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Magician / Illusionist

Performs tricks and illusions that appear to defy the laws of physics.

Did you know?

Penn and Teller began headlining at the Rio in Las Vegas in 2001, becoming the longest-running headliners at a single Las Vegas hotel.

How subjects help

• Psychology: Steer where the audience looks so they miss the secret move that makes a trick work.
• Physics: Use mirrors, angles and hidden magnets to build illusions that seem impossible.
• Drama: Tell a story around each trick and build suspense before the big reveal.
• Art & Design: Design props and costumes that look ordinary but hide secret pockets and parts.

A famous name

Harry Houdini: Magician and escape artist who became world famous for escaping handcuffs, straitjackets and water tanks.

Try it yourself: Perform a trick where your mistakes are the magic

1. In secret, look at the top card of the pack and remember it. Hand the pack to your helper.
2. Ask them to pick a number from 1 to 10, deal that many cards face down in a pile, then turn over the next card on the pack. Say "That's my card!" (it won't be), look puzzled, have them turn it back face down where it was, then put the dealt pile back on top.
3. Try again with a number from 10 to 20: they deal that many, turn over the next card, and it's wrong again. They turn it back face down and put the dealt pile back on top. Act a little embarrassed.
4. Take the small number away from the big number, ask them to deal that many cards, then turn over the next one. This time it really is your card. Play up the two "failures" so the ending gets a big reaction.

Magicians rehearse the method until it runs by itself, so they can put their energy into the performance, and like stand-up comics they use timing and fake setbacks to build to a big reveal.

Adapted from cs4fn, Queen Mary University of London: Johnny Ball's "Two Wrongs Do Make a Right" trick.

Also try: Run a one-minute show with a cue sheet.

Known for it in

USA, UK, Japan, France, Netherlands

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