talkmagic.co.uk

"Hi, this a mugging. Hand over all your items now.. Don't try anything funny, like this. Pick a card!"

mark lewis wrote: I was the second magician in the United Kingdom to ever perform magic in a restaurant.

I don't believe that for a second. Anyway...

As has been said, Derren Brown's thoughts in Absolute Magic really spoke to me. I really take my time if I'm ever approaching tables of strangers, and I don't open straight away with a trick - I just introduce myself, establish that A) I am part of the evening and not some clown showing off and B) I intend to show them something they haven't seen before and in all likelihood will never see again. I sit down, take some names, ask them a few questions, and as soon as it feels like they're getting anxious to see something, I immediately go to work.

That said, I liked Hollingworth's lecture notes on the design process and the approach, and feel there's a lot to be said for making yourself known to the table, leaving an air of mystery to linger, and then leaving them to return later. It allows you to gauge interest, it softens the rather hard point of approaching tables cold, and all it takes is an ambiguously-worded suggestion to make people a lot more responsive later on.

madvillainy wrote:r making yourself known to the table, leaving an air of mystery to linger, and then leaving them to return later. It allows you to gauge interest, it softens the rather hard point of approaching tables cold, and all it takes is an ambiguously-worded suggestion to make people a lot more responsive later on.

Yes, but, but... You're approaching tables at TFI Fridays not hosting a conference of Middle Eastern heads of state. Surely a simple "Hello, my name is Paul and I'm a magician working here tonight. Would you like to see some magic?" will suffice, won't it? Won't it?

I'm all for delivering a truly magical and memorable experience to each and every spec, but does it all need to be so convoluted?

themagicwand wrote:I'm all for delivering a truly magical and memorable experience to each and every spec, but does it all need to be so convoluted?

Brilliantly put Paul.

The venue makes no difference. Of course you need to tailor your performance to a certain extent, but the best gigs are where the audience goes along with you, rather than the other way around.

That said, I've never worked in a TGI Fridays, so maybe I've got it all wrong. But the softly softly approach, as of this writing, hasn't ever let me down.

I can assure this mad villainy personage that I don't give a stuff if he believes me or not. It happens to be true. I suppose I had better give the child a history lesson.

Many years ago before this Manchester pup was even a piece of sperm professional close up magicians did not exist in the UK. Just like the Manchester pup. British magicians would read about such people in America and be in great awe and wonder. Professional magicians in the UK did ONLY cabaret or children's magic. Always stand up magic. There were really no other professional venues. I repeat. There really were no such things as restaurant magicians or strolling entertainment. Magicians would lust in their hearts for such opportunities in the UK but they plain didn't exist as any of our older members will attest.

However one day an enterprising and aggressive personality called Mick Chardo enthusiastically and with great determination cracked the market. He managed to crash a few restaurants and somehow managed to convince them that there was a market for this work. He suddenly got mentioned in Abra for his pioneering in these venues and it was quite revolutionary at the time. He was DEFINITELY the first magician in the UK to ever work a restaurant.

One of the restaurants he got into was a rather prestigious and famous one called Ley-on's in Soho. He was there for a few weeks. I got wind that he was no longer working there so went down and persuaded them to try me out.

They soon realised that I was far superior to Mick Chardo and liked the fact that I didn't tell dirty stories at the table like he allegedly did. So they hired me there for weeks on end. So I was the second magician to do restaurant work professionally in the UK.

And how do I know I was the first magician to appear on colour television in Britain? Easy. The BBC told me I was and they should know.

I really think this mad villain or whatever he calls himself should realise that he is in the presence of a historical figure and show proper respect to his elders and betters.

Incidentally I agree with Paul. Some of the suggested openings on this thread are absolutely appalling. I won't name them because I am well known for my tact and diplomacy.

The colour television thing might well be true, and I'd probably take the BBC's word for it too, but seeing as both magicians and restaurants have existed for hundreds/thousands of years, the idea that you might be the second person ever to be paid to perform magic in a restaurant in the UK sounds massively unlikely. In fact I'd say that the idea of any living person being the second ever person to do such a thing is unbelievable. It's such an unprovable statement that even if I were you and believed it to be true, I probably wouldn't say as much in public.

Don't be silly, old chap. I am MARK LEWIS and if I make a statement it must be regarded as gospel. Magicians and restaurants have indeed both existed for a long time in the UK but until Mick Chardo and I came along never the twain did meet. I am not talking about doing magic in restaurants for your friends. I am talking about doing magic for MONEY. That is being paid by the restaurant. Nobody was doing it before Mick Chardo. I challenge you to name someone in the UK who performed in a restaurant professionally before the early sixties. You won't be able to.

If it weren't for me pioneering this venue you would probably be doing children's birthday parties nowadays or dying a death trying to do stand up magic.

Be grateful for me giving you a start in life, there's a good chap.

Not my job to prove a negative, mate. It's on you to prove that you were, not on me to prove that you weren't. Like you said, it'd be extremely difficult to do that. So difficult, in fact, that it probably weakens your claim rather than strengthening it.

I don't really care if you were or were not though, to be honest, I just think it's massively unlikely that somebody alive today pioneered the idea of performing magic in a restaurant and getting paid for it, especially seeing as there was an already-established bar magic scene in London in the early 50s when Berglas got started. Seems like it would have been done before, probably in the days before there was an internet on which to boast. If you really were the second ever restaurant magician, I'm genuinely pleased for you. I just don't think it's likely.

Please do not address me as "mate". It is terribly working class and an example of undue familiarity that I cannot possibly approve of.

And of course the onus is upon you to prove the point. I am MARK LEWIS and you aren't.

Furthermore it is utter tommyrot to say that there was a "thriving" bar magic scene in the 1950's. Not as in the paid to perform version anyway. No doubt lower working class magicians performed either for free or for tips in those dens of inebriation but nobody was paid by the bar itself.

And the same goes for restaurant magic. It didn't exist. Zilch. Nada. If it had existed then why would Abra make such a fuss about Mick Chardo doing it? He was the first and I was the second.

Again there was no such thing as a professional close up magician in those days. Come to think of it this was a very good thing. There is nothing worse than an acne ridden young man approaching with a gleam in his eyes and a pack of cards in his hand subjecting onlookers to torture by card trick.

I can't be bothered arguing with you, matey-o - all I'll say is that The Mind & Magic of David Berglas details very clearly his early work in the 1950s in a series of bars and clubs in London, for which he was paid by the establishment (which is why they would dock his pay when he would vanish bottles of coke into a newspaper), and if push comes to shove - as I suspect it has here - I'm going to take the word of Britlas and Berglas over somebody on the internet of whom I've never heard, especially when it comes down to claims that can't possibly be substantiated.

You have never heard of ME???????
This is the end of civilisation as we know it. You really need to expand your education, my boy.
I am MARK LEWIS and I happen to be one of the greatest magicians in the world. Actually I am the greatest but I never say so in case you deem me immodest.

As for David Berglas I happen to be one of his students although he may well deny it out of embarrassment. I also know David Britland well enough to spell his name correctly which I see you don't.

I would advise you not to address me in a vulgar northern England manner such as "matey-oh". I happen to be a famous psychic in addition to all my other wondrous abilities and I have the power to put an almighty curse on you. I would have done so before now but it appears you are cursed already.

David may well have appeared in bars and clubs in London. So did I but never as a close up magician. And neither did David. He certainly did close up magic casually in those places but not for money. He used to like doing the coin in bottle for example. However he was hired to do his stage act NOT to do close up there.

As for "substantiation" I rather think that can be done very easily. Just ask around some of the older magicians in the UK. Each and every one of them will tell you that close up magic in restaurants did not exist in the 1950s.

Go on then. Ask them.

Well?

mark lewis wrote:I can assure this mad villainy personage that I don't give a stuff if he believes me or not. It happens to be true. I suppose I had better give the child a history lesson.

Many years ago before this Manchester pup was even a piece of sperm professional close up magicians did not exist in the UK. Just like the Manchester pup. British magicians would read about such people in America and be in great awe and wonder. Professional magicians in the UK did ONLY cabaret or children's magic. Always stand up magic. There were really no other professional venues. I repeat. There really were no such things as restaurant magicians or strolling entertainment. Magicians would lust in their hearts for such opportunities in the UK but they plain didn't exist as any of our older members will attest.

However one day an enterprising and aggressive personality called Mick Chardo enthusiastically and with great determination cracked the market. He managed to crash a few restaurants and somehow managed to convince them that there was a market for this work. He suddenly got mentioned in Abra for his pioneering in these venues and it was quite revolutionary at the time. He was DEFINITELY the first magician in the UK to ever work a restaurant.

One of the restaurants he got into was a rather prestigious and famous one called Ley-on's in Soho. He was there for a few weeks. I got wind that he was no longer working there so went down and persuaded them to try me out.

They soon realised that I was far superior to Mick Chardo and liked the fact that I didn't tell dirty stories at the table like he allegedly did. So they hired me there for weeks on end. So I was the second magician to do restaurant work professionally in the UK.

And how do I know I was the first magician to appear on colour television in Britain? Easy. The BBC told me I was and they should know.

I really think this mad villain or whatever he calls himself should realise that he is in the presence of a historical figure and show proper respect to his elders and betters.

Incidentally I agree with Paul. Some of the suggested openings on this thread are absolutely appalling. I won't name them because I am well known for my tact and diplomacy.

Are we coutning out all the conjurers from the Roman times...that owuld go around the mess areas performing sleights of hand etc long before your great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great,great, grand parents had even been thought about......not to picky but making a claim like you have is naive to history and arogant to believe that only the past 50 odd years of history actualy matter.

Sorry but some of it atleast is true.

I see we have another impertinent child who has just come off breast feeding and who has no respect for his elders and betters. I see that he also cannot spell and he doesn't even have the excuse of coming from Manchester.

Coming from Essex and not being able to spell is an absolute disgrace and the young man should be ashamed of himself. He should improve himself in this regard instead of doing dreadful card tricks with which I am sure he bores people interminably.

And no. In Roman times they did not do close up magic profesionally in restaurants. There was a chap going around turning water into wine and doing some trick or other with loaves and fishes. He also did some trick where he arose from the dead. However there is no record of him going up to people in restaurants asking them to pick a card and doing the sponge balls and being paid by the proprietor to do so.

And even if he did he didn't do so in the UK which is where we are talking about. Come to think of it there wasn't a UK until the 18th Century but I wouldn't want to burden the child with a history lesson. He needs to attend to his spelling first.

Congratulations, you picked up on a spelling error - sadly it doesn't change the fact that you've made a wild, unsubstantiated claim and have thrown your toys out of the pram now that somebody's called you on it. Unlucky mate.

Anyway, grossly inaccurate history lessons from internet blowhards aside, I see we've strayed from the topic. Until proper proof for the lad's claims is provided, I'll take my leave from this particular discussion before things get any more ridiculous.

Coming back to the topic, I'd be interested to hear Mark Lewis' table opener, actually.