talkmagic.co.uk

ab

Frankly, I can't wholly agree.

Some of the best magicians I've seen perform do it 'straight'. They're just themselves being themselves.

The showmanship aspect is an important role for sure, but it's not necessary to 'create' a character always.

What you say about a unique performance style is true to an extent, but I think many of the best magicians find a more comfortable level of 'character' in nothing else but confidence.

Granted, there's acts like Angel, which are a little more zany and whacky. But, it's not really totally necessary to re-invent yourself to be a good and respected magician.

I see what you mean as i myself dont really act any different if im performing really unless i was in front of kids doing tricks.

seige wrote:Frankly, I can't wholly agree.

Some of the best magicians I've seen perform do it 'straight'. They're just themselves being themselves.

Indeed. I recently got the chance to ask Paul Daniels if he had an on-stage persona and he said it's basically his own personality.

In more than one book, I've read the suggestion that performers should ask their friends and aquaintances to name a TV or movie character that they could imagine them playing. And to make sure they're brutally honest and not just trying to stroke your ego. With that feedback, study the character and see what makes them popular and appealing.

Okay, it's a step towards artificiality, and runs the risk of creating a million clones of Les Dennis, but it should also give the non-trained actor an opportunity to think objectively about posture, mannerisms, diction, speed of delivery and overal attitude before scripting a routine and planning an act.

Just another thing to think about.

Pete

The hardest thing to maintain in life is a lie.

If you're 'acting' a character, it's a lie—and keeping it consistent is hard.

I think you basically have to 'live' the character to become it.

Performing magic is hard enough, without the constraints of maintaining a persona as well.

However, there are some GREAT magicians who have done this in the past, but I would say they're exceptions... Ali Bongo, etc.

You raise a valid point, but I don't think it's really a concern. After all, you can't cover a shabby act with a character or persona. The magic should come first.

Unless you're Tommy Cooper

seige wrote:The hardest thing to maintain in life is a lie.

If you're 'acting' a character, it's a lie—and keeping it consistent is hard.

I think you basically have to 'live' the character to become it.

Performing magic is hard enough, without the constraints of maintaining a persona as well.

However, there are some GREAT magicians who have done this in the past, but I would say they're exceptions... Ali Bongo, etc.

You raise a valid point, but I don't think it's really a concern. After all, you can't cover a shabby act with a character or persona. The magic should come first.

Unless you're Tommy Cooper

what about the chinese man he lived a lie he was a very old man who was a famous magician he gave eveyone the impression he was very weak but he could lift lots of weight when he was behind the curtains so in other words he was very strong but lied and pretended he wasn't

On a more general note, I think everyone adopts a slightly different persona for each situation and scenario.

That's not to say that everyone's two-faced and false, only that behaviour that's appropriate for one situation isn't always appropriate for another.

I don't chat to my business clients in the same way that I talk to my two-year-old son. To the best of my knowledge, none of my business clients have ever seen me do the Monster Dance or been taken for an Upside-Down-Swoosh. Their loss.

Performing for a paying audience (or guests of a paying client (or non-paying spectators (who may or may not be expected to tip (sorry about all the brackets)))) is a different situation altogether, and whether deliberate or not, you'll find yourself searching for a persona and attitude that seems appropriate.