Inside No. 9

So, what do you reckon?

It's extraordinary.

I've been working on it for a couple of years.

I call it A Chair Raising Experience.

May I, erm...?

No, help yourself.

Thank you, sir. Thank you.

Can you use any chair?Er, no.

The sightlines are good. Can you do it surrounded?

About 100 degrees.

Is it hydraulics? Can't be.

You know I can't tell you. How much do you want for it?

It's not for sale.

Whatever Wayne Dobson has offered you, I'll double it.

Honestly, it's not for sale.

This is my ticket onto the cruise ships.

Last year, I nearly got on the Queen Mary to Mombasa.

You can't waste this on cruise ships.

This is Vegas level.

It's a game-changer.

Look, Neville...is it?

I'm very flattered you took an interest in my little trick.

You're clearly a passionate student of the magic arts,

but I'm happy doing my balloon animals

and making my grandson smile at his birthday party.

Who built it for you?I did.

On your own?Yep.

You don't realise what you've got.

I do.

The world should know about it.

It deserves to be seen.

It will be seen!

I've got a princess party tomorrow morning at the Methodist church.

What if you're on one of your cruises and you hit an iceberg?

What, in Mombasa?

All I'm saying is that the secret goes down with you.

That it does.

I take it everywhere with me.

What is that?

Well, it was nice meeting you, anyway.

Cheers.

I think I know how it's done.

It's to do with the fold in the chair, isn't it?

Are there mirrors in the legs? Is it motorised?

Well, I'm glad it's got you thinking, anyway.

I should be off, they don't like you coming in after ten, so...

OK, well, erm...

You know where I am now, so, er,

do feel free to pop your head in any time.

And if you ever do decide to sell,

you'll...you'll come to me first, yes?

Well, you know, maybe I could see me way clear to doing it

just one more time for you.

Then I can perhaps have one for the road?

Of course! Thank you so much!

I really appreciate it.

- Stick out the foot. - It's out.

Is it?Yes!

Right, OK. I'm gonna take out the middle now. Here we go.

Wiggle your fingers.

Well, the biggest deception

will be creating the illusion you're enjoying it.

I told you it was a bad idea anyway. Just get me out!

It's not a bad idea. Classic illusion.

This is why I retrained, so I didn't have to be your warm prop.

Well, don't do it, then.

It's only a photograph for a student magazine.

I'm sure they won't be bothered.

I'm only doing it to sell a few more copies of the book.

Is that what you're wearing? What do you mean?

For the interview. You look like a devil worshipper.

It's all part of the mystique.

Be careful with those blades!

Why? You've had a tetanus, haven't you?

Why can't you just wear a hoodie like Dynamo?

If I was going to sell drugs in Aldi car park, then I would, yes.

People like him.

People like me!

He's got five million followers on Facebook.

Don't start.

2.2 million Twitter followers.

Houdini didn't have Twitter.

A T-shirt with a bow tie printed on it, then!

Rodney Bewes? No.

I'm happy with my image.

Stop trying to change me.

OK.

I bow down to you, Satan, my lord and master.

I'll call you from the hotel. What time will you be in?

Well, late, probably. I want to work on that spirit cabinet.

OK. Well, your dinner's going to be in the utility room fridge.

Have fun...

And don't slag off other magicians.

I still get blanked by Geoffrey Durham in Sainsbury's.

Piff, paff, poff!

Let him in, would you?

His name is Gabriel something.

Mr Griffin?

Call me Neville.

You must be Gabriel.

It's such an honour to meet you.

Wow, so many awards.

Well, one or two, yes.

I just use them as paperweights.

Thank you for agreeing to do this.

My pleasure.

It's good to see a new generation getting into magic.

Really important.

I do a few tricks myself, actually.

Yes, I could tell that. Can I have my ring back, please?

Sorry about that, I just...

...I wanted to see how long it would take you to notice.

About three seconds, I would say.

The secondary misdirection was a little obvious,

using the awards, appealing to my vanity.

Wow, so many awards.

One or two, yes.

I just use them as paperweights.

I didn't mean to imply that... No, no, it's fine.

The steal itself was deftly done.

Take a seat.

So this is the famous Unit 9.

You've had this place for years, haven't you?

I have, many years.

Do you mind if...? No.

Can I take you back to where it all started

for you, which probably would be the...

...floating chair trick?

A Chair Raising Experience.

Yes, that was a...a game-changer.

And you created that in here?

Not very far from where you're sitting now.

And nobody else knows how it's done?

Not another living soul.

I'm so sorry about this.

Should have turned it off.

Actually, I'd better take it.

Hello?

Yeah, but I can't really say at the moment.

Could you, er... could you spell that for me, please?

Yeah.

OK. Great.

OK, I'll give you a call in an hour or so.

Sorry about that.

So, I notice you have quite a hi-tech security system.

Does it worry you that people could steal your intellectual property?

It does. In this community, the theft of an idea is worse than murder.

But there's a magician's code that generally prevents such things,

as I'm sure you know.

You've made some comments in the past about street magic -

you're not a fan, are you?

I'm not.

To me, this hit-and-run style sort of strips the mystique,

the showmanship, from the true illusionist.

It's the ultimate trivialisation of the craft to reduce it

to the effect only.

Well, what do you mean? I mean, isn't that what people want?

Let me show you.

A brand-new deck of cards.

Open them up.

Give them a shuffle.

Cut the deck...

...and deal off the top five cards, just in a row.

Point to one.

Eight of clubs.

Impressive.

Now watch this.

My grandfather was stationed in Strasbourg

during the Second World War.

One night, his regiment was sent on a mission into the Black Forest.

In the gloom of the trees,

and becoming separated from the rest of his men,

my grandfather came across an old man dressed in a cowl,

hunched over a small fire.

Suddenly, there was a tremendous explosion,

and my grandfather was thrown to the ground.

When he recovered, the old man had disappeared,

leaving only this box,

which contained these cards

and an inscription,

"Sie konnen den Tod nicht betrugen."

What does that mean?

You can't cheat death.

Shuffle the cards.

They are, of course, the 22 Major Arcana

from the traditional Tarot deck

and they represent life's spiritual lessons.

Now, before we begin,

look through and find the one card nobody wants to see in a reading -

Death.

Put him in here.

Back in the box,

out of the way.

Like the old man by the fire.

Now, cut the deck and deal off the top five cards,

forming the shape of the Celtic cross, like so.

And, as you do, think very carefully about your future.

What kind of life do you see for yourself, Gabriel?

Now let's see what you have chosen.

The Wheel of Fortune -