The guillotine was a device created in France during the late 1700s to administer the death penalty. The first man to be killed by way of the guillotine was a criminal from France by the name of Nicolas Pelletier. Pelletier was executed on April 25, 1792. The machine would also be used on more famous individuals such as Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette, Danton and Charlotte Corday.
The Magic Guillotine Act is performed rather quickly, giving the audience very little time to fear for the safety of the volunteer. At the same time, the audience is also facing the wonder and excitement of trying to figure out the trick. It can be used to create even more excitement and adrenaline in the volunteer if she has never seen the trick performed before. In short, the trick is used to draw emotion from the crowd.
While the guillotine can be built by individuals skilled in carpentry work, it is probably easier for amateurs to purchase a guillotine from a magic store. As previously mentioned, it can be more useful for the effectiveness of the trick if audience members have been privy to a brief history of the device. Finally, a bucket is often used to place in front of the volunteer and the guillotine as if the head will land there.
Half of the success of the trick lies in how the trick is set up. These small steps can have a great impact on the audience. Before locking the volunteer into the guillotine, the magician should demonstrate that the blades do work and come down all the way. Next, the magician should lock the volunteer into the guillotine and release the blade. The magician will no doubt hear an audible gasp from the audience, which will signify that he has successfully elicited the desired horror and excitement he was seeking.