Issue 26 - May 09
Final Reflections
Tony Griffith
Available from: www.tonygriffith.co.uk
Price: £25.00
This is the third and final part of Tony's trilogy of hard
backed books. I have already had the pleasure of reviewing the previous two
works (Reflections - in iss.18 Jan. 08, Further Reflections - in iss. 23 Nov.
08) and the new volume follows the style of the previous works. I think there
can be a danger when attempting to write three books in this way that by the
time you get to the final tome, you are rooting around trying to find enough
good material to fill it, since you discover that most of your 'A' material has
already been used up in the earlier works. Knowing how meticulously Tony plans
everything that he does, I am not in the least surprised to discover that this
is absolutely NOT the case with Final Reflections. In fact, I would go as far as
to say that this particular book, if anything, contains even more practical,
varied and excellent magic than the previous two books!
Final Reflections is hard backed with a full colour dust
jacket cover and runs to 108 A4 size pages. It is nicely printed on heavy art
paper and contains a wide range of magic for close up, stand up, mentalism and
even children's shows. As with the previous two volumes, this one has a section
dedicated to Magic of Science, and so if you have had your interest piqued in
the earlier books with this type of workshop style entertainment and
instruction, you will find here plenty more 'experiments' that the children can
try. Everything in the book is fully explained and Tony is extremely thorough
with referencing either the ideas that he has based his own variations on, or
with pointing you to his earlier publications where previous versions can be
looked up.
There is so much good material in here that it would be a
bit invidious to pick out individual items for special praise, so I will instead
try to give a quick overview of what is included. Stand up performers will find
favour with Tony's opening silk and rope sequence, as well as with his lovely A
Ring And A Watch routine and the highly entertaining Chained In Harmony effect.
Simple props and methods, maximum audience pleasure!
Close uppers will be intrigued by his Legostack which is an
unusual finish to a dice stacking routine, and the Rabbit and Top Hats effect is
cute and magical. Mentalists are very well provided for. The Mark Of The Reader,
Datacard, Designs For Two, Spellfold, Premo Final and Cuff Link Prediction are
all practical, interesting mental effects, while children's entertainers will
enjoy his handkerchief mouse and dancing lady handlings as well as all the Magic
of Science ideas mentioned above. As with the previous two books there are
anecdotes and essays on magic related topics too, all of which provide variety
and food for thought.
Tony is a master at tweaking ideas to get the maximum out
of them, and although some of the original material in this book dates back 40
years, because Tony has always looked to change and update his material to keep
with the times, I don't think the offerings here feel in any way dated.
Tony has always been a performer as opposed to just an
ideas man, and as a result everything that he puts together is designed to be
performed. In an age where so much 'new' material is devised more with a view to
just fooling the purchasing magicians than being suitable for lay public
entertainment, this book, as with the previous two books, bucks the trend by
being choc full of genuinely commercial magic for anyone who wishes to go out
and entertain. It is rare to find books with such varied contents, and the whole
set of three really should be required reading for anyone who genuinely enjoys
magic. ML
What's Hot
: great selection of practical performance ideas
What's Not: the fact that he says this will possibly be his last book
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