Spread the deck between your hands and tell the guy to select any 3 cards and not to look at them until he's out of the room. You'll call him back when you're ready to read his mind.

After he leaves, do a few effects and never call him back in.

Hey, you said this is a guy you know. When I was your age my dad would make me perform for his friends then heckle every trick. (Plus force me to perform certain tricks even though I had to stand with my back to a mirror on our living room wall!) If this guy is usually reasonable, maybe you can talk this out with him sometime.

I like the technique of ignoring the know-it-alls, and freezing when things get too noisy. Then the rest of the group quiets down the rowdies. When someone just blurts out a funny comment I also pause to allow them to get their laugh. I've had one or two very funny lines contributed that way.

Maybe for your next few shows you will be able to have one or two "allies" in the audience who are ready to "shush" anyone who is disruptive. It is sometimes more effective coming from other spectators.

Also, don't expect this kind of problem every time. As your confidence grows, and your presentations become more and more airtight, there will automatically be less room for hecklers.

Tell everyone; "well if you don't want to see the magic I suppose I'll just go then" and then if they like your magic they'll kick the dude right out of the place or you could just hit him till he shuts up and goes to hospital this is illegal but works.

Performance 7 -- it's been 20-plus days since your post and you have not responded. How about saying something about it?

From all the help people have given me I've learned just to stop. You may get very nervous when that happens and start messing up, which would, like you stated, mess up your routine. Just stay calm, and just straightforwardly and respectfully ask him to stop because people are enjoying the show. If he won't then just leave. If they don't want to watch it they don't have to. I always watch my next "victim" or the group I want to perform for just so I can guess who would heckle and what type of effect they would enjoy most. If you see someone talking loudly and acting rowdy, and maybe a little intoxicated, you can avoid the table or do something which they can't catch you doing. Otherwise, just act respectful and if they don't want to show you some respect move on. Good luck next time.

Thanks for your candid comments Stephen.

Do you realize that if you were to flip over your Avatar photo (the one that you use on this site) the cards that you flourish in between your two hands would form the letter "S" for "Stephen". This reversed photo could then become your signature photo!?

Just a thought.

All the best.

Jonathan

Isn't heckling a trick just part of peoples way of thinking to discover the method.. like:

heckler: can I shuffle the deck
magician: no... eeh no
heckler.. hmm so it has to do with the order of the deck..

When a spectator participates in the magic by asking questions, that's not what I would call heckling. It's a non-stop barrage of comments, criticisms, and wisecracks which are disruptive to your performance that defines heckling. Interaction is OK, disruption is not.

If it is disrupting your performance or having a detrimental effect on your presentation, then you should ask him to stop. If after awhile he doesn't leave, then you can either make him leave.

As for bombing and forgetting what to do, cheat! You don't have to memorize your entire act. One thing I do before every show I do is make sure that I have my play list set in my briefcase where I can easily glance it. A play list is a basic list of the tricks/ routines you will be performing in order from top to bottom. When you have the list you don't have to worry about forgetting parts of the show. I change the effects and the order of them almost every time I perform and I don't have time to memorize the order of a different show every time I perform. Take the easy way out, use a play list. Just look at it while you go into your case as you take out something for that next trick. In times like your close up show, you can even leave the list on the corner of the table or on a short table right under the table.

Derek Merdinyan

Look upon this as a valuable lesson learnt, tho for it to happen in your first show is extremely unfortunate!

Working as an adult comedian and magician, my personal approach to hecklars is to literally bury them with one liners and put downs. The worst I've had was a guy threw a bottle at me in Nottingham some years back which missed (fortunately!) but apart from that experience I've collated enough one lines to crucify anyone.

Sorry but the 'ignore him' stance just would never work for me - it's not the way I was brought up! The benefit of working with a microphone is important; as Bernard Manning (UK blue comic) said years ago "you've got the microphone, they can be the funniest guy in the world, but you've got the microphone". In other words you can be louder, quicker and heard by many more people.

In close up magic, it's mainly drunks that are the problem but this is where you use subtle one liners that other people will catch but will go over his head completely.

In a nutshell - learn one liners AND learn to deliver them with correct timing. You will soon get the audience on your side and if they are laughing at your comments the hecklar (in my honest experience) will, 9 times out of 10, leave because they know they have been beaten.

It's your first show don't give up! We've all had these kind of experiences that, whilst not nice, are a part of the indutry that we have to grin and bear.

I'm curious, could you give us some examples of the most (or not, if they're part of your working repertoire) effective one liners you've found?

Andrei

I'd get kicked off here if I did!

:lol:

Darwin's advice on ignoring them is good, and he goes on to say that if ignoring them doesn't do it, say a joke about the heckler to the rest of the audience, because the chances are good that they are on your side, and they want to see magic, not listen to an obnoxious jerk. This puts them all with you for sure. Chances are the heckler will leave at that point. I did that once and it worked. Darwin suggest a joke like, "see what inbreeding brings?" Then the heckler is one against a whole bunch.

I'm not a pro so my reaction would be totally different if it were a paid gig, but if just at a bar..

1/ Ignore and continue

2/ If he persists, involve him in an effect

3/ Still going, ask the audience if he is bothering anyone.

4/ I'd make a complete ass out of him publically. Totally humiliate him to the point that he cries and then ask him if he has anything else to say.

5/ Ask if he wants to see a great close up effect....and kick him in the junk

6/ option prior to 4/ Just leave and thank everyone for their time letting them know you have better things to do.

7/ I'd just pound on him. We are at a bar, I'm 6'2 250lbs and grewup on the streets of Toronto.

I have no respect for hecklers.
Keep in mind I am not being paid for what I do.
If this was a performance, I would never involve him in a trick.

Will

Use your eyes! Say something evil in your head about him and really mean it! Something what will scare him to death when you'll say it loud. Take a deep breath in, watch him deeply in the eyes and say it in your head with power. Belive me, he will "hear" what your saying. This is one old shaman's trick and it works if you have enough power! Black magic??

I agree with fakiir. First I would ignore. Second I would talk to him loudly with my eyes. If you actually smart off to him you could prolong the heckling. A stern look might not solve every case of heckling - but it will drive off most heckles.