STAND-UP

A Professional Guide to Comedy Magic

Ian Keable

Stand-Up

A Professional Guide to Comedy MagicBy Ian Keable

ISBN 978-0-9557353-0-1Printed and bound in the United Kingdom

First Edition, 2008

Published by Ian Keable, Londonwww.iankeable.co.ukian@iankeable.co.uk

2008 Copyright © Ian Keable.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in aretrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic,mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise – without the prior writtenpermission of Ian Keable.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSI would like to thank the following magicians for their assistance in the writing of thisbook. From the UK: Paul Daniels, Wayne Dobson, Geoffrey Durham, Graham Jolley,John Lenahan, Paul Zenon, Noel Britten, Derren Brown, Neal Austin, John Archer,Mel Mellers, Andy Nyman,Terry Herbert, Alan Shaxon and Mandy Muden. From theUS: Mac King, Jeff Hobson, Mike Caveney, Michael Finney, John Carney, Levent,The Amazing Johnathan, Max Maven, David Williamson and Mark Kornhauser.All of these gave freely of their advice, dealing with my torrent of questions withrestraint and tolerance. In some cases they allowed me to freely quote from theirown writings, whether they were from magazine interviews, articles or books.I should stress, though, that what is written about any other performer is solely myown interpretation and may not necessarily reflect what they themselves think.

I would particularly like to thank the late, and great, Billy McComb. When I senthim by email the many quotes from his own writings liberally sprinkled throughoutthis book, he promptly rang me from the US to chat about them. Billy epitomised forme what great stand-up is all about. It was Billy, along with Paul Daniels,who undoubtedly influenced me the most in my formative years as a stand-up.

I have quoted favourably from, and occasionally taken issue with, a number of books. Of the more contemporary ones I would especially like to acknowledgeMaximum Entertainment by Ken Weber, The Magic of Showbiz Updated for the 90’s bySimon Lovell, Strong Magic by Darwin Ortiz and The Banquet Magician’s Handbook byDavid Charvet. All are essential reading for those wanting to perform stand-up.

Quality DVDs of stand-up comedy magic are presently few and far between.Of the ones I have watched, Mel Mellers’ Tickling The Mind, Michael Finney’s Live at Lake Tahoe! and The World-Renowned Magic of Paul Potassy are particularlynotable. I have also liberally taken extracts from Rich Marotta’s underrated Stand-Up Comedy & Magic.

David Britland and Walt Lees deserve my thanks for looking at some of the earlydrafts of the book and making suggestions that have substantially improved whatyou are now reading. Lesley Fitton went beyond the call of duty in extensively proofreading, making numerous grammatical and other corrections. My gratitude toCathy Keable-Elliott who I also roped in. I owe a huge debt to Geoffrey Durham forhis assistance, encouragement and spotting many errors. Nevertheless it’s only right that I should make the usual caveat that any mistakes or omissions are entirely my own.

Chris (‘I only draw the pictures!’) Power provided the artwork for the cover of the book. As usual I am lost in admiration at his talent and his generosity.

A special thank you to Noel Britten for not only writing the foreword to the book but also making a number of corrections to make sure I didn’t put my foot in it too often.

Finally I would like to thank myself because without me this book wouldn’t havebeen written.

Dedicated to George & Carly, hoping one day they will know what their Daddy does when he goes to work

A WARNING

“I sincerely hope it will not be slavishly copied, as if that is all a reader can do having read this book, then so far as he is concerned my labour has been in vain.” Edward Maurice

The successful completion of this book has been wholly dependent on the goodwillof a number of magicians who have given me permission to quote both from theirown writings and also, occasionally, from their act. I would stress that in no way doesthe inclusion of any lines or bits of business from the performers mentionedconstitute permission for any of their material to be used by anybody else apart fromthe originator. Saying you read about it in this book will not be accepted as alegitimate excuse, reason or justification for stealing the fruits of their creativity.

CONTENTS 7

CONTENTS

FOREWORD ............................................................................................17

FIRST THINGS FIRST..................................................................................19What Is Stand-Up? ................................................................................19

The Magic Effect................................................................................19Dead Time ........................................................................................20

The Author............................................................................................20Some Definitions ..................................................................................21The Way Forward ................................................................................22

PART 1: THE BIG TWO..................................................................24

CHAPTER 1: COMEDY..............................................................................25Introduction ..........................................................................................25The Strength Of Comedy........................................................................25Other Advantages Of Comedy ..............................................................26

Improving your Act ..........................................................................26Character Development ......................................................................26Misdirection ......................................................................................27Lightweight Magic ............................................................................27

Reasons For Not Using Comedy ............................................................27I’m a Magician, not a Comedian ........................................................27I’m not a Funny Person ......................................................................29I’m a Mind Reader and Mind Readers are not Funny ............................29

Dangers Of Comedy ............................................................................30Bit of Comedy, Bit of Magic................................................................30Laughing At, not With ........................................................................31Laughter of Embarrassment ................................................................32

Jokes Versus Lines..................................................................................33Jokes ................................................................................................33Disadvantage of Jokes........................................................................34Lines ................................................................................................35

Example Of A Comedy Routine ..............................................................36Workings..........................................................................................36The Climax ......................................................................................38

Conclusion ..........................................................................................39

8 CONTENTS

CHAPTER 2: CHARACTER ........................................................................40Introduction ..........................................................................................40Aspects Of Character Magicians ............................................................40

Easy to Define ..................................................................................40Style ..............................................................................................40Situation of Conflict ..........................................................................41Trick Selection ..................................................................................42

Finding My Character............................................................................43First Attempts ....................................................................................43Change of Direction ..........................................................................45Coming Together ..............................................................................45

Finding Other Magicians’ Characters ......................................................46Jeff Hobson ......................................................................................46John Archer ......................................................................................47The Great Soprendo ..........................................................................47Mr Mysto..........................................................................................48Graham Jolley ..................................................................................48Mel Mellers ......................................................................................48Noel Britten ......................................................................................49Paul Daniels ......................................................................................50Mac King ........................................................................................50Neal Austin ......................................................................................50Michael Finney..................................................................................51Mark Kornhauser ..............................................................................52

Finding Your Character ..........................................................................52Being Yourself ..................................................................................52Clothes ............................................................................................53Getting There ....................................................................................53

Conclusion ..........................................................................................54

PART 2: WHAT TO SAY ................................................................55

CHAPTER 3: LINES....................................................................................56Introduction ..........................................................................................56Situation Lines ......................................................................................56

Card in Cigarette ..............................................................................57Character Lines ....................................................................................59

Character-Situation Lines ....................................................................59Why They Work ................................................................................61Making Them Unique ........................................................................62

Remembering Lines................................................................................63

CONTENTS 9

Ad-Libs ................................................................................................64Rehearsed Ad-Libs ............................................................................65Examples ..........................................................................................65

Progressing The Plot ..............................................................................67Moving Forward................................................................................67Plot Template ....................................................................................67

Serious Lines ........................................................................................70Conclusion ..........................................................................................71

CHAPTER 4: FINDING AND BREAKING IN LINES ......................................72Introduction ..........................................................................................72Writing ................................................................................................72Finding Lines ........................................................................................72

Standard ........................................................................................73Book ..............................................................................................74Performing ......................................................................................74Own ..............................................................................................75Writers ............................................................................................77Other Magicians ..............................................................................77

Breaking In Lines ..................................................................................78Delivery............................................................................................79Character ........................................................................................80Audience ..........................................................................................81Funny ..............................................................................................81

Constructing A Routine ..........................................................................81Adding ............................................................................................82Cutting ............................................................................................83Substitution ......................................................................................84Completely New................................................................................84

Putting It Together ..................................................................................85Lines For Sucker Silk ............................................................................86Conclusion ..........................................................................................88

CHAPTER 5: OTHER PATTER MATTERS ........................................................89Introduction ..........................................................................................89Call Backs ............................................................................................89Running Gags ......................................................................................90Catch Phrases ......................................................................................91Topping The Gag ..................................................................................92Converting Laugh To Magic....................................................................93Innuendo ..............................................................................................94

10 CONTENTS

Self-Deprecation ....................................................................................95Audience Abuse....................................................................................96Topical Material ....................................................................................97Puns ....................................................................................................98Stepping Out Of Character ..................................................................100Over Familiar ....................................................................................101Offensive Material ..............................................................................102Watching Other Magicians ..................................................................104Conclusion ........................................................................................105

PART 3: AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION ............................................106

CHAPTER 6: INVOLVING ASSISTANTS ....................................................107Introduction ........................................................................................107Why Audience Participation? ..............................................................107Potential Embarrassment ......................................................................108

Potential versus Actual......................................................................108Silly Things ....................................................................................110

Destruction Of Property ........................................................................111Deliberate Error ..................................................................................113

Magician Error................................................................................113Assistant Error ................................................................................115

Insult Humour......................................................................................115Definition........................................................................................115Who Uses It? ..................................................................................116Tips on Using ................................................................................117

Perils Of Audience Participation............................................................119A Cautionary Tale............................................................................119Case Against ..................................................................................121

Conclusion ........................................................................................122

CHAPTER 7: QUESTIONING ASSISTANTS ................................................123Introduction ........................................................................................123Instructions..........................................................................................123General Questions ..............................................................................124Individual Questions ............................................................................125What’s Your Name? ............................................................................126

Remembering and Using Names ......................................................126Extracting Humour ..........................................................................127

Where Are You From? ........................................................................129What Do You Do For A Living? ............................................................131

Humorous Occupations ....................................................................131

CONTENTS 11

Generalising ..................................................................................132Probing ..............................................................................................134Standard Responses ............................................................................135Closed Questions ................................................................................136Unexpected Answers ..........................................................................137

Dealing With ..................................................................................138Bailing Out ....................................................................................139

Bringing It Together: Smashed Watch ....................................................139The Routine ....................................................................................140Summary ........................................................................................144

Conclusion ........................................................................................145

CHAPTER 8: SELECTING ASSISTANTS ......................................................146Introduction ........................................................................................146Going Out To Assistants ......................................................................146Assistants In Audience ........................................................................147Means Of Getting Assistants From The Audience ....................................149

You Choose ....................................................................................149Just Tell Them ..................................................................................150Going out into the Audience ............................................................150Grab and Run ................................................................................150Making a Joke ..............................................................................150Gradual Steps ................................................................................151Using a Prop to Hook Them..............................................................151The Name ......................................................................................151Pick and Mix ..................................................................................152Outs ..............................................................................................153

Which Assistants To Choose ................................................................155General Categories ........................................................................155Narrowing Down ............................................................................155Help with Selection ..........................................................................157

How Many Assistants ..........................................................................159Just the One....................................................................................159Perfect Twosome..............................................................................160Three’s a Crowd..............................................................................161

Conclusion ........................................................................................161

CHAPTER 9: TYPES OF ASSISTANT ..........................................................162Introduction ........................................................................................162Assistant As Prop ................................................................................162

Fear No More ................................................................................162

12 CONTENTS

Downsides ......................................................................................164Assistant As Foil ..................................................................................164

Show to Date ..................................................................................166No Previous Humiliation ..................................................................166Give them Time to Find their Space ..................................................167Smile a Lot......................................................................................168Results ............................................................................................168

Assistant As Plant ................................................................................169When to Use Plants ........................................................................169Unsuspecting Plant ..........................................................................170Humorous Plants ..............................................................................171

Assistant As Instant Stooge ..................................................................171Verbal Cuing ..................................................................................172Written Cuing ................................................................................173

Assistant As Magical Victim..................................................................175Thanking Assistants..............................................................................176Finish Of Smashed Watch ....................................................................176Conclusion ........................................................................................179

PART 4: THE ACT........................................................................180

CHAPTER 10: MORE THAN THE SUM OF THE PARTS ................................181Introduction ........................................................................................181Opening ............................................................................................181

The Walk On ..................................................................................182Opening Line ..................................................................................183Subsequent Lines ............................................................................185

First Trick............................................................................................185My Own Experience ........................................................................186Shock Openings ..............................................................................187

Structure Of The Act ............................................................................188Traditional ......................................................................................188Alternative ......................................................................................189Other Options ................................................................................191

The Pièce De Résistance ......................................................................192Between Tricks ....................................................................................193Applause............................................................................................194Closing ..............................................................................................195Encores ..............................................................................................197My Own Act ......................................................................................197Conclusion ........................................................................................199

CONTENTS 13

CHAPTER 11: DEALING WITH THE UNEXPECTED......................................200Introduction ........................................................................................200Nerves ..............................................................................................200Dying ................................................................................................201

Top Five Deaths ..............................................................................201Apportioning Blame ........................................................................204Taking Action ..................................................................................205

Complaints Against You ......................................................................206Types ............................................................................................206Generalised ....................................................................................207

Heckling ............................................................................................208Aggressive Heckle when the Act is Going Badly ................................208Aggressive Heckle when the Act is Going Well ..................................210Mild Heckle when the Act is Going Badly ..........................................211Mild Heckle when the Act is Going Well ............................................211Anecdotes ......................................................................................214

Tricks Going Wrong ............................................................................214Difficult Assistants ................................................................................215Other Unexpected Happenings ............................................................217

Walking Out ..................................................................................217Medical Problems ............................................................................217Feeling Sick ....................................................................................217Non-English-speaking Audiences ......................................................217Failure to Borrow Objects ................................................................218Major Interruptions to the Act............................................................218Assistants with Disabilities ................................................................219

Conclusion ........................................................................................219

CHAPTER 12: KEEPING FRESH ................................................................220Introduction ......................................................................................220Working On The Act: Existing Tricks......................................................221

Topicality ........................................................................................221Other Changes................................................................................222Interference ....................................................................................224Over-Improvement............................................................................225

Working On The Act: New Tricks..........................................................226Barriers To Change..............................................................................229

No Time ........................................................................................230Big Bucks........................................................................................231Lack of Incentive ..............................................................................232Fear ..............................................................................................233

Conclusion ........................................................................................236

14 CONTENTS

PART 5: PREPARATION ..............................................................237

CHAPTER 13: BEFORE GOING ON STAGE ..............................................238Introduction ........................................................................................238Booking Information ............................................................................238Time Of Arrival ..................................................................................240Sound ................................................................................................240

Testing the Equipment ......................................................................241Type of Microphone ........................................................................242Mike Stand ....................................................................................243Music ............................................................................................244

Lighting ..............................................................................................245Staging ..............................................................................................246Smoke Alarms ....................................................................................248Being Introduced ................................................................................249

Introducer ......................................................................................249Introduction Wording ......................................................................251The ‘M’ or the ‘C’ Word? ................................................................253Taking You Off ................................................................................254

Time Of Performing ............................................................................254Length Of Performance ........................................................................256Dress ................................................................................................257Eating And Drinking ............................................................................258Conclusion ........................................................................................259

CHAPTER 14: THE PROFESSIONAL STAND-UP ..........................................261Introduction ......................................................................................261Number One Priority ..........................................................................261Breaking In The Act ............................................................................262

Venues ..........................................................................................263Money ..........................................................................................265

A Caveat ..........................................................................................267Promotional Material ..........................................................................268

Business Cards ................................................................................268Website..........................................................................................268Brochure ........................................................................................269Testimonials ....................................................................................269Photographs....................................................................................269Film Footage ..................................................................................270Newspaper Coverage......................................................................270Summary ........................................................................................270

CONTENTS 15

Agents ..............................................................................................270Keep Plugging ................................................................................271Seeing You ....................................................................................272

Managers ..........................................................................................272Fees ..................................................................................................274

Commission ....................................................................................274Reducing Fees ................................................................................275Contracts ........................................................................................275

Stand-Up Venues And Audiences ..........................................................276Corporate Functions ........................................................................276Cruise Ships....................................................................................277Comedy Clubs ................................................................................278Holiday Venues ..............................................................................279Private Functions..............................................................................279

Conclusion ........................................................................................280

FINAL THOUGHTS..................................................................................281

16

FOREWORD 17

FOREWORD by Noel Britten

Those who perform stand-up on a regular basis will know there are some fellowperformers who seem to jinx you. My particular nemesis is a comedian called KevinMcCarthy; and Ian Keable always claims that I’m his personal ‘bête noire’. Certainly,whenever Ian and I worked together he seemed to have, “one of those nights”.On these occasions I was either compering or preceding him on the bill – Ian’s post-show analysis of the evening was that our styles were slightly similar and that I, byestablishing myself first, was effectively sabotaging his performance.The fact that he wasa magician, and I was a comedian with not a trick in sight, was continually overlooked.

In 2005, at The Magic Circle Centenary, Ian appeared to have devised a plan toexact his revenge. He was co-organising a show devoted to great magicians of thepast – his own area of expertise – and he booked me in to represent ‘Fred Culpitt’and to perform a couple of routines I had never done before. This time he would be compering, and we would see, as he put it, how I liked having to follow him.It’s not for me to comment on the respective merits of our performances but sufficeto say that Ian’s anticipated gloating was somewhat muted.

I know there are many magicians who are self-delusional but I thought, given ourhistory, Ian was taking it to a new level when he asked me to write the foreword tohis book on how to be a stand-up. I didn’t want to hurt his feelings so I agreed to atleast read it, and then later come up with an excuse why I couldn’t complete the task.

Whenever we met Ian would pester me as to how I was getting along. Hints suchas,“I’m very busy at the moment”; “I’m not sure if I’m the right person to do this”;and,“I’m struggling to find the right angle to approach it from,”were all studiouslyignored by Ian.

And then disaster struck: we both found ourselves booked on the same cruiseship. I was going to be trapped with Ian for three days with him going on and onabout this foreword. It was after only one day of nagging that I cracked.

“Look Ian,” I said, “I’ll be honest with you. I think the advice in your book isexcellent, it’s a good, solid read and anybody aspiring to be a stand-up magician willgain a huge amount from it. If the exact same words had been written by any of thebrilliant stand-ups on either side of the Atlantic who have contributed to its contents,I would have no hesitation in giving a glowing foreword. But the problem is that I’ve never actually seen you successfully apply your own theories.”

“Fair enough,” said Ian (he can be reasonable), “I'll make a deal with you.Come and see my show tomorrow night. If, after you have watched me, you don’tthink I can put into practice what I preach, then I won’t mention it again.”

I didn’t hesitate: “You’ve got a deal.” Finally I had found a way to gracefully get out of writing the foreword.

Or so I thought.

18

FIRST THINGS FIRST 19

FIRST THINGS FIRST

“What good is sitting alone in your room...come to the cabaret.” Fred Ebb

What Is Stand-Up?Billy McComb in The Professional Touch gives a pretty succinct definition, which is asgood as summary as any: “A show where you are working on a flat floor, walking on pretty much the same level as the audience. They are sitting at tables and they are drinking. They are not sitting in seats facing the stage, prepared to be amused.”

Clearly stand-up can be performed in a theatrical setting with a traditional stageand tiered seating. But you have to be prepared for your act to work in the leastfavourable conditions and consider anything else as a bonus.

I’m sure many readers have performed close-up magic and are therefore familiarwith the principal differences between close-up and stand-up: in particular thereduced number of spectators, the more intimate performing conditions and thesmaller scale tricks. It’s worth emphasising two other key differences.

The Magic EffectA never to be forgotten magical occurrence took place some years ago when I was doing David Williamson’s Torn and Restored Transposition whilst working close-up in a restaurant. At the climax, the ‘torn’ pieces of a chosen card appear to merge together in the spectator’s hands. On its completion the woman who had experienced the magical restoration had genuine tears in her eyes.She said: “You can't believe how happy you’ve made me.”

Nobody, but nobody, has expressed anything even approaching such heartfeltwords at the finish of one of my stand-up tricks; and I doubt if they ever will.The impact of a piece of magic on an audience is always going to be greater in aclose-up setting than in stand-up.

Part of the reason is that people believe magic done under their noses is muchmore difficult than magic done at a distance. Once they are a little removed from theperformer, they automatically assume they are too far away to detect the solution.Their intrinsic interest level, which is extremely high when something is happeningright in front of their eyes, diminishes exponentially the further they are from wherethe trick is taking place.

Another aspect of the reduced impact of magic for the stand-up is that close-upmagic is a far more personal and intimate experience. You could produce an identicaleffect in stand-up (e.g. a torn card is restored in the hand of the assistant): but thenit becomes an encounter for many people rather than for an individual. He or sheinstinctively knows this and will react accordingly.

20 FIRST THINGS FIRST

Dead TimeTake a situation common to both the close-up and the stand-up magician: the selection of a playing card. Those watching a close-up performer appreciate howthe card is offered to be taken; something as simple as a neat pressure fan producesan admiring response. Once it is removed, all the participants are keen they are notexcluded from checking its suit and value, whilst simultaneously making sure themagician can’t get a glimpse.

When the card is returned the spectators wonder how much choice is permittedas to where it is replaced: can it go anywhere in the deck or is it restricted to the top?Afterwards they want to know if the magician is going to allow someone to shufflethe deck so the card is lost to their satisfaction. Put simply, this whole selectionprocedure has intrinsic appeal.

In the majority of stand-up tricks the removal and retrieving of a card has littleinterest to anyone. Most of the audience are too distant to detect if anythinguntoward is going on, so why should it have any relevance to them? Even if the cardis shown to them, they might well be too far away to see it properly.

Furthermore, there is the probability that initially nobody is close enough to reachforward and take a card. The magician has to walk into the audience to have onechosen; as a result he may well go ‘off-mike’, so he can’t be heard; and also into anarea where he can’t be seen by some people. Rather than being a time of inherentcuriosity, the selection procedure is now potential dead time.

An overdose of dead time is probably the commonest trait displayed by aninexperienced stand-up. As Rich Marotta says, in his excellent Stand-up Comedy &Magic video: “You can’t have any dead time in the act; you have to keep it moving,keep talking, tell a joke, do something.” Those who don’t realise this will find thatwhat kept an audience’s attention gripped when they are performing close-upbecomes tedious in stand-up.

The Author Like many I first became interested in magic through close-up. I diligently readbooks on card tricks and became a little obsessed in becoming a sleight of hand expert. Sadly my aspirations exceeded my talents but I gradually began tobetter my magical skills and started doing the occasional paid close-up show. At thisperiod, in the 1980s, I was living and working in London, where the comedy clubswere beginning to flourish. Having by this stage done a few stand-up spots at privateparties, I did my first ‘open spot’ at a comedy club in South London. An ‘open spot’is where you perform for free for five minutes hoping to get a paid twenty minute booking.

I did enough to secure the booking and came back a few weeks later. The showwent well. In retrospect this was probably just beginner’s luck; or maybe the novelty

FIRST THINGS FIRST 21

for the audience of seeing a magician in amongst a succession of comedians.Nevertheless it gave me a taste for comedy clubs and I threw myself into them with gusto. At that period it was comparatively simple to get work providing you hada half-decent act – so I had plenty of opportunities to practise my performing abilitiesand increase my material.

In 1990, at the age of 34, I turned full-time. Apart from comedy clubs I was doingthe occasional private party and Rotary-type function. In this same year I was offereda summer season in Jersey in the Channel Islands. I spent six months, working twicea night for seven days a week, in a mini-show with a comedian, a singer and a coupleof backing musicians. It was a great learning experience but I felt my style was moresuited to comedy clubs than this type of mainstream audience.

I therefore continued to concentrate on comedy clubs, doing this for several yearsuntil I thought my act had the potential for corporate work. I managed to persuadean agent to come and see me and obtained my first booking from that source.Bizarrely I was paid in kind rather than cash: two first-class air fare tickets toSingapore and five nights in a hotel.

In 1998 I gave up comedy clubs, primarily because I felt I was getting a little old for them (in mindset rather than necessarily in actual age.) To begin with I had insufficient corporate work to keep me completely solvent. I therefore did one or two cruises and have ventured into areas such as social clubs and holiday hotels. I continue to plough these other arenas from time to time in an attempt to supplement what now represents the vast majority of my income – thecorporate market.

And the reasons I still love stand-up today as much as when I first started? Hereare just a few:

■ The realisation it is indisputably you the audience like and applaud and not justyour tricks.

■ The recognition that through the laughs you are generating, you are as much anentertainer as a magician.

■ The sense of achievement in holding, and retaining, the absorbed attention of alarge number of people on your own.

■ The satisfaction that all the time you’ve spent working on your persona,developing your routines and coming up with your lines and bits of business hasfinally paid off.

Some DefinitionsIn using the term ‘stand-up’, I am going to take a leaf out of the comedians’ book and refer exclusively to talking – or patter – acts. I’m well aware there are someextremely successful magicians who perform silently to music: with manipulation,illusions, comedy pantomime or indeed a combination of all three. Some things I

22 FIRST THINGS FIRST

write may have relevance for those who perform without speaking. I hope they do –but, if so, it’s fortuitous not intentional.

In writing this book I have had to make other decisions. The one I perhaps regretmost is out of laziness I have decided to refer to magicians at all times as ‘he’, ratherthan varying the pronoun and using the occasional ‘she’. I apologise to any womenmagicians, but, at present, the reality is that male stand-ups do far outnumberfemale. And, as my sister-in-law pointed out, this will doubtless continue to be thecase with the type of chauvinistic attitude displayed by magicians like myself in books like these!

I will always refer to the area where the stand-up is performing as the ‘stage’.Often this ‘stage’ will just be a hotel floor or someone’s front living room or a cornerof a bar. Sometimes it might be a platform and, occasionally, a true theatre stage.

Finally when I use the word ‘assistant’ I mean somebody from the audience who is assisting the magician, but who is not in any way a stooge, plant orconfederate. I am not referring to a ‘professional assistant’. As I am wholly writingabout solo acts, I trust there will be no confusion. I have opted against the phrase‘volunteers’ as in practice spectators helping magicians are very rarely truevolunteers, they are more like conscripts.

The Way ForwardOnly you can possibly know why you want to become a stand-up act but, whateveryour reasons, you do need to put your love of magic into perspective. The phrase ‘I’m an entertainer, not a magician’ is one that particularly irks me, as I feel someperformers use it as an excuse for getting away with poor magic. But when it comesto stand-up it’s true that amusement does have equal billing with amazement.

If your great desire is to blow away fellow magicians with your magical creativityand skills, then stand-up is probably the wrong arena to attempt it. Stand-up isdefinitely for the real world and rarely fits comfortably into the artificial environmentof the magic convention.

What I can promise you is that if you never want to be jaded by your magic, thenstand-up is for you. I have heard several close-up magicians inform me that they aresometimes uninspired by their work: there are just insufficient challenges to keepthem motivated. To a certain extent, for someone who is good at it, close-up in mostworking situations is relatively undemanding.

With stand-up it never becomes too easy. From trying to find better tricks, togetting more laughs, to increasing the length and quality of your act, to developingyour character, to dealing with hecklers, to playing to bigger audiences, to keepingyour act fresh and up to date, you will be kept constantly busy.

I wanted to end this chapter on a really upbeat note so as to send you forward intothe remainder of this book with energy and enthusiasm. I thought about telling you

FIRST THINGS FIRST 23

of the moment when I first had people standing up at the back of the room becausethey were so keen to see what was happening on stage; or when somebody told methat they had tears pouring down their face because they were laughing so much; or the occasion I was happy to interrupt my holiday and drive 600 miles just so Icould try out a new trick.

But maybe I should leave you to find your own memories. Welcome to the worldof stand-up.