“Illumination” by Luke Jermay pushes the boundaries of what a book test can be. You don’t just divine a word, but rather reveal stories across a remarkable 15-minute routine filled with multiple magic moments. The entire audience gets involved as they’re transformed from passive spectators into vehicles for your revelations.
What makes “Illumination” so special is Luke’s inherent understanding of effective routine construction. Unlike some other swiss-army-knife type book tests, which often focus on method over presentation, “Illumination” is dedicated to amplifying the experience at every touchpoint. A few simple, straightforward methods work in perfect harmony to unite audiences over shared feelings, emotions, imagery, and even sounds.
This surefire workhorse was designed to be plugged right into your working set. It’s a goosebump-inducing routine that will quickly become one of your favorites.
How Does “Illumination” Work?
Two different books are given to two different people. They both open up to a page they like and read the first paragraph to themselves. As you hone in on the first person’s thoughts, the entire audience experiences a feeling and emotion that is revealed to perfectly match what is happening to the character in the book. For the second reveal, the participant closes their eyes and pictures the environment in which their paragraph took place. Your volunteer won’t believe their ears as the audience works together to create a sound that perfectly matches what they’re imagining in their head.
In the final phase, a third person is invited to choose either book. They open it up and find a long word they like. You have them focus on this word and transmit it to you as an image that you begin to draw. At first, it seems like you’re off-base. That is until you make a connection nobody saw coming. This surprising moment has been brilliantly-structured to get the most bang for your buck and takes the routine to another level beyond a straightforward word revelation.
As with all material Luke Jermay releases, “Illumination” has been honed over 1000s of performances. It plays just as well in a theater of 1,000s, as it does at a dinner party. Since it’s easy to do and doesn’t require any sleight of hand, your mind is free to concentrate fully on your performance.
What do you get?
You receive two gorgeous, specially-made books that have been carefully designed to look identical to real novels. You’re going to love how hands-off and free you can be. The detailed video instructions are a mini masterclass in which Luke shares everything you need to get the most out of “Illumination”.
Don’t pass up your chance to add a complete, professional routine to your act. Luke’s already done all the hard work for you. Just grab a copy of “Illumination” and you’ll be ready to leave every audience with lasting memories that will survive long after you’re done.
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"I am very sad to see this release. It’s not that I don’t like this, au contraire – I LOVE it, but for a long time this has been a very well-kept secret. Back in 2011, Luke gifted this wonderful routine to just six of us: Michael Weber, Marc Paul, Doug McKenzie, Tom Stone, Ben Seidman and myself. For the rest of the decade it was the only book test I used.
Jermay’s clever construction means that the books are just bit-part players in an unfolding drama full of emotion, imagination, sensory revelation and spell-binding mindreading. For a stand-up or stage show, this is as good as it gets"
- Mark Elsdon
