Hey everyone
I have been looking all over the place for inspiration to make a new stage show, and after a lot of thinking, I think I want to make an escape show.
I haven't been doing a lot of escapes before, so this show will be a long time in the making, but as I am in the planning phase, I have a couple of questions:

-Is it ok to mix escapes with magic?
-How many escapes is "normal" for a show?
-Have you ever seen an escape show with a story? (like a play)

And for you guys who do escape stage shows:
-What do you do in your show?

I can completely understand if you don't want to answer the last question, but if any of you would like to answer it, it would be to much help.
If I am able to see a bit of how people do their escape-shows, I think I will get more of an idea on how I can script my own one.

Thank you for all your help.

I don't have an escape show but I do have some advice. I have seen in Escapology that Dixie Dooley has (had?) an escape show so maybe you could find his email some where and ask him. Or you could post in the Magic Cafe since they have a lot more members.
Thanks, Drew

I haven't done an escape act but I have added escapes to my magic show so ...yes they can be mixed. In fact, now that I think about it, many stage acts add escape elements to their show. Ask Dave or Zambini about a full escape show though....Never tried a full escape act nor have I seen any live? Good luck.

Hello sennaho

In my magic stage shows I have always included an escape midway in the show separating two different styles of magic. I usually start with The animal act, escape, audience participation on stage. If I am doing a smaller show I will do either the animal act or audience participation ending with an escape.

In an escape show all I do is escapes starting with the simple working up to the harder and more dangerous.

When I do an escape show I do tell a little story of how I got into the art form and how I progressed through it, telling how challenges were made or how some restraints evolved in a history timeline, like from rope to chain to handcuffs and then finally specially made devices.

It all depends on your style and the type of escapes that you are going to do. You have to always make it seem more impossible than it is, and dangerous. One thing that I do is escape from a body bag, though this doesn't seem dangerous to most people you have to consider that there is a couple of minutes of clean air to breath. When I add the four military belts around the body bag the air space gets smaller, as the last belt goes around the shoulders. Depending on weather or not the escape is performed inside or out varies on the outcome, on stage you get about 30 seconds of air after the last belt is put on, this adds the element of danger and the audience can feel this as you tell them and they see it happening.


I hope that this has helped you, and for more info you can PM me if you would like