Clearly Impossible

**Clearly Impossible** is a variation of the Sawing a Woman in Half illusion devised by magician Jonathan Pendragon. Unlike most other versions of the illusion, it uses a clear-sided box that allows the assistant within the box to be seen throughout the performance.

For a time when Anne was at high school, her boyfriend Brad Ross was a magician who performed Clearly Impossible in his shows. Anne sometimes acted as his assistant in his shows, where she was the assistant who got sawed in half.

## History

The illusion was devised by Jonathan Pendragon in the early 1990s, with assistance from Joseph Patire, and first performed by Jonathan and his then-wife Charlotte.

## Description

The illusion is very similar in principle and performance to the older "Thin Model" versions of sawing a woman in half, with the exception that the box used to cover the assistant being divided is clear, rather than opaque. In basic concept, it is very similar to the transparent sawing known as the *Crystal Sawing* developed by Les Arnold in the late 1970s. However, in the Pendragon's version, the box is much smaller, and is never covered at any point during the illusion. As a result, the assistant within the box remains in full view throughout, making this a particularly baffling illusion for the audience.

### Performance

The illusion usually begins with the magician showing the audience a low table, designed to split into two halves. The main assistant is then introduced, and lays down on the table. The magician or other assistants then place two boxes over the assistant, with clear sides and tops. As the upper box is placed over them, the main assistant extends their arm out of the open side of the box, while their head and feet extend out of the ends of the two boxes. Small stocks are then used to restrain the assistant's feet and neck.

The magician then cuts through the box using either a saw or sword (although some performers skip this step), and dividers are placed into the box either side of the cut. With the dividers in place, the two halves of the table are unlocked and pulled apart. As the assistant has been in full view throughout the illusion, it is clear to the audience that the assistant's body really has been divided into two halves, the impossibility of this situation helping to give the illusion its name. The halves of the table are then pushed back together, the dividers removed, and the unharmed assistant released from the stocks and boxes.

## Notable performances

* While she was married to David Copperfield, and not otherwise occupied with modelling work, supermodel Claudia Schiffer often assisted David in his stage shows as a "special guest assistant". Part of these shows was a performance of Clearly Impossible, with Claudia as the assistant being sawed in half by David. To help reinforce the fact that Claudia was not curling up inside the upper box to avoid the saw, David had an audience member hold on to her feet all the way through the illusion until after her halves had been pulled apart.

* At the 44th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, after being made to appear inside an apparently empty glass elevator, Taylor Swift was sawed in half by David Copperfield using his version of the illusion.

* In November 2004, singer Shania Twain appeared on the BBC charity telethon *Children in Need* as a celebrity assistant in a magic act, being sawed in half in a performance of Clearly Impossible. Shania subsequently included being sawed in half in Clearly Impossible into a number of her live shows.

* During a promotional visit to Europe, Jessica Simpson participated in a performance of the illusion where she was sawed in half by illusionist Hans Klok, who used a large circular saw to divide her in two.

* While appearing on Japanese TV during a 2006 promotional visit to the country, actress Mischa Barton was asked by the show's host if she could help out a local magician with a couple of tricks. Mischa agreed and, after helping with a card trick, she was then sawed in half by the magician using his version of Clearly Impossible. In interviews, Mischa has revealed that she has also been sawed in half in Clearly Impossible over one hundred times by magicians that she is friends with, usually in private performances for friends at various parties.

* When she appeared on the March 10, 2020 episode of *The Late Late Show with James Corden*, actress Elle Fanning was sawed in half by show host James Corden in a performance of Clearly Impossible, using a large circular saw to make the division.

* Having seen her friend Taylor Swift being sawed in half by magician Franz Harary, actress and singer Hailee Steinfeld stated in several interviews that she'd also love to be sawed in half by a magician. During an appearance on the BBC's *The One Show* in October 2019, Hailee got her wish when she assisted illusionist Darcy Oake with a performance of Clearly Impossible.

## References

1. ↑ http://www.magictelevision.org/portal/index.php?/The.Art.of.Magic.html
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Schneider, A., "A New Clear Sawing", *Genii* magazine, June 1993 (Vol 56, No 6).
3. ↑ Moehring, J., "The Century: The Pendragons", *Magic* magazine, Vol.8 No.12 (August 1999).
4. ↑ YouTube video of French magicians Raphael and Caroline Marx performing the Les Arnold clear sawing
5. ↑ The Pendragons performing Clearly Impossible in Cincinnati 1998 PBS TV Special [1]
6. ↑ Bryant, S. "Claudia Schiffer: From Supermodel to Magician's Assistant". *Genii* magazine, August 1996, (Vol 59, No 8.).
7. ↑ David Copperfield *AskMen.com*. Retrieved 26 April 2009.
8. ↑ Top 10 Celebrity Odd Couples *Film.com*. Retrieved 26 April 2009