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I need some advice on how to interact better with my audiunce during a mental routine. Does anybody know any jokes you can use for basic performing like this. I'd like to add more humour to my entertainment style

-Ben

Don't try to force humor on to the audience. If you're a naturally funny person, this should come easily. Try scripting your shows, that is if you haven't already. If you have everything written out you can worry about adding humor to specific parts.

If you use someone else's jokes, most of the time they won't fit YOUR personality. While if you use your own jokes, most of the time they'll blend into the script.

Hope that helps.

THe best thing that you can do is just be friendly. A little bit of chit chat before you start is always a good thing I think. Ask them about themselves and act interested.

Ben The issue here is that you are trying to be someone else by the sound of it, rather than yourself.Relax, and let your own personality shine out, when performing the effect, and you will find it goes across much better.

However, What effects are you trying to lighten up? And more importantly, what effects do you do before, and after it?

Im asking this, because a magic act benifits from light and shade, peeks and troughs.
And correct possitioning of a more serious effect, can often improve the overall effect no end.

Where i find humour when mixing magic, and mentalism, is in the obsurdity of the situation thats taking place.

Be yourself.

Dont listen to the last part of lady's advice. dont and i mean DONT!!! act interested but BE interested. Dont look at the audinece as some requisite that recieves the blissfull experience of witnessing your magic. You are there because of them and for them. They do you a favour and came to see your show or allowed you to stop at their table. So be geniunly respectfull and interested in them. If you ask them something listen to what they answer and react to that.

Another thing about being yourself. Darwin Ortiz elaborated on that in his book strong magic. In fact the answer to your post might be read that book and i certainly suggest you do it! it might be the best book you ever read on magic

Id suggest not to be yourself. Well not completly. You are a magician. You are not some joe from the neighbourhood who knows some tricks. you have some powers.you have power over mind and matter. there is nothing magical about uncle john showing you a card trick. but there is something about a magician showing you a card trick. it can only be described as magical. Be yourself with that in mind.be magical

greets

now if anything is going to stirr Craig's emotions its the words..

You are a magician. You are not some joe from the neighbourhood who knows some tricks. you have some powers.you have power over mind and matter. there is nothing magical about uncle john showing you a card trick. but there is something about a magician showing you a card trick. it can only be described as magical. Be yourself with that in mind.be magical

because for me, having someone off the streets just walk up and show you something magical, is way more magical, than a magician saying pick a card.

Need i remind you that this is the reason why David Blaine got where he is today.. by being the guy off the street doing incredible things, not by being the magician showing card tricks.

and the reason he doesnt register so well these days, is because people now know him as the magician ... so hes lost his edge.

daleshrimpton wrote:now if anything is going to stirr Craig's emotions its the words..

You are a magician. You are not some joe from the neighbourhood who knows some tricks. you have some powers.you have power over mind and matter. there is nothing magical about uncle john showing you a card trick. but there is something about a magician showing you a card trick. it can only be described as magical. Be yourself with that in mind.be magical

because for me, having someone off the streets just walk up and show you something magical, is way more magical, than a magician saying pick a card.

Need i remind you that this is the reason why David Blaine got where he is today.. by being the guy off the street doing incredible things, not by being the magician showing card tricks.

and the reason he doesnt register so well these days, is because people now know him as the magician ... so hes lost his edge.

I cant disagree more with your post! First of all the OP said he was performing mentalism which is quite different from pick a card any card! Being to be able to read ppls minds puts you in a very strong position. Yes it would be very stunning if a person from the street would ask you to think of something and then tell you what you had in mind. but if a mentalist tells you he has these powers and then proves it it is stronger. You know if just anybody does it with you you t least have the option to think there must be a trick somewhere because that guy cant know what i think. If there is a mentalist though who through his whole act and demeanour proves he can do it then you rather think what if he can really do that then there must be a trick!

now to the david blaine i believe that the fact that the general public when you ask them to name a contemporary magician immediatly answers david copperfield or siegfried and roy (bear with me im in germany). I dont know how it is in USA but I believe there might be some lance burton there or even criss angel who get more answers. And these guys do something different than just walk up to you and say hey pick a card and i will guess it, David Blaine is great and he has his own style of presentation but it is not very magical. he is very good though at what he does and i like it

the reason why he is not that registered today is the fact that he stopped doing something he became known for and thats magic. he is more into stunts right now.

greets

actually, th eoriginal poster didnt say he was performing mentalism. He said he was doing a mentalism routine. this is why i wondered what was either side of it, because the advice given differs greatly if its part of a magic show, as opposed to just mentalism.


now as to you being based in Germany.. having seen David Blaines early little known special filmed in germany,( which was in part in german) i can see why he didnt make such an impact.


It was a remake of his first special, with a couple of changes. for example, his levitation, was set in a shop doorway, rather than in the open street .( and actually looked more credible I.M.H.O)
And, he has had to transform himself, and do the stunts, in order to preserve the unusualness. Because thats his image, not the image of a magician.


Anyways, People will name siegfried and roy, because in your country they have always been hailed as national heroes, and local boys who have done good.

Re: Be Yourself. Which is the more powerful?

a) Greetings fellow travellers along this mysterious path that some call life. I am Baron Shadow and I have travelled far to be here tonight. My trusty steed is tethered outside, and while the chill wind blows across yonder mountain tops I shall attempt to communicate with you using only the power...of my mind.

b) Hello, my name's Paul and I've been interested in the supernatural and the occult for over 20 years now. Along the way I've seen some pretty weird and spooky things, and thought it might be interesting to show you some of the things I've stumbled upon and see if it's possible for you to have some kind of personal experience of your own.

Some will say a), others will say b). Personally I'm more of a b). If I tried to use a) I fear I may start giggling and I certainly wouldn't expect to be taken seriously by the man in the street. Hammer House of Horror type characters simply come across as camp or comedy stereotypes in the 21st century I fear. So b) works for me. I'm being myself but I'm embellishing the truth.

Just my tuppence worth.

The Magic Wand has it 100% in my book. 'Be yourself'..... two words that mean so much. If you want something to say, during mentalism, an understanding of the tarot and astrology would help, and if you want some jokes, buy a joke book. I am not being rude, I'm being serious(there's a first-lol). Go out and buy 'Man walks into a bar'. Even if you don't use any of it-which you will, you will have a great read. I recommend this book to many people. I am relatively well read, but this is one of my favourite works, because I sit there laughing to myself, inanely. The missus has kicked me out of the living room, because I was spoiling her enjoyment of a film she was watching. This is like the giving of a mgic secret, in many ways, to me , because joke books are like gold to a magician.
I use comedy a lot in my close-up work, and I know that there are certain comments and situations that will arise, as I perform, so I am more than prepared for these, and these are my opportunities to try out new material (if I feel brave enough-lol). One piece of advice I could offer, is that to build on your magic, you have to practise much and work on the variations, until it becomes your own. Be yourself is always stood behind everything I say. The same is with comedy. As we have to apply 'Magic thinking' to our lives, in order to develop or create an act, persona, effect, etc., we also have to apply 'Comedy thinking' to our lives, if comedy is to be a part of the act. Take a handful of words from your act and play with them. A lot of comedy is wordsmithing. Don't have jokes at set times in your act, but let them come, and the more you do it, the more you will get used to 'being' funny.
Somebody once said to me, "You were really funny tonight....... but I don't remember you telling any jokes?!" Let me guess at some of the words that you may be using in your act. 'mysterious'-she was my old maths teacher, 'Psychic'-I went to a psychic the other day. I knocked on the door, and she shouted,"Who is it?", so I left. 'Medium'- I went to one of these the other day, and he was laughing at the gullibility of the public, so I lost my temper and hit him. I was arrested for striking a happy medium.
I am trying to say that you can fit the comedy to your style. If you start 'saying what you're thinking', then you will soon be seeing a funny streak in what peolpe say. It is difficult, but doing it with strangers is good practise. Pick up on things you hear. I have many times interrupted a private conversation, on the train, because I get the urge, and it isn't necessarily to tell a joke. I normally say, "Excuse me, I don't mean to be rude, but I am, so that's how it will sound, but I couldn't help overhearing '........' and I apologise for being nosey, but it's my job to be, and........". Nearly everytime, before answering anything I've asked, they ask me, "What's your job then?", to which I introduce magic, and if they enjoy a couple of effects, which they usually request, I will say, halfway through,"What were we talking about, anyway?".
This may seem like madness, but magic and comedy are my job, and knowing somebody's name can come in very handy. But I know that the picture that I have painted here could be taken various ways and mis-quoted, but that's the roots of comedy for you. Don't get me wrong, I do not just walk up to people on trains, saying"Wanna see some magic?". I don't offer magic, but it is good practise for introducing yourself to a cold audience. Approaching singles, couples and groups at a gig, is a breeze, compared to talking to strangers. One of the things I do when it feels right, is stand between two elderly ladies at a bus stop, who are obviously together. I look at one, then look t the other, and to the lady that responds the best to my behaviour, I say, "Is she always like this?"- Believe me, when I say that it is one of the best responses that you will receive, and I have never been hit by a handbag, or received the answer,"No!". I've had loads of fun doing this, but you do have to be confident, polite and at all times, prepared for the unexpected. To be honest, it has broadened my view and makes me feel comfortable with a broader group of peolpe. The older, the wiser.
I normally apologise for going on, but I am not going to from now on, because I've realised that we are all trying to help each other, and there need be no apology for that. I hope that I have given you some useful pointers, such as having to be a complete nutter, making very little sense and never knowing when to shut up. I would avoid insulting people, or using them as a reerence for you jokes, unless you put them above yourself. Save that for the drunks, who I really give it to, when I perform, no matter who they are, where they are or what they are behaving like. I never run away, but don't rise to the challenge of the all too common a/hole,idiot,spoilsport,moron, brat(adult),spoilt git(adult),self-professed smart-ass,centre of attention at all times,killjoy,self professed magician(and a better one than I am),child(ault),nuisance or relative of another magician(yes, these can be a real pain in the ...). There is a way around this. If there is an idiot,they are not too difficult to find, at any event. When you do, and they start talking over you, and mis-behaving(spoiling the magic, for attention), which they will, 'give them your undivided attention', and rather than try to ignore their comments, which will be ever-increasing in volume, if not starting at full volume, listen to them, nod and agree with them, and if they mention something to do with magic, such as a certain t.v. show or magician, big them up, as if you like them as well. If they mention an effect and how to do it, or a move, then chat about it, with an off-handed comment of agreement with it's trickery. You are priming them, becase you will see the time to perform for them, because they have just told you their likes and dislikes. I have done this loads, and a favourite of mine, is, during the conversation, I might say, "Yes, I think I'd have to agree with you there, I must have been the same deck as you saw in Spain. After all, that'd be impossible. But here's something interesting"(it's hard to go into depth here, but using the keyword interesting, after showing him so much interest in what he has had to say, is a very strong suggestion-remember, this is not an a/hole impression that this guy is doing His friends are probably used to his behaviour and he is probably used to the feeling that he isn't being listened to.......... and then you came along). Then I get two sponge balls out and perform a very good method of them, which does it. Does what? From then on, they either shake my hand show me some form of 'respect' and leave me to it, in order to get on with their job of getting more drunk and annoying, or they follow you all night, with a genuine interest in what you are doing, because they have found you interesting, and generally act as an audio advert, as you arrive at a table...."Watch this guy-he's amazing. I know a lot about magic, but this guy just blew me away".............. With sponge balls!! Trust me (LOL), because I speak from experience. The above action plays best in the wedding reception/birthday party, or any event that is hosted inside a reasonably small venue. For your corporate events, you might want to use the stiff upper lip weapon, by bringing the attention to them that they are demanding. This is not to be confused with making a fool out of them-that's their job!
But, all of the above said, there are many venues and many circumstances, personalities and types of idiot out there, so you have to play it by ear, to a very large degree. This is why you have to be yourself, because being yourself, is the most relaxed state you can be in, and there's nothing that feels unnatural about what you are doing, and it makes it easier to perform. If somebody asks to check my deck, I give it to them, and will probably say,"Take one, and pass the deck to the lady on your left...." whilst I remove a marker, for them to sign it. This takes me from one or two steps behind, to one step ahead (a good place to be). We are now into the muliple selection. Just remembered another piece of good advice. When there is a silence-"Say something!". Filling the gaps, and getting used to doing it, gives rise to comedy, as you are constantly directly contacting the sub-conscious mind(who can be a real funny dude at times), as applying the abstract(seeing from the abstract perspective) to a circumstance, concept, ideal, etc., will create the comedy. Change the meanings of words, see from an abstract perspective and remember-"Everything is funny". I'm pretty sure that I haven't helped, but I've enjoyed myself. All the best with your comedic developments, Gary.

b is definetly the more powerfull and great!...although i can imagine that max maven if he really wants could have gone away with a)

but a) in your example is a bit extreme i suppose.

the thing is with your b) approach you are already on he way to somebody else. when you say you were studying occult phenomena for 20 years you already giving you some credentials and enforcing your character. it becomes more interesting because you make yourself an authority. but i dont think that you do and say so and have actually practised ritualistic magick for 20 years so you are already not yourself like you are for your family for example.

thats what i basically meant. i also wrote be yourself if you read my post but also be a bit more than only yourself. i dont want to rain on some parades here and i am definetly not reffering to you (just want to prevent misunderstandings) but most people (either who perform magic or laymen) have such a boring personality that if they are themselves how they are everyday its just plain awfull. sad but true. so for me if i want to be entertained by magic i dont want to see the average joe doing a bunch of tricks. no matter how good they are i will never see magic in that performance. it just will be an average joe performing some tricks.

if you can add some spice to your character though (by telling you have been interested in occult phenomena for years and made some ressearch n them and practiced and whatever) and you can backup that with something (just telling is not enough) you already have somebody different from yourself but far more captivating.

greets

i suspect that b is less likely to get you thrown out of my local on a friday night

For my own twopennorth, I have no choice but to be me. I can't be someone else, I wouldn't sound genuine. I don't tell jokes because I can't, but I do make people smile and even laugh by just being me. This isn't just a performance thing, this is real life. I don't try to be funny at work, but I can make people laugh.

Some people are born actors some are not. I believe you can still perform and interact even if you cant act

magicmindben wrote:I need some advice on how to interact better with my audiunce during a mental routine. Does anybody know any jokes you can use for basic performing like this. I'd like to add more humour to my entertainment style

-Ben

Hi Ben,

In 1208 king John closed down all the brothels in liverpool and in 1966 a local band created a new hair cut and clippers nearly became extinct...........none of this has got to do with anything you have posted but doesnt ya mind wander when you have smoked a joint!

Perhaps the best way to interact with your audience is to take a look at what material you are performing for them and improve /tweak it and the rest will surely follow if your material is good enough.
Doing a mental routine by default includes a lot of interaction with your audience so make sure you do your effects with them and not at them and natural comic moments will appear just like magic,dont plan too many one liners instead let the moment divine it for you and just go with the situation.

A few effects at the beginning using the whole audience or whittling away the audience to find your helper needed will build a better rapport thus helping audience interaction and vise versa - Remember it is a two way street.

Jokes dont make the interaction better - You make the interaction better

If you are following choice b) then you must consider your age and such,perhaps refresh yourself with the hoy banachek principle and see how it applies to you and your routine before taking path b)