Ed Sumner
15 Years Experience
Staffordshire, UK
Male, 28
I perform close up magic and stand up magic. I also run a children's magic company called Ready Steady Magic. You can find out more about me on YouTube! =P
As a professional magician and Member of the Magic Circle, I work hard to create incredible events.
Feel free to ask me whatever you wish and let me reveal the secrets of what I do (but not those secrets!)
Nerves are just something that you have to get over. There's no alternative way except to perform. The best thing I can say is start small and easy (i.e. just a few people at an event that doesn't matter) and build up to larger more important audiences. Also, no-one should know the secrets if you have practiced enough.
As for street magic. If it's busking style, gathering a crowd and getting people to pay at the end, then that's really difficult (I think), but worthwhile and can be fun if you get into it.
If it's David Blaine style, run up to people in the street, show them a card trick, then run off. Don't bother unless your a famous TV magician. I've done it a little bit, but found that in general people don't want to be bothered.
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Yep, I wash them and I make sure that my nails are kept short and tidy. Furthermore, I'm very careful with knives (good advice for everyone, not just magicians).
Occasionally I use some hand lotion after I've washed them and when I'm doing balloon modelling (which isn't really magic, but is great fun) I have to use a lotion after about an hour because the powder inside the balloon can really dry out your hands.
I guess some magicians might have insurance on their hands, but I can't name anyone who does.
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It's not possible. That's why it's magic! All the best magicians can do this.
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In short, no. There are some magicians who play to the audience that it is actually 100% real magic i.e. Uri Gellar, but whether he actually believed it himself, I doubt it. It's an interesting idea though, that I've played around with. I certainly like to think that what I do is magic and not 'just being clever' but there is a line somewhere on how much an audience will believe before it starts to sound too implausible. In magic, even the unbelievable has to be um... believable.
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Dry Cleaner
What happens to clothing at dry cleaners that goes unclaimed?
Programmer
Is Mark Zuckerberg really a genius programmer? Or was he just lucky?
Professional Poker Player
Are you worried that online poker is rigged?
They squash up really easily!
Just joking, there may be some historical significance that I'm not aware of but as far as I know the reason is simply that they sit quietly during transporting and during the show.
Some magicians use other animals and goldfish are also popular (although they obviously need water when travelling too).
As for whether animals should be used in performance at all. Personally I think that animals should be used less often in magic. Not never, but I wouldn't want to use an animal every week as the travelling can be quite stressful on the animal. I would use an animal, maybe a rabbit, for a one off performance, perhaps for television or for a large stage show, so that many people can have the chance to enjoy it. It seems more justifiable then.
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Interesting question. Possibly one that might be asked by another magician? When I started out I did a lot of shows for family friends and friends of friends and other people who I was connected with for just a nominal fee, maybe £20 or £30. Maybe just even my travel.
Now I charge those sorts of people my full fee, which I think is only fair, seeing as I have the experience to provide the full service, and magic is my only income.
For direct family, it's not always appropriate to perform magic and of course having magic at every family event would get tiring, however if I'm asked to do magic for family then I will perform for free and try to fit it around my paid bookings if I can. I tend to find that for any gig that I do for free (for family or otherwise) I will usually get something back in return, even if that isn't my full fee.
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That's a different kind of magic. I don't know much about it, but from the half of one film that I've seen - I think you have to fly around on a broomstick, say expelliarmus, and hang around with some nerds.
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