Tommy Cooper

Davetolomy: I recently bought a DVD about him with some of his best clips. He's a really great funny man I just wanted to know what you thought of him?

I'm a big fan by the way so I'm excited being able to 'talk' to you.

Doc: Also Paul do you still own the cloak Tommy Cooper died in performing his Chinese robe trick at Her Majesty's Theatre ?

Paul Daniels: What did I think? I thought he was funny as hell. I once saw him stand up to make a speech and the 'audience' laughed for a good FIVE minutes before he said a word.

I do not own the cloak any more.

You on Ali G

Nezza: Forgive this non-magic question!

You appeared on Ali G and were obviously a great sport - Ali G asked some very near the knuckle questions! What did you think about that and how was Sasha with you afterwards?

Paul Daniels: I sometimes do TV because I am curious about the show, the presenter or whatever. Ali G was such a case in point. I had been interviewed by Sacha when he was the presenter of a children's TV show.

I don't mind pointed questions at all and can generally fend them off. To be honest I was a bit disappointed when he turned out to be such a one-gag guy... and that gag was always somewhere below his belt.

Gimmicks or Sleights

Rvoice100: There is a lot of discussion on here about how to start out in magic some say get a few gaffed decks, scotch and soda, coin unique etc. Where do you stand on this? And which gimmicks do you find any good?

Paul Daniels: I think that the best way is to learn about sleights, and gimmicks and gaffs and then try to mix them up in your performances so the audience who might just be looking for a sleight, won't find one and vice versa.

All gimmicks are good if they are used in the right way and the right time.v

Converting close-up to stage

Skorpion: Hi Paul, as an amateur close up magician, mainly working in cards and coins.

I have been asked to perform a stage routine for our circle. How to you manage to convert effects that are normally performed very personally, to a stage show. Surely something like a bill switch works for 5 people but not 50. Is it better to keep it personal and get

people on stage, or work on a completely different routine?

Paul Anthony: Yes Paul, I too am interested in your thoughts on that one.

Paul Daniels: That's an impossible question to answer. There is no one way to do any aspect of magic. I do so called close up routines on stage but my words fill in the pictures and I usually use a person either in or from the audience to round out my pictures.

"Something like a bill switch works for 5 people but not 50." Why not? They don't know surely that you are doing a bill switch do they? For goodness sake don't tell them - it's supposed to be MAGIC. If you have the note checked beforehand (In the UK we do not call them bills) and then have it checked afterwards then the magic has happened and you are a magician!

BrucUK: Just to illustrate, (if I may), saw Paul last week doing Coin Fold, (pretty much straight out of Wilson) in the "Max Malini persona", for 300. Close-up trick, some added auditory cues with the coin and a glass, I heard specs "Wow'ing" over it in the bar at half-time. Great transformation of "close-up" to "stage".

Paul Daniels: Actually straight out of a REALLY old book when I was a child but also a BIG favourite of Malini. Sometime we miss out on stuff we think is too simple. With the right presentation....

BrucUK: Absolutely! ...and it's also soooooo much easier to learn!

Paul Anthony: Paul, Thanks for the above! As someone who is working on moving from "show to the family & friends" attitude, to wanting to get into more serious performing, I find this statement a real encouragement. Often I'll think, "Oh this is too simple for an audience". I guess this is because family and friends generally aren't too high on encouraging comments. You do something for them that is really ok, but ...well I guess you've been there in the early days!

By the way, I've been working on chop cup, using your presentation from your old BBC show...It's coming along fine....I love the line to the guy in the audience... The ball isn't on the top of the cup....it's "on the top of the bottom of the cup"! Lol

Paul Daniels: Oh me oh my.... I do hope that your 'confession' that you are using my Chop Cup routine is a joke... because if it isn't you are making a BIG mistake on several counts...

1. I have never written up my routine for the use by other magicians
2. Merely copying the 'what you see' part of a trick is NOT to understand the thinking behind it so your performance, no matter how good, will be lesser than mine.
3. SO many lay people say to me that they remember me doing it on TV or live so why would you want to be 'the man who copies Paul Daniels' instead of being yourself.
4. When a 'play' is written it is copyright and royalties are paid to the writer for every performance.........
5. Be the first one of YOU, not the second one of anyone!

TamMcLaughlin: If I can be honest, I "tried" to perform your chop cup routine for our club competition several years back and needless to say, I didn't win. I was told that I was too fast!

I wish someone had told me then that I should not have performed this routine as I was too dumb to work this out for myself

Paul Anthony: Paul, I do apologise! Firstly I'm not actually using (performing) the routine at all! I'm currently getting to grips with the technique at home. I think what I meant to say was...That in an effort to learn about Chop Cup, I dug out an old video from your show to see how a good presentation goes.... However I do take the points made about "making it your own". In the past when I've tried to copy idea's in other area's of my business life, they have rarely worked. Taking the "How to's" then adding your own personality I believe is the key.

Please forgive me for giving the wrong impression!

Having said that....Thanks for reminding me that each person has unique styles of presentation (in potential anyhow), and that in itself is where the value lies.

One thing that is becoming clear to me from the "messages from the heavenly magic kingdom" is BE MYSELF...!

Paul Daniels: This is probably the best 'post' on this site!

Paul Anthony: Thanks Paul!