talkmagic.co.uk

hi people

been invited to do a few shows at old peoples homes, and thought about doing some of the tricks from the old days. average age of audience about 75 so hoping to get a few tricks from 50 years ago and taking them down memory lane. Perhaps a history lesson with magic?

Have corindas 13 steps which was 1960's + belive 1940's was 'out of this world' so a mentalist telepathy type show seems to have been the thing back then.

Assume it was music hall settings

Basicly don't know what I'm talking about and the above is just guessing
so am I right or wrong, any tips would be most helpfull.
Dont realy want to mix mentalism with magic so may do two shows a month apart (good bad idea?)

Your help apreciated

Absolutely NO MENTALISM is my rule when it comes to such settings but, we need to wiegh whether or not your audience is cognizant or not.

I've worked far too many homes of this sort in which the patients really can't participate and only do well with silliness... big items, brite colors, lots of visual. Stay away from loud noises (including balloon pops or slamming sounds... there is a serious difference between a puff of smoke and using a flash-bang opener).

This is an odd and difficult market but, if you do well in it you can more or less write your own meal ticket. Getting decent performers that are willing to deal with this sort of challenge is not an easy thing for most organizations of this sort but can be a great way to network and get some solid footing in the region (including hospital work).

How about simply adding some "age" to your dress and props....

You could conider dressing 1950's magic dress....do some research

Consider using your regular effects but putting older props into them for example:

- Use an old fashioned skeleton key rather than modern house keys
- Find some old well worn and tarnished coins
- Use a well worn deck that looks like you just blew the dust off
- If you use cups or glasses in your routine, try and old tea set


Just some suggestions....but with some imagination I would suspect you could dress up your regular routines with an old fashioned flair simply by dressing the part and utilizing old props!

Thanks for your input guys

craig wrote

Absolutely NO MENTALISM is my rule when it comes to such settings but, we need to wiegh whether or not your audience is cognizant or not.

thanks for that, I have done kids shows in such settings (used to get the grandkids and grandparents together) which as you rightly say can be enjoyed by everyone, even those elderly who have reverted to child and are not too aware of their surroundings. This has gone down very well in the past.

The shows I have been asked to do will be for a group of 10 to 15 people who still have their minds intact as it were. It will be by invite only from the ladies who sort out the various events (Diversional theropy I think it's called) .So the setting will be as an old parlour setting. As to Absolutely no metalism I will conceed to having slight concerns myself and so now will be looking for non mental effects in my show (thanks craig for sharing your experience with me).
Moodini as for dressing up obvious (so blooming obvious I had'nt thought of it!!!!!! thanks) also setting the room up like a palour , again thanks.

Anyone know of any 'history of magic' books I can get to drop a few famous names in they might remember from that period?

I am just reading 'Hiding the Elephant' by Jim Steinmeyer and its the best magic (non-teaching) book i own out of about 30 books! It covers all the major performers and inventors of the past

Definitely no mentalism and no card tricks unless they are visual like Diminishing cards or 6 card repeat. Don't ask them to write anything down or calculate anything. Eyes & Brain work!
They like flowers, silks, productions, visual things, NOT TOO LONG each routine. I found that i could use some of the old kid's effects especially the Supreme ones( that these days a lot of magicians despise)with bright cardboard figures and art work. Especially the LARGE ones.
Say " Do you remember when you were little boys & girls and the magician at the party did this" Do the trick.
Try limited audience participation. Don't expect lots of "Oh no we didn'ts". but ask questions. "Did I put it under my arm". " has it vanished"
A lot of the Eric Sharpe kids biz will go down well.
If you have to have volunteer assistant up then ASK THE Home manager BEFOREHAND .
Who might help.
Who can hold things, see things, HEAR things.
Have a chair(s) for them to sit on. This by the way is a good way of keeping control of a volunteer in an ordinary magic act.
Don't expect applause.
Like in a kids show use little prizes..again check Can I give choc bars, sweets etc.
One Act i used to do, based on the oswald Williams(1930) idea was to make up a cardboard box, covered with an old, ripped magic poster, and daubed to look older. "Folks always asked me how did you become a magician. Well, when i was a small boy my parents bought me a box of conjuring tricks. This is it. A bit old and battered, like me. This is what was inside." Then I used the large wooden ball vase/handkerchief pedastal, a 2 to one ropes, colour changing silks, a message appeared on a small spirit slate, 2 production tubes from which came 2 streamers & choc bars..the finale. etc. All quite recently bought tricks but in an old setting. These were for 60 year olds hence the lack of the above mentioned stuff.
Good luck
Allen Tipton
Allen

I have posted a new thread called invisable magic, as I am interested in magic for the blind or partialy sighted elderly(if it can be done). The reason I have started a new thread is because maybe some ideas could be used for kids and those who already know this thread is about oap's and are not iterested in oap magic may not get to see any ideas posted.
I thank you all for your kind comments and I have quite a good visual routine already forming for those who can see which is thanks in a large part to the warnings and tips received above.
Again many thanks