Issue 20 - May 08
Close
Up. The Real Secrets of Magic
David Stone
Available from: YFD
Price: Approx. £20.00
I am
shocked and appalled by this book. It should never have been published; the
information released by David Stone is far too good to be shared with other
magicians! This book is fantastic. An entire text about performing close up
professionally and not one trick in sight. Stone’s book is the definitive
guide to professional presentation and packed from cover to cover with the
authentic voice of experience. If you aspire to perform, or already perform,
close up in a commercial setting, this is a must read.
The
book, translated from the French by Graham Jones, is drawn from Stone’s
extensive professional experience and is the paper version of his DVDs ‘The
Real Secrets of Magic’. The book falls broadly into two sections. Chapters
1-4 deal with the context of performance, with chapters that discuss working
conditions, types of events, presenting yourself, dealing with stage fright and
the logistics of travel and equipment. Summerised like this the material sounds
a bit dry – but that is not how it reads. Each chapter is a storehouse of
knowledge and experience.
Real
Secrets is a textbook on how magic can be lifted from a series of clever tricks
into an artistic performance. The aim is clear and it is an end that cannot be
achieved just by magical competence. Indeed, the book does not particularly
mention magical skill
– that is taken as a given. The focus for this book is the detailed
knowledge required to transform technical skill into a truly professional
standard of presentation. Stone’s
laudable aim is to make the presentation into an artistic event
“ .....a magician is a man or woman who knows how to make the public dream.
I doubt one could make anybody dream with acrobatic stunts. A flourish (cutting
a deck of cards multiple times with the left hand while rolling a half-dollar
over the right knuckles) is certainly impressive, but not really magical.”
The
second part of the book, chapters 5 – 8 , deal with performance. The topics
covered include: coping with time pressure; approaching a table; the opening
trick; managing performance, spectators, and reactions and getting applause. As
with the preceding chapters these
sections are packed solid with practical information. His summary of the type of
effects that are suitable is masterly. Stone expands on each topic, but in
summary they should be - quick, varied, visual, visible, transportable,
commercial, easy to reset and angle
proof. There is a really good discussion on getting applause and, a topic not
often discussed, how to leave a table and to exit gracefully.
If it
wasn’t that the material is so relevant the detail could make this a book for
magic nerds, but even the apparently mundane is important to know. For instance,
who else but a close up performer would be interested in the contents of a close
up case? If you already perform it
is interesting. If you don’t, it could be really informative to know that
David Stone’s case includes, amongst other things, deodorant, toothbrush,
black socks, sewing kit, scotch tape
and blue tac along with one or two magic items.
The
book is great. Easy to read and packed with vital practical information it is a
contemporary textbook on performing close up professionally.
This is the sort of book that you may well want to dip into again and
again and time after time I caught myself nodding and say ‘yesssssss’! For
any magician who wants to perform close up magic and be something more than a
guy/gal doing a few tricks, this book should be compulsory reading. SB
What’s
Hot: Everything. It’s a must read
What’s Not: Nothing. It’s a must read
StarRating: *****
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