Trick of the eye

Night time a man dressed in a cloak and a top hot is checking his moustache in the reflection of a shop window.
A passing police car slows down and the officers get out.
The man dashes down an alleyway
The officers run down the alley after him
The alley is a dead end and the man is crouched behind a bin.
The officers turn their torches on and the beam falls on the bin.
The man behind the bin shoots his cuffs and uses his hand to make a dogs head silhouette on the wall behind him.
The two officers see the silhouette and leave the alley.
One officer gets on his radio.
"It was him sarge I'm sure of it, but he got away again!

Sounds like this same Magician character could run and run in different scenarios.

A man in the top hat and cloak is now walking down a road, the police helicopter comes overhead and shines its search light.

The man in the top hat jumps into a garden shoots his cuffs and does a bird silhouette.
The police copter moves away and radios base.

Hello sarge, I'm sure it was him but he got away again.

a fugitive old-school magician using cheap sleight of hand to evade capture could well be brilliant if you work on other situations for him, riffs on the fugitive and other outlaw films etc.

"Hello sarge he got away again" is a good keeper to end each bit on.

A large box with moons and star shapes on it is completely surrounded by armed police

An armed officer with a bull horn addresses the box.

"This is the police we are armed and we know you're in there, there's no escape"

Box opens on all sides and falls flat, it is empty.

Police officer talks on radio

He's got away again Sarge.

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The man in the top hat and cloak is standing in a railway station.

The police rush in.

The man enters a photo booth and there are four flashes.

The police pull back the curtain and the booth is empty.

The machine begins to whirr and a set of photos drop into the slot.

The policeman looks at the photos, they are of a large white Rabbit.

The policeman gets on his radio.

He got away again sarge

Am enjoying the Magician and his outmanouvering the cops

International airport
There is large open trunk on the floor and a beautiful woman in a bathing suit is standing next to it. At her feet is a pile of chains and locks.

A policeman is hiding behind a potted plant talking on the radio
"I think this will work sarge, WPC Smith is a knockout in a swimsuit, he's bound to fall for this, great idea sarge. He'll never guess in a million years that we have had the trunk specially reinforced.

The man in the top hat and cloak strolls into view and stops dead at the sight of the box, chains and voluptuous assistant.

Policeman is excited as he speaks on the radio.
"It's him sarge and he's going for it big style!"

The man in the top hat and cloak holds out a white gloved hand to the WPC, she takes it and on his bidding steps into the trunk. The man in the cloak also steps into the trunk and closes it.

Policeman shouts
"Go Go Go!

Police come out from everywhere and surround the trunk, one policeman lifts the lid.

All the cops look in the trunk, and then step back in gawping as WPC Smiths stands up naked and is using her hands to protect her modesty.

The policeman gets on the radio.

He got away again sarge

Quote: Teddy Paddalack @ June 30 2011, 9:00 PM BST

we're going to need a rape kit!

View original

That line spoils the series. You've switched from a character where we want to see how he gets away to one that we'd want to see caught.

Agreed, unnecessary, add's nothing, and jolts the whole thing.

Point truly taken, it was very tacky.

I can see why you did it, to add variety to the punchline.

I'm a strong believer in you have to write what comes to you even when you know it couldn't be used, otherwise you block the flow of ideas. Even a "wrong" solution can lead to a better one, for example what if he'd stolen her clothes? Still wrong, but more cheeky than anything else.

But I do like the idea behind this series of sketches.

Maybe she leaves a letter of resignation in the trunk. He's hired her.
Same kind of gag but gentler I guess than the rape kit. Loving the character though.

Quote: Marc P @ July 1 2011, 10:23 AM BST

Maybe she leaves a letter of resignation in the trunk.

View original

Or her furry handcuffs

Interior of a police station

A man in overalls backs through the double doors pulling a luggage trolley with a very large dice on it.

He stops and takes a clipboard of the top of the dice and approaches the sergeant at the desk.

"Would you sign for this please Sergeant"

"What is it? Who sent it?"

"No idea what's in it, or who sent it, all I know is that it's a cash job and get this dispatch said the gent who paid was wearing a cloak and a top hat."

Constable
"It's him sarge it's got to be!

Sarge
"Steady lad, there a note on top of it lets see what that says"

Constable
"Is it from him sarge is it????"

Sarge
"It is lad, he claims he's inside"

Constable

"I can't believe he's just give himself up"

Sarge knocks on the dice three times and three knocks of reply come from inside the dice.

Constable
"It's him sarge he's in there"

Sarge
"Steady on lad, this could be a bomb!"

The top of the dice is on the number one, two hands suddenly shoot out of the dot.

Constable
"It's not a bomb! It's him sarge we've got him!"

The sarge quickly cuffs the two hands together as he speaks.
"Now we've got him lad, never say you have anyone till the cuffs snap!"

The hands go back into the dice and the box falls deadly silent.
The sarge knocks again three times and again there is a three knocks reply.
Sarge, flicks his wrist and extends his telescopic baton and advises the constable to do like wise.

As they do this the side of the dice showing is showing five, the centre dot moves and a handle appears.
The two policemen stand back
Then the sarge turns the handle and the side of the dice opens like a door, the dice is empty.

Constable
"He's got away again sarge and he's took your cuffs!"

As the sergeant replies his trouser fall down.
"Never mind my cuffs, where have my braces gone!"