During the notorious trick, once made famous by the German Illusionist Duo Hans & Helga Morettisitting in a tiny cardboard box – “smaller than a washing machine” – while people from the audience are allowed to put twenty swords right through the box.
“It is one of the biggest secrets in the world of magic,” says Klok. “I fought for years to get the rights to this act. And it went well for ten years. Until today.”
Skewer
What went wrong, perhaps Hans Klok will know: “In one fell swoop I felt it: Bam, through my arm. I was literally stuck. Spelled. The sword went in on one side and came out on the other side again.”
Hans Klok is going through the country again this summer with Circustent
The act was finished and clock – a purebred showman – went on. “I had to wait until she withdrew the sword. No idea if the blood would squirt out, or if an artery had hit. But miraculously it was not too bad.”
His friend Dan Stevens, himself an illusionist, connected his arm on the spot. “He wanted to call an ambulance, but I said: the show is going on. After that we just finished the last part of the show.”
Real blood, no trick
Klok was taken to the hospital afterwards. “They attached me there. It really only got a hair or I had been much more serious.”
© Vrpress
He emphasizes that everything in the act is really. “No fake and no false soil. This is dangerous magic. And people often don’t know that. It all looks so easy, but this proves it: I was really in it, and this really went wrong. That risk I run every show again.”
Also unprecedented tiger
It is not the first accident in the career of Klok. Years ago he was grabbed by a tiger during a show. “That too was in The Hague. But this … This was narrower. Because you can’t go anywhere. You are locked up. Literally oner.”
Victor Mids Over Road by the highest Dutch Goochelprijs
Despite the blood and the shock, the show will continue. In fact: because of the enormous success of Hans Klok & Friends Extra performances will be added, from now on also on Thursday.
“People want to see this. And yes, it is dangerous. But that is also the power of the circus. We play with fire. With steel. With illusion. And sometimes … it goes wrong. But the show always goes on.”