hmm now what

I've been reading Paul Daniels "how to make money by magic". A really handy guide to going pro. I've decided I need a lot more 'throw away' tricks, simple quick things for when I'm cornered in the street or at festivals. It think it\'s time to really crack on with elastic band work. Other things I've worked on is the cup and balls again, as well as my daily practise with cards. I'm also Juggling (BADLY) The idea behind the juggling is partly for relaxation but also as a way to drum up a crowd at a festival before hitting the with the magic. My card magic has stalled slightly though. I think I need to set a goal of learning about 4 new 'Killer' tricks before the next Electr[o]cracy as well gaining fluidity with my current slights.

Wow long wait

I didn't realise it's been a month almost since my last post!. Even though I've not done much blogging I HAVE done a lot of magic. My basic card slights are improving daily and my Back-palm is now much smoother and quicker. I've been working more on new principles than complete tricks, the cup and balls offering a new way of learning some palming and other slights.
However I have been working on "Once Upon a Time" by Guy Hollingworth. This is a wonderful trick which involves a very special deck of cards. The cards are all pictures and form a 'book' when places in a slip cover. Other than the fact each card has a picture denoting a phase of a story they are not gimmicked in any way. Using the cards in a pre-arranged stack and a few very simple slights the magician begins to tell a fairy tale (be it Cinderella, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, or Jack and the Bean Stalk). Through the use of these slights the cards begin to transform. A pumpkin turns into a carriage, or little bear's chair breaks.

Reaction This trick has simple mechanics but a lot of memory work, however after two or three goes one gets a feel of the deck and working out the next slight gradually becomes second nature. I first performed this for my girlfriend who found the trick quit non-magical. However, in the wild this became a different matter. I performed at the Colchester Free Festival in a children's' story telling tent. For twenty five minutes or so I held a group of around 15 children aged between 3 and 10 in a state of captivation and excitement. My own story telling ability needs work but the combined effect of the magic and the story genuinely produced an element of wonder not only in the children but also their parents. I plan to sit down and watch "who killed Mrs De Ropp" a few times (a wonderful example of story telling) before recording my performance and seeing where I can improve.
More tricks from the festival will follow soon.