Luca Volpe - The Ultimate Chair Test Routine Act

"THE ULTIMATE CHAIR TEST ROUTINE"

Copyright Luca Volpe 2010

(This PDF is an EXACT COPY of the manuscript of - “The Ultimate Chair Test Routine Act” by Luca Volpe)

THE EFFECT: One person, randomly chosen, will give you a banknote that you put in an envelope. This will remain around the neck of the spectator on a clip throughout. Four chairs are on the stage, four spectators are called onto the stage and they decide on which of the chairs they each sit on. You show a little box sealed with a combination lock and give each spectator a chance to enter any combination they like into the lock and try to open it, the lock will not open. This box is in full view throughout the experiment on a table. You show four numbered envelopes, the numbers printed on them from 1 to 4. The spectator that was called before (the one with the clip around his neck) mixes these four envelopes face down. Each spectator chooses, still face down, an envelope. You then show a transparent bag that contains four coloured scrunched up paper balls, each of the four spectators chooses one. And now starts the fun.... The spectator with the clip opens the envelope that he has around his neck and reads the last four digits of the serial number on the banknote. You then ask the spectator to put these four numbers into the combination on the lock and the lock opens! In the box he finds an envelope which he takes out without reading yet. Each of the four spectators opens their envelopes to find an ESP symbol, they fold the chairs and under the seat of each of the chairs they find the same symbol that they chose. The spectator opens the envelope to find a prediction that reads: -The banknote serial number will be: V 39981227714 -I predict that four spectators will choose the four numbered envelopes in this order: 3-1-4-2 and the following order of symbols from left to right: STAR-CIRCLESQUARE-WAVY LINES. -The spectator that takes the blue paper ball will be the person with envelope number four. -The person with the blue paper ball is a person that is going through a very particular stage of his life. He has to make some important decisions about his life which include someone that he is close to. He can expect new things to happen in his life very soon. I also feel that this person is someone that likes to be surrounded by people but can sometimes find it difficult to completely trust, this is why he has a few friends in which he truly trusts. I ask if everything corresponds to him, once he has confirmed I explain that I had a dream about him and about this night. I say that I dreamed about what he was going to be wearing tonight. I ask him to open the blue paper ball that he has in his hand and he reads: "Tonight the person that has chosen the blue paper ball will be wearing: brown trousers, a blue shirt and a dark blue jumper around his shoulders" (the audience explodes into a huge round of applause!) I then thank all of the spectators on the stage and give them a big round of applause (most of the time a standing ovation)

CONSIDERATIONS: As you can see this is a great piece that contains a series of 'punches' which will kill your audience! Each revelation is a build up to the final crescendo making it just perfect. This kind of routine was modified (and tested) many times before reaching this level. It is very easy to follow and very easy to recap to the spectators. The structure is so well conceived that at the end of the act the spectators main memory is of the final revelations and they completely forget the handling process. In the next section I have divided the handling into separate parts in order to make it easy to follow. After that I have put it all together, presentation and handling, so that you can understand the timing of the routine.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED: This is what you will need to perform this routine, all of the props are easy to find and are available in the shops. - A box (can be any material but not transparent) in which you can use a combination lock (the combination lock can either be 3, 4 or 5 numbers, this is not important). - Manila envelope and a clip with lace (PHOTO 1). - Thumb Tip. - Four folding chairs with one ESP symbol for each chair attached to the bottom of the seats (for example: STAR-CIRCLE-SQUARE-WAVY LINES). - Four manila envelopes with the numbers 1 to 4 printed on top (you could use number stickers which can be found in any stationery shop). - Black marker pen. - Four ESP cards which correspond to the four ESP symbols attached to the under side of the chairs. They must be able to go in the numbered manila envelopes. - A plastic forcing bag (many forcing bags are available on the market; see the links at the end of this manuscript). - Four coloured pieces of paper (personally I use yellow, blue, red and green). - A white piece of paper on which you will write your prediction.

PREPARATION OF THE PROPS: I will now explain the preparation of each of the props. Once you have practiced the routine it will take you just a few minutes to prepare everything. 1. Prepare your own folded banknote in the manila envelope, the last four numbers will correspond to the combination lock (each combination lock has the instructions that allow you to enter any combination you desire). In your right pocket place the Thumb Tip, manila envelope and a clip attached to a lace. 2. Put in the box a manila envelope with the prediction inside and lock the box with the combination lock. 3. Prepare in your left pocket the four numbered envelopes and place in each one an ESP symbol which will correspond to the symbols attached under the chairs. As described in the effect (from left to right): Envelope number 3 STAR (first chair from the left) Envelope number 1 CIRCLE (second chair from the left) Envelope number 4 SQUARE (third chair from the left) Envelope number 2 WAVY LINES (fourth chair from the left) 4. These envelopes are to be in numerical order in your pocket (one to four). The order above is the order in which the spectators have in their hands (see the explanation in routine handling). 5. Take the forcing bag and in the front side place the three scrunched up coloured pieces of paper: YELLOW, GREEN and RED. 6. Place in the forcing side of the bag the BLUE piece of paper with the 'wearing' prediction on it.

PREPARATION OF THE ENVELOPES: Take the number stickers and attach each one onto the front of each envelope. You need to be able to know which manila envelope is which just by looking at it from the back. In order to do this you need to mark the envelopes on the back in this way: Envelope number 1: With the black marker (or a pencil) put a small dot on the left upper side on the flap. Envelope number 2: With the black marker (or a pencil) put a small dot on the right upper side on the flap. Envelope number 3: With the black marker (or a pencil) put a small dot on the left lower side of the bottom of the envelope. Envelope number 4: With the black marker (or a pencil) put a small dot on right lower side of the bottom of the envelope.

STEP BY STEP ROUTINE/ HANDLING: Prepare the box with the lock on the table and the four chairs on the stage. Call the first spectator (we will call him 'the witness') and ask him for a banknote. Take the banknote and fold it in the same way that you have folded the banknote that is in the envelope (I fold into four so that it is easy to put inside the thumb tip) give the folded banknote back to the spectator. From your right pocket take out the manila envelope that has your banknote inside (obviously the banknote has to be the same value as the one that you ask for!) and at the same time wear the thumb tip. In the same action you open the flap and put the thumb tip in the envelope. Take the banknote and put it inside the thumb tip (from the audience point of view you have just opened the envelope and put the banknote inside) remove your finger from inside (with your thumb tip obviously). From your right pocket take out the clip and at the same time leave the thumb tip inside. Now you are clean. Put the clip around the spectator’s neck and clip on the envelope. Call four spectators on stage and ask them to sit on whichever chair they want. As soon as one of the spectators, that is about to receive envelope number 4 like in our example, sits on the third chair, your assistant that is off stage writes on the BLUE paper what he is wearing. Your assistant then puts this scrunched up piece of paper in the forcing side of the bag (don't worry as there is also a version without assistant in the bonus section of this manuscript). Show the box to the spectators and ask them to try any combination to open it (sometimes I ask each person to tell me one digit number). The box will not open (if your spectators are mind readers and they find the combination, you have a miracle, in this case leave the box open but don’t worry as this has never happened to me in the last 5 years!) Put the box back on the table in full view. From your left pocket take the four numbered manila envelopes and show to everybody the numbers printed on top. Ask 'the witness' to shuffle these envelopes face down so that nobody can know which is which.

Take back the envelopes keeping them face down and spread them in your hands (always keeping the numbers hidden from view, numbers facing the floor, envelope face down) but at the same time look at your identification marks on the back. Go to the spectators that are sat on the chairs and give your back to the audience (this is a perfect excuse as they are sat facing the audience). Go to the first spectator (first chair on the left) look for the mark of envelope number 3 and GIVE TO HIM the envelope number 3 (as in our example). Repeat this with the second, third and fourth spectators giving them the envelopes in the prepared order. Ask them to show everyone which envelopes they have chosen. I know what you are thinking, this is BOLD, yes it is, but what you say will make all the difference. The complete subtle script is written in the presentation section, you will fall in love for it! The above handling of the envelopes will last maximum 10 seconds. Take the forcing bag (that in the meantime your assistant has put on the table) and go to the first spectator, ask him to close his eyes and to take one of the coloured balls (make him pick from the front section of the bag). Repeat this with the second spectator. When you arrive to the third spectator (the one with envelope number 4 and also the one that corresponds to the 'wearing' prediction) open the forcing section and let him take the BLUE ball. Don't worry as he will never feel that there is only one ball inside, he has his eyes closed and he is on stage in front of a lot of people, he will be too nervous to understand anything. Go to the last spectator and let him take the last coloured ball (without closing his eyes, obviously).

Recap what has happened until now. Tell 'the witness' to open the envelope and to take "his" banknote and ask him to enter the last four digits into the lock combination. The lock will open! Ask him to remove the envelope from inside without opening it yet. Tell the four spectators to open their envelopes and remove what is inside, they show the symbols to the audience and you explain what they are (if you want you can also do some readings about each symbols). Ask them to fold the chairs and show the symbols that are under the seats, they will see that they correspond to the symbols in the envelopes in the perfect order! Tell 'the witness' to open the envelope and read the complete prediction. After the first predictions take your applause and wait for the final kick! Ask the spectator with the blue ball to open it up and to read the 'wearing prediction'! Ask them to stand up and take a bow. End of the act.

PRESENTATION:

In this section you will see my presentation of the effect and also the subtle language to use when giving the four numbered envelopes to the spectators. I have not included the handling in this presentation section so that we can concentrate purely on the subtle language. “Tonight I will show you how it is possible to influence human choice and also how it is possible to predict the future. In order for me to do this I need a member of the audience to join me, they will be THE WITNESS of what is about to happen here on stage. Please Sir, can you come on stage? Thank you. Let’s give him a big round of applause. I need a banknote of 10 Euro, if you don’t have one we can ask someone in the audience, you have? Fantastic! Let’s fold this up because I want to isolate this 10 Euro so that it can't be touched. We then seal it inside this envelope and I will put this envelope around your neck using this clip. It is now totally under your control and will remain in full view throughout. As you can see here on stage I have four chairs and I need four spectators to come on stage and choose a chair to sit on. Who would like to take part in this experiment? You? Thank you! You also? The other two gentlemen there? Many thanks and welcome! Each of you can sit anywhere you want. Are you all happy with your choice? Do you want to change places with someone? No? Good. Now before we start I would like to give you a chance to open this combination lock. Please sir tell me a number from 1 to 9...6? ok let’s enter 6 as the first number... now I need another three digits... please each of you tell me one number... 3... 5... 8...? Perfect...now please try to open the padlock...NO... I am sorry your mind reading skills don’t seem to be working tonight...the lock has not opened...well never mind let’s leave this box here on the table...we will try again later. Now let’s play a game! Here I have four numbered envelopes and as you can see on each envelope there is a number printed on it. Mr. Witness...please can you shuffle these envelopes face down so that nobody can know which is which... good... are you happy? Good. (HERE IS THE CRUCIAL MOMENT: I SPREAD THE ENVELOPES IN MY HANDS KEEPING MY HANDS CLOSE TO MY BODY. I GO TO THE FIRST SPECTATOR FROM THE LEFT AND I LOOK AT THE MARK. I GIVE MY BACK TO THE AUDIENCE FOR A FEW SECONDS AND SAY...)

Please take one (while I say this with my left hand I take the corresponding envelope and give to him and in one fluid motion without stopping I do this with the second and third spectators) Please take one (to the second spectator) Also you, please take one (to the third spectator) (when I arrive at the last spectator I turn to face the audience and say...) I'm sorry this is the envelope that THEY LEFT FOR YOU! (Your actions and the words that you say have to be in perfect timing, do this right and believe me nobody, not even the spectators on the stage will understand anything. For them you have just given out the envelopes shuffled face down from 'the witness' so they don’t know that you can read from the back which is which and for the audience from what you say, it looks like they are choosing the envelopes! This is pure gold and believe me many of my magician friends have told me that just this part alone is worth 10 times more then the price of this manuscript)

Perfect, let's see which envelopes you chose, please can you show the envelopes? Perfect! 31-4-2. Now I need that you make another choice, here I have a plastic bag and as you can see there are four coloured paper balls inside. (I go to the first spectator on the left) Please close your eyes and take one, good. (Second spectator) and you please, close your eyes and take one. (third spectator, the one with the envelope number 4 and the person that also corresponds to the 'wearing' prediction) the last two for you, please close your eyes and take one (fourth spectator) and the last one is for you. Ok, let’s recap what has happened up until now: There in that envelope our witness put a banknote which has remained around his neck and in full view throughout. Four people chose where they wanted to sit and they each chose a numbered envelope that was shuffled by our witness. After that each one chose a coloured paper ball. All of this is absolutely random. A sequence of random actions. I would like to ask all of you (speaking to the audience) if it is possible to predict all of these actions in the same time. Is it possible to influence the mind of each spectator here on stage? Here in this box, ladies and gentleman, there is something that you will remember for the rest of your life... As you saw before the lock couldn't be opened as we don't know the combination, however, sometimes strange things happen. Please (to the witness) can you remove your banknote from the envelope? Can you read aloud the last four digits please. 4-3-1-9... good... can you enter these numbers into the combination lock? good... please try to open it (the lock opens) Ladies and Gentleman as I said... strange things can happen! (first applause) Now please take the envelope that is inside but do not open it yet. I would like that you (directed to the four spectators) open the envelopes and take out what is inside... as you can see each of you have randomly chosen an envelope and each one of you has a ESP symbol of a Star, a Circle, a Square or the Wavy Lines... (Here you can speak about the meaning of each of the symbols if you like) now please (point to the first person from the left) can you stand up and fold your chair.... (The audience will see the first symbol under the chair that corresponds to the one in the hand of the spectator).. this is very strange, maybe it is a coincidence... but what if all four in someway, probably intuitively, they choose the symbol that corresponds to the ones under their chairs? Please all three together remove the symbol from your envelope, stand up and fold your chairs... (a beautiful picture now is on the stage! All the four spectators with the symbols in the hands, and the folded chairs with the corresponding symbols) (more applause!) Thank you very much, please open the chairs and sit back down as we have something else that is going to happen... Please (to the witness) can you open the envelope and read what is inside? (he opens the prediction that will read as follows:)

22/4/2010 - I predict that:

-The banknote serial number will be V 39981227714 (I say) Can you please read aloud the serial number?... perfect!! (Applause) Please continue with the prediction ('the witness' will continue to read the following prediction) -I predict that four spectators will choose the four numbered envelopes in this order 3-1-4-2 and the following order of symbols from left to right: STAR-CIRCLESQUARE-WAVY LINES. (APPLAUSE) -The spectator that takes the blue paper ball will be the person with envelope number four. (APPLAUSE) -The person with the blue paper ball is a person that is going through a very particular stage of his life. He has to make some important decisions about his life which include someone that he is close to. He can expect new things to happen in his life very soon. I also feel that this person is someone that likes to be surrounded by people but can sometimes find it difficult to completely trust, this is why he has a few friends in which he truly trusts. (I say) YES!! Absolutely perfect! (to the spectator with the blue paper ball) is everything correct? Can you see yourself in this description? Right? I knew that! But wait, it is not finished yet because yesterday night I had a dream about someone that is wearing clothes like you tonight. I woke up and I wrote something on a blue piece of paper, this is rather strange as this is the same piece of paper that you chose before. Can you please open the paper and read aloud what I wrote yesterday night? The spectator will read: "Tonight the person that has chosen the blue paper ball will be wearing: brown trousers, a blue shirt and a dark blue jumper around his shoulders" (the audience explodes into a huge round of applause!) YES!! PERFECT!!! Ladies and Gentleman please give a big round of applause to all our wonderful guests here on stage! (Most of the time the people will give a standing ovation)

BONUS SECTION:

TIPS 1: Some of you won't have an assistant on stage so your probably wondering how you can do the 'wearing' prediction. Don't worry it is very simple. Before starting the show you look for an appropriate member of the audience to be one of the four people that you call on stage and write down what he is wearing on the blue piece of paper. When you call the four people on stage he will obviously be amongst them but in this case you don't ask each person to choose which chair they want, there is a high risk that someone else will sit on the third chair (which corresponds to the order of your prediction). To avoid this problem you call one person at a time and ask them to sit down, pointing to the chair with your hand. You call the first spectator and ask/direct him to sit on the first chair on the left, you then call the second and he sits on the second chair from the left. Now you call your 'wearing' prediction spectator and he sits on the third chair (the prediction one) and the last person will sit on the fourth chair. That's it! Sometimes it has happened that I have needed to perform this piece without my assistant, when I recap I say exactly the same as in the presentation from above, even if they haven't chosen where to sit themselves, the people have already forgotten! Try it and you will see how strong it is! TIPS 2: One important point that you must consider is the position of the witness on stage. You don't want him to be able to see that, after he has shuffled the envelopes, YOU give them to the spectators. Have him positioned a meter forward of the line of the chairs so that you won't have any problems. You can also position him close to the table with the box to create a reason for him to stay there.

TIPS 3: If you want to see the handling when I put the banknote in the manilla envelope using the thumb tip you can go to this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wI27kayPOhI The video is a publicity stunt for the Italian national TV "Rai International", the effect is another one (a triple prediction) but there is a serial number revelation where I use the same technique.

LINKS: There are many transparent forcing bags that you can use, below is a series of links from which you can choose the right one from you: THE PANDORA BAG - CREATIVE MAGIC - www.creativemagic.org CARLYLE FORCING BAG - www.carlyletouch.com OSTERLIND FORCING BAG - www.osterlindstore.com JASON PALTER FORCING BAG - www.palterjeist.com

FINAL THOUGHT: As I said before, this is 'my baby' so please treat it well and you will be well rewarded! You spent money on this, so please do not share (this manuscript has special identification code) and please only perform this piece once you are well rehearsed, the script and the action have to be in perfect timing, especially during the handling of the envelopes to the spectators. I have had many gigs booked after performing this piece and I am sure you will enjoy it like I have! If you require any help or advice please feel free to send me an email at: [email protected]

THE COMPLETE PACKAGE:

This routine is also available as a complete package, ready to perform right out of the box, which includes all of the following props:

1

A beautiful box with combination lock

2

Five manila envelopes

3

Security clip and lace

4

Five small laminated ESP symbols

5 Five big laminated ESP symbols, for under the chairs (both the small and the big cards are stored in a plastic folder) 6

Double sided sticky tape (to stick the ESP cards under the chairs)

7

A black marker, pencil and pen

8 Four stickers of high quality material of the numbers 1 to 4 (to attach to the four manila envelopes) 9

Thumb Tip

10

White pad of paper

11

Coloured pad of paper

12

High quality Transparent Forcing Bag

13

A beautiful case with handle that contains all of the props inside

14

The printed manuscript

If you purchase the complete act with props you will receive a signed performance right that allows you to perform this act on broadcast (television, internet, etc.) Only 50 will be made. The price (excluded shipping) is 180$. If you are interested in purchasing the complete package and for availability please email at: [email protected]