Interlude (magic trick)
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Interlude is a stage illusion where one person appears to pass through the torso of another. Invented by Jim Steinmeyer, and originally performed by The Pendragons, it has since become a part of many illusionists' routines, including David Copperfield and Siegfried & Roy.
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[edit] The Basic Effect
Interlude consists of a vertical frame, which encloses the magician up to just below his arms. Struts extend out from either side, ending in handles for the magician to grip, so that his arms are stretched out. The frame is vertically divided into two sections, a lower one reaching up to his knees, and an upper one from his thighs to his mid chest. The lower section remains open during the illusion, and the audience can see through it, between the magician's legs, and through the corresponding opening at the back. The upper section, which encloses his torso and upper legs is also open at front and back, but in the course of the illusion a screen is placed over the front opening. An assistant then steps behind the magician, and pushes through from front to back, through the screen, apparently passing completely through the magician.
[edit] Notable Variations
Siegfried & Roy's performance (which had an arachnid theme, complete with an assistant in a red catsuit with a spider's web design) followed the assistant's passage through the frame and magician by having a white tiger jump from the front of the frame - apparently produced from the magician's chest.
The screen which covers the magician's torso is generally either paper, or a stretchy fabric. The former variant allows the assistant to violently punch through, or burn away the screen. There are also magicians who do it without a frame, and use specialy made clothing to create the effect.
[edit] Method
This impressing trick, is executed without any adaptations, based on an optical illusion, and almost any person (with a harmonous figure) can pass through the magician after small training. The matter is that during necessary moment the magician turns to spectators sideways, in fact we do not see its body, legs, shoulders only a head, and hands are visible to us. And so the torso, together with legs turns sideways, and hands remain on a former place. As knees are not bent, and we do not see the top part of legs, it is complex to us to define these legs in what position stand. The trunk is hidden behind a black fabric. And here the magician top part is turned just to us. Such double bend of a body turns out.
[edit] External links
- Quicktime Video of the Interlude trick
- Picture of the Interlude trick
- David Copperfield performing the illusion at YouTube
