Francis Tabary Transforms a Simple Rope into Pure Magic

                                

A talented magician doesn’t always need an elaborate illusion or expensive stage equipment to create something unforgettable. Sometimes, all it takes is a simple piece of rope—and few performers have demonstrated that better than Francis Tabary.

In this performance from FISM Asia 2008, the celebrated French magician presents an elegant rope routine filled with impossible transformations. Pieces of rope apparently change length, separate, reconnect and transform in ways that seem to defy every rule of reality.

The routine lasts approximately eight minutes, but Tabary continually introduces new surprises. Just when the audience believes it understands the rope’s condition, another visual impossibility changes everything.

Taking Rope Magic to Another Level

Rope magic has been performed for generations, with effects such as cutting and restoring a rope becoming classics of the art. Tabary’s work goes far beyond simply presenting a collection of familiar tricks.

Each sequence flows naturally into the next, creating the impression that the rope has taken on a life of its own. Knots appear and vanish, ends seem to travel, and separate sections become whole again directly in front of the audience.

Although the routine is technically demanding, Tabary never allows the technique to overshadow the magic. His movements are careful, controlled and remarkably smooth. The result looks less like a magician manipulating a prop and more like an artist creating a moving sculpture.

A World Champion of Close-Up Magic

Francis Tabary is widely regarded as one of the most influential rope magicians in the world.

In 1991, he received first place in the Micro Magic category at the FISM World Championship of Magic in Lausanne, Switzerland. His award-winning rope work has since been studied by magicians around the world through his performances, books, lectures and instructional videos.

Tabary has also explored visual art through impossible objects, including Penrose-inspired sculptures and three-dimensional ambigrams. That artistic background can be seen throughout his magic. He approaches a piece of rope not simply as a prop, but as a line that can be bent, divided and rearranged to create impossible images.

Why This Performance Still Stands Out

One of the most impressive aspects of this performance is its simplicity. There is no complicated scenery, dramatic story or collection of large props. The audience’s attention remains focused on Tabary and the rope.

That simplicity also makes the magic feel stronger. The spectators can clearly see the rope, the knots and the ends, yet the transformations remain impossible to follow.

Tabary’s FISM Asia performance is a wonderful reminder that great magic does not depend on the size of the prop. It depends on creativity, presentation and the years of practice required to make something extremely difficult appear effortless.

Watch Francis Tabary turn an ordinary piece of rope into an extraordinary display of visual magic.

Andi Gladwin Leads Penn & Teller Through an Impossible Maze

 Some magicians try to fool Penn and Teller with complicated props, elaborate technology or enormous stage illusions. Andi Gladwin took a more personal approach—he created a magical maze inspired by the choices Penn and Teller made throughout their legendary careers.

In this memorable performance from Penn & Teller: Fool Us, Gladwin presents the famous duo with a series of decisions. Each answer determines the direction taken through a maze, creating what appears to be a completely unpredictable journey.

The routine is entertaining on the surface, but its greatest strength is the way Gladwin makes the magic specifically about Penn and Teller. Their history, careers and partnership aren’t simply mentioned during the presentation—they become part of the effect itself.

As the routine progresses, the individual choices begin forming a much larger picture. By the time Gladwin reaches the final revelation, it appears that every decision Penn and Teller made had somehow been anticipated from the beginning.

A Trick Created Especially for Penn and Teller

Gladwin’s official website describes the performance as “a trick designed just for them,” and that personalization is what makes the routine stand out.

Rather than performing a standard trick and changing a few lines for television, Gladwin constructed an experience that could only be presented to Penn and Teller. The maze becomes a metaphor for the many decisions that brought them together and helped create one of the most successful partnerships in magic history.

It is a wonderful example of how storytelling can elevate a magic trick. Even viewers who never stop to consider the method can appreciate the thought that went into making the performance meaningful to its participants.

Creativity Built Through Collaboration

Gladwin also generously credited several people who helped inspire and shape the routine. In the video’s description, he acknowledges an original idea shared by Mark Elsdon, methodical inspiration from work by So Sato and Karl Fulves, and encouragement from Eli Bosnick, Harrison Greenbaum, Joshua Jay and Brent M. Braun to make the presentation more personal.

That willingness to recognize the people behind an idea offers a valuable reminder that magic frequently develops through collaboration. A performance may begin with one concept, but discussion, experimentation and outside encouragement can transform it into something entirely new.

Did Andi Gladwin Fool Penn and Teller?

After watching the performance and discussing its possible workings, Penn and Teller ultimately acknowledged that Gladwin had successfully fooled them.

The victory earned him a coveted Fool Us trophy, but the real accomplishment was creating a performance that remained entertaining even after the question of “How did he do it?” was over.

The video has now received more than 1.6 million views, introducing audiences around the world to Gladwin’s thoughtful and highly personal style of magic.

Andi Gladwin is a British magician, author and cofounder of Vanishing Inc. Magic. He has appeared on several major television programs, including Masters of Illusion, The Next Great Magician and Penn & Teller: Fool Us.

Watch Andi Gladwin lead Penn and Teller through his impossible maze—and successfully fool two of the most knowledgeable magicians in the world.

EQUALIZER by Joao Miranda

 Now available at www.magiciansmagicshop.com

Hearing is one of our most important senses. What if we could alter the perception of it? João Miranda and his team developed, from the ground-up, a state-of-the-art speaker system that will alter your spectator's reality, allowing the magician to perform what appears to be, real magic. The sound quality of Equalizer is unbelievably good. Even crisp sounds like a bell or opening a soda can, become so realistic, that is hard to tell if it's a sound-FX or a real-life sound. The Equalizer unit comprises an internal micro-SD card reader, volume buttons, a three position switch (to select different sounds), a main frontal action button (to play, pause or advance tracks), and a custom magnetic high-grade speaker. The unit has programmable delay activation with vibration feedback, so the performer is always in control. The set comes complete with: Equalizer unit Micro-SD card USB adapter 2 x Connecting cables Gimmicked music box Svengali blank cards set Magnetic belt holder Charging connector Belt clip To get you started we teach you six effects that include professionally studio recorded sounds, designed specifically for each effect: 1. Music box: The magician shows a metal hand crank music mechanism and places it inside its box. The spectator then selects one song and when the magician plays the music, it matches the selection! For the big finish the music apparatus vanishes without a trace! (Equalizer comes with the gimmicked metal music apparatus and it's box and a set of Svengali blank cards, so the performer can customize to his own preferred song). 2. Bell divination: A bell rings by itself, finding the chosen card. Everything can be examined, before and after. 3. Glass disappearance kicker: A revisited classic, where a glass goes thru a table while covered with a newspaper, but this time the audience really "hears" the glass being touched with a coin, right before it disappears without a trace. 4. Vanishing deck: The classic effect where a deck of cards vanishes, except the signed card. Thanks to Equalizer the audience will really believe the whole deck is in the magician hands since they hear a riffle, which takes the illusion to a whole new level. 5. Vanishing Matches (created by Miguel Pinto): The magician opens a matchbox and asks the spectator to grab one match and sign it. The match is returned and mixed with the others. Suddenly all the matches have magically disappeared, except the spectator signed one! 6. AM/FM Radio: The magician draws a radio on a small notepad. Incredibly the pad plays the sound of a radio station! The magician can play our pause at will the sound coming from the pad. At the end the pad is shown to be totally empty and the drawn page can be handed out as a souvenir. PLEASE ensure the instructions are watched completely as this is technically comprehensive gimmick.

Shin Lim’s Fool Us Performance Shows How Close-Up Magic Can Become Theater

 There are magic performances that fool you, performances that entertain you, and occasionally performances that help change the way people think about what a magic act can be.

Shin Lim's first appearance on Penn & Teller: Fool Us belongs in that last category.

Years after it originally aired, the performance is still fascinating to revisit—not simply because of the card magic, but because of the way Lim transformed close-up sleight of hand into a carefully choreographed piece of theater.

Shin Lim Takes on Penn & Teller

When Shin Lim appeared on Penn & Teller: Fool Us in 2015, audiences were treated to something very different from the traditional television card trick.

There's almost no talking.

Instead, Lim allows the music, his expressions and his hands to tell the story.

A playing card is selected and signed. A marker vanishes. Cards change, disappear and reappear. Smoke adds another visual layer as objects seem to materialize and dissolve directly in front of the audience.

And then the impossibilities keep building.

Rather than presenting a series of unrelated tricks, Lim creates the feeling that we're watching one continuous magical sequence.

That distinction is important.

This isn't simply "watch what I can do with a deck of cards."

It's a performance.

When Sleight of Hand Becomes Choreography

One of the most interesting things about watching Shin Lim is his use of music.

His movements don't simply happen while music plays in the background. The movements and magical moments are structured around it.

Lim originally trained as a pianist, and he has explained that his musical background influenced his approach to magic. Years of studying and performing music helped him instinctively synchronize movement with a soundtrack.

That influence is easy to see in this performance.

Watch his hands.

Watch when he pauses.

Watch when an effect occurs.

Even seemingly insignificant movements contribute to the rhythm of the routine.

It's closer to choreography than the traditional "pick a card" presentation many people associate with card magic.

Penn & Teller Were Fooled

Of course, this is Fool Us, so there was another question waiting at the end:

Did Shin Lim fool Penn & Teller?

He did.

And one particularly memorable detail wasn't even one of the largest moments in the routine.

Early in the performance, Lim makes the marker disappear.

Penn later revealed that even Teller didn't know how Lim had vanished the marker.

Think about that for a moment.

A routine packed with transformations, appearances, disappearances and sophisticated card magic—and one of the details that caught the attention of two enormously experienced magicians was the disappearance of a marker.

That's a wonderful lesson for performers.

Sometimes the moment you think is merely a transition can become one of the things the audience remembers most.

The Dream Act

The routine became known as The Dream Act, and it wasn't created solely for television.

It was part of the material Lim developed and refined for competition.

In 2015, Shin Lim won the FISM World Championship in Close-Up Card Magic, one of the highest competitive honors in the magic world.

The Dream Act showcases why his work attracted so much attention.

There is obviously tremendous technical skill involved, but technique isn't presented as the star.

The technique serves the visual experience.

That's an important distinction.

An audience doesn't need to understand how difficult a move is to appreciate the impossible image it creates.

Bringing Close-Up Magic to a Big Audience

There's another reason I think magicians should revisit this performance.

Card magic presents a fundamental staging problem.

It's small.

A deck of cards was designed to sit in someone's hands—not entertain hundreds or thousands of people in a theater.

Lim embraced cameras and projection rather than fighting against them.

The audience can watch the details on a large screen while the physical performance remains intimate.

That allows something traditionally performed for a handful of spectators around a table to become theatrical entertainment for a huge audience.

Today that approach may seem familiar, but performances like this helped demonstrate just how cinematic close-up magic could become.

What Magicians Can Learn From Shin Lim

It's tempting to watch this video and concentrate entirely on methods.

Where did that card go?

Where did that deck come from?

How did he make that disappear?

Those are natural questions—especially if you're a magician.

But watch the performance again and ignore the methods.

Study the structure.

Notice how one magical moment leads into another.

Notice how Lim gives the audience time to recognize what just happened before moving forward.

Watch his eyes.

Listen to the music.

Pay attention to the moments when absolutely nothing happens.

Those pauses are part of the act too.

Great magic isn't always about adding another trick.

Sometimes it's knowing exactly when to stop moving and allow the audience to experience the impossible thing that just happened.

A Performance That Helped Introduce Shin Lim to the World

Shin Lim would eventually return to Fool Us and fool Penn & Teller again.

His career would grow dramatically from there, including winning Season 13 of America's Got Talent and later America's Got Talent: The Champions. His first Fool Us performance also became a massive online hit, accumulating tens of millions of views.

But going back to this earlier appearance provides an opportunity to see many of the elements that would eventually become synonymous with Shin Lim already firmly in place.

The cards.

The smoke.

The music.

The precise movements.

And, most importantly, the idea that close-up card magic can be presented as something much larger.

Watch Shin Lim Fool Penn & Teller

Even if you've watched this performance before, give it another look.

The first time, watch it as a spectator.

Then watch it again as a magician.

Don't try to catch the moves.

Watch how Shin Lim turns the moves into magic.

That's where the real lesson is.

Watch a Master at Work: Johnny Thompson’s Classic Great Tomsoni Dove Act

 Long before Johnny Thompson became known to millions of television viewers as the man behind the scenes on Penn & Teller: Fool Us, he was already one of the most respected performers in magic.

This vintage video gives us a chance to go back and watch Thompson doing what helped establish that reputation: performing as The Great Tomsoni.

And for magicians, this one is worth watching closely.

The Great Tomsoni Takes the Stage

Johnny Thompson and his wife, Pamela Hayes, traveled the world performing as The Great Tomsoni & Co.

At first glance, the character seems to be the classic image of a sophisticated magician: tuxedo, music, silks and beautiful white doves appearing from seemingly nowhere.

But Thompson turns that image on its head.

The Great Tomsoni is simultaneously an accomplished magician and a slightly bumbling showman, while Pam plays his less-than-impressed assistant. Their interactions create comedy without sacrificing the strength of the magic.

That's one of the things that makes this footage so much fun to revisit.

Underneath the comedy is some incredibly polished magic.

Beautiful Dove Magic

The dove work alone makes this video an important piece of magic history.

Thompson was an accomplished dove worker, and his act was influenced by one of the most famous dove magicians of all time, Channing Pollock.

Pollock gave Thompson permission to incorporate two of his signature sequences—the double-dove production and dove-to-silk finale—into the Tomsoni act.

Thompson didn't simply imitate Pollock, however.

He took the elegance traditionally associated with the classic dove act and built comedy around it, essentially creating his own affectionate satire of the sophisticated nightclub magician while still performing the actual magic at an extremely high level.

That combination is much harder than it looks.

Watch More Than the Tricks

If you're a magician watching this video, don't concentrate exclusively on figuring out where the birds come from.

Watch Johnny Thompson.

Look at his timing.

Look at where he's looking when the magic happens.

Watch the movements that appear completely unimportant.

Pay attention to the relationship between Johnny and Pam and how their characters continue developing even when neither performer says a word.

Most importantly, notice that the comedy doesn't weaken the magic.

The magic remains strong.

That's a lesson that still applies to performers today.

A trick doesn't exist in isolation. The character performing it, the timing, music, movement, reactions and interaction with an assistant can transform a collection of individual tricks into an act.

The Great Tomsoni & Co. was an act.

One of Magic's Great Behind-the-Scenes Minds

Johnny Thompson's influence eventually extended far beyond his own performances.

He became one of magic's most respected consultants and worked with some of the biggest names in the business, including Penn & Teller, Lance Burton, Criss Angel and many others.

His relationship with Penn & Teller became particularly important.

Thompson worked with the duo for decades and eventually became an integral part of Penn & Teller: Fool Us, helping determine whether contestants had actually fooled Penn and Teller.

There's something wonderful about watching this old footage with that later chapter of his career in mind.

The man audiences eventually knew as one of the greatest repositories of magical knowledge wasn't simply someone who studied magic.

He could perform it at an extraordinary level.

Preserving Performances Like This Matters

Johnny Thompson died in 2019 at the age of 84, but performances like this allow new generations of magicians to experience his work.

And that's important.

Magic is an unusual art because so much of our history isn't preserved in traditional ways. Routines are passed from magician to magician. Techniques are taught privately. Acts disappear when performers retire.

Old performance footage gives us something different.

We get to actually see the timing, movement, personality and audience interaction that can't always be captured on the printed page.

Johnny Thompson's magic has fortunately received extensive preservation. The Magic of Johnny Thompson, written with Jamy Ian Swiss, documents dozens of his routines and includes an entire section devoted to The Great Tomsoni & Co., including his work with doves and silks.

But there's still something special about watching the man himself perform it.

Watch Johnny Thompson — The Great Tomsoni

If you've never seen Johnny Thompson perform his classic dove act—or if it's been years since you've watched it—take a few minutes and enjoy this piece of magic history.

Then watch it again.

The first time, enjoy the magic.

The second time, watch the performer.

There's an enormous amount today's magicians can learn from The Great Tomsoni.

Jackson Aces Heads to Parkes for Special Halloween Magic Fundraiser

 Australian magician and social media sensation Jackson Aces is bringing his magic to Parkes, New South Wales, for a special Halloween event benefiting Middleton Public School.

After keeping the news under wraps for approximately six months, the Middleton Public School P&C has revealed that Aces will headline two performances at the Parkes Leagues Club on Saturday, October 31, 2026.

The event will mark Aces' Central West debut and combine magic, Halloween fun and fundraising for the local school.

From Millions of Followers to the Live Stage

Jackson Aces has spent approximately 20 years performing magic and has built an enormous audience online.

With more than six million followers on TikTok, Aces has become one of the most recognizable Australian magicians on social media.

His career has also taken him well beyond the phone screen.

Aces has appeared on Australian television programs including Sunrise and The Today Show, performed eight sold-out shows at the Sydney Opera House, and entertained celebrities including Tom Cruise, Mike Tyson, 50 Cent and Delta Goodrem.

Now he's taking that experience to Parkes for a cause that will directly benefit a local school.

Two Different Magic Shows on Halloween

Organizers have planned two separate performances to make the event accessible to different audiences.

The first will be a 45-minute family show beginning at 3:30 p.m.

The earlier performance is specifically designed to be child-friendly, and organizers intentionally scheduled it early enough for families to enjoy the magic show and still have time for Halloween trick-or-treating afterward.

Tickets for the family performance are $20 individually or $90 for a group of five. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Then, at 7:30 p.m., Aces returns for an extended evening magic spectacular.

The evening performance will also feature live music from Parkes country music artist Gracey Denham-Jones, who will serve as the special opening act.

General admission for the evening show is $50, with a limited number of $100 VIP tickets available. Groups of five can attend for $200.

Each performance is capped at 600 attendees.

Magic Supporting a School

There's also a great story behind how the event came together.

According to Middleton Public School P&C committee member Caitlin Compt, organizers wanted to do something different from the usual school fundraiser.

Aces also had a personal connection to the community.

While visiting Westmead Hospital, he met a former Middleton Public School student who was a patient there. When organizers later approached him about helping with the fundraiser, he was enthusiastic about making the trip west from Sydney to perform.

"We were thinking outside the box and Jackson Aces is a very nice human," Caitlin said. "He was so excited when we asked him, he's so pumped to come to Parkes."

The Parkes Leagues Club is donating the use of its auditorium, further increasing the amount of money the event can potentially generate for the school.

Money raised will help the Middleton Public School P&C upgrade its school canteen, including the purchase of a new oven, with organizers also considering another project that could benefit from the proceeds.

Magic Can Be a Powerful Fundraiser

Events like this are also a great reminder of something those of us in the magic business sometimes overlook.

A magic show can be much more than entertainment.

Magic is naturally family-friendly, appeals to multiple generations and gives communities a reason to gather together. When it's paired with a school or charitable organization, a live magic show can also become a powerful fundraising tool.

Instead of simply asking families for another donation, organizations can offer an experience in return—and hopefully create some great memories along the way.

In this case, Middleton Public School gets a unique fundraising opportunity while families in Parkes get the chance to see a magician who has built a worldwide following without having to travel to Sydney.

That's a pretty good combination.

Jackson Aces Comes to Parkes October 31

Both Jackson Aces performances take place Saturday, October 31, 2026, at Parkes Leagues Club in Parkes, New South Wales, Australia.

With Halloween falling on the same day, organizers couldn't have picked a much better occasion for a little mystery and illusion.

And after keeping the identity of their special guest secret for six months, Middleton Public School P&C can finally say it:

Jackson Aces is coming to Parkes—and this time, the magic is helping a school.

Dan Sperry Brings Shock Magic to Knott’s Scary Farm for New Magic Castle Show

 Dan Sperry has brought his unmistakable brand of dark and bizarre magic to Knott’s Scary Farm as part of an all-new collaboration between the legendary Halloween event and Hollywood's Magic Castle.

For the 2026 Halloween season, Knott’s Scary Farm has introduced OCCULTUM, a new live magic experience inside the historic Bird Cage Theatre at Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park, California.

And who better to kick off a Halloween magic show than Dan Sperry?

Sperry was selected as the first magician to perform in OCCULTUM, appearing during Knott's Scary Farm's opening weekend, September 17–19, with four performances each night.

The Magic Castle Comes to Knott's Scary Farm

OCCULTUM is more than a single magic show.

The production is a collaboration with Hollywood's world-famous Magic Castle and features a rotating lineup of magicians throughout the 2026 Knott's Scary Farm season.

The show replaces Conjurers at the Bird Cage Theatre and is designed specifically for the darker atmosphere of Scary Farm. Instead of simply transplanting a traditional Magic Castle show into a theme park, the performers are being encouraged to embrace material that's stranger, darker and more appropriate for Halloween.

Magician Rudy Coby is curating the rotating lineup for the Magic Castle and will also perform during the season.

It's an especially interesting partnership considering the long connection between magic and the Bird Cage Theatre. Magic Castle performers have appeared there over the years, and Coby himself performed at Knott's roughly 35 years ago.

Dan Sperry Opens OCCULTUM

Sperry seems almost tailor-made for the concept.

Known for combining illusion, sideshow-inspired stunts, dark comedy and a gothic visual style, Sperry has spent more than 25 years developing a persona very different from the traditional tuxedo-wearing magician.

Magic fans will recognize him from appearances on America's Got Talent and more than a decade of appearances on Masters of Illusion, along with performances around the world.

Opening-weekend reports from Knott's reveal that Sperry's OCCULTUM performance included both bizarre physical magic and mentalism.

One routine reportedly involved a book, chalkboards, a bell and even a Magic: The Gathering card used as a bookmark. Sperry correctly revealed information selected from the book before adding another unexpected twist to the revelation.

But this is Dan Sperry at Knott's Scary Farm, so naturally things didn't stay quite that innocent.

He also brought out one of the pieces of shock magic for which he has become known: swallowing razor blades.

It's exactly the kind of material that demonstrates why pairing the Magic Castle with Knott's Scary Farm has so much potential.

Magic Gets a Little Darker for Halloween

OCCULTUM also represents something interesting for magic fans.

There are plenty of haunted attractions during Halloween. There are also plenty of magic shows throughout the year.

But bringing respected working magicians into an established Halloween event and allowing them to explore the darker side of the art creates something different.

Magic has always had connections to the mysterious and macabre. Spirit cabinets, séances, mind reading, bizarre magic, dangerous-looking stunts and supernatural themes have been part of the art's history for generations.

Knott's Scary Farm gives performers a setting where they can push those themes further.

For Sperry, whose entire performing character already exists somewhere between magician, sideshow performer and horror character, the fit is especially natural.

A Different Magician Throughout the Season

Dan Sperry's opening weekend is only the beginning.

OCCULTUM will continue with a rotating lineup of Magic Castle performers during Knott's Scary Farm's 2026 run.

Among the other magicians connected to the production are Rudy Coby, Rob Zabrecky and Georges-Robert. Coby has said the performers were chosen specifically because their styles could work with the unusual Scary Farm audience.

That also means OCCULTUM won't necessarily be the same show from week to week.

Visitors returning later in the season could see an entirely different magician and style of magic inside the Bird Cage Theatre.

Knott's Scary Farm Continues Through Halloween

The 53rd season of Knott's Scary Farm began September 17 and continues on select nights through October 31, 2026.

This year's event features 10 mazes, five scare zones and multiple live shows in addition to OCCULTUM.

For magic fans, however, the partnership with the Magic Castle gives them another reason to step into the fog.

Dan Sperry may have opened the door, but a rotating collection of magicians will keep the impossible happening at Knott's Scary Farm throughout the Halloween season.

And if OCCULTUM's opening weekend is any indication, this isn't going to be your typical magic show.

It's magic designed for the dark.