talkmagic.co.uk

G'day guys,

As I mentioned in my introduction I've only recently taken up magic, and while some of my friends and family have been very supportive and interested in my tricks, others have been completely rideculing. (I swear one of them has dark anti-magic powers, because never have I been able to successfully completed a trick infront of her, even when not heckled.)

Anyway, I've been heckled out of doing a trick a few times, and it is not a pleasant feeling. As a lot of begginers I assume, I've started in card magic, which I believe is probably one of the most criticised forms of magic. I get a lot of "let me shuffle the deck first!", "can I inspect the deck", and "I want to put the card back in the deck wherever I like."

While for some tricks this is fine, it makes others that require loads or key cards rather difficult.

Basically what I'm asking is firstly: do you guys run into heckling a lot, (Perhaps you have a particularly interesting story about it?) and how do you handle it? And not just in card magic, but if someone heckles you during any tricks you've performed (or tried to).

As I don't announce what I'm about to do with my tricks, if I get heckled I've devised that I could quickly just swap to another trick that doesn't require a load. But any other tips and advice you could give would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Cal

Around thirty five years ago I wrote what I consider to be pretty good advice on this subject. It has never been published and it was part of a book that was never completed.

I just recently put it all into my computer. I could post it here but there just isn't the space. The whole thing runs into about three pages. It would take a hell of a lot of posts to fit it all in.

I shall post a bit of it now and if people want me to continue with it they only have to ask. They can discuss it as we go along. I will make a post and only continue if someone asks me too.


Get ready for the first bit.

Here you are. If you want more let me know:
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First of all, hecklers. Unfortunately, in this sad world there are those unenlightened souls whose only pleasure in life is to wreck the magician’s performance. The will insist on loudly proclaiming that they know how the trick is done (they very rarely do) and that all magicians are fakes. The will insist on shuffling the pack at inopportune times, they will spot the palmed card in your hand and will brag that they once had a magic set.

There are three solutions to the above problem:-

1. Curl up and die (for the timid among you).
2. Punch your tormentor on the nose (for the not so timid among you).
3. Read on and peruse my advice.

Now let’s see. We do not recommend the first solution on the grounds of bad showmanship. Neither do we particularly get excited over the second option. It will distract from the performance and besides, our heckler friend (?) may be bigger than you.

That leaves us with the third solution. Read on, dear reader, read on.

You must first realise that you are there to entertain people, even the nasty heckler. Tempting though it is to retaliate and be rude right back it is wise not to lose your temper. If you are quick witted and have a little bit of cunning about you it is possible to turn the pest into an asset, or at least quieten him down.

I realise the above didn't tell you very much so I have decided to continue for a bit:
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If, on the other hand, you try to answer him back the performance could easily deteriorate into a slanging match which is not quite what you originally intended. Besides, the more you argue the more he’ll persist in wrecking the show. You will also find that by resisting him you may alienate the rest of the audience because you are attacking one of their number. We find that people are perverse and although some of the spectators will be annoyed by the pest, others for some psychological reason will tend to side with him, especially if he is not TOO obnoxious. This is probably because people have a subconscious resentment against being fooled. They feel somehow inferior to this sharp trickster who is deceiving them so convincingly and they react with delight when the clever so and so runs into trouble. This being so, they may identify with the heckler especially if the magician has a smart alec see-how-clever-I-am air about him.

One other reason not to trade words with the bore is that if destroys what actors call the “suspension of disbelief”. To explain this, when you watch a movie or theatre play you are absorbed completely; you know in your heart of hearts that the actors are only playing a part, that what is going on is not real, but for the moment while you are watching you SUSPEND your disbelief momentarily reveling in the illusion that everything is really happening. However, if a piece of scenery drops backstage or the movie projector breaks down you are quickly brought back to reality and the “suspension of disbelief" starts to disintegrate. Similarly with our magician; he creates the illusion that what he does is magic; of course, at the back of their minds the spectators (unless they are extremely gullible) know that it is not magic, but for the moment while they are enjoying the performance they are willing to “suspend disbelief”. However, let the performer start arguing with the heckler or tell him to shut up and the whole process will disintegrate very rapidly. Our magician is no longer superman; he actually does mundane things like get annoyed. This maker of miracles is just an ordinary mortal after all,-well, what an anti-climax! Our hero who was dazzling everyone a moment ago with feats of astonishment now shows himself to be just a normal human being who demeans himself by arguing with the lower orders. After all, if he was a real magician, he wouldn’t waste time in conversation-he would simply make the heckler disappear!

No, answering back is not the solution to our problem. A better plan is to try and be nice to the nuisance. This will take the wind out of his sails and might make him feel guilty! Of course you might say, “Love thine enemy” is easier said than done. Well, persevere, persevere. Try and get on his side, even flatter him a tiny bit. You can even let him bully you a little for you have a trump card. We’ll tell you about it soon.

Thanks, that actually did help. I'm starting to already form ideas in my head about how to 'shake him off', so to speak, though they are still undesirable lengths to go to. Perhaps admit how a small portion of the trick is done, but proceed to produce even more amazing results that even the heckler didn't expect?

There also always asking people not to heckle at the start of the act I suppose, worked into the act. For example, I once saw a comedian (ok, not quite the same, but still heckled) state humourosly at the start of their act: "..and if you heckle me, I will kill you!" (Though, I suppose this could have the adverse effect and encourage a heckler.)

If you think the rest of this section of your guide is too long to post, could you potentially PM it to me, or email it? Posting it might be helpful to more members though.

Cal

Yes, being nice to hecklers is very disarming.

Also, one thing I do in a walkaround situation is to finish the routine I'm doing as well as the SOB will allow, thank the table politely and move on to the next. In a table-hopping gig, there's nothing in my contract to say that every table gets the same amount of time from me. People at the same table as the heckler will realise that they've been given short shrift, and will often push the wee git to apologise and invite me back over to finish my set.

No competitive ego-clashing is neccessary, and no harsh words need be exchanged. I remain polite and fun throughout, but take the view that the good audiences will get the best from me, and the bad ones will get whatever I feel charitable enough to offer.

Aside from the advice above, which is all perfectly sound...


Just before christmas I was doing some walkaround, and a rather loud and drunk chap bimbled over halfway through a piece of mentalism - I was doing something billet related, and revealing the word through Banachek's "Letters in a name" subtlety.

Anyway, things weren't going too well, and his arrival ground it into the dust.

I took a chance with something which I would absolutely not recommend as sensible practice - the rather lovely gentleman "challenged" me, and I, rashly, accepted.

Now, one of my pet routines I've been developing for a while now is a test-conditions card reading - basically they pick a card and I name it, but there are so many methods (potentially) involved, that I can pick and choose to get the result I need, and the method is so occluded behind the presentation (which in itself appears to include or hide one or two more methods), that the whole routine can be presented as a challenge, and they can try and flummox it (almost) as much as they like.

In this specific case, this worked wonders, the effect was presented, repeated and repeated - each time the reactions were that much stronger, as he'd offered a fair challenge, and I'd (apparently) risen to it.

Like I said, there is no way I'd recommend this - there's just too much that can go wrong, but when the stars are right this can be fantastic.

Yes, the dreaded heckler is annoying, and being heckled is one of the worst feelings in the world....

HOWEVER- there is a difference between being heckled and spectators just saying what they see ie. that you've flashed a card. In these instances, it is actually really important to take in what they said, then use it alter how you perform that particular trick. For example, when I perform jazz aces, I reveal all of the aces at the end, but I don't draw attention to them during the vanishes as a kicker ending. (I put the face up ace of spades and the subsequent cards on top of a card box near the back of the mat). When I first tried it, throughout the vanish of the 3rd ace, as well as my patter between that and the kicker ending of the revelation of the aces together again, a certain person began shouting "they're on the box d'uh that's rubbish" or words to that effect. Now I could have gone "Argh heckler-they're all morons and I'm an artiste how dare they..."etc. But instead I thought, "Ok, she obviously saw the ending coming- which makes my way of performing it bad" So i adjusted the way I perfrom it accordingly, and no-one has ever shouted similar things in the 5 years since In you case, you've given examples of things they shout out, like "Let me shuffle them", "let me put the card wherever I want". Well if they're asking to shuffle, then obviously you're not convincing them that you are indeed mixing the cards thoroughly- so next time try a different/ more false shuffles and cuts, and then perhaps show that "your card is not on top of the deck, second from top or even on the bottom" by means of a DL or whatever. As for m"let me put it in the middle" then simple- learn a few better card controls- royal road to card magic has some gems there that I love to use. Another one I use is arthur buckley's multiple shift used for a single card, then secure a break and either a side steal or a 3 fold cut As for inspecting the deck, well if you're using a "normal deck" then fine- but if the deck is gimmicked then I suppose you'll just have to ignore them and move into your next trick

Hope some of this helps

First of all, figure out whether you have a REAL heckler or just a person who is making uncomfortable (to you) comments during your performance.

The latter is simply a case of a person being upstaged and wanting to be the centre of attention. Or a case of a person who honestly believes he or she is helping you be more humorous.

In the case of upstaging or "helping" you, the solution is simple enough: Use that person as a volunteer and focus attention on them; that's what they want.

The former case -- the real heckler -- is fairly rare and very much different.

The best thing in that case is to ignore him or her and hope that he or she will get bored and quit. If not, cut your show short and YOU quit.

Remember, the heckler -- no matter how bad -- is a member of the audience and the audience will see the situation as that. It's a case of "you and them", with the heckler as one of them.

You may get advice or books, on heckler-stoppers (putdowns for use on hecklers). Avoid them like the plague!!!!!! They will sound canned (they are) and they are invariably terrible!!!

Don't engage the heckler in a battle of wits; YOU WILL LOSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just stop performing and be polite about it. Otherwise, YOU WILL LOSE!!!!!

Great advice from The Lewis.

I'd like to add something, too. You mentioned people wanting to shuffle the cards first - I've had that a lot and I tend to get out of it by telling them it's not that sort of card trick. "Why do you want to shuffle 'em? Nah... there's no point because this isn't like those tricks you see on TV; here, let me show you..." and at that point I'm running through the deck and openly outjogging the four kings or something. Then you can go into a gambling demonstration, and later return to something that would be destroyed by a spectator handling the deck, by which point they may well have gotten over their obsession with wanting to handle your lovely cardboards.

Keep going Mark, this is an area where many people have concerns so the more info the better - cheers!

Very well. Here's the rest of it. And to think I wrote all this around 35 years ago and you are the first people ever to see it.


"Here’s more advice: try and make capital out of the situation, look for some amusing remark that won’t give offence (do NOT say, “We all make mistakes, your mother made one”) humour him, laugh with him and try to turn things to your advantage. Oh, and don’t worry-we have a trump card. Patience, patience-I’ll tell you about it eventually.

More advice: if he says, I know how that’s done!” you reply, “That’s strange, I know how it’s done too!” If he then tells everyone the secret and he is right you deflate him by asking, “What do you want, --magic?” If his antics become TOO irritating I suggest you threaten to turn him into a frog. NO doubt this will make him quail with fear and he will immediately go as quiet as a mouse and treat you with the respect you deserve. If for some reason even this master stroke doesn’t completely succeed, well, you have the trump card to fall back on. All right, all right. We’re coming to it, I promise. But first, a little more advice on this subject.

Probably the best protection against the heckler is your own competence. After all, if you do your stuff well there is less opportunity for interruption. If you perform fluently and as if you know what you are doing it will tend to dissuade the pest from tormenting you. Everyone likes to watch a master at work, even the heckler. If you are exciting and entertaining this will often be enough to quell mutinous spectators. On the other hand, if you are ill at ease and awkward, not only will you cause the audience to experience the same feelings, you will be inviting trouble, as sure as the sun rises in the east. Your attitude is all-important; if you are humble you will tend to make people like you, and the more people like you the less heckling you will experience.

Conversely, if you are arrogant and superior when you work, you will attract confrontation like a magnet, and well you will deserve it. Contrary to what you might expect, a little heckling is good for you. It keeps you alert, on your toes and teaches you not to be too complacent. It will encourage you to practice; when the loudmouth says, “I saw you switch that card!” he’s actually doing you a favour. Maybe you’ll practice so hard that next time he won’t see you switch it.

Oh, I completely forgot-the trump card! Well, dear reader, it’s called a SUCKER TRICK. There are a number of them in this book and using any one of them at the right time is the surest way not only to deflate your tormentor but often to make him your biggest booster. These are tricks which look as if they’ve gone badly wrong, but at the last minute the poor magician extricates himself from his dilemna, and turns the table son everybody by amazing them after all! This type of trick is especially effective for hecklers because they fall into a trap; at first they are delighted that the magician has had his comeuppance, they are flushed with triumph and often loudly mock the performer for his incompetence. However, when suddenly everything turns out right in the end, the gales of laughter from the crowd are usually directed against the heckler who then after his initial surprise and embarrassment, usually admits defeat and nurses his bruised ego by strangely praising you to the skies and becoming one of your biggest fans.

In my experience, I have often found these former opponents have spread my reputation far and wide, they get their feelings of importance now, not by heckling but by bragging that they know me, and most incredible of all, get loudly indignant if anyone else dares to heckle me if they happen to be watching!

That’s my advice on hecklers; it’s taken up more space than I intended but I think it’s useful advice since beginners probably get more heckling, especially from family and friends than anyone else.

One word of warning, though. If you should happen to see a professional magician deal with hecklers you may be confused since he will probably use a different approach to the one outlined above. He may utilize what are known the trade as “hecker stoppers”, that is one-line gags, usually derogatory and personal that attack the heckler. Well, don’t feel confused; these people work under different conditions to you. They often perform in sleazy places, to inebriated audiences and they have to keep the pace of their act going without wasting too much time on the perpetrators of drunken interruptions. And they have one big advantage you don’t have-a microphone. No heckler can compete against a microphone-his insults are heard indistinctly whereas the performer’s remarks cutting him to ribbons come out crystal clear.

As I said before, this book is not for the professional magician. If you perform close up intimate card magic in social and business situations, all you need to know about handling hecklers is the advice we’ve given you and the knowledge you’ll get from experience."

So, in summation; ignore them, ignore them, ignore them and then make a fool of them.


Sage-like advice I must say.

JellyBaby wrote:So, in summation; ignore them, ignore them, ignore them and then make a fool of them.


Sage-like advice I must say.

I appreciate that Mr Lewis' online persona is an acquired taste, but trolling is a waste of space and just plain annoying.

Pete

mark lewis wrote:
Oh, I completely forgot-the trump card! Well, dear reader, it’s called a SUCKER TRICK.

In ring leader - a 5 phase routine from Gregory Wilson - the 2nd phase is the sucker insertion where he puts the ring onto the rope in a real suspiscious manner. I tried it myself and even nice polite people will tell you you've not inserted the ring (but you did). After some trys to get out of the situation you show that you've done nothing but what you said: Put the ring on the rope. It's a great way to shut up people in advance in a funny and polite manner.
Additionally I think people really enjoy the "normal" sucker tricks mark lewis was referring to and it has a similar effect.