talkmagic.co.uk

Hi Everyone,

I'm still a while from doing my first group performance outside of family and friends.

I'd be interested in hearing about other peoples experiences about first performances, it might give me some idea as to where I might do mine.

Also, how long were you practising mentalism or magic for before your first performance? I've been at it about 6 months now and am getting the itch to do a real performance.

thanks,

Seamagu.

My first performance was for my family at Christmas when I was about 8. I had been given a magic set that morning and by tea time I had a little magic show going.

My first real performance for people I didn't know was in the pub, I was showing a few things to my friends when before I knew it, I'd attracted a little audience. The best thing to do is juts get out there and perform, I learnt far more in those first few performances that I ever would have from reading books.

My first performance outside friends and family was my audition to join the local magician's society. I did a bullet catch, and it was very well received.

My first performance was for a few of the staff down at the local working mens club, it's a private member type affair and we were messing around with betchas and the club owner asked me to perform at the quiz night!

This was really in at the deep end walk around the table work while they collected sheets in and marked etc. I literally had no idea, but carried on and to my surprise ended up with a few tips and drinks etc. This also then led on to me being asked to be the magician for the women's football team christmas meal, my first paid job! I then started to build a reputation as the "magic man" and ended up with twelve more bookings from this single event. It's kind of snowballed since then and i have been booked by various work colleagues for functions/birthdays/weddings etc. Currently working the pier and the pavilion in Clacton, which is nice!

Now i know full well i have been lucky and right place right time and am under no illusions i am new to the art of magic, but i love performing and am grateful for the opportunities i have had, but i will say this is partly due to my determination to perform for anybody who will give me five minutes of their time, which allows me to do what i love and hopefully leave somebody with a memory of something wonderful!

Much love

Aza

I've been doing magic in some form or another for family since I was about 7 or 8 ish, I think - good old Paul Daniels magic set! It was in 2005 that I started to take it more seriously, and I have been very irregularly putting on shows for my family ever since, every time trying to make the next one more polished and professional than the last.

My first public performance was actually a fortnight ago, if I have my maths right. In fact I've been keeping people updated in this thread: http://www.talkmagic.co.uk/ftopic43345.php It was in a local charity shop, which was great for me because it's given me quite a gentle start. I feel so much more confident after only a few weeks of doing that sort of thing, because I've realised that firstly I can actually do this and entertain strangers just off the street without messing it up, and secondly that if something goes wrong it's not the end of the world and I am more than capable of setting it right.

My first performance was at age 10, December 1943 at Corngreaves Boy's Junior School, Cradley Heath, Staffs.(since then Worcestershire)

The Act consisted of : Vanishing some writing a boy wrote on a piece of paper & inserted into one of my Mum's best small ceramic pots; Telling him how many cards he moved, several times, from end of a line of cards to another,a trick I cannot remember, The 3 inch Die Through Hat & Davenport's Coloured Pencils (in small tube) mystery. The Pencils were still in good condition and last year were given my son.

The Vanishing Writing was via ink made up of starch tinged with iodine-- from my first Magic Book--''The 2nd Book Of Hundreds Of Things A Boy Can Make '(W. Foulsham & Co.). I also have the first book but alas no magic in it.
Bought for me by one of my favourite Aunties, ( she loved Magic) who also bought me my first box of small squares of Flash Paper.

I still have the book, which had 11 pages of magic tricks in it; the ones still ticked with a pencil mark, I made up and used. Inside it has my name & address and the date-27th. November 1943--my birthday. Dated 3 weeks before my first performance.
The book will go to my son in Portugal, next week.

At the end, Mr. Teague, the Headmaster said, 'Not very satisfactory and you , boy, will NEVER make a magician!
He little knew that less than 4 years later I was accepted into the Staffs. Magic Society; and on their Committee at age 16. And of course he never knew I became President of Nottingham Guild of Magicians, 8 times.

At age 21, Mr. Lloyd, my ex headmaster from the Grammar School I attended, refused to give me a reference to go to St. Peter's College, attached to Birmingham University as;
'You ought to go into the Theatre,as an actor or conjuror or ventriloquist-- You will NEVER make a TEACHER'

In 1970 Sir John ? ,and a former Chairman of the Arts Council, went all over the UK , compiling a National Survey, looking at Teachers of Drama & Theatre with regard to Youth Theatres. He had seen my Youth work in London when my young actors won a National Youth Drama Festival, at the Toynbee Theatre, London, three times and then at Nottingham Playhouse. He placed me in the first 6 teachers in the country!

I took early retirement in 1989. We had a big fire in my 200 seater, Theatre, from faulty wiring in a caretaker's store room and it damaged the costumes, destroyed the lighting box etc at the back of the auditorium. They said it would take over 2 years to restore everything. Well I was retiring in 3 so I took early retirement.

On my last day, I took the First Year Morning Assembly. for the last time.(I 'performed' at all the Assemblies in 8 houses over 19 years often with Magic to back up whatever I talked about.)

For this final Assembly I recreated that FIRST Magic Act. The Pencil Trick I still had, made a new Die, a ceramic pot to hold the Vanishing Writing and bought a new deck of cards. I still could not & even now cannot, remember what that missing trick was!

My theme was--'If you are so sure that what you want to do is right for You and will cause nobody any hurt or harm--then NEVER TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER.'

THEN I told them what was said to me as above. Well they all seen my Magic hundreds of times and my Drama Classes were as the Head there said--'A Joy to behold'

At the end I said ' So TO Mr. Teague and Mr. Lloyd, who told I would never make a magician or a teacher-- whether they be they UP there or Down there-'--I gave a BIG Raspberry each and the 2 fingers gesture up and down.
The kids roared. The Staff were in stitches; one fell off her chair laughing and Sir got a standing Ovation.

And so guys-- IF you KNOW absolutely you are RIGHT--then keep on with it--and Never Take No For An Answer.
Even from me.!!

Allen Tipton

Allen Tipton wrote:My first performance was at age 10, December 1943 at Reddall Hill Boy's Junior School.
Allen Tipton

Quite a long, & distinguished career Allen.
One of the reason's why I always enjoy reding your posts.

Gudonyasir.

CArl...