OUT OF THIS DARKNESS
Kaleb Wade has been working on something bold, something so deceptively simple and brilliant that it might just make you question your whole concept of light, darkness and maybe even how you view card tricks too!
It’s called Out Of This Darkness and it’s Kaleb’s version of Paul Curry’s legendary effect, which holds a special little place in the hearts of both mentalists and magicians.
Mermaids too apparently!
Leave the mermaids out of it!
I want to talk about Out Of This World.
Before I tell you all about Out Of This Darkness, it’s important to understand what Out Of This World is and why magicians worship it so much… If you’ve ever spent five minutes in a room full of magicians, you’ll know that Out Of This World is even more favourable than a plastic thumb and red silk handkerchief.
I know that’s hard to believe but it’s true!
In the original, a spectator manages to perfectly separate the red cards from the black cards, without ever seeing the faces.
It’s amazing, it’s a miracle, it’s magic!
No it’s not… It’s mentalism in disguise!
Now I know exactly what you’re thinking… (Well I am a mindreader!)
You thunked: Oh no not another Out Of This World
Don’t worry, Kaleb didn’t just pretend to come up with something brand spanking new without actually improving on the original.
Oh no! Kaleb reached directly into the soul of the Out Of This World plot and proceeded to summon carrots.
Carrots?
Erm no, not carrots I meant to say something really cool like demons from another dimension but I was getting a bit carried away. Let’s just forget about the whole carrots and demons thing and start again!
Enter Kaleb Wade’s Out Of This Darkness
This isn’t just a rework. It’s a reimagining. Kaleb has taken the core concept of Out Of This World, dipped it in moonshine, shadows and popping candy. With Out Of This Darkness, the entire performance takes place in complete darkness, the only light comes from a candle, your phones torch or your own aura. The cards are no longer just red and black, they are light and dark, good and evil, the seen and the unseen.
The audience is no longer just watching a trick, they’re now part of some eerie psychic ritual. They are making choices with no visual input, guided only by intuition… Or is it something else?
Let’s get serious for a moment.
Kaleb had some gripes with the original OOTW plot… I know, I know but there’s always one so it may as well be him! Let’s look at Kaleb’s gripes and see how they drove him to create OOTD…
Gripe 1: Kaleb found the OOTW plot to feel more like a magic trick and because he only performs mentalism, this drove him doolally enough to want to change that.
Gripe 2: Kaleb didn’t enjoy watching a spectator dealing out 52 cards. I’ve got to say I’m in total agreement with him so far.
Gripe 3: This was the big’un that he really disliked, he really didn’t like switching the red and black m**kers out halfway through the dealing process.
Gripe 4: Kaleb got fed up of me pestering him when his book Blessed By Demons will be released. So in an effort to shut me up he’s decided to release this just for me. Ok this one isn’t strictly true but I do think he has got fed up of me constantly asking…
Kaleb knows presentation is everything, so by giving you the tools to go out there and perform proper mentalism the trick can now become a story or a memory. Something that feels personal and maybe even a little spooky. Just like the original, this version is all about the spectator. They make every choice but with OOTD the performer never has to touch the cards.
Every card dealt feels instinctive, it’s as if they’re reaching into the unknown and pulling order from chaos.
What you get with OOTD is minimal effort and maximum impact.
Good news for me: There’s no complicated sleights or funny looking moves, I mean there kind of is a move but it’s so very well disguised it fooled me for a week. It’s that clean you’ll miss it too if you’re not paying attention. Yes there’s a set up, nothing too heavy though.
As if all that wasn’t enough, Kaleb even includes a way for you to perform this with a borrowed deck as well as some very nice variations. Some of which require nothing more than blank business cards and a pen. With OOTD all you need is you, a deck of cards and someone willing to get a bit weird with you.
Not that weird. This isn’t escapology!
This is one of the easier OOTW’s I’ve had the pleasure of learning.
This isn’t a trick you’ll want to do in a noisy bar. This is a piece you save for those moments when someone says:
Okay, take your breadstick out of my ear and show me something.
Look here, if you want quick, flashy, TikTok friendly magic then this probably isn’t your vibe.
Out Of This Darkness demands patience, drama and a little showmanship. If you love mentalism, enjoy narrative and if you want your spectators to go home wondering if you really do own a gimp suit.
Enough with the gimp suit already!
Ok, so yea, this might just be right up your street.
Kaleb Wade’s Out Of This Darkness isn’t just another card trick release, it’s an invitation to take your performance deeper, darker and be a bit more daring. No I’m not talking about skinny dipping in Blackpool sea! Whether you’re a mentalist, a theatrical magician, or just someone who likes giving people goosebumps in low lighting. This is one you need in your arsenal.
Get ready to cross the threshold. Out Of This Darkness is here and you won’t be the same after it.
TLDR: You can pick up OOTD by clicking the picture linky thing below!
ЯYΛП MΣПƬIƧ
International Man of Mischief
This was a great read. I almost bought his Frankenstein book test a while back but for whatever reason I passed on it. Regretted it ever since. This looks interesting though. I may have to pick one up