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I've come to the conclusion with some of my performances or parts of them, that I can be over critical of myself at times and I suspect that this is something that those of us with a consciounce perhaps feel from time to time.

I wouldn't beat yourself up too badly. On the positive side, at least you've been able to realise yourself where you need to improve. Much better than walking away thinking all was well when it perhaps wasn't (speaking generally here).

Personally, I keep a journal of my performances. How I felt whilst performing, how I think the audience felt, good and bad feedback and comments, what tricks worked and what ones didn't seem to etc.

Does anyone else do this or is it just me?

Hi Zach - thanks for sharing that with us. First up I don't think you should be too disappointed with yourself. Ut sounds like everyone had fun either though you know you could have done better.

It brings to mind a lecture I saw a few years back at the 2003 Ipswich Magical Society Convention. It was a lecture by a guy called Andy Martin, although he goes by the stage name of Andy Clockwise. Effectively it was the do's and don'ts of performing to kids, and as that wasn't something I ever planned to do at the time I almost didn't even attend the lecture.

Well i am so glad I did. The lecture was superb, Andy is an amazingly talented performer an entertainer, but he started off the lecture with a video of his very first kids party. It was a great story he told that went with it, to cut it down, he was at the time not much more than an amateur hobbyiest who used to perform close-up in the pub for mates, when the sister of a friend asked him to do her child's birthday party as a favour because the magician they had booked cancelled at the last minute.

He thought why not, and winged his way to the nearest magic shop to buy a few props. He ended up spending £150 on magic props, and as they all appeared to be very self working didnt spend much time practicing with them.

I'm not going to go in to the whole story but the video was hilarious You thought your gig went bad!, this was the epitomy of all the don'ts of performing kids magic.

The lecture ended with a clip from one of Andy's last shows - which frankly was so good it could have been a TV show.

I think the bottom line is that it will get better. much better. If you can get a hold of Andy's lecture (and the video) - it will help a great deal. His website is here but lookin at it it would imply he doesn't do kids anymore. You could email him though and ask if he has any of the lecture notes available.

thanks again though for sharing your experience...

(I can't believe you too the sucker out of the die box!!!)

Congratulations Zack - it sounds as though the kids enjoyed what you did and that's all that matters. (OK, and perhaps the odd £20 or so 'for petrol' !).

You now have a yardstick to measure yourself against in terms of any future performances and you'll do a bit better each time so don't beat yourself over the head too much - unless you enjoy that sort of thing. Once again, many congrats and please remember us when you're rich and famous.

Sounds like you did great - well done. You did it - now you know what it's like so you have something tangible to work with. As for kid's audiences - you'll probably have better - and you'll have worse (trust me) - but you'll learn to roll with the punches as well as how to control them as you do more of this sort of thing.

And - um - what Mandrake said..

A little tip that I use Zack, you are there to entertain right? If you came off and thought you'd done a great job but later heard that the kids all hated it and the parents wern't that impressed either, how would you feel then? My guess is that you would feel pretty lousy cos it really wouldn't matter that you thought you did a great job if your audience didn't.
I'm sure you see where this is going but I'll say it anyway, it equally doesn't matter if you feel it went poorly if your audience loved it. Sure take the lessons if only so you will feel better next time but judge your show through the eyes of your audience.

Then for your next show take care to deal with the issues that you feel were raised.

I can't believe so many of you read the post! It was the longest I've ever done, I think... but thanks to you all.

taneous wrote:You did it - now you know what it's like so you have something tangible to work with.

I think this kind of sums it up for me now. The 'beating over the head' stage, as mentioned by Mandrake, has now gone, and with each person that I tell the story of the party to, I feel better and better about how it went.

I now have a wish-list of things that would improve my show - from a flight case through to comedy magic wands, from a new bag/container for my balloons to 'live' in to a top hat for the sliding die box I will buy very soon.

I'm seeing my friend Andy again this Saturday, so will find out if any of the parents watching have enquired as to whether I'm free to do other parties... keep your fingers crossed for me!

I'm definitely going to build on this now. I'll be a WP in no time...

I know this thread has been around a while now but I have been on holiday for the last two weeks so missed your review Zack.

I did a birthday party for my grand daughters 7th. I also felt things could have gone better! The know it all boy who kept telling the others that his dad had that trick so he knew how it was done, the slighltly older girl who got so close that she spotted the trick in the Energised Coin, and my worst mistake, I used a wand in my first trick that showered out confetti. The kids then forgot me for 5 minutes while they ran around seeing who could collect the most!

I finished up however with the Egg Can and produced a glassfull of sweets that were well received.

The thing was that like Zack things i had thought were a problem nobody really noticed and the kids enjoyed it. Anyone who has worked with kids or just shown them a quick trick or two, will know that they can be quite demanding and have very quick hands for grabbing with.

Well done Zack for doing the show and for doing it at such short notice

well done to all of you, i know how hard it can be