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This probably sounds like a bit like asking how long a peice of string is, but I'm still relatively new to this. I'm putting together my first attempt at a "professional repertoire", and am wondering how many tricks (and which) to put in it.

Too many and I'm not going to remember exactly what I need to be doing. Too few and I'm just going to be repeating the same three tricks to 30 different people

Bit of background....I run a company that does Murder Mystery evenings and started learning magic about a year ago so that I could add "something extra" to our events. I've got the basics to a reasonable standard, so now I want to pick a number of good effects and really get them nailed down, get my patter rehearsed etc for the hour or so walkaround that we normally end up having at the start of an event.

I'm thinking that 12 tricks might be about right. Say half a dozen card tricks, a couple of mentalism effects, a couple of coin tricks, maybe a rope or silk trick, then maybe just something else a bit daft. Give me a bit of variety so I'm not over-repeating myself etc

Is 12 tricks more than enough to entertain 40 people whilst mingling round tables for an hour?

Firstly it depends on how you're going to be presenting them, if it's just going to be strolling around then I'd say that 12 is probabaly way too many. I'd start off with just a small set of say 3 or 4 tricks and get them spot on. If you're going to be showing different people, then it really doesn't matter that you're using the same trick.

If it's for a murder mystery evening, could you go somthing slightly more fitting the setting, maybe a seance might work?

Thanks Lady of Mystery

Yes, it will be strolling for the most past. Some events might have tables, but people will be eating off them

The theme of the events would be changing for each one, so I'd like a number of generic effets just to entertain people, but I love the seance idea.

For some reason it had never actually occurred to me to actually have the tricks as part of the plot. Perhaps its the fear of getting the trick wrong when every one is watching me?

I once spent an evening perform just 1 trick, doing table work for a room of no more than 50 people for more than an hour.
12 will probably be too many, but it certainly can't hurt to be over prepared, there's usually someone who wants to see a bit more; I always have something ready for this situation, something i don't plan on using at the tables, just there for if someone wants more.

Murder Mystery evenings

I did a few murder mysterys last year....you will find that you dont need many tricks, because you are mainly filling the gaps in between courses or between scripts....Plus you shouldnt panick because the people are there to do a murder mystery, and the magic is usually not expected, therefore people are more forgiving as their minds are usually in their character roles.........

Good luck, if u want to PM me Ill be more than happy to help you x

The beautiful part of magic is that the spectator usually does not know what to expect. That is beautiful because they will usually not even know you have messed up the effect if handled correctly. Unfortunatly the unfortunate response of a mistake on the magicians part is usually the magician freezing or saying something like, 'oops' which then the lets the audience know that you have messed up. But that just takes experience.

Better off to show 3 effects to 30 people then show 30 effects to one person. I'd start off with one or two effects, and one ready to go just in case you need a backup. As you perform you will get more comfortable and you will be able to figure out just what you need to be doing.

PK Touches - Banachek, works very nice at a Murder Mystery, if thats ur bag?

http://www.magicbox.uk.com/shop.php/sho ... /p_19.html

x

some items to consider that will give you quick effects and can lead onto whole routines each.

1) stripper deck, start with card to glases / forhead.
2) color coins mark ledverige, many routines don't need a table, the okito substitution trunk can all be done in the specs hands and resets itself.
3) magius capsual, rarer item to purchase but if you start with the signature trick can aslo be done with out table.
4)sponge ball toolkit, enough stuff in there for years of practise, plus you can use stuff from the tool kit with your coins.
5) haunted key + cut n restored shoe lace, which can lead into ring off /on rope using ring end of key.

if you just used 1 trick from each set you end up with 7 effects covering coins, sponges, rope, cards and keys.
plus covering the basics of vanishes, transositions, restorations, apearences and psi / mentalism which the lay audience lap up and if you start with the tricks outlines then they practicly work themselves and are hard to mess up and if you do you can recover to the next trick without being noticed.

PErsonally speaking, the effects that Magicdiscoman has recommended are right up my street and will get great reactions if performed well. The only thing I would add would be a chop cup routine.

Anyway, 40 people in an hour..........

I'm going to assume that you will have five tables of eight and if people aren't going to be moving around the tables you could easily get away with just five routines as you'll have a a fraction over ten minutes per table.

Just rotate the effects and ensure that you make the routines magical instead of them being just another trick.

Good luck

The only thing I would add would be a chop cup routine.

3) magius capsual, is a chop cup and then some.

since he stated that a lot of the time there would be no tables just a croud of people going from one thing to the next i recomended things that can be carried around in a shoulder bag or in my case a bumbag worn around the front, the bag can be utilised as a performing surface were needed.
since i used to do a lot of strolling around at army / navy days these prop sets have been road tested and the sugested begining routines alow you to concentrate on the performance as most are practicly self working, well it worked for me and some still do.

Cheers chaps and chapesses for your input.

Yeah, the likelihood is that for the majority of the time there wouldn't be a surface, so chop cup routines would probably be tricky.

Im probably looking at cards, coins for the most part. Stuff which I can jam in my pockets basically, and stuff that I'm more comfortable using. Besides, I've spend ages getting my Elmsley count spot on, so I want to show it off

Most the time I'm playing a character as well, so having stacks of equipment on might not fit.

Yeah it is mostly for filling in gaps and making people feel that they've got more "value for money", so whilst they'll be happy to get a bit of fun magic thrown in there for free, I don't want to do a poor effort because then it looks worse than if I'd never attempted

As I also write and run the MM's I can put in specific tricks that are part of the story. I think a few of Banacheks tricks would work well. Psychokinetic Touch or Stigmata (clues appearing mysteriously on someone's arm etc) would be good.

Think I'll aim for 6-8 tricks then. I'm happiest with cards (and already have a few done pretty well), so will get 3 or 4 good card ones, a couple of coin or sponge ball routines then a couple of "others"

You know, it's a funny coincidence, but last week I hit the main branch of Toledo's library system in downtown Toledo. I was honestly rather disappointed with what they had to offer in the magic department, but I picked up a book that might just be right up your alley...

It's called, "The Sherlock Holmes Book of Magic" (Jeff Brown) and there are 29 different effects that are given to the reader from a Sherlock Holmes point of view. For example, one trick is called, "On the Track of Moriarty."

It may be worth your while to check around and see if you can find a copy of it - published by Piccadilly Books Ltd., copyrighted in 2000. As always, I suggest Abe Books when looking for hard to find titles (or any titles, for that matter - I just picked up a book from them, hardbound, on the history of magic, in good condition and it cost less than a ten dollar bill and it is an excellent reference book).

Anyway, the patter could easily be changed to use with any kind of detective story with the tricks that are presented in the book.

On a side note - I just checked with Abe Books and found the title going for $25.00 (on the up-side, though, it says that shipping is free to the UK). Sadly, I can't say as I'd pay that much to have the book in my library. It might be worth it for you, though...

Best wishes in your search for that perfect repertoire.

Mike.

Trez,
As one who has done tablehopping -- or strolling magic -- for more years than I care to remember, a dozen tricks is 'way too many!

Keep it simple, with three sets of three tricks, for a TOTAL of nine tricks; each set is performed for one group of customers and then move on. By the time you begin repeating yourself, you should be well away from the group that you did those tricks for.

And keep the card tricks at a minimum; you are planning on too many (one per set is the MAXIMUM! Same with coins.)

You still have about a jillion things to do that don't need a table: Sponge balls (or rabbits); borrowed materials; ropes; silks; D'Lites and TTs; the list can go on and on.

Keep us posted.