CRASHING A TABLE means walking up to a table full of ten or so somewhat inebriated diners, some of whom don’t know each other, all out for a good evening and you’ve been booked to show them magic of which they may be unaware.  How do you break in?

In the  Great Room  at Grosvenor House  in London there are normally seated 800 guests at eighty tables; they are all talking, the band is playing very loudly as if to prove its professionalism and guests are there to drink, eat and have a good time. What would happen if you walked unannounced up to the table and said “Good evening. I’m a magician and I’d like to show you some tricks!” Not much.

I came back to magic some ten years ago working with Bob Read and a very experienced  group of table magicians  at Grosvenor House and I quickly learned the art of crashing a table. They gave me some very good tips.

* Spot a gap on the table where there is likely to be a sympathetic guest – usually a lady.

* Don’t go in until there is a gap in the conversation. There’s nothing worse than walking in when a guest is coming to the punchline of a joke. Watch your timing.

* On every table there is a comedian – a guest who’ll take over all the conversation, tell the jokes and aspire to be the star of the group. You step in and steal his limelight and he’ll hate you. Identify him, involve him and make him important by including him one of your effects. Make him your ally.

* When working (I always try and work with lady guests- they’re usually more co-operative) after presenting a trick or two go to the other side of the table and present a few more effects from that position so involving the whole table. 

* Try for effects that you can present at eye level so everyone can see. Nothing starts people talking and becoming disinterested as a trick that you work down at waist level, Watch out for big vases of flowers centre table – either move them or work around them so everyone can see what you’re doing.

* Find a way of introducing yourself to the table.  In a smaller restaurant you can say “The Manager has asked me to provide you with some entertainment with his compliments” And then go into your first effect.

* A strategy I’ve used for many years is to walk up to a table, dressed in dinner suit which could mistake you for a manager and done the following.

1) I walk up and say “We’ve found a ladies gold wedding ring in the restaurant” Wait for some negative replies and then pull out of your pocket a large two inch gold ring and say “I take it this ring doesn’t belong to anyone on this table!” You’ll get a laugh or a snigger but smile and say “I’m kidding you – this is my wife’s wedding ring – she came from a big family”

They then realise  that something special is about to happen. I then go into my “Staggering” routine with the ring and a lace which I have done for over ten years. I’ve never been told to push off. People are there to enjoy themselves.

2) Other ways I’ve used to break into a table are dropping a Fire Wallet on the floor, bending down to pick it up, showing it and saying “We’ve found a gentleman’s wallet on the floor - does this belong to anyone on this table?” Before you get a reply or riposte open the wallet, ignite the flame,  let it burn for a few moments and say “Oh I expect it belongs to the Fire Prevention Officer”. Put the wallet away and as they realise that it’s a joke go into your magic.

3) Another approach similar to the above is to make up a folding note with a £50.00 banknote, pick it up off the floor and ask the same question. After any remarks just extend your hand toward the middle of the table, pause for a few seconds and then have the note fold it self in half, then into quarters and then into eighths. Do it slowly and you’ll get rapt attention from everyone. A lovely dodge shown to me by Pat Page was to have a similar folded note palmed in the right finger palm and after the note has folded do a shuttle pass into the right hand open it up and display the note.

* Another stunt I do to gain attention is to use Don Alan’s Coat Hanger from Purse. Pick up a purse, ask the question and then open it and show coins, keys etc finally pulling a coat hanger from the purse. When you do this always drop the coat hanger loudly onto the table to prove its solidity.

* There is another excellent stunt shown to me by a magician in the west of England. Add a blank card to a normal pack, spread them so that all you see are the white ends of the cards and the blank card on top and hold the spread pack in the left hand so it looks like an order pad  Then pretend to hold a pencil at similar height in the right hand. Approach the table and say”May I take your wine order” in a manner perhaps like John Cleese. You’ll be told that they’ve already ordered the wine and then say “In that case can I show you a card trick” and in so doing fold or slip the blank card onto the bottom of the pack and fan the cards as if inviting a selection.

I hope these ideas will give you some thoughts as to how you might like to crash into a table. All the above have been used at Grosvenor House and  truly – they worked.

Filed under: Magic Ideas, Magic Miscellanea, Magic Thoughts