Most card magicians work hard to make every movement appear smooth, elegant and perfectly controlled. Lennart Green took an entirely different approach.
In this classic footage from a 1993 episode of The Paul Daniels Magic Show, the Swedish card magician presents a performance that appears unpredictable, disorderly and occasionally on the verge of disaster. However, underneath that carefully constructed chaos is the work of one of the most original card magicians of his generation.
Green begins by telling Paul Daniels and the audience that he will not be performing ordinary card tricks. Instead, he claims that he will reveal the moves used by card sharks—and even explain how people can beat the dangerous card cheats of Las Vegas.
It is a wonderfully entertaining premise that immediately gives the performance a purpose beyond simply finding a selected card.
Green removes his jacket and watch, apparently eliminating the places where he might conceal anything. He then begins handling the deck in his unmistakable style. Cards are cut, mixed, shot through the air and handled with movements that appear far less polished than those normally associated with expert sleight of hand.
That appearance is completely deceptive.
After someone in the audience names the Queen of Hearts, Green demonstrates several increasingly impossible ways of locating and controlling it. Cards fly from one hand to the other, the selected card appears exactly where it is needed, and every apparent mistake seems to lead directly into another magical moment.
The routine eventually builds to a demonstration of dealing a card from the center of the deck. A die is used to determine a number, and the Queen of Hearts arrives at precisely the selected position.
Green even offers to explain the move in slow motion. Like many of the best “explanations” in magic, however, the demonstration only makes the mystery deeper. The audience is allowed to see more, but somehow understands even less.
That contrast is what makes Lennart Green such a fascinating performer.
Where another magician might emphasize elegance and flawless technique, Green creates the character of someone who appears to be fighting for control of the cards. His slightly rumpled appearance, conversational humor and seemingly improvised movements encourage the audience to underestimate him.
The cards may appear to have minds of their own, but Green always knows exactly where the performance is heading.
By the time this appearance was recorded, Green had already established himself as one of the world’s leading card magicians. In 1991, he won the card-magic competition at the FISM World Championship of Magic in Lausanne, Switzerland. His unusual techniques and deliberately chaotic performance style would go on to influence generations of close-up magicians.
Green later introduced his work to an even wider audience through television specials, international lectures and a popular TED performance. His routines continue to stand apart because they don’t resemble traditional card manipulation. Instead of hiding the disorder, he transforms it into a powerful form of misdirection.
This appearance on The Paul Daniels Magic Show is a wonderful example of a performer with a completely defined character. The comedy, movement and apparent confusion are not distractions added to the magic—they are essential parts of the deception.
The next time you watch the video, pay attention to the contrast between what Green wants the audience to believe and the extraordinary control required to create that impression.
It may look like chaos, but in Lennart Green’s hands, every card is exactly where it needs to be.
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