Have you ever noticed the look of astonishment on a child’s face when a magician on stage pulls out a long ribbon from his sleeve or when a furry little bunny is magically pulled out from a hat? It’s that look of wonder and surprise that any performer truly lives for and in many ways, the stunned looks, the wave of silence and the resounding applause from the audience is, in fact, a testament to the skill and talent of the artist.

The more difficult and confusing a trick appears to be, the louder the applause. Not surprising then that magic as a form of entertainment from the yesteryears has lived on to become a highly skilled art form which has taken entertainment itself to an entirely unprecedented level. Over the years, the tricks and illusions have become more tasteful, the stunts more mesmerising and the audiences even bigger.
The terms ‘magicians’ and ‘mentalists’ are often intertwined and one may be used for the other, but actually, they are two different forms of ‘magic’ or entertainment. It is true that mentalists may also be magicians because that gives them greater scope to offer the audience better variety in terms of acts, tricks, and illusions. On the other hand, however, all magicians need not necessarily be mentalists.

What Is A Magician Really?

They perform at fairs, festivals and at bigger venues and can make a child smile to no end. These days, one can spot magicians entertaining guests at weddings and at bigger events too. However, the most important characteristic of a magician is that they often perform tricks that involve quick hand movements and gestures. They prefer to use everyday objects like pens, cards, coins or other smaller things that can be neatly hidden or tucked away in a sleeve or even enfolded in the hand, to be brought out and displayed only when the minute is right.
Many magicians prefer to keep a safe distance from the audience and perform onstage whereas a strolling magician is likely to entertain a smaller crowd of around 2 – 3 people at a time. Speed, deftness, misdirection and the ability to read body language is important for a magician to keep his audience interested in the tricks that he performs.

What About A Mentalist, Then?

Mentalists love a big audience and are least likely to feel intimidated by a crowd that fills a stadium too. This is because the feats that they perform always involve the audience. In fact, one could also say that the higher the participation from the audience side, the more successful and entertaining the illusions will be. Mentalists may also be hypnotists and they employ what looks like clairvoyance, telepathy or other psychological means to ‘read’ the minds of the audience.

Mentalists always interact personally with the audience and it’s not unusual for them to ask for volunteers from the crowd as well. This is mostly done to convince the audience that there is no use of trickery or props and the idea is to astound the audience so that they keep trying to figure out how the feat was done. In a mentalist show, one gets to witness how ‘powers of the mind’ can be employed to baffle an audience.

Audiences these days have become smarter too and there are plenty of articles and other information given online or in print about how a magician actually performs his tricks and leaves the spectators guessing. The props and objects used as well as the number of assistants he is likely to have on stage all have a hand in making the trick a successful one.

A mentalist on the other hand rarely uses props and usually doesn’t have assistants to help him on stage either. This works in a big positive way for him because it makes any illusions that he performs on stage appear much more believable. The watching spectators are convinced that they cannot see any underhand tricks or other devices being used during the performance. Secondly, what makes a magic show so exciting is the use of great sound and light effects which enhance any trick that the magician performs whereas a mentalist who performs on stage is mostly just ‘out there’ on his own. In that aspect, it’s his personality and ability to carry the audience with him that makes his show a success and of course makes him famous.

So, now that we’ve got you interested in the mystical world of magic and mentalism, why not spend some time on our site www.actionentertainment.com.au to learn more about our team of performers and shows? We specialise in one-day performance programs and can even customise an exclusive package for you depending upon the kind of event you have in mind. If you’re looking to spice things up at your next annual conference meet, then you have to take a look at our corporate game shows and live mentalist performance packages which are worth every penny. Don’t wait till it’s too late. Get in touch with us today.