SHORT CHANGE PLUS is a cracking little routine for close-up magic that’ll leave your audience scratching their heads (and laughing). Picture this: the magician spins a yarn about a right pickle he found himself in while trying to pay for dinner at a hotel. As the tale unfolds, there are a few hilariously awkward moments mixed with unexpected magical twists, culminating in a jaw-dropping finale.
It’s a doddle to perform and resets quicker than you can say “check, please!” Here’s a snippet of the story:
"Let me regale you with a comical tale from my recent stay at a hotel restaurant. When I asked the waiter for the bill, he informs me it's a neat $50. So, I whip out my cash and count out $50 right there on the table, plus a cheeky $4 as a tip for our friend behind the till.
The waiter takes my fiver but, lo and behold, when he counts it back, he insists it's only $45 and that I'm five quid short.
Flabbergasted, I recount the money on the table—yep, it’s still $50—but the waiter won’t budge, claiming it's still $45. At this point, we call over the manager to settle the dispute, thinking he’ll sort it out. But when he counts the cash, he only sees $40 and declares I owe him an additional $10 to make it $50.
Realising I’m in deep water, I say I’ll nip to my room for the missing tenner, but the manager then reveals I not only owe for dinner but an astonishing $350 for the week’s worth of meals I apparently forgot about, bringing my grand total to a staggering $400.
With a grin, I scoop up the cash from the table, tip and all, and tell the manager to watch closely because I’m about to sort this out with a bit of magic. A quick puff of breath on the notes later, and wouldn’t you know it, I count out the $4 tip first, then—hold onto your hats—the rest has miraculously transformed into four crisp $100 notes, allowing me to settle the $400 bill without a hitch!!!
