1.What do you look like on stage?

Before you can sell your magic you have to get people to like you. What is the impression they get when you step on stage or at their table? Do you look friendly? Do you make them feel they could welcome you into their home? Step outside of yourself and take a look at the person on stage from their viewpoint. Be bold and make improvements

2. Strike an attitude.

Do your clothes fit with your audience and performing environment? Do you smell nice?(Important!) Do they like your personality and feel they’d like to know you better? Act your age. Do you connect with the audience? Once you do, you’re more than halfway to success.

3. Make eye to eye contact and smile.

Many very skilled magicians never look at their audience but focus on their hands. That’s nerves or ego. Both on and off stage always look directly at people and smile. You’ll get an immediate response Defensive barriers are immediately lowered. Try it next time you show a trick or talk to a waiter. Don’t gush, be yourself

3. Make an initial, friendly remark.

The audience want you to be successful. But they seek a signal that confirms that you are friendly. Make the opening, positive remark that bridges the gap immediately. It can be slightly humorous or formal. Michael Bailey used to open with “Hello. My name is Michael Bailey – I expect you know yours” The ice was broken. Mac King says “Howdy – I’m Mac King” affirming his friendly, country-style persona.

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I’m not against acerbic humour that attacks the audience provided the performer has a personality that can deliver such material knowing that the audience knows that he’s joking. As witness Mel Mellers, Jeff Hobson, Michael Finney and other giants of magi-comedy, all of whom work continuously and have never been booed off stage or give offence.

I read a review this week of a show in London “La Clique” which features a variety of speciality acts including stripping magician Ursula Martinez who offered unhinged eroticism doing unmentionable things with a red hankie. Stick to the thumb tip kiddo! 

* Mel Mellers who tore ‘em up in the opening show with his acerbic but very entertaining magic and comedy.

* The entertaining act of Levent packed with a thousand very funny sight gags but an artiste whose depth of magic thinking is profound as witness his brilliantly devised  Miser’s Dream that he showed in his lecture. Also the man who put so much work and respect into the outstanding Roy Benson book.

* Congratulations to Jonathan Shotton, former prizewinner in The Magic Circle Young Magician of the Year, now maturing into a seasoned professional entertainer and winning the British Ring Shield competition with a well conceived and presented act built around – clocks!

* One of the best presentations I’ve seen of the classical Rising Cards by Bob  Kohler in a close up show dominated by a chorus line of Las Vegas card men, demonstrating gambling deals and routines. And included in this show, the refreshing, diverse programme of magic and originality by Nick Einhorn with a stunning, every which way but loose coin matrix sequence, a new twist with a borrowed ring on key ring  and some excellent card effects finishing with a completely blank deck except for the selected card. Very Nick Einhorn.

* The workshop, in depth thinking and performance handling of the Egg Bag by Jeff Hobson that brought this timeless classic into the 21st century.

* Admired the artistry of Richard McDougall’s act with a goose – sheer theatre.

* Had an enjoyable talk with Marvin Berglas,  one of magic’s most successful business entrepreneurs and still a bubbling enthusiast  about magic to the extent that he performs regularly in the corporate suites at the Arsenal Football Club (another of his passions)

* Finally, congratulations to Ian  Keable on the publication of his excellent book “Stand Up – A Professional Guide to Comedy Magic” possibly the most comprehensive work on this most individual and diverse subject. Years in the writing, its 280 pages says everything you need to know about comedy and entertaining. Worthy of a PhD on the subject.

That’s it. Apologies if I’ve missed your favourites out but they were all good.

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Then Michael Finney. I’d only seen clips of his act but wow – what a lesson in entertainment with a six card repeat, a rope routine and a comedy card effect.  A lovely laid back folksy style of humour – sort of a Will Rogers of magic – but again a lesson in real entertainment with magic. I’m a 100% fan  – a lovely man with a lovely personality. Norm Nielsen as slick and as smooth as when I saw him at The Lido in Paris some thirty years ago and then the sheer novelty of Tony Chapek with his most original act with interaction with himself on a big TV screen. For variety the high speed juggling of Swiss artiste Claudius Specht and closing with the amazing illusions, and I mean really amazing of Kalin and Jinger from their show in Reno. Just about the most baffling “Sawing Through” I’ve ever seen. Truly. A stunning show and a great end to the convention. There’s so much more to tell so I’ll continue tomorrow.

The Egg Bag moves he’ll probably show are based on the Malini bag, the same as I’ve seen Johnny Thompson perform, but for a lesson in sheer entertainment, catch the Hobson presentation.

Until.

As a fan  of Jeff Hobson I once saw him do a 30 minute spot in a London West End theatre and get a standing ovation with just two tricks – one of which was the egg bag. It was then I realised that it was what the magician could add to the effect that made it a classic effect and with Hobson ’s unique camp patter and mannerisms it became an outstanding piece of entertainment.

Following that I saw Johnny Thompson achieve solid success with the prop but using the Malini version of the bag with its superior design, smooth fabric and careful needlework and of course Thomson’s handling and humour. Then a good friend, Tom Whitestone who presents the bag close-up at the table showed it to me  and made it very convincing and magical. He said he was influenced the day he saw Fred Kaps do the routine informally in Ken Brooke place with minimal patter but very convincing handling as you would expect from Kaps. Tom was so struck with how mysterious this age old prop could be made that he adopted it and today works the Malini design bag. A magician for whom I have a very high regard is Wayne Dobson and I saw a recording of one of his TV spectaculars before he was clobbered with M.S. doing the bag sitting quietly alongside a lady from the audience. No  endless crash banging the bag to prove its emptiness but a sheer piece of magic that used just three phases climaxing with the spectator making the egg reappear herself after proving that the bag was empty. It is a  real mystery and easy now to understand why it has been a classic for centuries…..when in the hands of a real artiste.

What’s this all about. It’s about taking a backward look at some of the magic we all met and passed by on our way to being a contemporary performer. It’s why some of the great entertainers who worked for big bucks like Al Flosso did Miser’s Dream, Cards Across, Paper Hat Trick and other considered hoary old tricks with big success. It ain’t what you do …………