SCENERY: Fire Effect - need help FAST!

[MacDouga]

Our community theatre is staging "No S-- Please, We're British"... in that show there is some "burning" of paper in a wastebasket, which is then quickly doused with water and flowers from a vase.

We have some very enthusiastic volunteers (remember... community theatre) one of whom has created a rather elaborate rig with compressed air and flour which gives sort of a "smoke" effect coming up from the waste basket.  However it makes a dreadful roar (like a small elephant) and the flour in the air is making cast members cough.

We have our dress on Thursday (two days) and first public performance on Saturday.

What is needed is some black/grey smoke - no need for flames.  I need to make it happen fast and simply... we all have regular jobs so running around the city tracking down little pyrotechnics etc. isn't really a possibility.

Any help is appreciated.

Sandy

[Fitz]

My suggestion would be flash paper. The trick is to find it. Open your yellow pages and find a performing magician in your area. Ask them where they buy flash paper (almost all of the magicians I've ever met use it), and if you can't get it in time, maybe you can buy some of theirs?

Good luck!!!

[MacDouga]

Thanks... how does it work? Is there chance of real fire?  We have a magician in the cast!

[avkid]

I remember smoke liquid from some model trains, but I don't recall exactly how they worked.

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Further research reveals that a small heater heats up a metal surface that causes the liquid to react.
I would think that a solid surface hotplate or mug warmer would work just as well.

You should be able to get it at any hobby shop that has model trains.