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I love close-up magic, but I'm kinda moving into platform / stage / stand-up street theatre magic - call it what you like.

it's so easy to pick up a trick, and either a) copy a dvd, or b) read the instructions and give the 'performance as just a demonstration...
'now i am going to do this...'
'...and now i will do this.'
'watch this' - !! guh of course they are watching, you're doing a magic show!

ok, here's my question - how many of you perform as a character?
or if not a completely different character, there has to be a change in persona right? I'm just trying to think of how i can inject some energy into a performance, without becoming a clown - just a bit of piz-azzz.

with my close up i can be myself, and some effects will be a story, some will be a game, a few are just a demonstration, some start with... have you ever... ? i bet you're thinking ... ? - but i can jump about with close up, as the effects are short.
stand up, is throwing me a little - how can i begin thinking about character and jazzying up my routines, here?

any ideas appreciated.

thanks.
Ed.

Do the same!

I do stage quite frequently as a mind reader. I still present it as a game! 'let's play a game'. Th only difference I that it is on stage

still jump around. Get into it. Be enthusiastic like you are close up - even more so maybe. You need to get everybody else hyped up to enjoy it!

Well, I do anyways!

If you have the performance skills then performing as a character can work. Otherwise use a version of your own personality (not a carbon copy of your own personality). We all know that sometimes we can be miserable gits, and other times we can be the life and soul of the party. We need the life and soul version of our personality for stage work - then exaggerate it. That is important. You need big personality for stage work. The magic will only take you so far; to go to the next level you need to work on your personality and presentation.

As Geoffrey Durham said during a lecture, people do not want to see a magician. They want to see a pleasent and entertaining person perform magic. And that is different.

I studied performing arts for a bit at college (insert jokes about wasted education here) and the one thing we were told about doing ANYTHING on stage is to make it BIGGER.

I dont mean do huge effects, but your motions, mannerisms and voice projection etc have to be emphasised a little otherwise you can appear wooden, even if you wouldnt appear so close up, its just the nature of being on an open platform.

However if your "character" for lack of a better word, is working close-up, keep it, just project it more so everyone can see.

Name drop alert Take a look at Derren Brown and how his performances for his stage shows (Evening of Wonders and so on) compare to his closer, more intimate stuff (Trick of the Mind). His personality, character, whatever, stays the same, but doing the stage shows his movements are bigger, he gesticulates more. Any stage act of any kind will do this. He still says sort of the same things "We're going to play a little game", "I'm going to try something" etc etc.

Summery: Keep the character the same if it works for you, just make sure the audience can see the subtleties of it.

I sound like my old drama teacher, shoot me.

I won't shoot you, but I will thank you

That is some great advice.

Your welcome!

Also, I'll add, if you're not a person who does alot of gestures when they talk, doing so on a stage can seem forced. Practice the performance, the movements, almost as much as you would practice the routine. That way it will become natural to you.

For me personally this helps me get away with some bolder moves as well, using the gestures to cover the smaller movements of sleights. But maybe Im just a sneaky beggar, who's to say

Good luck with it anyways.

I agree with everything that's been said so far

I spent almost 15 years as an IT Trainer and had to spend each and every day presenting to a classroom of people who had varying levels of interest in whatever I was talking about. (In fact - that's how I got into magic in the first place, but that's a different story). You soon realise that in a stand-up environment you are much more in control of what the audience sees... because you can direct it that much more easily than in a close up environment. I think it was Vernon that said 'a large movement covers a small movement' and this is never better borne out than in a larger setting. Simply from walking to one side of the stage to the other can cover any number of sleights or moves!!

Absolutely agree with Matthius - go for a natural approach. I'm not sure I'd suggest a 'character' as such because then you'll have the added pressure of staying in that character - depends on your acting skills I guess!! However (and this is where Matthius is bang on the money) you can afford to be more natural in a stage-type environment because the specs have got less opportunity to burn your hands than is the case in a close-up environment. Once you realise that, you'll see that your nerves just melt away and you can really enjoy the experience.

Talking of which, Jing, I see you're in Stafford. That's not a million miles away from me in Stone - if you want to catch up in person, ping me a private message. Also, it's the Mercian Mystics 'January Social' event in Stoke this coming Friday... you'll be more than welcome to come along and meet some more Potteries Prestidigitators!

cheers,


Sean

great advice - the reason i asked, is because i caught up watching the sorcerer's apprentice on iplayer and they always push the kids into a character - i guess that's easier for the kids to learn, but i can see now that the best performers were the ones who were 'bigger' - louder, more pronounced movements, etc...
i think i could do that in a stand up show - i guess i just have to give it a go, and also i would have to practice the movements and words in front of a mirror - as well as just the magic - I'm looking forward to it.

My favourite on stage character is Whit Haydn. I love how he can take the scoundrel's approach and make it work for him.

By reading what you have written I have guessed that you are struggling to find a 'character' for your act to make it entertaining. I think an entertaining character is vitally important to doing magic, otherwise your act will rely entirely on the trick alone. Some of the audience may have seen the trick performed before, or know how it is done, so you need more than that to make it memorable, special and entertaining.

Your 'character' is a vital tool in your performance, allows you to give misdirection as the audience is distracted by your characters mannerisms, jokes and performance, but will also alleviate nerves if you are going on stage as a 'character' rather than yourself. You will also find it much easier to write jokes or stories to add entertaining patter to your routine if you think about what your character would do or say in such circumstances.

When devising character I always think it is best to think of a person at their most ugly and grotesque and then water that down a little to the required amount as you rehearse the script until it is about the natural/unnatural level you need.

To this end think of the most vilest and detestable person you have met in your own life and then mimic them, copy and imitate things that you think make them vile and detestable. Then think about introducing some likable elements to their personality - they may be rude and unpleasant, but also very generous. They may lack any common graces and courtesies, but dress with great class and style. They may be unbelievably stupid about many aspects of life, but also rich in knowledge about certain small things. Devise their character and work on performing it. The more grotesque they are the easier it will be to write patter and make them an entertaining character while they are performing tricks before the audience.

Hope this helps.

Matthius88 wrote:I studied performing arts for a bit at college (insert jokes about wasted education here) and the one thing we were told about doing ANYTHING on stage is to make it BIGGER.

I dont mean do huge effects, but your motions, mannerisms and voice projection etc have to be emphasised a little otherwise you can appear wooden, even if you wouldnt appear so close up, its just the nature of being on an open platform.

.

good advice, but slightly incorrect. I.M.H.O...

you dont have to make movements bigger, indeed taking someone like the late great Marcel Marceu, he could make the smallest movement, and it's meaning would reach the back of the largest theatre.

What can happen if you enlarge body movemets alone, is you appear over the top, and unnatural.

fill the available space around you, with your personality. And draw your audience into that space.
A rule that works just as well in close up, as it does on stage.
Another important thing on stage, is to remove the barrier between you, nad your audience. The 4th wall.
And this can be done simply by walking up to it, and leaning through it.
This trick, is one ive often used in Panto, and usualy use if Im performing magic.
Watch Paul Daniels live, and you see he does it.
Houdini was supposed to of utilized this trick too.

make good eye contact with your audience as well. Often you will come across teh term " counting the house". This was a way of making eye contact with everybody out front. It doesnt mean that you physicaly count heads... just look at them as you speak.

Le Petit Bateleur wrote:My favourite on stage character is Whit Haydn. I love how he can take the scoundrel's approach and make it work for him.

yep. what he has done there is take his natural personality and magnifyed it. Lovely guy Whit.

I do professional wrestling aswell and for our characters all you want to do is turn your personality up a notch also over exagerate in both your speech and movements as you want the people at the back to get the same amount of enjoyment from the show as the ones at the front rows.

I hope this helps.

TLS