Read minds… Not scripts
Let’s be perfectly honest here: Most performers these days sound like a pretentious Satnav, they’ll guide you through the performance
then probably correct your grammar along the way.
‘I’d like you to pick a card, any card, except that one… Just kidding!’
‘Now focus your energy on your card as if the universe itself is listening…’
Really? That’s how you want your voice to sound?
Because it sounds like you’re trapped in a 1987 working men’s club.
It’s time to stop sounding like someone else’s script and start performing
like you have a real min and maybe even read a few too?
Using premade patter is a creativity killer
Here’s the problem with relying on scripts written by other performers:
They’re not yours.
They don’t sound like you.
They don’t feel like you.
They don’t reflect your tone, humour, personality, childhood phobias
or weird obsessions with Ninjas!
But if they’ve been written by the creator of a trick
then surely the script will be safe?
Yes I agree but in mentalism,
safe means forgettable!
Why you sound like a mentalist robot and how to break free
Most performers follow this loop:
Learn a routine from a book or video.
Copy it word for word.
They go out and perform it like they’re reciting Shakespeare
while having a nervous breakdown.
Then wonder why nobody felt emotionally moved.
Let’s break the loop
Let’s make you dangerous again.
What like Oddsock dangerous?
Not even Steven Seagal is that dangerous!
Step 1:
Throw away the script… Well most of it.
You don’t need to memorise 8 paragraphs of patter.
You need to understand the story of the routine.
Instead of memorising the script, ask yourself what emotion am I creating?
What is this effect about? Think beyond the method.
How would I explain it to a friend at 4am after a Rave at the Hacienda?
Now build from that place.
Step 2:
Write like you talk. If you wouldn’t say:
“Concentrate deeply upon the chosen thought and allow your aura to vibrate with psychic resonance as I hum to this block of cheese.”
Then don’t! Instead, try something like:
“You’ve got a thought in your head, right? Just let it float.”
Not only is this much more natural, it’s also theatrical.
Unless you’re a hippy cult leader,
I really wouldn’t start humming to cheese!
Step 3:
Build scripts from questions, not statements.
One of the best ways to sound human is to ask questions
Don’t say: “What card did you pick?”
Instead say things like:
“Isn’t it strange how some thoughts just stick?”
“Have you ever known what someone was thinking without them saying it?”
“Why do some names echo louder than others?”
Questions spark reflection and reflection creates deeper engagement.
And deeper engagement creates stronger reactions.
Your patter should feel like a conversation.
Step 4:
Leave space to breathe
Mentalism thrives in silence.
Patter can often sound rushed, try speaking like you’re remembering something as if the words are bubbling up from your subconscious.
This will help create mystery, tension and believability.
If you act as though the mind reading is unfolding for you in real time,
your audience will experience it that way too.
To learn more about this read:
Step 5:
Use emotional anchors.
Most scripts often rely on the same logic:
“You chose a card, I predicted the card… Be amazed!”
BORING!
What if you said:
“This card reminds me of someone I met who always lied, but beautifully,
you remind me of them, you chose it for a reason, didn’t you?”
Not only does sound better but we’ve got emotion, a story and connection.
Anchor your effects in emotion and the words will write themselves.
Step 6:
Use personal stories
Make a mental note of strange or meaningful things that have happened to you.
Remember that time you accidentally hypnotised a passing pigeon?
The weird dream about a fortune telling goldfish.
The smell of Brandy that reminds you of the cult
you started at a dinner party.
These personal fragments make incredible patter fuel.
You’re not performing a trick.
You’re sharing a memory that becomes magic.
From Robotic to Real
Robotic script:
I’ll now attempt to influence your choice using subtle linguistic suggestion. Please select one of the three cards in front of you.
Natural script:
I want you to pick one of these, but you should know that I’ve already messed with your head and now we’ll find out how much.
The natural script actually sounds like a person you’d want to listen to.
Fragmented Thoughts
I recently interviewed Christopher Parrish
and he describes his performances as poetry.
The more I think about it the more sense he makes.
You can read the Christopher Parrish interview here
Mentalism isn’t about saying the right lines.
It’s about creating the right atmosphere.
Your audience doesn’t remember your lines.
They remember how you made them feel.
So stop memorising scripts.
Start remembering who you are.
Talk like a human.
Read like a myth.
Above all read minds.
Not scripts!
Stay Weird
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