From a magical and medical magazine:

"Dear doctor:

A lot of times in the magic books you can read chapters about how to be funny or how add humor to your performances.

It's not my case. I'm a funny guy, always add libing and talented for comedy. I feel very comfortable on stage making people laugh. I have a stand up comedy show, comedy magic repertory...but now I want to go into mentalism. Don't missunderstand me. I don't wana be Derren Brown or buy mentalism items. I have had always, since I started in magic, sincere love for mentalism. I have read Annemann and Corinda once and once again, and now my artistic life is in a moment of evolution that wants to try with mentalism.

First, the mental effects are the ones that gets more reactions in the audience. Second, makes me original between the magicians around me and allows me not to do the same tricks everybody do. Third I'm a little bored of card tricks and magic without meaning.

What can I do?.
How can I mantain my mental character and keep my impulses of say jokes?
Can I be myself, funny and joke style and bend spoons (I know this trick is hardcore mentalism but it's a kind of goal?
How can I perform mental stunts whithout loose my good points, and one of the things the audience love most for the entertaiment value:comedy?
It's mentalism only for corporate, hig bussines, good behavior events?
Does anybody else feels like me?

Best,
Dr. XL"

I thought it was interesting so I decide to put it in the forum.The guy is not talking about add comedy, just about the problem of be a funny person. What do you think?

XL,

Those are my thoughts

We are always talking about be ourselfs, and that's true. But you can't be the same yourself in a comedy club than in a corporate event.
So, you can find a market for your services an prepare yourself to this market or you can adapt your show depending of your costumer desires.

If you work on your show in a thetare, you can focus more in a character, but today the performances are more informal.
You can also have a half of your show showing comedy and then go into a mental routine. Or do your magic act and talk about when you saw a thoughtreader. Or work as mentalist an talk of your old days as magician doing a magic interlude.
What brings us into the discussion of mixing magic an mentalism and the perception of our shows, but this another question.

Best,
Darío

I think that mix is very interesting and works.
Graham P. Jolley I believe hates being called a 'comedy mentalist/mindreader' he likens it to being called a comedy dentist or a comedy psychiatrist (source - the magic circular)
he makes some very good points in there - if you can dig out the article he was interviewed by Ian Keeble (he's another example)
I'm not a mentalist per se but what I do I take seiously and perform seriously but I also inject as much humour in there as possible - its just my style. I think to switch comedy on and off wouldnt work. -to do a comedy routine then come out dressed as the 'time lord' wouldn't work.

comedy ain't easy - and I have died on my arse enough times to know (one day ill get it right)

Be yourself
Just cut out 'gags'

If you are naturally funny and prone to gags and silliness, then suddenly woke up one day with the the actual ability to read minds, would having that one new ability change you into a somber old fart?

Sorry guys, but I really don't understand the contradictonary between mentalism and being a funny guy? Just think of it for a moment: Im an ordinary guy, walking the same streets as others, eating the same food, drinking the same wine (maybe more than others..), and I happen to have this gift, bending spoons (or whatever). Why should I be a person without humour just because of that?

Let me tell you. I started mentalism, truly inspired of Max Maven, both tricks and the serious persona he makes up (or really is, unfortunatly I don't know Phil personally, only by his great works. Enough kissing up there?). I did some performances, being "dead serious", fighting my own impulses to pick up lines from the audience to use in a funny way. What a struggle!!! (couldn't a funny guy be serious?).. it didn't work out. Why? Because I'm a funny guy (or, sort of, some may say silly). Then I started to think of it, like: let go... lets build my stage persona on the natural way to perfom: being funny, picking up lines from the audience etc.. well, that made a difference for sure!

Here is my point: The audience seem to be intelligent enough to enjoy BOTH a funny guy AND some stunning mentalism... don't underestimate the intelligence of the audience...

well, just my two cents

Being the funny guy all the time is a defense.

Just quit doing it.
Funny guys often are the best at scaring the life out of people becouse the energy is burning to get out. You want to make the joke or remark but do not.

I worked comedy clubs and know the swich can be a true bitch with barred teeth to deal with.

But look at my web sites.
I don't look to fun to play with do I?

But I get work and paid well.

Just my thoughts

Jack


H.O.A>_X

Jack... no no no... Is John Cleese a defensive person? Or any comedian?? Are all clowns defensive..? What an attitude!

And use this weapon: silence

Symbolicthought,

Why do you have to do the switch and keep out the comedy in your mentalism if it was so hard to you?

Dario: I don't. I just told you above. I'm telling you to use your comedy to enhance the menatlism. But first, I was, probably like you, inspired and thought that mentalism had to be dead serious... my point is, it don't.

I would disagree that the key is to just to try to drop your jokey self when you're onstage.

For people who are trained actors (or natural-born actors), there is no problem here: they know enough about characterization to create a persona and adopt it onstage.

For untrained actors, I think the solution is to say to yourself: "I'm going to IMITATE a serious person." Pick a serious person who you think has the right persona, and simply imitate them. It works, especially when you've been doing it for awhile and the imitation becomes more natural to you.

Ever watch a show called "Faking It"? Ordinary people trying to pass as models, wine experts, and so on. Generally they have a great deal of trouble acting the part until the desperate acting coach says to them, "Stop trying to BE the character; that's not working for you. Instead, just to try IMITATE a person you think of as the quintessential embodiment of the character you want to appear to be."

NLPers refer to it as "modeling."

Not everyone can do it, of course. A 16-year-old will have problems convincingly imitating Tony Andruzzi. Some characteristics are only bestowed by age and experience.

--Josh

My thoughts

I think my best point of reference would be school teachers. There were school teachers who were serious, strict and because of that you leanred new things. But then there were those teachers who were funny at times, but knew when to be serious - and these are the teachers I remembered most, not only because of what they taught me, but how much their lessons entertained me...

I'm sure you can see how this could apply to Mentalism

"Being the funny guy all the time is a defense."

The battle cry of the un-funny...

:)

(Sorry Symbologicthougt the question was adresed to J ack Galloway, I believe from his post that he has perform comedy in comedy clubs and if he has change from comedy to mentalism taking away the comedy he has some reason that can be interested to hear in this thread) so,

J ack Galloway,
Why do you have to do the switch and keep out the comedy in your mentalism if it was so hard to you?

Cool Dario... I really hope you find your performing style (it took me a while...)

Well, more comments about it:

The problem with mentalism is that usually, the more comedy, the less impact in very very more high proportion that in magic. In magic comedy can kill the effect but can increase the entertainment value. But if you are reading the mind and trying to identify the word one person is thinking making jokes and putting gags the people can assume that is not a serious thing and you loose the effect. Is not a question of underestimate the audience intelligence, is more a question of what are you telling with the show to the audience, what they can "read" and feel in your performance, about what you are trying to tell.

In mentalism if you kill the effect with comedy continuously.... its not the same 20 minutes, than an hour. You have to be entertaining, or have charming personality so is not a problem be funny, but no over funny.

(Here is another difference: It's a shame, but in magic you can be the copy cat non charismatic magician, that the routine speaks from himself, and you can be good (no very good, just enough for satisfy a non very critical audience. But in mentalism all is about you.)

I thing that is a questions of targets. If you want make people laugh, do comedy, if you want to astonish people do mentalism but don't be bored.

So, is the same humor or eccentric humor, with sight gags and physical comedy a magician can use good in mentalism?. Perhaps you have to find create a realistic atmosphere because the roots of the mentalism is the "real" thing so, look for another kind of humor can be better (situation comedy, everyday remarks, ab libs, etc.)

At least, this is my opinion

Another question is if is possible make laugh A LOT with your comedian attitude and then bend spoons and continue in a hardcore mentalism fashion...

It is possible to be very funny and very astounding in the same show. You have to know where to put the comedy. If you honestly believe that strong mentalism and strong comedy cannot be in the same show, then I suggest you get a good theatrical director to put you show together.
Remember, just because people are laughing and having a good time does not mean that they cannot be absolutely blown away in the next moment

Tctahoe: exactly

Yes, you can make them laugh, using strong comedy if you want, but I think not in the same way a magician or comedian would do it. It's just my opinion so, let's talk!:

Try to imagine wonderfull people like Tommy Cooper, David Williamson, Amazing Jonathan, Steve Spill doing one hour of mentalism show (not one trick or sketch) with the same stage character they do magic...
They would do comedy using mentalism tricks, but mental stunts? Do anybody believe the audience will have the same opinion and impact than after watch Banachek, Maven, Brown...?.

In my opinion if someone wants to keep the "real" aspect of mentalism you have to carry certain kind of maturity(?) and not too much "comedy tonight" for not loose the credibility, nothing to be with to be or not to be funny. I think you can be funny and make laugh but with another aproach (And I prefer a funny mentalism than a bored one)

When I mean “real” I made a difference between magic (I can do tricks with cards, ropes, silks, with nobody knows how methods) and mentalism (I can do stunts with my mind or my knowledge, if you have take this approach, of course.

Al ways is good have a theatrical director or at least friends who work in this field and can watch you a show or two and give you advices. ( The problem is that very often you don’t have excellent performing conditions for develop all the possibilities…sniff!).

Marc Salem is one of the funniest mentalists around. He once said to me that “if you could really read people’s minds, that would be disconcerting. The only way to slip ‘under the radar’ is to use humour.” He is, as usual, absolutely correct. On the other hand, John Archer is more than funny, he's hilarious, and that works, too. Why? Because both these men are merely reflecting their own nature. They are, to put it in simple terms, being themselves.

Me? I’m not particularly funny. Sure, I have my moments, but they are few and far between. Therefore, I prefer my (naturally) funny participants get the laughs FOR me during a show.

It’s not just about gags and funny stories. If you are a naturally funny fella’ then it will come out in your performance whether you want it to, or not!

Drew McAdam