a11d /t wa.:5 a Very .SLtrrea.I e><,Per/ehC-e. 4.f'ter the .sca11, 4heLtr/h a11d the M If I techh/c/a11.s 3ave Me a debr/el? 11.:J. I eVeh rece/ved .SoMe ,Pr/ht outs o.f' MY bra/h, wh/ch were h/Ce .SoLtVeh/r.s to taf e w/th /he .Show wa.:5 held oh two Coh.SeC-Ltt/Ve h1jnt.S lh the 1 · 5r'e3elteht \ ;h 5he.f'l?eld C/ty Cehire. Po.ster.:5 weht Lt,P a.II over

5he.f"'lie/d a.dvert;s;hj the .f"'est/va.I, and there wa.s a. rea.I Sense o( exc;teMent and bUZZ SLtrround;n:J event. In the Months ?r;or to the .f"'est/va.I, 4neur;n and I /;a/sed ba.cf and .f"'orth w;th .f"'urther ;dea.S. /he Show ha.d rea./ /y CoMe to3ether, and we were both exdted to ?er-l"'orM ;tat the -l"'est/va./. 77-?e o?en;hj n1jht a.rr;ved and the show wa.s a. Sell-om. It started w;th an ;ntera.ct;ve 1 'lu;z \ -l"'roM the 1 Neuro3;r/s \ who f e?t the a.ud;ence en3a.:Jed w;th bra/n ba.Sed -l"'a.cto;ds and ffLteSt;onS a.s the Venue Ii/led Lt?. 77-?e 1 Neuro3;r/s \ were a. 3r0Lt? o-1"' P hl> students who were worf;n:J w;th 4neur;n at the tln,.Vers;ty. /hey were the I eye candy\ eleMent o.f"' the show. God fnowS the show needed ;t w;th Me and 4neur;n on Sia.:Je. 4-l"'ter the 1 NeLtro3;r/s \ ha.d done the;r b;t 4neur;n toof the Sia.:Je and ?resented a. layMen \S ;ntroduct/on to MJ(I and ;ts o/?/;c_at;onS. >'i'e descr;bed the ConCe?t o.f"'the 1 Man VS Ma.ch;ne \ cha.//ehje, ;n wh;ch the tln;VerS;ty wou/d r't the;r MLt/tJ-M;//;on ?ound MJ(I Ma.ch;ne a.:JaJ'nst your hero;C Menta.l;st ;n a. battle o-1"' the bra.;ns. I toof the Sta.:Je -!"'or a. 25 M;nme Menta./;SM Set, esta.b/;sh;n:J MY credent/a.ls a.s a. 1 M;nd J(ea.der \' a..f"'ter wh;ch 4neur;n brou3ht om the ?a.t-t;cJ?ant who ha.d been scanned. 4 Short li/M wa.S Shown to the a.SSeMb/ed a.ud;enCe on a. la.r3e screen, detaJ'l;n:J the scann;hj ?rocedure. 4neur;n & the 1 NeLtro3;r/s \were ?resented w;th the scanned data. onSia.:Je and be3an to ana.lyse ;-c ;n rea.I 6Me. 4s they were do;hj that, I wa.s brou3ht ba.cf onS-Ca.:Je to do MY 1 th;n:J \ ;n an e.f"'.f"'ort to deterM;ne wh;ch ;Ma.:Je the ?a.t-tld?ant wa.s th;nf/17!] o-f'. /he Show Cone/ uded ;n dra.Mat;c_ .f"'a.sh;on w;th Me and 4neLtr;n stand;hj on e;ther s;de o-1"' the Sia.:Je w;th our 1 ?red;ctJonS \ ;n hand. /he ?a.t-t;cJ?ant Verba.lly reVea./ed what ;frJa.:Je he ha.d been F i.e{ d "'Report th;nf;n:J of; and we both d;s?layed our ?red;ctJonS -!"'or a.II to See. We were both success.f"'ul w;th our 1 ?red;ctJonS \' and the Second show wa.s a.lso a. Sell-om. I Man vs Ma.ch,.ne \ beCa.Me SoMewhat o.f"' a. h;t -!"'or the .f"'est/va.I, So MLtCh So that both the hjhl1jhts reel and the .f"'u// show Ma.de ;t on/;ne -!"'or downloa.d. 4-l"'ter those ;n;tJa.I two shows I thou3ht that MY 6Me w;th 1 Man vs Ma.ch;ne \ ha.d CoMe to an end, but I wa.S wron:J. Even I can \t See the .f"'uture w;th 100% a.ccura.cy. I wa.s SLtr?r;sed to lea.rn that 4neur;n ha.d Secured -l"'urther -l"'und;hj -!"'or an extended run o-1"' I Man vs Ma.ch,.ne \ shows at d;.f"'.f"'erent SC;enCe ba.Sed eVentS a.round the ti!<. rund;hj wa.S MO.de 0.VaJ'la.b/e .f"'or a. SeCond Show S;x Months later at the 5he.f"'lie/d rest/va.I o-1"' 5c;ence & En:J;neer;n:J ( :115;::-asE>. /h;s 6Me we ?er-l"'orMed an extended show at the tl??er Ch0J7el ;n 5he.f"'lield c;ty Centre. 4 loca.I ra.d;o ?reSenter wa.s the MJ(I ?a.t-tJC;?ant th;s 6Me, wh;ch helf;ed enorMously w;th the ?roMot/on and ?Ltb/;c_;ty .f"'or the eVent. fhe Show WO.S another resound;hj success, and at the 6Me o.f"' wr;t/17!] th;s. we w;// be ?er-l"'orM;hj 1 Man VS Ma.ch;ne \ at two More l"est/va.ls a.round the ti!< ;n 2015. Menta./;SM can ceriaJ'nly ta.fe you to ;ntereStln:J ?la.ces, and ha.ve you do;hj a.I/ Sods o-1"' th;n:JS that you wou/dn \t ;MMed;ately a.ssodate. w;th tra.d;tJona.I ?er-l"'orManCeS. 4/ways be on the /oof om .f"'or Ltn,.'fLte O??ortLtn;tJeS .f"'or you to Show the Wor/d what you can do.

I would like to say thank you to the following people in our community, who have in some way, shape or form assisted or contributed to the development & creation of The Black Project Steve Haresign Atlas Brookings Laurence Hookway Phill Smith Thomas Heine Meraux Dantes Marc Spelmann Roni Shachnaey Marc Salem Michael Murray Craig Filicetti Ed Bredow Soren Harbo Dave Moses Daniel Young Dr Charles 'Cicardi' Scott Mark Chandaue Jack Curtis Paul Stockman Banachek Andrew Gerard Richard Webster Vinny Marini Iain Dunford Todd Landman Ken Dyne Roger Curzon Peter Nardi Larry Becker Radford Quist Neils Krojgaard Andrew Edmonds Christophe Ambre John Riggs Tom Binns Bob Cassidy Loren Tindall Peter Turner Neil Scryer Karl Scott