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Mind Reading Goose Routine by Steve Spill

Created by: Steve Spill

The Mind Reading Goose Routine is a unique and personal close-up magic trick that involves a stuffed duck puppet, known as Bob, performing mind-reading feats. This routine blends comedy, suspense, and audience interaction, creating a memorable experience. The trick is particularly notable for its slow-burn suspense and the unique effect it produces, making it stand out in the magic community. It's a performance-heavy trick that relies on the magician's personality and comedic timing to enhance the magical effect.

Key features

  • Involves a stuffed duck puppet for mind-reading feats

  • Blends comedy, suspense, and audience interaction

  • Performance-heavy, relying on the magician's personality and timing

  • Unique effect that stands out in the magic community

  • Slow-burn suspense enhances the magical experience

Pros

  • Unique and personal routine that stands out

  • Blends comedy and magic effectively

  • Engages the audience with interactive elements

  • Slow-burn suspense creates a memorable experience

Cons

  • Requires a specific prop (stuffed duck puppet) that may be hard to obtain

  • Performance-heavy, requiring strong comedic timing and audience interaction skills

Effect

The Mind Reading Goose Routine is a unique and engaging magic trick that combines comedy, audience interaction, and mind reading. The performer uses a puppet goose (or duck) named Bob to seemingly read the minds of spectators. The routine involves the goose predicting choices, revealing thoughts, or performing impossible feats, all while maintaining a humorous and entertaining atmosphere. The effect is a blend of mentalism and comedy, leaving the audience both amazed and laughing.

Full Details

The routine is based on a prop—a stuffed goose or duck puppet—originally created by Steve Spill. The puppet is used as a comedic and magical assistant, with the performer attributing mind-reading abilities to it. The trick often involves written predictions, audience participation, and clever scripting to create the illusion that the goose can read minds or influence outcomes. The routine is highly adaptable, allowing performers to tailor it to their style and audience.

Who Should Consider the Trick

This routine is ideal for performers who enjoy blending comedy with magic, particularly those who work in stage or parlor settings. It’s well-suited for magicians who like interactive performances and can handle audience participation with humor. The Mind Reading Goose Routine is especially effective for family shows, corporate events, or any setting where lighthearted entertainment is desired.

Difficulty

The trick is moderately easy to perform from a technical standpoint, as it relies more on presentation and timing than complex sleight of hand. However, the real challenge lies in the performer’s ability to sell the comedy and maintain the illusion of the goose’s mind-reading abilities. Strong scripting, comedic timing, and audience management are crucial for success.

What Magicians Say

Tom Wright, a UK magician known for his comedic style, describes the routine as one of his most challenging yet rewarding creations. He mentions rewriting the act multiple times to refine the humor and pacing, ultimately turning it into a solid six-minute routine. He highlights the use of music, callbacks, and visual gags (like the goose wearing sunglasses) to enhance the performance.

Other magicians who have performed similar routines praise the Mind Reading Goose for its versatility and crowd-pleasing nature. The combination of a whimsical prop and mentalism creates a memorable experience that stands out from traditional magic tricks.

If you enjoy interactive, character-driven magic with a strong comedic angle, the Mind Reading Goose Routine is a fantastic addition to your repertoire.

What people are saying about Mind Reading Goose Routine

Tom Wright says...

The Mind Reading Goose Routine is a unique and personal routine that I'm excited to share with my audience. It's got The Blues Brothers track in it where we both wear the shades, it's got the countdown music in it which looks really funny when he's writing down on a pad of paper.

Review videos