Horror Fans Rejoice
As a young kid, I used to spend every night the same way: curled up under the covers, flashlight in hand, deeply engrossed in a book that I was probably too young to be reading at the time. The holy grail were gamebooks, a choose-your-own-adventure fantasy reading experience. I spent hours destroying my eyesight to page after page.
This unique type of book is the jumping off point for one of the most creative magic tricks of the year: Page Fright by Strange Stage Studios.
To call Page Fright a book test is technically correct but it feels wrong to boil it down to that one description. Strange Stage Studios have crafted a complete magical experience in the shape and style of a real gamebook.
There's a haunted house and depending on how your participant responds, they get to go on a wildly different journey.
If they choose the front door, you get a book test that has a method entirely original to magic. You ask your spectator to flip to any page in the book and read a paragraph. You are able to tell them the exact subject of that paragraph.
If they choose the basement, they embark on a literary Russian Roulette choose-your-own adventure, and they make it through on their wits alone. However, at the end you show that any other choice would have left them deceased.
If they choose the attic, they flip to any page, only for you to pull out a UV pen. That is the only page in the whole book with a secret UV message waiting for them.
Finally if they enter through the window, an envelope is placed in the book as a marker. Several people are shown the page and see nothing too unusual, but one participant clearly sees the banned illustration. When the book is opened again, the page is gone, torn out. You then produce it from the envelope, your pocket, or anywhere you wish. The book can be freely handled, and there is nothing for them to find...
"Brilliant" is an understatement when it comes to Page Fright. It's repeatable, it's built for performers, and it requires no memory work. The spooky details help create an unforgettable atmosphere, and you will have the time of your life leading your audience down the frightful paths you paint.
Page Fright is available at any Murphy's Magic dealer, or you can check out with our featured dealer, Alakazam Magic!
