The Least Interested Person In The Room

If you haven't already, check out a previous post titled "Thinking Like A Magician" before reading this article (click here to read). I'll begin with a quote from the book "Our Magic" by Maskelyne and Devant printed in 1911.

"Always endeavor to form an accurate conception of the point of view most likely to be adopted by a disinterested spectator."

So, who is this disinterested spectator? Potentially, everyone in the audience. As the magician, you must promptly capture their attention and turn any skepticism into an excitable interest that has them on the edge of their seat. The author points out that your focus is on winning over the harshest critic in the room, first.

When an audience starts in on an evening's entertainment, whether they realize it or not, they already measure up the anticipated experience. They will wonder how this entertainment compares to similar things they've been a part of and will size you up against all of the magic they have ever seen (good and bad). As I said, whether they realize it or not, these thoughts are washing over their minds, and your mission is to remove any of this preconceived doubt quickly.

My thought going into hosting an evening at my magic club is that patrons start thinking, "this is going to be good," as soon as possible. Make sure there's enough dazzle upfront and along the way leading to your closing ta-da. Don't drag it out for the audience, especially that potential person in the crowd who is looking for a reason not to have fun. Right away, get them to relax and settle in for a good time, and you'll have their undivided attention.

Your focus must be upon the magic and entertainment first, foremost, and until the very end, leaving them wanting more.

Let's go a step further. Some people in an audience truly love watching a magic show, and the more of them there are, the better we all have it as performers. Sometimes, you have a person or two in the audience that probably doesn't like magic, or maybe they don't like the idea of being fooled. They didn't choose to be at the show, or perhaps they're the guest of a friend who brought them, and they didn't even realize they were going to a magic show.

As a performer, you want to entertain everyone in the audience, especially those who are closed up about it. Don't disregard them, and do be mindful of their energy in the crowd. Your job of winning over this type of person will be tough, but if you make an effort to earn just a little of their attention, you've got it made. They may still decide magic isn't for them, but they'll admit having some fun. Every audience member in attendance of a live performance wants to have fun, so we must have a show designed with a clear purpose.

From my experience and performers who have shared stories with me throughout the years as a magic shop owner and now a club owner, I've found that this approach is a high-value tactic that works. Being good at this will help you figure out how to give even the most disinterested spectator a reason to like you.

To put it bluntly, as the old saying goes, "Either you're fun to watch, or you're not." Overcome that by starting your performance from a key point of view, and you're likely to be fun to watch.