Magician Or Actor?

Legendary magician Harry Houdini is reputed to have said that “A magician is just an actor playing the part of a magician”.

I remember when I first started playing around with magic tricks, a very experienced and highly respected magician said to me “It’s not what you do it’s the way that you do it”. He said he preferred simple easy tricks which don’t rely on too much concentration to get right. That way you can concentrate on the storytelling and the performance. At the end of the day spectators want to be entertained. Of course everyone appreciates an amazing display of dexterity and sleight of hand but too much can be boring and make it look like you are showing off. I know one really good magician who only uses about six tricks but that’s all he needs because his performance is so good.

Entertain your audience!

Everyone wants to know how the magic works. People are fascinated with the secrets of magic. It is very tempting for a magician to get carried away with learning the most complicated of routines or creating the most complex illusions. World Champion Magician Lance Burton gave the following advice:

Remember your true goal is to entertain your audience. Your audience can be your family, friends, coworkers, or a theater full of strangers. The goal is the same, to amaze, yes, but primarily to entertain.

Weaving the magic

In addition to learning the skills of sleight of hand a magician also needs to be a good storyteller. It’s really the story that is woven round the trick which makes the performance entertaining and memorable. In the magic business the words that go with the trick are known as the “patter”.

Conclusion?

A good magician needs to know his stuff but the patter, personality and acting ability are equally important, if not more important for the entertainment and enjoyment of the audience.