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Measle Teasel Wand A host of ideas from Ian Adair Tommy James's Measle Teasel Wand is a great bit of business in the kids show. Use it as it was intended, or, try out some of my ideas.
· Pick up the black wand and rub it with a spotted handkerchief. Look away as you do this. The children will clearly see (when you operate it) the wand is now covered in spots.
· Use the can from the Spotted Can/silk trick (Metamorpho Spots). Tell the children you have a tin of special paint - spotted paint, and point to the spots on front of the can to prove this. Pick up the wand in its black state and start stirring the 'contents'. When you remove the wand (after operating it) it's spotted. At the same time operate the special can, so the spots vanish from the surface. · Use a handle or no-handle change bag, plus a set of silks (one solid, one with spots). Load the silks into different sides of the bag and keep the bag open for the solid silk to be removed. In performance, display the bag and remove the solid coloured silk. Show the bag empty. Get a child up to assist. Explain that the silk will disappear. State that you have a special magic wand and show it is covered in spots. Tell the children it has caught the measles. Wave the wand over the bag. Look inside and then look away as you bring it out for display - the silk is covered in spots. At the same time operate the wand so the spots fade away.
· Use a Merry Switch Can. Inside the can place some white gummed spots- (not the sticky adhesive ones - but ones you have to lick but don't lick them). Place the inner fake over this unit, and then the outer lid. In performance, display the can by removing the lid and showing the interior to be empty. Replace the lid. Now pick up the wand in its black state and insert it into the hole on top of the can. Stir the wand, then remove it (operate it) so that when it is removed, it's black without spots. Open the can and tilt it over a clear glass bowl so the loose white spots scatter out.
· Using two Measle Teasel Wands you can perform a transposition type effect. Holding a wand upright in both hands, spots can first appear on one, then after getting the children to blow, they travel to the other wand. This can be repeated and, if wished, the spots can vanish completely, the performer being left with two normal looking wands as before.
· An old gag can be introduced here - hold the wand (black state) in your hand and explain that you went to the opticians the other day complaining you keep seeing spots before your eyes. The optician gave you a pair of glasses, and now you can see the spots much better. As you say this, operate the wand so the spots appear. Finish by saying "When I left the opticians I felt I had made a real spectacle of myself.”
· Because the wand is hollow, use this feature to your advantage. The effect is that a blue silk is pushed through the spotted wand, proving it is empty. It is now replaced. The performer places the end of the wand to his mouth and blows. He then extracts the silk to show the spots have appeared, it now being a spotted silk. The wand becomes plain black! You require three 12" silks for this effect: two solid coloured ones, one solid but covered in white spots. Using a pencil, tuck the spotted silk into one end, and, on top of that, one of the solid coloured silks. The wand starts off as a spotted one. In performance, display the solid silk and poke it into the empty end of the wand, using a pencil. Keep pushing, until the duplicate solid coloured silk emerges from the opposite end. It appears that you have pushed a single silk right through the hollow magic wand...thus proving it is otherwise empty. This leaves the duplicate solid silk inside along with the spotted silk. Display the wand as being spotted again. Poke the solid silk into the empty end of the wand, again, using the pencil. Blow into the end of the wand, operating it at the same time so the spots disappear from it. Using the pencil again, push the silk right through so the spotted one is ejected, leaving the solid inside. It looks as though the spots have magically left the wand and reappeared on the silk
· Use the wand in conjunction with the Leopard Silk effect. Display the spotted foulard and then hold it by the corner in one hand. Pick up the black wand in the right hand. Flick the foulard - the spots apparently flutter off it. Thrust the wand amongst the spots, at the same time operating the wand so it becomes spotted.
Some ideas for using this wonderful comedy wand. The fact that it's self-contained means that you can throw it into the bag and use it at any time.
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