DALE SHRIMPTON

Age?

I was wondering. Where do you stand on the issue of age, and Mentalism?

There seems to be a great increase in younger people trying out mental items, thanks to people like yourself and Derren appearing on our television screens.

I have always thought that in order to be an effective mentalist, you need presence and command that only really comes with time.

I should add by the way, that to an extent my thoughts in this matter came from my magic mentor who said that one of the best tools a magician, and in particular someone who performs mental effects can have on their side, is a twinkle in the eye, and a tongue in the cheek.

( Both of these, you have to the max, Max…)

MAX MAVEN

I do think that as a general rule (and there are always exceptions), it is very difficult for a young person to perform mentalism. This has to do with issues of stage presence and command of an audience. In my own case, I held off trying to perform mentalism until I was in my mid-twenties (although I'd been studying it for years before), and even then I had the benefit of appearing older than I actually was.

HAPPY TOAD

Table Hopping/Strolling

I personally have a preference towards mentalism effects but mostly work table hopping either in restaurants or at weddings which is not necessarily the ideal for mentalism.

This does not stop me but I do find that the situation lends itself better to quick visual effects.

What place do you think mentalism has for the table or strolling magician and assuming you think it has one, what types of effects within the mentalism genre work best in this environment?

MAX MAVEN

I do think that mentalism can be a viable form in the context of table hopping. However, it carries some problems that must be addressed.

Of course, not every table hopping environment is the same, but most of the time one must deal with external noise and limited attention spans. For that reason, in building a repertoire for this specific context, the more successful material will be as visual as possible. Obviously, this is rarely an option in terms of the actual effect, but the choice of interesting props can be helpful. And, clearly, the material should be concise.

TOBIAS

Props

You mentioned that, if working in a table-hopping environment, you would think about using interesting props, to make things more visual.

I know some mentalists shy away from props that go beyond bits of paper and pens, yet others, like Larry Becker, base their routines around items. I suggest we ignore the mentalism/mental magic debate for these purposes!

Andy Leviss, on the other hand, even suggests that Rhine ESP cards look odd to audiences and should be avoided.

Clearly, you don't agree entirely with that line of thought, but would you let us know your views on the sorts of props you consider appropriate and the sort of things you'd avoid?

Obvious things would include the Mental Epic board and clipboards.

MAX MAVEN

In my own work, there are almost never any props per se. The materials are basic and functional, and usually end up discarded on the floor in front of the stage. That is not to say that props are "wrong" in mentalism -- it's just my taste.

The comment about interesting props was specific to the question of doing mentalism in the context of table-hopping. In that context, I think the "curio" approach (used, for example, by Dr. Jaks) would be useful.

BAZ

If you could do it all again…

Your just about to start your journey in magic, what would you do differently if anything?

MAX MAVEN

I'm not sure I can answer that question. I have certainly made mistakes, and at various times headed off in directions that proved to be poor choices. But that's all part of the process of learning.

At present, I am fairly happy with the condition of my work. It may well be that earlier mis-steps were required in order to reach this point.