This is not a discussion on which is a better medium of delivering value to clients & ticket holders. This is a discussion on which tool is right for certain occasions. I am excluding close up magic productions from this because that falls, in my point of view into the same category as stand up magic – its a planned production.
Every event has its own needs
Stand up magic and strolling / mingling / table hopping magic gives the audience, guests & clients a different experience. One is more theatrical. With stand up – more times than none the audience is there knowing in advance that there is a magician. Because stand up magic is scripted and planned – it is time senstiive. The experience the guests have is in unison. Let me discuss
about timing in relation to the magic & the event. Because it is a staged production – it will take anywhere between 30 to 120 minutes or even more in some cases to set up. Performances of stand-up magic usually run between 45 – 120 minutes, I try to keep it in the 45- 60 minute range at max. This allows for all the theatrical elements to play out for a meaningful show that brings value to the client, guests & or ticket holders.
The duration of an event is vital for stand-up magic.
Theatrical magic takes time to build up. It is story-driven. Over time the audience gets to know the performer & the performer gets to know the audience – or at least that is the impression the performer is trying for. If a client is trying to grab attention, say just before an announcement or award ceremony – 5, 15 – 20, or even 30 minutes – a stand-up magician can’t deliver.
The same cannot be true for a strolling/mingle / table-to-table magician. The goal of the strolling magician is a bit different. The strolling magician is trying to give each individual person and or table an seemingly unique experience that other tables cannot have. While it is scripted, the magician leaves a LOT of room for unprepared moments
Space & Timing For Strolling Magic Is Different
Strolling magicians have less time – 5 minutes at max and that is really pushing it to connect with a table or individual, delivering impactful high-value magic and repeating at the next. There for, strolling magic is ideal for events that exceed 1 hour.
Space Of The Event / Venue Is A factor
I’ve worked a wide variety of events in a wide variety of venues from outdoor picnics to ticketed shows in the upstairs of a pub. Normally I know in advance the layout of the event. There had been a few times when I was booked as a stand-up
magician, when in fact it would have been ideal to do strolling work because of the awkward arrangement of tables and floor plan. Outside at the mercy of the Elements is NOT an ideal location for a stand-up performance. Picnics are not ideal – any venue with round tables and the round tables cannot be moved or seating cannot be arranged into a more theatrical arrangement (thrust stage) is not optimal for a stand-up performance.
If it’s outside or at round tables – stand-up magic is not optimal.
This is crucial why I as a professional magician ask as much vital questions I have about the event throughout the event planning process. Going into battle without an idea of the terrain is a lost battle. LUCKILY there is a genre of magic that invites the performer to combine the best of both worlds for a more modular approach.
Parlour Magic Blends Close-Up With Stand UP Magic
As I write this post I believe I should abandon my use of the term “stand up magician” to describe my module of performing before large groups. I have been performing parlour magic throughout my career. It blends the portability of close-up magic with the visual of stand-up. Except a few routines, almost everything I do in my strolling set I do on stage with the parlour magic. This allows me to be versatile. I can do 60 minutes of stand up & I can do 2 hours with only 3 props from the stand up act table to table .
Sometimes circumstances change – versatility prevails!
This has yet to happen to me personally but I know plenty of magicians who have had their luggage lost or delayed. I no longer perform solely as a mentalist (mind reader) but I sure do miss the days where all I need is a piece of paper and pencils. I don’t miss some of the wacky conspiracy theorists & woo foo dust people though.
Jordan Allen 