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And I wouldn't have put him on stage to reherse, so he can be called "sh**e" whilst his mentor laughed his socks off.

I know I'm in a minority here, but that would have worked VERY well for me.

Of the three years stage performance experience (not in magic, by the way) I do have, there is nothing, and I mean NOTHING like the fear of actually being s**te. To be told straight, for me, is the best way to sort things out.

Fannying around discussing what went well and what didn't, and spending time trying to make myself feel better by concentrating on the good things doesn't help anywhere near as much as being spoken to straight.

If I'm good, tell me. If I'm c*** (not the best), tell me. At the end of the day, I'm going up on that stage, no matter what, so I might as well sit up, listen, and get real. Quickly.

All the above is personal opinion, and is in no way an attempt to polemicise the thread...

Also, bear in mind that a quote like that makes far better TV than sitting down discussing the finer points of presentation. The show wasn't aimed at us humble magicians, after all.

Kevin, good on you, by the way. I thoroughly enjoyed the show, and have been inspired by your new ability to approach strangers in a way that gets you a seat at their table, rather than a weird look and a series of lame excuses to leave!

polemicise? POLEMICISE? Jees, have I been reading too much recently or what?!

am sure that many of us saw the episode of Faking It on Easter Sunday in which the Phd physics student was transformed into a working magician. Here are my thoughts...

Firstly, has the programme really done the guy any favours? I don't know what the earnings potential he had in physics were but I suspect that he will struggle as a professional. (I think we can all detect my jealous motivation here...)

Secondly, the most significant change was in his appearance, from science geek to trendy demi-god. I have achieved something similar, but the other way round.

Thirdly, the Fat Penguins line is one I shall be using in the future!

Finally, after months of lurking here, this is actually my first post. Not really worth the wait was it!

Zack wrote:

And I wouldn't have put him on stage to reherse, so he can be called "sh**e" whilst his mentor laughed his socks off.

I know I'm in a minority here, but that would have worked VERY well for me.

I agree, Zack.
Kevin had been told before that he wasn't cutting it, to no real avail.
It was only after Pat Page's comment that his attitude completely changed.

Sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind.
I'm sure Kevin was glad he wasn't allowed to make the same mistakes in front of the judges.

Hi all!

Looks like I've got quite a debate going... I'm so glad that almost all of you liked the show. It was a great experience for me, and I loved every minute of it.

Every mentor was great. Nigel has become one of my close friends since doing the show, he's a great guy and a fantastic performer. Also a great magacian.

Mandy is fantastic. She really bolstered my confidence and got me loads of rehearsal gigs and many london comedy clubs in the week running up to the final showcase. Without them I would have be stranded.

Patrick is one man I have a lot of respect for. He came in and told me what's what. He is a straight talker and it done me the world of good. It was after meeting him and taking his ideas on board that the whole show came together.

Without any one of them I would not have been able to do what I did. I am eternally greatful.

And finally a wee plug...
Please visit the website www.kevinmcmahonmagic.com

Best wishes to everyone, Kevin

Might as well put my two penneth worth in.

Of course well done to Kevin for doing his job splendidly well and fooling the judges.

But does anyone know the criteria on how the Magicians were selected. I find it quite worrying that someone who is a member of the MC was looked at as a fake.

Still ultimate respect goes to Pat Page. (Never quite sure how these things are in reality due to editing, after all the show is called Faking It). But without his education and relentlessness (spelling??) it did look like the whole thing would fall apart. It does go to show that the people who are still in the business years after starting out know what is right and what is wrong.

But does anyone know the criteria on how the Magicians were selected. I find it quite worrying that someone who is a member of the MC was looked at as a fake.

I am not sure that any of the magicians seelcted to go up against Kevin were in the MC - I certainly don't remember any mention of this during the show.

Also, I assume that Paul Daniels is an active member of the MC and so if any of the magicians that performed on that night had even been seen at the MC then Mr. Daniels woul have known.

As far as I know the magicians selected where chosen from an audition of 100's (1000s?) around about November time. My guess is that one of the criteria would be that they were currently relatively unknown.

One question has to be asked though, is what exactly where the people doing the auditions looking for? Where any of the magicians that where auditioned chosen because they were compentent enough, but might also be considered to be the faker - in order to give Kevin a little more chance?

To be honest we will never know the answer to that, so I would like to Kevin credit were credit is due and suggest that he was up against some top class performers. Certainly the first guy - Marvelous Matt, looked more than competent, and the others also looked competent enough on the few seconds we actually got to see them that is (although I thought the guy with the hummer card came across as looking quite nervous)

It would have been really nice to have seen the whole acts of all the people performing - including Kevin, but then the show wasn't really aimed at magicians it was aimed at everyone else.

Yes the programme said that one of the dudes was in the MC. I believe it was Mr. Hummer card

I understand the land of TV so I think I can hazard a guess at why certain people were picked (no disrespect to anyone, as we all know it takes something to stand up and entertain. Something that most of us are trying to get right. More gigs needed)

Also, I assume that Paul Daniels is an active member of the MC and so if any of the magicians that performed on that night had even been seen at the MC then Mr. Daniels woul have known.

You are saying the PD knows of every member? Don't think so.

It would have been really nice to have seen the whole acts of all the people performing

It would have been nice to see the whole acts just for the fact of having magic on TV which isn't the hit and run street magic.

Still Matt will be pleased with the title of "Children's Entertainer of the Year" being boadcast on national TV.

To move away from the question of how good he really was compared to the other magicians on the final night, and the question of how the other magicians were selected - I still mantain that it was an entertaining programme that magicians and non magicians alike would have enjoyed - albeit on slightly different levels.

I think we all remember our first times performing for a crowd of strangers and how difficult that is. I also think that it would have highlighted to the average laypeson how difficult performing (AND being entertaining) is full stop - whether it is magic or any other kind of performance art.

What surprised me though was how well he pulled himself together for the final act. One minute he was all nerves to the point of jumping up and down in front of Penn and Teller) and the next he was giving what would appear to be an extremely competent and enterataining performance. In my experience no matter how much he practiced the only way he could have achieved this level would have been to perform to live audiences, which from the show didn't seem to happen.

So it was nice hearing from Kevin that he spent most of the week before hand performing live shows. This was probably (IMHO) the most useful part of the whole 4 months.

Kevin wrote:Mandy is fantastic. She really bolstered my confidence and got me loads of rehearsal gigs and many london comedy clubs in the week running up to the final showcase. Without them I would have be stranded

There has also been some criticism (mainly on other forums) that Kevin shouldn't be performing professionaly yet. However as I see it - he may have a lot to learn in regards to magic related skills, but that doesn't mean he can't be thoroughly entartaining with what he has so far. As long as HE is enjoying it, the AUDIENCE is enjoying it, and he isn't revealing anything through badly performed magic - then I really can't see a problem with him doing it professionally.

After all it would appear that many of the professionals on the night were doing self working easy to master effects which to be fair to the judges - I too with have guessed they were the fakes.

I enjoyed watching the programme and agree with Midas Kid, on the fresher view of magic from that of Hit and Run. That theme is getting boring, and once you have seen one, you really have seen them all as all the effects are repeated as they are normally plugged by the same company! I think that the showed magic in a good light, as in showing how tough it can be doing what we do. I suppose the program has sort of become like "Pop Idol" whereas the participant has gone from a form of rags to riches. In the music industry with this the Artists usually hate the people who win as they dont do as hard work as they have to get there. In this occasion it seems that Kevin deserves where he is, yes, he did get ALOT of help and support, but only he could have the b***s to get up and do it! Good luck with what you do...
I would like to see more of these types of shows than the usual stale ones at the moment, none in particular, but its getting a bit FREAKY!! =)

Chris

From a 10 min act to now working professionally, I am interested to know how Kevin has expanded his repertoire since the programme.

Was it books DVDs, conventions or has he kept I touch with his mentors.

There is always advice in this forum and else where as the best methods of getting new material, and I don’t just mean the magic what about patter.

The transformation of Kevin from the start of the show to the end was one of the most magical things.

Your web site is also a good advert for you.

Hi all

Some points:

I've no idea how the contestants were chosen, and I too would like to have seen their full act. They were all great guys, very friendly and great magicians - I was very entertained by them back stage.

Half way through the month of training I expressed an clear interest to Nigel that I enjoyed doing what I was doing and wanted to continue doing magic when I returned to edinburgh. Outside of the show he helped me develop a few 5-10 minute close up sets which we rehearsed in restaurants in and around london. I have since added to this. I went to blackpool and spent too much! But I think that is the law.

I met and made friends with other magicians in Blackpool who have offered to help and advise me. I realise that I lack credibility in magic circles and that is something I will have to rectify by working very hard over the next few months.

I'm in contact with my mentors yes. I've also been to Edinburgh MC meetings and met people there too.

I've been reading books on magic and performance and I'm trying to build a new stage act. This is fun! Hopefully the Physics knowledge will help.

Hope that's cleared a few things up.

Kevin the faker.

more power to your elbow kev and weve all done the overspend at one time or another, my humble advice for parlour / stage work would be sliding die box and a change bag thease two are tried and tested over several years and are still classics enjoyed by all ages.

i have also had good reactions to colour changing kings to aces a4 sized and lion to lady from loontbin which i also laminated.