Davenport Rope Tie Magic Trick. This classic rope escape trick, known as the “Davenport Rope Tie,” involves a seemingly impossible escape and re-tie within a closed cabinet. The trick combines misdirection and hidden manoeuvres to create the illusion that the performer can escape from tightly bound wrists and return to the original position in seconds.
Davenport Rope Tie Magic Trick
Effect
The performer sits on a chair and allows their wrists to be securely tied behind their back with a rope threaded through the chair. After stepping into a cabinet and closing the door, the performer mysteriously manages to free their hands to create “manifestations” (such as ringing bells or moving objects), before re-securing themselves. The cabinet door opens, and they appear bound exactly as they were at the start, leaving the audience amazed.
Props Required
- Wooden Chair: A chair with two holes in the back of the seat, through which the rope is passed to keep the performer “secured.”
- Rope: Approximately two yards long, long enough to tie around both wrists with some extra length to pass through the chair and be secured by an assistant or audience member.
- Cabinet: A curtained or enclosed cabinet, large enough for the performer to sit inside, out of the audience’s sight.
- Duplicate Rope: Another rope, tied into a double bow knot, which creates loops that can tighten around the wrists as the performer pulls the ends.
Preparation and Secret Moves
- Securing the Performer:
- Sit in the chair and place your wrists behind your back.
- Have an assistant (or audience volunteer) tie one end of the rope tightly around one wrist as high up as possible, keeping your arms straight.
- After securing the first wrist, hold your hands close together and let the assistant tie your wrists together behind your back. This gives the impression of a tightly bound position.
- Threading the Rope Through the Chair:
- After the wrists are tied, the assistant threads the ends of the rope through the holes in the chair and secures it. This step creates the impression that the performer is thoroughly secured to the chair, unable to free themselves.
- Escaping the Ties:
- Once inside the cabinet with the door closed, you can slacken your wrists by relaxing the muscles in your hands and arms. This slight loosening allows you to carefully slip one hand out of the rope.
- Once one hand is free, it’s easy to loosen the rope further and fully release both hands.
- Performing the Manifestations:
- Use your free hands to perform any “manifestations” within the cabinet, such as ringing bells, knocking, or moving objects. This adds to the mystery, as the audience believes you’re still tightly bound.
- Switching the Ropes:
- After completing the manifestations, take the original rope and conceal it. Replace it with the duplicate rope you prepared earlier, which is tied in a double bow knot with loops in the center.
- Place your wrists through the loops of the duplicate rope. When you pull the ends of this rope, the loops tighten around your wrists, creating the appearance of the original knots. Quickly secure the ends under the chair.
- Final Position and Inspection:
- Position your wrists and arms as they were at the beginning, as if you’re still bound in the original manner.
- When the cabinet door opens, the audience sees you exactly as before, apparently still bound and secured to the chair.
Tips for a Convincing Performance
- Timing: Practice the escape and re-tie process to ensure you can perform it quickly and without fumbling. The trick should appear seamless.
- Audience Focus: When you enter the cabinet, keep up a dialogue or add suspenseful sound effects to maintain audience focus outside the cabinet.
- Inspecting the Rope: Allow the audience to briefly inspect the rope after you “re-tie” yourself. This reinforces the illusion that it’s the same rope and that the binding hasn’t changed.
Conclusion
The “Davenport Rope Tie” is a fascinating escape illusion that relies on the performer’s quick hands and careful sleight. By swapping the original rope with a duplicate that can be quickly “tied” back around the wrists, the performer leaves the audience questioning how such an escape could be possible. When done smoothly, this classic trick provides a captivating spectacle of mystery and suspense.
