The Legend of Albert Walker

Here it is, finally; the Legend of Albert Walker, AKA Urban

Legend. This is my take on the classic strung razor blades routine,
the ultimate in cutting edge, danger magic (pun completely
intentional).
But there are already other sources for the razor blade trick in
print, why do we need another one?
For years Ive been performing the razor blade effect, and over
that time, Ive been slowly changing, fixing and polishing the way
I perform it. In that time, Ive changed the materials I use to
perform the effect, to make the effect more visual, logical, and
safe. Ive also fixed a number of problems that I had with the
original routine, including timing, number of blades used, the
holding device used for the razors, and motivation for sticking
sharp things in your mouth.
I also made adjustments to the set-up that made the routine
perfect for stage, parlour, street, and even close up (which was
almost impossible, and at the least, very difficult, with the
traditional set up).
Finally, Ive added a logical (and disturbing) script that hooks
my audiences every single time I perform this routine. The script
and presentation both take into consideration the principles of
stickiness, which will help the spectators remember the magic
(make the magic stick in their mind), long after the show. Ive
included that script here. Along with it, Ive included ideas about
how to use the routine as part of either a magic or mentalism
presentation without running into confusing, or clumsy contextual
conflicts (alliteration added at no additional charge).

Im also throwing in a very special treat a custom produced

soundtrack that I actually use in my paid performances. It is
royalty free, and absolutely killer; so I think (yes, Im a little
biased because I wrote and produced it).
Lastly, youll notice an extra file in the e-package youve
received entitled Script. The script for this routine is written up
here in the notes; however, I thought it would be helpful to also
include a separate copy of the script in its own file, laid out in a
larger font. If you decide to use the script word for word (be my
guest), youll be able to print out that file, and have the script by
itself on a page, in a nice, easy to read format. This will make
learning the lines and rehearsing a little bit more convenient.
Even if you never once perform this routine the way it is written
up here, I would strongly suggest you look at the way the
traditional routine was thought through, broken down, and altered.
You will find the study of such a procedure valuable. And if you
decide to alter any part of handling or script, please email me at
mike@michaelpaulmagic.com and tell me about it. Id love to
hear what youve come up with.

Lets get started.

Effect (described as a stage performance):

Immediately following a brief monolog, the house lights dim,
and a small table on stage is illuminated by a single pin spot. On
the table is a red apple. Performer takes the apple and turns it
towards the audience, exposing several double sided razor blades

protruding from the fruit. A razor is removed by the performer,

who uses the blade to slice a small piece from the apple, proving
the instrument to be both extremely sharp, and extremely
dangerous.
The razor is clearly placed onto the performers outstretched
tongue, where it is momentarily displayed, and then slowly
retracted into his mouth. The performer swallows the blade and
then shows his mouth to be empty.
A second razor is removed, but pricks the finger of the
performer, causing him to drop it and wince in pain. Without
letting this small interference interrupt the pace of his performance,
the performer takes the final blade from the apple and cleanly
places it in his mouth.
From his pocket, the performer removes a spindle of dental
floss, and removes a length of about a foot, with the intention of
flossing after his unusual snack. After a second thought, he
decides instead to roll the mint flavoured strand into a ball and eat
that as well (and why not, surely it cant be as bad for you as say
a razor blade).
The small white floss box is now placed on the table along with
the apple, and the performer takes a step back and begins to reach
for his throat, but then relaxes. Next a wince, and a gag. A
gentlemen in the first row flinches, as though he may call for help,
but the performer regains control of the act and regurgitates a
single razor, which is held by the flat edges with his teeth.
With his right hand, the performer pulls the razor from between
his teeth, and attached to it is one end of the dental floss. The
razor is allowed to swing by the floss from the performers mouth,
showing it to be securely tied.

Next a second a gag, and the second blade is produced from

between the teeth. The performer calmly, and carefully (yet
triumphantly) grasps the second razor and holds it up for all to
see the razor blades are tied together. Black out.
After the show, the gracious performer makes his way out to the
lobby, thanking guests personally for showing up supporting his
show. He can be seen holding a napkin, spattered with dark red
spots and eating an apple wait is there something in that
apple?

Thank you for allowing me to carry on with an elaborate

description of the effect. Even if you think its a bit over the top,
be assured; the actual performance is at least twice as poetic.
Theres something about the visuals that are scripted into the
routine that make it more intense than what Im able to convey in
print. The above description will have to do. In the mean time, I
promise my critics that Ill work on my control of the English
language and exercise a greater literary prowess in the future. And
for those upset about the length of the above effect description,
here is a cliff-notes version:

Effect:
Performer swallows two sharp razor blades and a piece of
dental floss. A moment later they are reproduced, tied together.
The crowd goes wild.
Simply reading the description of the (longer) routine above,
youve already noticed a number of ways my variation differs from

the traditional strung razors effect. Lets take a brief moment to

examine what makes the razor blade effect powerful and effective.
Then, to better understand why changes to the original where
made, well take a look at what I consider to be problems with the
traditional strung razor blades presentation. Well handle all of
this business before moving onto method. Here are the good, the
bad, and the (very) ugly elements of the classic razor blade routine.

The good:
1. Razors are recognizable. As soon as someone sees a razor
blade, they know instantly what it is, and how sharp it should
be. Its more of an every-day item then a magic prop.
2. Inherent danger. Everyones been cut or nicked and they
know it hurts. Personal experience tells them you are crazy
to put a razor blade in your mouth.
3. The props are easy to come by. One stop to a convenience
store and ten bucks later, youre all set to go.
4. Packs small, plays huge. Its not often that a routine packs
small enough to fit in your pocket (with room to spare), and
plays the largest theatre with no problem (when performed
properly).
5. Razors are not (yet) typical magic-show fare. Unlike sawing
a woman, snowstorm in China and the newspaper tear which
are common in every magic show, razors are a bit more
unusual. Now, theres nothing wrong with any of the above
routines, in fact, they are classics for a reason. It is
refreshing however, to have the ability to present something
your audience may not have seen before.

The bad and the ugly:

1. Motivation. Most of the performers Ive seen perform the

razors, do so as a look what I can do(read in a Stewart
from Mad-TV voice), or Its time for a light snack type of
presentation. Thats weak, and lacks any kind of emotional
hook. These presentations dont make me want to care about
whats going on. Nothing about them is sticky (more on that
later). And so, its the first thing I considered when deciding
to perform the razors.
2. Razorblade holders/stands. Sorry, just not a fan of these
silly contraptions. Leaving the razors in the dispenser they
come in is an option, but this severely limits visibility.
Spectators more then a few feet away will have no clue
whats going on.
3. Number of razors eaten. Ive always found this detail
annoying. Is the performer trying to convince me that he
somehow tied together ten or more razor blades in his throat
in a matter of twenty seconds? Personally, I find this to be
the detail that turns strung razor blades from an amazing
stunt, to a clever trick, or a puzzle to be figured out. My goal
is to present strong magic, not clever tricks.
4. Attitude of performer. Imagine you are actually taking an
extremely sharp, double sided razor into your mouth and
swallowing. Would you be telling jokes, and laughing? I
wouldnt be. Yet, for whatever reason, many performers
present this effect as a light hearted comedy routine. To each
his own, but I believe this jovial attitude hints to the audience
that the performer is in no real danger. At that point, why not
just swallow life savers instead of razor blades? I firmly
believe that my audiences are intelligent enough to pick up
on any inconsistency between the situation at hand, and the
performers attitude.
5. Using cotton thread to tie the razors together. If you want to,
you can call me nit-picky for this one. I wanted to use
something a bit thicker or more visible then white cotton
thread to tie the razors. When experimenting with dental

floss, I stumbled upon several very cool subtleties that make

it a much better choice than thread. Well get into that in just
a little bit.
6. Flawless performance. Again, a small detail, but an
important one in my mind. Ten blades go in and in just a few
painless, worry-free seconds, ten come out tied together. Not
bad honestly but it could be better. Arent we taught that a
good story has an opening, conflict, and resolution? When
handling sharp razor blades, there is plenty that could go
wrong. Plenty of room for conflict within the context of
the routine. Lets use conflict to create better theatre.
7. Holding the final razor vertically along the edges with the
lips. When did this become the classic way to produce the
last razor, and who thought this would be a good idea? Have
you ever tried to do this with a sharp razor blade? I have (not
the brightest thing Ive ever done), and its not safe. I bled
for what felt like hours. Why on earth would you ever do
such a thing?

Ive reviewed these problems right up front so that I can refer

to them later as problems 1-7. Again, not everyone will find all of
the above seven points to be real issues. They are however points
that I wanted to fix, change, or improve upon when constructing
Urban Legend. You, of course, have the option of agreeing or
disagreeing with me on these points. But even if you do disagree,
be sure to have a look at why Ive considered these things to be
problems. The process is important and can be a valuable lesson.

Its time to talk materials. The good news is, you wont have to
shop for anything expensive or difficult to find. Further, you
probably already have a few of the items kicking around the house.
Lets start with the easy one first.

The apple
The perfect razor blade holder, the tie-in to our Urban
Legend script, and maybe the most inexpensive magic prop
youll ever buy. In this routine, the apple will be a visual hook,
a razor blade packet holder, and gimmicked proof that the razors
are sharp! All of that in a fifty cent piece of fruit, what a great
deal. This also takes care of problem number two, the razor
blade holder/stand. An apple wont look so strange and out of
place on your stage. Later, the script will create context, and the
apple makes perfect sense. Problem solved.
Choose a medium sized red apple, like a Gala. Youll be
able to find these at your local supermarket. Green apples may
be mistaken for something else from far away. Red apples are
instantly recognizable. Its a small point, but something to keep
in mind. Also, look for apples that are somewhat flat on the
bottom. The apple will need to sit still on your table, and not
roll around onto its side.

Napkins
Go and get yourself a pack of cocktail napkins. Well be
using these to rest the apple on, and for some good old post
show acting. Spattering them with stage blood is totally
optional well get into that a little later.

Dental Floss
There are two things that make dental floss more visible then
white cotton thread. First is its thickness. But secondly, the
floss box is recognizable. As soon as you remove the box from
the table or pocket, people know exactly what it is. Because its
recognizable, the floss becomes more psychologically visible.
Because the audience knows and is familiar with what you are
holding (the floss box), they are willing to see the floss
coming out of the dispenser even if they cant. Despite not
being able to see the strand of floss itself, the audience will
allow their imaginations to fill in the details.

Not too long ago I decided to test out my psychological

visibility theory at a stand up show I did as part of a
lecture/show for an IBM group in CT. Before the act, I
removed the floss from the dispenser. When it came time to
remove the floss for the effect, I simply removed the floss box,
and mimed the action of removing a strand.
After the show, I only received one comment about the floss.
The criticism was, The string you put into your mouth wasnt
the same length as the one you pulled out later. Talk about a
vivid imagination! Not only did this person see my invisible
dental floss, but they saw it as being longer then the one I pulled
from my mouth later!
After playing with the idea of using floss instead of thread, I
hit on an unexpected advantage of its use. Its waxed. The wax

on the floss gives it the ability to stick to itself, and any floss
rolled up into a ball will stay that way until you pull it apart.
This characteristic is going to make two different parts of the
routine much easier than they would have been with simple
thread.
Choose waxed floss that is unflavoured. Mint flavoured
floss can make you salivate slightly when you put it into your
mouth and you dont want to drool everywhere when you
take the razors out.

The razor blades

Theres just not a lot you have to think about here. Simple
double sided razor blades are all you need. You can find these
in the shaving needs section of your local convenience store.
They come in packs of ten, and youll be using four per
performance.

A metal file
A double sided metal file will be used to dull the razors.
This only makes the routine slightly less dangerous. Keep in
mind that razors are still sharp even if they have been
dulled. Oh, and dont worry well still be able to show and
prove the razors to be ultra-sharp.
These can be found in any hardware store, or even at
Walmart. The file will typically run in the range of ten dollars;
but is a one time cost, and will last you forever.

The set up:

Remove and carefully dull three razor blades. This is done
by rubbing the sharp edge of the blade against the file in a
sliding motion. I shouldnt have to tell you that razor blades are
sharp be sure to protect your hands by wearing gloves during
this procedure. Also pay close attention to the corners of the
blades. Getting stabbed with one in the gums is no fun. So dull
those too.
Fortunately, the razor blade is an extremely thin piece of
metal, and will be fairly easy to dull in a short amount of time.
If however you are unsure about the dulling process, do NOT
perform this routine. I wont be responsible for you sticking
very sharp things in your mouth that would be just plain
stupid.
Perhaps if youre looking for further advice on making razor
blades dull, you could ask the friendly neighbourhood hardware
clerk his advice. Just say, Hi, I like magic tricks, and would
like to eat this razor blade could you show me the safest way
to dull it first? Im sure they get that all the time.

I sent a copy of The Legend of Albert Walker to my buddy

Paul Vigil (remember that name). He called back the day after,
and we chatted for quite some time about details of the routine.
He had suggested that I might be able to find a company that
manufactures dull razors. We both jumped on our computers

and googled dull razor blades, and found a couple of

companies that produce them. Purchasing the razors already
dull would save you ten minutes of preparation time. While ten
minutes might not sound like a lot of time to you, it makes a big
difference when you perform the routine as much as I do. It
was a great suggestion, and Im very grateful to Paul for sharing
it with me.
Take two of the blades and tie them together with a piece of
floss approximately twelve to fifteen inches in length. Youll
want to stick these blades together, to make them appear to be
just one blade (like a razor blade double lift). Saliva is perfect
for the task, as it functions wonderfully as razor blade glue (yes,
seriously).
Now, roll the attached dental floss into a small, compact ball,
and stick it right to the bottom of the razor packet. Heres
where the waxed floss becomes a great advantage. The floss
will hold itself in place after you roll it up into a ball. It will
also stick nicely to the razor blade packet.
This two razor packet will be placed into the apple with the
floss-ball side of the razor closest to the apple (check out the
pic).
The remaining razor is to be slid into the apple next to the
first (packet of two), in such a way that it helps to hide what
little bit of the balled-up floss may be showing. Again, if you
need a visual reference, please go ahead and check out the
picture provided.
Next, remove a sharp razor from its dispenser, and use it to cut
off a small, thin, circular slice of apple. You now have a sort of
apple puzzle to put back together. Dont worry if youre not a
puzzle person, as this is a simple, one piece puzzle and

shouldnt offer you any challenge. Go ahead, and pop the apple
slice back onto the apple where it came from. Done properly,
nobody will notice that the apple is actually in two pieces and
hopefully, youre not handing the razor-apple out for
examination anyways, so you dont have anything to worry
about in that regard.

When performing on the street, I often prepare up to four

apples at a time for use that day. In this situation, its best to
use the freshest apples possible, as older apples will oxidize.
The oxidation will cause the sliced off piece of apple to brown
in a short amount of time. The brown color of the apple slice
will ruin the illusion that you just cut the piece with the razor.
To keep the apple slice looking its whitest, rub the apple slice
with lemon juice. The acidity will keep the piece from turning
brown pre-maturely. Go ahead and do this any time youve got
to prep the apple way ahead of time. Its better safe then sorry.
Stick the sharp razor used to cut the apple into the side of the
fruit, but noticeably (to you) separate from the other two already
there. Youll want to know, just by glancing quickly at the
apple, which of the three blades you see is sharp.
Later, well use this sharp razor as part of a bluff to convince
any sceptics in the audience that the blades really are supersharp.
Place the apple, napkin, and floss onto the table. Youre
ready. The entire set up should only take a moment or two, and

can be cut even shorter by dulling sets of razors in advanced on

non-gig days. I like to do this while watching TV, instead of
having to do it backstage. Often, in my street and close up
shows, I dont have an area available to me in which to hide
away as I dull razors, and so I choose to dull entire packs of
razors on my off-days.

The trick itself, is simple, visual, and stunning. However,

the true strength of this routine is the powerful, memorable
script. And so, before we get into the performance, lets have a
look at the script. Every line has been carefully written to
include hypnotic statements, and fit with the principles of
stickiness. Lets have a look at it, and then discuss why the
script works so well.

The Script:
I love to read about urban legends. One of my favourites is
the one about kids finding sharp objects in their Halloween
candy. Have you heard about this? You may have even heard
that hospitals open up their x-rays to x-ray candy bags in the
hope of avoiding danger. Its not true. Not one word. In fact,
only two children have been seriously harmed by eating
Halloween candy, and both where poisoned by a family
member one as part of an insurance scam gone wrong, and
the other case, while solved, never revealed a motive. And what
have we learned kids? Its ok to take candy from strangers
its your family youve got to watch out for!
And if none of the Halloween candy myth is true, how did the
rumour get started? Allow me to tell you an eerily similar, yet
true tale of a man Ive been reading about, named Albert
Walker. Albert lived in Texas, in the 70s. He was well liked by

his neighbours. He seemed normal. He was well traveled and

quiet. Albert enjoyed tea and classical music. But there was
just something about Albert that wasnt quite right. Somewhere
in his mind there was something wrong. Albert Walker was a
sick, disturbed man.
Albert would entertain himself by hiding razor blades in
apples, strawberries, and plums and then pass the fruit out to
the children who lived and played on his street. I found this
story interesting. After all, being a mentalist, its my job to
understand the mind; its stunning beauty, and terrifying power.
I started to wonder what it would be like to look into the eyes of
someone disturbed, and see their thoughts to live inside their
head. It was late at night that I was reading this story. I fell
asleep still holding the book. That night, I had a strange dream.
Not a nightmare, mind you but a dream. A sick, disturbing
yet somehow, alluring dream. Tonight, Id like to share that
dream with you.

The script does a couple of things for us, not the least of
which is solving problems number 1, 2, and 4 simultaneously.
Weve just justified the act of eating razor blades, explained the
razor blade holder, and set the mood for a serious piece of
mentalism. Actually, the classic razor blade routine is more of
a magic effect, but go ahead and have a look at how the script
addresses its inclusion in a mentalism-themed show. Thats
another wonderful feature of the Urban Legend script. If
youre performing a magic themed show, simply leave out the
line referring to mentalism.
Besides solving problems typically associated with the razor
blade effect, and making the effect suitable for a mentalism act,
the script also does something else very important. It makes the
piece sticky. And just what does that mean? It means that the
script was designed to make the routine easy to remember,
providing memory pegs and adhering to the principles outlined

by Chip and Dan Heath in their book, Made to Stick: Why

Some Ideas Survive and Others Die. Let me suggest that you
go find this book and read it twice. It will not only improve
your magic scripts, but will also help you in your marketing and
show sales. This tip is invaluable, but unfortunately, most will
not take the time or effort to study the book because its not a
magic book. Thats a shame.
Just so that youre not confusedthere is no such person as
Albert Walker (that I know of). I really just thought that the
name had a ring of authenticity to it.

On to the performance (finally)

After delivering the scripted monolog above, walk over to
the table which displays the apple. Pick the fruit up, and slowly
turn it, allowing the razors to come into view gradually. On
stage, the razors catch the spotlight quite nicely, sparkling and
shining to the back of the theatre. Because the script sets up the
audiences expectations to see the razors, a slow turn of the
apple creates a wonderful suspense and a satisfying visual payoff. Nail this slow turn just right, and youll send a shiver up
the spine of your audience. Mishandle this moment, and youll
be dropping the ball on a fantastic, theatrical moment in the
routine.
Now, remove the first razor blade. The first razor blade will
be the dulled single razor (not the sharp razor, and not the tied
razor packet). Youll use this first razor to apparently slice a
piece off of the apple, proving that its sharp (the razor, not
the apple). Youll actually be sliding the blade along the edges
of the apple slice we cut earlier. The apple slice will either fall
to the floor, or stick to the blade. Both scenarios perfectly

create the illusion of the blade actually cutting through the

apple.
Open your mouth, stick out your tongue, and stick the flat
side of the blade directly onto your tongue. You can let the
blade hang there without fear of it falling, as your saliva will act
like a glue, keeping the blade displayed nicely. Retract the
blade into your mouth, and carefully use your tongue to tuck it
between your cheek and upper teeth. Even though the blade has
been dull, youll want to be very, very careful here. Move
slowly, and cautiously. There will be times that you will cut
yourself, no matter how careful you are and trust me, its not
fun. If this happens during performance, dont panic. If
anything, the blood will look great during the final reveal.
You may now open your mouth and stick out your tongue to
show the razor is gone. Its time for razor number two.
The situation so far is this: The audience has seen three
razor blades in the apple, the first of which has been proven
sharp and placed in your mouth. It will be natural for them to
now assume two things. First, they assume that all three blades
will end up in your mouth. Right? Secondly, they will assume
that all three blades are very sharp. Lets go ahead and use
these assumptions to create some compelling theatre.
Carefully remove the sharp razor blade. Remember that it
was placed in the apple in such a way that we would be able to
easily identify it. This blade will not go into the mouth, but will
be used as a bluff to cause conflict within the routine, and to
reinforce the assumption that the all of the razors are sharp. In
the process of removing the blade and bringing it closer to your
mouth, you will appear to have cut your finger on the blade and
drop it to the floor, wincing in pain. Dont over act here. Think
about what it would be like if you actually nicked yourself on

the razor, and really dropped it out of reaction to the pain. Now
emulate this moment exactly for the second razor. You
obviously do not want to really cut your finger, so do be careful.

I can almost hear you thinking now, Why use a sharp blade
if Ill only be dropping it to the floor anyways? The answer is
devious. The sharp razor is left on the floor until the end of the
act. Anyone wishing to see or handle the blade after your show
will quickly realize how sharp the razors are. You may be
surprised at how many times an audience member wishes to see
the razor when all is said and done. Leaving a dull razor out
will ruin the magic, and give away your method. Do be careful
however that a careless spectator does not cut himself/herself
while examining the left over blade.

Razor number three:

The last razor, is actually a two razor packet, previously tied
together with floss. Remove the packet, covering the floss ball
at the bottom with your thumb as you display it to your
audience. Put this packet into your mouth and use your tongue
to position it so that the floss ball stuck to the back of the blades
is furthest into your mouth, while the non-floss side is closer to
your lips.

Onto The Floss:

Place the apple back onto your stand, and from the stand or
your pocket, grab the floss dispenser. Remove a strand the
same length as the one you used to tie the razor packet, and
ditch the dispenser again, back onto the table or into your
pocket.
Begin to roll the floss between the fingers of your right hand
into a ball. The wax coating on the floss will help this process.
Now that its balled up into a little package, you can transfer the
ball from your right hand to your left, so that you can display it
to the audience on your left (actually, they cant really see the
floss, as its so small but thats ok, for reasons youll
understand in a moment). Now, youll apparently want to show
the ball of floss to the audience on your right, but when you do,
you wont actually be holding the ball at all its a bluff. Go
ahead and perform a false transfer of the floss ball from your
left hand, to your right. Pretend to continue to roll the floss in
your right hand fingers, to give the impression that the ball is
actually in that hand. Hold the right hand up, as though
displaying the floss, and then mime the action of placing the
floss into your mouth. Holding out the actual ball of floss in
your left hand will not be a big deal, as it is smaller then a pea.
If you cant yet hold out an item that small in finger palm
without worry or guilt this booklet was not written for you.
Its true; the floss never goes into your mouth. Theres no
need to put it there. Heres why: The audience just watched
you put two sharp razor blades into your mouth, cleanly and
slowly. After such an extreme measure, why on earth would
you fake putting a small, harmless ball of dental floss into
your mouth? The audience will be least suspicious of this phase
because its the least dangerous. They are ready to accept that
floss is actually in your mouth without you going out of your
way to over-prove the fact. This is precisely the reason we

wont go out of our way to show both hands completely

empty, or to actually display the ball of wax on our tongue.
Not only would these gestures be ridiculous and unnecessary,
but they would also jolt the audience right out of the experience
weve worked so hard to obtain (with the carefully designed
script, beautiful visuals, custom music, etc) and put them
right back into its all just a trick mode. Thats not what we
want.

The Reveal:
The reveal is quite simple really. All that needs to be done is
to allow the two-razor packet to protrude from your lips (still
masquerading as a single blade). Approach the packet with
your right hand (thumb on bottom, fingers on top), and in the
apparent action of pulling out the razor, push the bottom razor
of the packet back into your mouth with your thumb. A trial run
will prove just how simple this little move really is. Your hand
provides all the cover in the world, so dont worry about
flashing just do the move. Youll be fine.
Continue now, pulling the first razor out of your mouth. The
floss strand will unravel, and your audience will become aware
that the razor is actually tied to the floss.

The Swing Move:

Calling this a move may be a bit of a stretch honestly.
Simply tilt your head down, and let go of the razor, allowing it
to swing from right to left two or three times. The reason Ive
given this its own heading is because it is important in proving
that the razor just pulled out of your mouth is actually tied to the

floss. The swing also allows those in the back of the room to
clearly see the razor blade and understand the effect.
Swinging the blade in front of your body allows the blade to
catch some spot light, and creates a nice visual. The move is
not important to the method of the effect, but does play a role in
the theatre aspect of the routine and should not be left out under
any circumstance.

Producing the Final Blade:

Nice and easy. Let the blade slide out in between your lips,
holding it flat as though it where sharp. Clip the blade in
your teeth, opening your lips to show the razor between the
teeth. Reach up with your empty hand and cleanly remove the
second blade from your mouth. As you bring the blade out of
your mouth, raise the hand (with the razors) up in an applause
cue position, and accept your applause.

The Clean Up Methods:

You may have noticed that you have the extra blade still
hiding between your gums and cheek You wont want to leave
it there all night, as it can be uncomfortable so you have a
few options available to you. If you are using Urban Legend to
close your show, you could hold the razor out as you take your
bow and leave the stage. You could also use the napkin to ditch
the extra razor. Heres how:
Pick up the napkin to apparently wipe away some blood or
saliva. As the napkin covers your mouth, go ahead and spit out

the blade, hiding it in the napkin. Crumple up the napkin and

toss it off stage or into a pocket.
Another way of ridding yourself of the last blade is into a
glass of water. Have the glass on your table and pick it up to sip
it after completing the routine. As you begin to drink from the
glass, manoeuvre the razor out of your mouth, and allow it to
slip into the glass. Viola you are now razor-less. Practice
this a bit until you feel you can do it without drooling water
everywhere because, that would not be sexy. When I work
on the street, I use a gatorade or powerade bottle to do the dirty
work for me. The wide mouth bottles take the width of the
razor without a problem, and the colored liquid hides the blade
even in those close-up situations.

Oh, Youre Not Done Yet Buster:

So, you nailed the script and pulled off an awesome
presentation of The Legend of Albert Walker, and you think
your work here is done huh? Well Ive got news for you. You
still have some post show acting to do!
Ok, so this part is strictly optional, but it does add a little
something to your mystique, and comes recommended.
Chances are, especially if you are doing this close up, people
will be watching you as you walk away after performing this
routine. So why not take this opportunity to ham it up a little?
Feel free to walk away reaching for your gums, double checking
for blood and using the napkin to dab your mouth and check
for cuts. People notice, trust me.
Ive also been known to spatter a napkin with stage blood,
and bring it, with a razor filled apple out to the front of the

theatre after stage shows. Ill snack on the apple as I thank

people for coming to the show. This little bit of extra theatre
gets people talking, and acts as a wonderful memory peg,
helping to brand your act into your spectators mind. In this
instance, the razor apple becomes a meme.

Yes, meme is a real word and one you should know if

marketing, publishing, or performing magic or mentalism.
Youll definitely want to do a more in depth study of the term,
but for now, let me quickly explain the word for you. A meme,
is a picture that represents a thought. In this case, the apple acts
as a meme because the memorable site of the apple with razor
blades sticking out of it represents the idea of a popular urban
legend, and in turn, a portion of your show.

The Rule of Two?

I can almost hear you yelling at your computer screen,
What about the rule of three!? Why not three blades?! to
which Id say, the rule of three is about the rhythm of a
performance, not about the number of props used. For instance,
the rule of three does not demand that we only use three cards
instead of fifty two, or that we should use three half dollars for a
coins across instead of four, etc. Urban Legend does follow
the rule of three quite nicely. Think about it for a second. We
have an opening, a body (with conflict), and a powerful close.
There are three beats in the act three segments which make

the routine flow. The rule of three should not dictate that we
use three blades, but rather that we pay attention to the cadence
of the presentation, which we have. So sit down and stop your
yelling.
Since were on the topic, lets discuss my decision to use two
blades instead of six, ten, or one hundred. Well have a look at
my problem number three from earlier (problem number 3
no, its not a coincidence). In fact, Ill state it again so that you
dont have to go searching back and forth through the text.
Problem number three is:
3. Number of razors eaten. Ive always found this detail
annoying. Is the performer trying to convince me that he
somehow tied together ten or more razor blades in his throat
in a matter of twenty seconds? Personally, I find this to be
the detail that turns strung razor blades from an amazing
stunt, to a clever trick, or a puzzle to be figured out. My goal
is to present strong magic, not clever tricks.

My first thought when looking at this routine was to swallow

a single razor, and the string (floss), and re-produce them
together with the string tied to the single blade. Simplicity is
king right? The problem with this initial thought was two-fold.
First, the routine would only play close up. In a larger stage
setting, people in the cheap seats would have difficulty
understanding what was happening. For that situation, it would
be better to do the swing move, helping them see and
understand what was happening. Secondly, the single razor
would be nearly impossible to do while still getting the clean
display of the razor on the tongue, before being pulled into the
mouth. In my mind, this is one of the stronger points of the
routine, and one I didnt want to do without. After further
development of Urban Legend, Ive realized retrospectively

that using a single blade would also not give us the opportunity
to create the drama of cutting our finger on the second blade.

Lets Talk Soundtracks

Music can add a lot to your act. Music can infuse emotion,
and communicate ideas. It can also change the flow and pace of
pieces in your show. When setting out to find an appropriate
piece of music for Urban Legend, I had a few ideas in mind
about what I wanted to communicate to my audience. I needed
to have something a bit disturbing, to pull audiences to the edge
of their seats. The music had to compliment the twisted idea of
Albert Walker and his sick crimes. I put together a team of
people to help me out, and we experimented with a number of
different tracks.
We quickly came to the conclusion that the music was going
to have to be custom produced to get the feel we were looking
for. Heres what we came up with:
1. The track opens with a dark ambience an indicator to
how dark the routine will be.
2. Next, classical music runs in something Albert Walker
would listen to. This is the audiences invitation into
Alberts world.
3. Suddenly Albert begins to slip into his inner mind, or a
sick day dream. The classical music gets softer, and a
dream drone is introduced.
4. As his dream gets more intense and the real world begins
to slip away gradually, Albert begins hearing voices. The

5.

6.

7.
8.

voices are only in his head, and sound demonic. The

voices are garbled, and can only be understood by Albert.
As Albert begins to understand the voices in his head, he
reaches for the apple, and turns it to reveal the razors. A
metallic sounding pass is added for ambiance as the razors
are brought into view, catching the spotlight.
Albert takes the blades, and begins swallowing them. The
music changes from dreamy, to a dark industrial/rock
driving beat. The contrast is unsettling. Just like the
image of a person swallowing razors.
Albert seems to be jolted back to reality and the dream
quickly fades out with a rush.
The classical music finishes, but a dark sweeping sound
reminds us that Albert is still a very sick individual.

The final product is what you have here in the package. The
time runs almost five minutes. Im very happy with the way it
turned out, but it will not fit into everyones show, just as the
script will not be appropriate for everyones character. Have a
listen and carefully consider how will play (or not play) in your
act. If you dont feel it fits, leave it out its better to do
without the track (or select one of your own) then to force it into
your show.

Id like to just stop here for a second to thank the team that
helped me out. Richard Lavengood is an American member of
Psycrets and a dear friend. He sat through a number of gigs
to critique Urban Legend and monitor the audience for their

response (it gets tough seeing peoples reactions with a spot

light in your face).
Jay Pollack worked for years on Disneys Beauty and the
Beast, and now a small production company of his own. Jay
helped with the dream sequence concept, which really made the
piece.
Jay Ungar is author of Bringing Magic to Life, and Magic
School Guru extraordinaire. Hes also a fantastic guy, and
scripting genius. So when piecing together the soundtrack, I
went to Jay for his opinion on the feel of the music. His advice
was invaluable.

So What About Close Up and Street?

Im glad you asked! Urban Legend plays great in both
close up and street situations (and yes, they are different
venues). Now, obviously, you wont be able to play the routine
impromptu or while walking around the cocktail party. That
doesnt however mean that it wont play close up. After all,
theres more to close up magic then just walk around. While it
wouldnt be convenient or intelligent to walk around with an
apple stuffed with sharp razor blades in your pocket, the props
are small enough to play in formal close up shows, or even
behind the bar. In fact, the clean displays, and angle-free
sleights make it ideal for even surrounded close up shows.
Also, dont be afraid to bring your ipod, and let the soundtrack
rip if you find yourself in a formal close up venue; as todays
technology makes adding music to your close up shows not only
possible, but quite easy.

On the street, razors stop people in their tracks. I use this

routine quite often when performing on the streets of Hartford,
CT. There, the city pays me to entertain on their beautiful River
Walk as part of a yearly Arts Council program to bring
entertainment to the streets. Do keep in mind that the audiences
I perform for there are adult audiences, often corporate
employees on lunch break, walking the river that said, I
would never, ever perform Urban Legend for a crowd
consisting of children. During the street season, I prep my
razors the night before, and set up apples (three or four at a
time) in my case at the start of my day. If you do this, be sure to
use the freshest apples available, as older apples tend to oxidize
faster. (See the Time Out in the set up section above).

In Conclusion:
The legend of Albert Walker has been my baby, and my
show stopper for several years now. Its been the highlight of
my bar act (at a venue Ive performed weekly for over eight
years), and the closer of my Monday Night Magic routine in
New York. Its gotten me more work, publicity, and reputation
then any other routine Ive ever performed and now, its
yours. Ive decided to not only release the idea of the routine,
but the word for word script, my custom produced soundtrack,
and even my post show acting bits. Its all here. Use it, respect
it, and it will work for you too. Please remember though, razor
blades are sharp. Even dull razors can cut you and cause
serious injury. If you decide to perform this routine, you do so
at your own risk. There will be times that you cut yourself be
warned.

Id like to thank a bunch of people whove helped me out

with this routine. People who generously offered their advice
not because they where paid, or promised credits, but because
they love magic as much as I do and cared enough about it to
help me and my show. I am very deeply appreciative. Those
people include (in no particular order): Peter Samelson, David
Oliver, Todd Robbins, Mark Thompson, Michael Wald, Jay
Ungar, Jay Pollock, Richard Lavengood, Jamy Ian Swiss, Paul
Vigil, and Michael Lauck. It seems as though every time any
of us get together and talk magic, this routine comes up (my
fault) and their advice makes the piece better and better.

Lastly, Id like to thank you for not pirating this material.

Urban Legend has taken me many years to develop, with the
help of a bunch of very talented people, and it would be a shame
to have my work (and theirs) disrespected and treated like cheap
garbage. Thank you very much for your interest in this routine.
I hope you are able to make it even better. If you do find
yourself improving on the work published here, please do email me at mike@michaelpaulmagic.com Id love to chat.
I sincerely thank you.
Michael Paul