A Magician’s blog – The first 50 shows

I remember when i started in magic i read a book from an experienced magician who said don’t judge your show until you have performed 50 shows, it is only then you’ll really know how to really perform your tricks.
I remember thinking that was quite strange at the time but the older and wiser i get the more i realise just how correct this is. In fact even after 1000 shows i still constantly find new things and learn new lessons in how to prepare and deliver my tricks and my show.
The point with the 50 shows is that you see your tricks and your show in lots of different scenarios, pretty well everything that can go wrong has gone wrong. You’ve been heckled with about every line that anyone’s ever going to use and have a suitable repost to it, you’ve experimented with lots of different sorts of patter, you’ve managed to hone the timing and the execution of the skills. You’ve managed to find the tricks that truly suit you and your personality, your level of skill and desired amounts of set up and dismantle and sorted your prop management.
There’s so much to learn by trial and error and the truth is you never stop learning, you are constantly finding better ways of presenting your show, better lines to use and new gags to use, it really is a never ending process.
So don’t ever judge your show too early whether its a magic show or any other show or performance.
I often feel sorry for people who work on shows such as school plays and then only ever perform them for three nights. The show ends before its begun and you just know if you did many more nights the show would be become dynamite and it could be performed everywhere and anywhere and in front of anyone..
So there you go never judge your show before you have done 50 shows.