We were having a lecture at our local magic club the other day and were thinking about some of the principles of stage-craft and performance. In spite of a number of important books on this subject it is an area largely neglected by many amateur hobbyists.
But if you’re reading this article I assume you are interested in improving your magic and taking your art to a higher level. And I want to suggest one really simple way to help that process.
First, here’s a diagnostic question. When was the last time you saw a high quality magician perform his (or her) act? There are two important phrases there – “high quality” and “his (or her) act”.
For most of us, the only quality magicians we see are on the DVDs explaining new tricks we’ve purchased. The focus is usually on the mechanics of the trick – and though there may be a few performance suggestions (and in the best examples even some live performance footage), this is a really ‘atomised’ approach to magic.
Much of the effectiveness of a magician (or indeed any performer) is not just in the execution of individual effects (or songs, or dances etc.) but in the putting together of a whole routine. The space between the tricks, if we can call it that, is vitally important.
And one of the best ways to improve any skill is to watch someone who is good at it and learn from them. In my day job one of the key skills is communication – so I try to make an effort to watch people who are good communicators (comediens, some politicians, etc.) and learn from them.
The same principle holds good for magicians. So seek out performances of professional magicians. There are a wealth of clips on YouTube (I’ve given you one above – of the inimitable Boris Wild – now there’s a routine with a clear theme!), and an increasing number of opportunities to catch live performances. Watch how they structure a whole act/set. See how they tie things together. How do they use the spaces between effects? How do they vary the speed of their performance? How do they create variety? Etc. etc.
Bear in mind we’re not watching these performances to become carbon copies of the performers. That would be a nightmare. And unethical. And it just wouldn’t work as we all have our own personalitites and styles – and it is important to ‘cut with the grain’ of these things. But try to analyse why they do the things they do – and what makes the performance as a whole work.
Some of these more general performance skills can be appreciated by watching non-magicians too – since there are certain techniques common to all performing arts. And as another friend pointed out, it is even worth watching poor performances and learning from their mistakes.
But the point is, don’t just watch individual tricks on explanatory DVDs. And don’t just try and make it all up yourself. To be sure, if you are worth your salt as a performer some of this stuff will come naturally to you. But there is always scope for improvement – so why not learn from someone who has got many many more hours of experience than you – rather than having to learn all the lessons the hard way?