Even magicians can be surprised...

I just got back from doing a show up in Horsham and my record for always choosing "the right volunteer" has finally been tarnished.

The show was going well (other than the fact that, in an audience of over 200 people, no-one had a cigarette... I've just GOT to stop doing that trick!) and I called an older gentlemen up on stage to do the "Toast" routine.

As he came up to the stage I noticed he was limping and I thought "No problems, I'll have to modify the routine a little, but it will still work."

I called for two glasses and a carafe of water. I gave him a glass and poured one, but he didn't want my water and filled his glass from a jug on the guest speaker's table.

Okay...

I started the toast and explained he had to copy everything I did, exactly.

I moved my glass up, down, up, down again. He copied, good so far.

I moved mine to the left, he moved his to the right and clinked it with mine.

I reiterated the instructions and pointed out he needed to move his to the left.

So he put his glass in his left hand, moved it to the right and clinked mine again.

Another attempt, and he was following correctly.

I held my glass on top of my head.

He put his glass on his head, then whacked it and it went flying behind him.

Then he tried to knock my glass off my head as well!

I was stunned.

So was the audience.

His glass of water had just missed the guest speaker's open lap top sitting on the table behind him.

He was grinning.

I decided to move on to something else.

I explained he was lucky he didn't destroy the computer as it would cost him a lot of money, and I took out my wallet, opened it and it burst into flames.

Normally, people reel backwards when they see the fire.

He leaned his head into the wallet and tried to blow it out.

Suffice to say I was able to finish the show on a high, wrapping it up with the 'Bill to Banana', but he was truly the oddest volunteer I've ever had to deal with.

When he walked back to the audience, I even noticed his limp was gone. I hadn't miraculously healed him, it was just an affectation he decided to put on when I asked him to come up the front. Weird.

After the show he came up to me and explained. "I hope I didn't mess up the show. I don't know why I did that, I just did." I said "Well if you ever figure out why, please call me, I'd love to know."

Other than that oddness, the client and the audience were very happy, and sympathetic. Apparently he's quite the local character...

Speaking of local characters, I had to stop on the way home and take a photo of this to share with you. The 'Giant Koala' of the famous 'Giant Koala Tourist Park'.

 

Everything's big downuder!