5050 fantasia.pdf

50:50 Fantasia by Ian Rowland

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Dedication I dedicate this small booklet to my many friends in mentalism. In particular, I dedicate it to the small group of friends with whom I first shared this principle. I thank them for all their help, support and encouragement.

Publishing Details 50:50 Fantasia First edition. Copyright © Ian Rowland Limited, 2016, London England. All rights reserved. Published by Ian Rowland Limited. All rights reserved. This publication may not be copied or reproduced in whole or in part by any means or in any way whatsoever without the specific written permission of the author. This publication is supplied from this website: www.thecoldreadingconnection.com The author’s personal website is:

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This is a booklet from... www.thecoldreadingconnection.com The Cold Reading Connection is maintained by Ian Rowland. The aim of the CRC is to bring you the best information, training and resources about cold reading and related fields. This is a copyright document and all rights are reserved. — Ian

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Statement Of Values This publication is supplied primarily from: www.thecoldreadingconnection.com Cold reading is sometimes used to give personal readings with a psychic, psychological or mentalist flavour. In this context, I only promote cold reading which is: ·

positive, responsible and benign

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intended to help people to make sense of their life, as well as providing entertainment

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intended to help people to feel relaxed and confident about themselves, their potential, their relationships and their future

Cold reading can also be used in other contexts, such as sales, management and therapy. I call this Applied Cold Reading, or ACR for short. When I teach ACR, I say its purpose is to: ·

promote good communication, rapport and understanding

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ensure that each conversation results in a positive emotional gain for both parties

These are my values, and the values promoted via The Cold Reading Connection.

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Contents Introduction

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A Request

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Effect #1: A Possible Stage Presentation Conditions

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Effect #2: A Possible Close-Up Presentation

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Method Overview

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Method In Detail Script A Script B

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Concluding The Routine

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Sample Script For Close-Up Use Close-Up Script A Close-Up Script B

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Additional Notes Script Structure Choosing A Spectator Variations Intended Reaction Pace and Timing Kindness To The Spectator Variation: A Supplementary Question

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Afterword

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Introduction Imagine if you could offer someone a simple 50:50 guess, such as choosing red or blue, and always anticipate their guess correctly! Imagine being able to do this with such certainty that you’d be happy to stake anything on the outcome — even a very large amount of your own money. Imagine being able to do this totally impromptu, with regard to any 50:50 guess or decision. The script in this booklet is a way to create a strong illusion that you can do this. The principle is extremely versatile and you can dress it up any way you like. For the purpose of this explanation, I am going to explain two possible presentations: one suitable for stage work and another for an informal, close-up performance for one spectator. However, I am only describing these possible presentations in order to explain the 50:50 Fantasia principle and how it works. Once you understand how it works, you will be able to devise endless variations to suit almost any theme and any situation, for either formal shows or close-up impromptu demonstrations.

Publishing Note I have published this principle once before. I used another name for it, and it was just one item in a set of lecture notes I prepared for a small convention many years ago. I have been asked many times to publish it separately, and this is the result. This explanation is much fuller and more complete than the original, and involves a few extra subtleties.

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A Request It took me a long time, and a lot of work, to come up with 50:50 Fantasia. One way or another, I was working on it for the best part of three years. I ask you to please keep this document to yourself. Please don’t show it to anyone else, copy it or share it. Please don’t explain the principle to other magicians and mentalists. By all means, perform and demonstrate this item as often as you like. Also, if you feel so inclined, you are welcome to scream from the rooftops about it and tell the magic world that it’s brilliant, wonderful etc. But please don’t explain it to anyone. If anyone is curious, you can just suggest that they go to my website and buy it. If you are going to perform this effect, please learn the script properly. I know it’s a lot of script and not easy to learn. Nonetheless, I’m very proud of this item and how it works. I ask you to respect it enough to learn it properly. I am not saying you have to recite the script precisely, word for word, like a robot. You will want to express yourself in your own way, using your own words. But please understand the basic structure of the script and how it works, and don’t deviate from it. There are very good reasons why it is written the way it is. Warmest regards, — Ian

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Effect #1: A Possible Stage Presentation You hand a folded packet of paper to a spectator in the front row. Let’s call the spectator Jack. You explain to Jack that what he is holding: the packet is actually a large photograph that has been folded up with the photo on the inside. The photo is of either Sydney Opera House or the Statue of Liberty. You explain that in a few minutes from now, Jack himself will unfold the photograph and show everyone what it is. You give a guarantee that you will not touch the photo again until the routine is over. You explain that this is a simple 50:50 bet. All Jack has to do to win the bet is guess whether the photo shows Sydney Opera House or the Statue of Liberty. You tell Jack that, unfortunately, he will not win the bet. Before going any further, you explain that this, in itself, isn’t very exciting because it’s only a 50:50 bet. You say that in order to make it a bit more interesting, you are willing to bet some money that Jack will not guess correctly. You take out a small denomination bill and say you are willing to bet this much money on Jack guessing incorrectly. You then reconsider, and decide to make it even more interesting by betting even more money! You take out a few more bills and declare that you’re willing to bet the whole lot. You make it clear that this could not be fairer to Jack since only you are actually betting any money whereas Jack doesn’t have to bet anything. Feeling even more confident, you add even more to the amount you’re willing to bet. You add more high denomination bills, and proceed to add your watch, your credit card and several other items of high value. The amount you are prepared to bet goes from small, to large to ridiculous! There is plenty of scope for humour here as the audience see you add more and more money and valuables to this simple 50:50 bet. 8

When you have finished adding to the amount you are willing to bet, the moment of truth has arrived! You invite Jack to make his guess. Let’s suppose Jack replies, ‘The Statue of Liberty’. At this point, and with so much of your money at stake, everyone wonders if Jack has won or lost! After building up a little bit of suspense and intrigue, you gently breaks the bad news to Jack: he has lost the bet and so he hasn’t won all of your money! You put away all the money and valuables that you were willing to bet on the outcome. Of course, everyone now wants to see the proof that Jack didn’t guess correctly. You invite Jack to stand up or come to the front of the audience where everyone can see, and to unfold the large photograph. He does so, and sure enough it turns out to be a large photo, the size of a poster, showing Sydney Opera House. Alas, Jack was wrong! It’s as if you somehow knew, for sure, that Jack would guess the Statue of Liberty. But how could you have been so sure?

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Conditions Let me clarify some aspects of the routine I have just described. (1) The photograph is just a photograph. The photograph is just a large, clear photograph of Sydney Opera House. There is nothing fake or gimmicked about it. You can even give it away to the spectator if you want. (2) The procedure is clear, and set in stone. You make it clear that the spectator (Jack in this example) is going to keep hold of the photo all the time. He is going to make his guess, and then unfold the photo himself without you interfering in any way. It is clear that you are not going to retrieve the photo or have any chance to switch it, change the terms of the bet or alter the procedure. (3) It’s real money! You are betting real money on the outcome! The money you show to everyone, and are apparently willing to bet on the outcome, is real money. Any other valuable items that you involve in the bet, such as your watch or your credit card (you can say you’ll give Jack the PIN so he can use the card) are also real. There’s no fakery involved! (4) No pre-show, stooge, force or equivoque. There is no pre-show of any kind. You can use any spectator and there is no dual reality involved. The spectator will be just as intrigued and baffled by this as anyone else. The routine does not involve a force or equivoque.

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Effect #2: A Possible Close-Up Presentation Let’s suppose you’re sitting in a coffee shop with a friend called Ken. You explain that this is going to be about a simple 50:50 bet. You ask Ken what sort of information he would like the bet to be about: letters, numbers, colours, shapes, star signs, celebrities… or what? Let’s say Ken chooses shapes. You take a piece of paper and draw something on it, without Ken seeing what you draw. You fold this up into a small packet and hand it to Ken. You ask Ken to keep this in his hand until it’s time to open it and check what’s on it. You explains that on the paper, since Ken chose to work with shapes, you have drawn either a circle or a triangle. You explain that you’re going to let Ken guess which it is, and you are willing to bet a large amount of money on the outcome. You add that, sadly, Ken isn’t going to win the bet! You proceed to show how much you’re willing to bet on the outcome. You start with a small amount of money... which then becomes a large amount... which then becomes a ridiculous amount, including valuable items such as your watch, ring, cell phone and so on. Ken makes his guess: ‘It’s a circle.’ You gently breaks the news to Ken that, sadly, he hasn’t won. You put away all your money and valuables. You invite Ken to check what was drawn on the piece of paper that he has been holding all the time. Ken opens the paper, and it’s clearly a drawing of a triangle.

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Method Overview What I have described as the ‘Effect’ is what the audience thinks they see. It is what they will remember. The reality is a little different. 50:50 Fantasia is a swindle based on sleight of mouth. It hinges on the fact that a simple 50:50 bet can be interpreted in two completely different ways: (a) This bet is about my ability. I am betting that I can anticipate the spectator’s guess, and the photo will serve as proof that I anticipated his guess correctly. (b) This bet is about the spectator’s ability. I am betting that the spectator will guess wrong, and the photo will be my proof that he got it wrong. 50:50 Fantasia conceals this ambiguity, and makes it seem as if there was only ever one possible interpretation. To clarify the principle, here’s a simple example. Suppose I say I’m good at guessing what you’re going to think, and I offer a small bet. I give you a piece of paper on which I say I’ve written either Red or Blue. (I have actually written Blue.) If you say Red, I say, ‘If you’ve guessed correctly, you have won the bet and you get all my money. But you see, I knew you would guess Red, and that’s why I wrote Blue on that piece of paper. Check it if you don’t believe me.’ If you say Blue, I say, ‘I said I know what you’re going to think even before you think it. In this case, I knew you would say Blue. That piece of paper proves it. So I win the bet.’ This is the essence of 50:50 Fantasia. However, there is little point in presenting it this way. The real power of 50:50 Fantasia comes from devising a more elaborate presentation that (a) hides the method as effectively as possible, and (b) makes it more interesting and entertaining.

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Method In Detail For explanatory purposes, I will describe the script I use for the Opera House/Liberty presentation mentioned earlier. You will need a large photograph of Sydney Opera House. The photograph needs to be simple and unambiguous. Avoid any ‘arty’ shots that could leave any room for doubt as to what the photograph actually shows. The size of the photograph will depend on the size of your performing venue and audience. It needs to be big enough so that when it is held up at the end everyone can clearly see what it is. I make the photographs I use very easily. I start by getting a suitable photo and printing it out at A4 or Letter size. I then ask a print or copy bureau to make a black and white photocopy for me which is the size of a large poster. This doesn’t cost much money. I fold this in half several times until it makes a small packet that someone can comfortably hold between their hands, and I put a bulldog clip on it. That’s all! However you create the photo, it is important that no-one can tell, from looking at the packet, what image is on the inside. Also, the folded packet should be of a size that someone can hold comfortably between their hands. Whatever you do, please do not put the photo in a folder, envelope or cover of any kind! This is vital. As soon as you involve any sort of folder or cover, you invite suspicion and allow people to think the routine involves a switch, a two-way out envelope, two versions of the photo and other ruses. You will also need a large amount of money that you can introduce little by little. Have some small denomination bills, then some larger ones, plus a few other valuable items that you can gradually add to the bet. The progression you want during the routine is: small and unimpressive bet... larger bet... ridiculous bet! This is all you need. You’re ready to perform! 13

Start by saying: Ladies and gentleman, there’s something I have to do right at the start. I have to give this to someone to hold. Show the folded photo and hand it to someone in the audience. Later on, this spectator will need to come to the front to display the unfolded photograph to the rest of the audience. It therefore makes sense to choose someone who is quite near the front, where everyone can see him, and who has easy access to the stage or performing area. I always use a male spectator for this routine. I’m a man, and it could seem ungracious to make a bet with a woman and tell her that she’s going to lose. Let me give this to you. Please can I ask you to hold it flat between the palms of your hands? Thank you! Can I just ask you all to note that the very first thing I did, before anything else, was hand this packet to this gentleman. Even before I asked him his name or told you what this is all about! This is important, for reasons that will become clear. Ask the spectator his name. Let’s suppose it is Jack. Jack, let me tell you what you are holding between your hands. I love travelling, seeing all the famous sites of the world and taking photographs. What you have there is a folded up photograph. It is a photograph of either Sydney Opera House or the Statue of Liberty. I’m sure we all know what those two structures look like. It’s not a trick or a joke. It’s not a blurred or fuzzy or ambiguous picture. I promise you it is a simple, clear photo of either Sydney Opera House or the Statue of Liberty. In fact, you don’t need to take my word for it, Jack, because in a few minutes you yourself will unfold it and see that I’m telling you the truth. I won’t touch it again, I promise. It’s going to stay in your hands all the time. 14

Now, Jack, you know the sort of thing I do. Some people say I must have some sort of psychic gift, although I personally don’t think that’s true. Others say that everything I do can be explained in terms of human psychology or understanding patterns of behaviour and so on, although I don’t think that’s the whole story either. Really, most of the things I do come down to one thing: I know what you are going to think even before you think it. I’ll say that again: I’m really good at knowing what you are going to think before you think it. In a moment — not just yet — I’m going to invite you to guess Sydney Opera House or Statue of Liberty. That’s all. I’ll count one, two, three and you will say Sydney Opera House or the Statue of Liberty. That’s all. But even if you say exactly what I know you’ll say, it won’t seem very impressive because it’s only a 50:50 bet. So let’s make it more interesting. Take out your wallet (or whatever you are using as the source of your money) and show a small amount, such as a low denomination bill. Let’s say it’s a one dollar bill (or the equivalent in your own country’s currency). There you go, Jack. One dollar says I know what you are going to think before you even think it. We now have one dollar worth of interesting. But hey, you know what? This is an important show, maybe we should make it more interesting. How about… ten? [Add more money] Then again, I like you, Jack. You’re a good sport. Since it’s you, I’m going to make it even more interesting. Twenty. Ah, no… let’s go fifty. Fifty dollars says I know what you are going to think, even before you think it. Actually, it’s a shame not to make it up to the full hundred. There… a hundred dollars worth of interesting.

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But ladies and gentlemen, I think you’re such a great crowd you deserve something at least twice as interesting as that. There you go… two hundred dollars worth of interesting. Hey, while we’re having fun, let’s make it even more interesting. There you go… that’s my credit card. It’s got a lot of credit on it. If you win, I’ll give you the personal number so you can use it. Actually, this is such a great audience I think I should make it even more interesting. There’s my watch. And my ring, that’s worth a bit. And my phone. You have fun gradually increasing the size of the bet, so it starts small and ends up looking very impressive! So, let’s get on with it. Jack, you have the photo between your hands. It’s either Sydney Opera House or the Statue of Liberty. I’m going to invite you to name either one, but I would never dream of trying to influence you either way. Of course, you have complete freedom to choose either one. Are you listening? Complete freedom. You want this to look like a clumsy attempt to influence Jack’s decision. [To the entire audience] You can all join in with this. Think… if you were given this choice, which way would you go? But it’s Jack’s decision that counts. So, Jack… here we go. I count to three, you say whichever one you want. One, two, three! Jack makes his guess. As soon as he does so, the audience will be interested in your reaction. Maintain a ‘deadpan’ or ‘poker face’ expression that gives nothing away. Let everyone see that although you understand their curiosity about what comes next, you are in no hurry to let them in on what you know. You now use one of two possible scripts, depending on what Jack said.

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Script A This is the script you use if Jack chooses ‘Sydney Opera House’, which IS what the photograph shows. This is quite an interesting moment, isn’t it? (Pause) Maybe I correctly anticipated Jack’s guess – which is what I said this was all about – and he’s holding a picture of Sydney Opera House, and I can keep my money. Or maybe I guessed wrong, and I gave him a photo of the Statue of Liberty instead. In which case, I’ve lost and Jack has just won all this money. My money. And my watch, my credit card and everything else you see here. What’s more, I can’t do anything about it. Jack is holding the photo, and I no longer have any control over it. It’s literally out of my hands. If I was right all along, okay,. But if I made a mistake, I’ve lost all this lovely money. The only question is, which is it? Does Jack go home with my money? Or do I? Enjoy the suspense and the intrigue of this moment for as long as you feel it is appropriate to do so. When you are ready, allow a broad smile to break out on your face. Well, Jack, take a good look at all this money… because it’s the last you’ll ever see of it! Put away all the money and any other valuable that you involved in the bet. I’m sorry to disappoint you, Jack. Although to be honest I’m not very sorry, because I really didn’t want to lose today. The fact is, I was 95% sure Jack would go for Sydney Opera House, and that’s why I gave him a photo of Sydney Opera House to hold. Thank you!

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Act as if this is the end of the routine. Adopt an ‘applause cue’ pose and look as if you are expecting everyone to clap. Pretend to be disappointed that people won’t just take your word for it. No, really. It is a photograph of Sydney Opera House. I knew that’s what Jack would say, so that’s the picture I gave him. A nice, clear photo of Sydney Opera House. The next few lines are intended to get laughs. The audience know you are just teasing them and making them wait to see the photograph opened. I’m sure you are all prepared to take my word for it. After all, you all know I never tell lies! And I’m sure none of you would be so petty as to feel there’s any need for Jack to actually open up that photo and check. It would be a tedious waste of time… I’ve already told you what it is: a big picture of Sydney Opera House! At this point, you ‘give in’ to the audience’s desire to see the proof. Jack, I knew what you would think even before you thought it. I knew you would choose Sydney Opera House. So earlier today, I got a nice big photo of Sydney Opera House, folded it up and brought it along. This is all true, but it seems people want to see some proof. Please come to the front, unfold the photograph and let everyone see that I was right. Jack does so and you win a nice round of applause. Now go to the section headed ‘Concluding the routine’.

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Script B This is the script you use if Jack chooses ‘Statue Of Liberty’, which is NOT what the photograph shows. This is quite an interesting moment, isn’t it? (Pause) Maybe Jack has guessed correctly, and he’s holding a picture of the Statue of Liberty, and he’s won my money. Or maybe I knew he would guess that, so I was careful to give him a photo of Sydney Opera House. In which case, I’ve won and I can keep all this money. My money. And my watch, my credit card and everything else you see here. What’s more, I can’t do anything about it. Jack is holding the photo, and I no longer have any control over it. It’s literally out of my hands. If I knew what his guess would be, okay,. But if I made a mistake, I’ve lost all this lovely money. The only question is, which is it? Does Jack go home with my money? Or do I? Enjoy the suspense and the intrigue of this moment for as long as you feel it is appropriate to do so. When you are ready, allow a broad smile to break out on your face. Well, Jack, take a good look at all this money… because it’s the last you’ll ever see of it! Put away all the money and any other valuable that you involved in the bet. I’m sorry to disappoint you, Jack. Although to be honest I’m not very sorry, because I really didn’t want to lose today. The fact is, I was 95% sure Jack would go for the Statue of Liberty. That’s why I gave him a photo of Sydney Opera House to hold. Thank you! Act as if this is the end of the routine. Adopt an ‘applause cue’ pose and look as if you are expecting everyone to clap. 19

Pretend to be disappointed that people won’t just take your word for it. No, really. It is a photograph of Sydney Opera House. I knew that Jack would guess Statue of Liberty, and I didn’t want him to win so I gave him a nice, clear photo of Sydney Opera House. The next few lines are intended to get laughs. The audience know you are just teasing them and making them wait to see the photograph opened. I’m sure you are all prepared to take my word for it. After all, you all know I never tell lies! And I’m sure none of you would be so petty as to feel there’s any need for Jack to actually open up that photo and check. It would be a tedious waste of time… I’ve already told you what it is: a big picture of Sydney Opera House! At this point, you ‘give in’ to the audience’s desire to see the proof. Jack, I knew what you would think even before you thought it. I knew you would guess the Statue of Liberty. So earlier today, I got a nice big photo of Sydney Opera House, folded it up and brought it along. This is all true, but it seems people want to see some proof. Please come to the front, unfold the photograph and let everyone see that I was right. Jack does so and you win a nice round of applause.

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Concluding The Routine Whether you use Script A or Script B, you have reached a point where you have reclaimed your money and Jack has displayed the Opera House photo. Invite Jack to return to his seat and mention that he can keep the photo as a souvenir if he wants. Ladies and gentlemen, I’ve been trying this particular test for several years, although I don’t include it in every show. At a rough estimate, I think I’ve tried it about 140 times. You may be wondering… how often have I lost my money? Well, I’ll tell you. I’ve lost my money about five times. Even I can’t get it right every time. To do that, I’d have to be some sort of mindreader! Finally, may I just say thanks to you, Jack. I hope you don’t feel too bad. After all, you’re no worse off than you were to begin with, plus you have a souvenir photo to keep! Thank you, and let’s hear it for Jack. You get your second and final round of applause for the routine, and you don’t make Jack feel so bad.

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Sample Script For Close-Up Use The 50:50 Fantasia script works the same way, whether you’re presenting this as a stage item for a large audience or a closeup item for just one person. Just for the sake of completeness, here’s a script that conveys how I typically present 50:50 Fantasia for close-up purposes. Let’s say I’m sitting in a coffee shop with a friend. We’ll call him Ken. I’m going to show you something that I think you’ll find interesting. It comes down to two very interesting moments and we’ll get to them very soon. First of all, Ken, I’d like you to choose what you want us to work with — it can be letters, numbers, shapes, names, dates... whatever you want. I allow Ken to choose any category. Suppose he says ‘shapes’. I take a piece of paper or anything I can write on, and draw a triangle. Obviously, I make perfectly sure that Ken can’t see what I’m drawing. I fold the piece of paper up, place it on the table and let Ken put his hand on top of it. Can I just draw your attention to the fact that I’ve put that piece of paper under your hand first, before we do anything else. Yes? Ken acknowledges this. Okay. Let me explain what this is about. What you have under your hand is a piece of paper. You said you wanted to work with shapes, so on that piece of paper I’ve drawn a simple shape. It’s either a circle or a triangle. It’s one of those two shapes. I promise that it is clearly and unambiguously one of those two possible shapes. In fact, you don’t need to take my word for it, Ken, because in a few minutes you yourself will unfold it and see that I’m telling you the truth. I won’t touch it again, I promise. It’s under your hand, and it’s going to stay under your control all the time.

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Now, Ken, you know the sort of thing I do. Some people say I must have a sort of psychic gift, although I personally don’t think that’s true. Others say that everything I do can be explained in terms of human psychology or understanding patterns of behaviour and so on, although I don’t think that’s the whole story either. Really, most of the things I do come down to one thing: I know what you are going to think even before you think it. I’ll say that again: I’m really good at knowing what you are going to think before you think it. In a moment — not just yet — I’m going to invite you to guess circle or triangle. That’s all. I’ll count one, two, three and you will say circle or triangle. But even if you say exactly what I know you’ll say, it won’t seem very impressive because it’s only a 50:50 bet. So let’s make it more interesting. I now go through the phase of building up the amount at stake, starting with a small amount of money, then making it into a large amount of money, and then making it into a ridiculous and excessive bet. Okay. So you know this is about two possible shapes. Circle or triangle. When I snap my fingers, just say either ‘circle’ or ‘triangle’. We’ll only do this once and you can’t change your mind. One, two, three...! Ken says either circle or triangle. There is now Script A and Script B, just like we saw with the suggested stage routine involving the large photograph.

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Close-Up Script A This is the script you use if Ken chooses ‘Triangle’. This IS what is on the piece of paper. Remember, I said this was about two interesting moments. This is the first one. I said I’m good at knowing what you’re going to think even before you think it. If I have correctly anticipated your thought, and if I somehow knew for sure that you would choose ‘triangle’, then I’m okay and I can keep my money. But maybe I got it wrong. Maybe I drew a circle instead, in which case I’ve lost and you have just won all my money. And my watch, my credit card and everything else you see here. What’s more, I can’t do anything about it. You’ve got the piece of paper under your hand and I no longer have any control over it. It’s quite literally out of my hands. If I was right all along, okay. But if I made a mistake, I’ve lost all this lovely money. The question is, which is it? Did I correctly anticipate your guess, or not. Do you go home with my money? Or do I? I allow the suspense and the intrigue to build for a few seconds. When I think the moment is right, I smile and say: Well, Ken, take a good look at all this money… because it’s the last you’ll ever see of it! I put away my money and valuables I’m sorry to disappoint you. But the fact is, I was 95% sure you would say ‘triangle’. So that’s exactly what I drew on that piece of paper. A triangle. This brings us to the second interesting moment. Right now, you have two options. 24

Option 1 is just to open the piece of paper and see that I drew a triangle on it. This isn’t very interesting. After all, I have already told you that it’s a triangle, so it’s neither very surprising nor very interesting. Option 2 is not to open the piece of paper, and instead to just trust me. This would create a bond of trust between us, and trust is a beautiful thing. You could just throw the piece of paper away in that trash can over there, or burn it, and accept my word. This would be a beautiful thing in both our lives — to trust, and to be trusted. You know, Ken, trust is a wonderful thing. It’s a delightful, beautiful and enduring bond between two people. When you think about, trust is really all we have. It’s the bedrock of all society and civilisation. If we don’t have trust, we have nothing. So why not take this moment, Ken, to create a wonderful bond of trust between us? I’ve told you that piece of paper has a triangle on it. That’s the truth, and I give you my word. Clearly, there’s no real need to check this. I would never lie to you. You can just trust me, throw the paper away, and know that today you shared the wonderful bond of trust with another human being. So, what’s it to be? I deliver all this in a playful, ‘tongue-in-cheek’ way. To the spectator, it sounds as if the performance has gone wrong, I have in fact lost the bet, and now I’m desperately trying to get him to agree not to check the evidence! To date, I have never had a spectator agree not to check what’s on the piece of paper! They generally say something like, ‘I do trust you, but I still want to see what’s on this piece of paper!’ After whatever I think is a suitable amount of byplay, I reluctantly ‘give in’ and allow Ken to open the piece of paper and see that I told the truth: it’s just a piece of paper with a triangle drawn on it!

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Close-Up Script B This is the script you use if Ken chooses ‘Circle’. This is NOT what is on the piece of paper. Remember, I said this was about two interesting moments. This is the first one. I said I’m good at knowing what you’re going to think even before you think it. If you have guessed correctly, and that piece of paper has a circle on it, then you have just won the bet. What’s more, you have won all my money. But maybe you’re wrong. Maybe I knew you would guess ‘circle’, and so for that very reason I took care to draw a nice, neat triangle on that piece of paper. Like I said, it’s all about knowing what you’re going to think before you think it. I can’t do anything about this bet at this stage. You’ve got the piece of paper under your hand and I no longer have any control over it. It’s quite literally out of my hands. If you have guessed correctly and it’s a circle, you’ve won. But if not, I get to keep my money. I allow the suspense and the intrigue to build for a few seconds. When I think the moment is right, I smile and say: Well, Ken, take a good look at all this money… because it’s the last you’ll ever see of it! I put away my money and valuables I’m sorry to disappoint you. But the fact is, I was 95% sure you would guess ‘circle’. That’s why I drew a triangle. I now go into the section about the second interesting moment, the two options (to check or not to check) and the ‘beautiful bond of trust’.

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Additional Notes Script Structure At the risk of tedious overkill, let me point out some important parts of the way the script is structured. It’s not a trick or a joke. It’s not a blurred or fuzzy or ambiguous picture. I promise you it is a simple, clear photo of either Sydney Opera House or the Statue of Liberty. It’s important to establish that this routine will not involve tricks, jokes or ambiguity. Some people will have seen gags where the ‘photo’ is just a black rectangle and the performer says, ‘It was taken at night’. You want to make sure the audience knows you are not going to do this. You don’t need to take my word for it, because in a few minutes you yourself will unfold it and see that I’m telling you the truth. I won’t touch it again, I promise. It’s in your hands, and it’s going to stay in your hands all the time. You are emphasising the fact that the photo is out of your control, and that the spectator will be the one who opens it. It is important to mention that this is what’s going to happen, so you are committed to one course of action. You are spiking the possibility that there will be any variation in procedure. Really, most of the things I do come down to one thing: I know what you are going to think even before you think it. I’ll say that again: I’m really good at knowing what you are going to think before you think it. This is the crux of this script. You mention being able to anticipate the spectator’s thoughts, but you never mention what exactly this ‘anticipation’ means. You never say if it means correctly anticipating what he will choose, or making sure that his guess is wrong. At the end of the routine, you of course use whichever interpretation suits your purpose.

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In a moment — not just yet — I’m going to invite you to guess Sydney Opera House or Statue of Liberty. That’s all. I’ll count one, two, three and you will say Sydney Opera House or the Statue of Liberty. That’s all. This part of the script underlines the simplicity of the procedure, and repeats the premise (that you can anticipate people’s thoughts). At no point do you commit yourself to the spectator being right or being wrong, but when the audience thinks back over what you said, it will seem as if you did. I would never dream of trying to influence you either way. Of course, you have complete freedom to choose either one. Are you listening? Complete freedom. You want people to notice the ‘freedom’ reference, and to wonder if this is an attempt to verbally force the ‘Statue of Liberty’ choice. Whatever theme you choose for this effect, it’s nice to find some wording that sounds as if you are making a lame attempt to verbally influence the spectator’s decision.

Choosing A Spectator You can select a spectator at random if you really feel this is important, for example by tossing a cuddly toy backwards over your shoulder into the audience, as it seems many mentalists like to do. However, I think it’s best not to introduce any other props or extraneous elements into the routine. For example, if you tossed out a ball of paper, people might suspect that there’s something written on the paper such as, ‘If you choose Statue of Liberty then I win’. You don’t want to involve any prop that people might think contains a hidden message or gives you a different way to end the routine. I have never used any ‘random selection process’. I always simply point to someone who is in the right part of the audience for the routine to work, and get on with it!

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Variations I hope it is clear that 50:50 Fantasia is almost infinitely versatile. The two choices you offer can be anything you want: two celebrities, sports teams, landmarks, objects, colours, shapes, animals or anything else. No matter what variations you devise, please keep the routine very simple and ‘low tech’. The stage routine I have described uses a large photo that is folded up and held in place with a clip. When the audience sees the spectator open this photo, it is abundantly clear that there couldn’t be any trickery: it’s just a big piece of paper with a picture on it. If the photo were in a folder or an envelope, or on a fancy presentation stand, the audience might suspect that I am somehow able to display either one of two possible images. It is important that the audience can see this is not the case, and that there is definitely only one photo in play. Please avoid using any props that could make 50:50 Fantasia look or feel like a magic trick. For example, you could perform a version of this routine using a playing card and invite the spectator to guess if it’s red or black. You could do something like this, but I strongly recommend that you don’t. There are many things this routine can be about, and many items you could use as the basis for the bet. Please don’t make it look similar to a magic trick. It’s worth also mentioning that the item involved in the bet can be a physical item, rather than something written or printed. For example, you could give the spectator a plain brown paper bag containing a rose that you say is either deep red or golden yellow. Or it could be a black cloth bag containing a small figurine that is either a dog or a cat. There are many other possibilities.

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Intended Reaction When you use 50:50 Fantasia, the reaction you are aiming for is, ‘It’s clear he [the performer] was sure of the outcome. But how could he have known? And what would he have done if the spectator had jumped the other way?’ This is the mystery you want to leave in the minds of the audience. The reaction you are not aiming for is, ‘I wonder how he switched the photo? Or maybe it can be opened in two different ways?’ If this is the reaction you get, then you should try to revise the way you present the item.

Pace and Timing You do not want to give the spectator the opportunity to interrupt the presentation. In particular, you don’t want him to say, ‘Just hold on a moment. Can you just clarify what you mean. Is this about me guessing correctly or about you knowing what I’ll say?’ You want him to say very little until you say ‘One, two, three!’ and then he responds with ‘Circle’ or ‘Triangle’ or whatever the two choices are. I have been performing 50:50 Fantasia for about fifteen years. I have never had a problem with this kind of interruption. I can’t give you a magic formula that guarantees you will never have this sort of problem. Like so much in mentalism, it largely comes down to your experience as a performer and your ability to manage your audience with a natural sense of presence and authority. All I can say is that if you are likeable; if you make the presentation seem fun and engaging; if you have presence and authority; and if you keep the energy level high and conduct proceedings at a reasonable pace; it is very unlikely that you’ll ever come up against this kind of problem.

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Kindness To The Spectator In this routine, the spectator who takes part is given the chance to win a lot of money (or that’s how it seems) and loses. You don’t want to make the spectator feel like a ‘loser’. More specifically, you don’t want him to think you made him look like a loser in front of everyone else, just to embarrass him. Make it clear that you could have asked anyone in the audience to take part and you’re fairly certain the outcome would have been the same. You may want to give the spectator a small consolation prize to ‘soften the blow’. This is what I do in all my formal shows. Above all, always treat the participating spectator with kindness and respect.

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Variation: A Supplementary Question I have sometimes used a more elaborate version of the routine that involves a supplementary question. For explanatory purposes, I will carry on using the Opera House/Liberty routine. I say that I will invite the spectator to make his guess, and that when he has done so I will ask him a follow-up question. I make this procedure clear from the start, before the spectator has made his first response. The spectator makes his guess. I then say, ‘Do you want to be wrong or do you want to be right?’ No matter which set of choices the spectator makes, I can still draw the routine to a successful conclusion. For example, suppose the spectator chooses ‘Opera House’ and then says he wants to be ‘right’. I can interpret this to mean that I have correctly anticipated both his responses… which is why the photo turns out to be Sydney Opera House. If he chooses ‘Opera House’ but then says he wants to be ‘wrong’, I can interpret this to mean that if the photo is the Statue of Liberty, he wins the money. Think about it for a moment and you’ll see how this can sound like a legitimate interpretation. Of course he then opens the photo and unfortunately wins nothing. I can handle the two other possibilities the same way. You may want to think through the logic involved, but I promise you this ‘extended’ version can and does work. Why would you use this longer version? Some performers think it adds an extra layer of concealment and deception. Also, some feel you can then take credit for having correctly anticipated two responses, instead of just one. I think it’s worth knowing and rehearsing both versions. There may be times, especially in informal situations, when you want to have a bit more fun by adding the ‘Wrong or right?’ question.

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Afterword I have been using the 50:50 Fantasia principle for years. I have had great fun with it in both formal and informal situations. I like the fact that it can be used just about anywhere, regarding just about any conceivable 50:50 guess. When you present this item well, you are laying a beautiful psychological trap that creates an intriguing experience of mystery. It takes your audience to a place where it’s perfectly clear you knew what the spectator would choose (or else you would never dare to risk so much on it), yet you obviously could not have known because... well, he had a perfectly free choice! This takes the audience to the realm of magic, of strange powers of the mind, of witnessing something that happened, yet clearly could not happen. This is a versatile and endlessly useful principle. I hope you find interesting ways of using it. — Ian London, 2016

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