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!)
Yes, I have worked in other countries, and for different cultures within the UK. Those of Afro-Caribbean descent are often very expressive. Those from Asian descent are usually a bit more reserved. And in the Indian culture they like you to stop after the show to eat with them. That's nice unless you've got another show to get to, and then you have to politely explain.
The differences are minimal really though. The show doesn't change! And certainly no variation in what is impressive. If it's magic, it's magic! Within Europe the hardest thing to overcome is the language barrier.
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A magician is someone who creates the experience of magic in another person. Magic is a feeling of fully knowing that what you have witnessed cannot happen, and yet you just did - the only possible explanation for it is magic! You don't have to believe it's sorcery, but you can't step off the fence easily either way.
The important points about my definition of magic are 'no other possible explanation' and 'fully knowing.' Some magicians are happy to tempt their audience by telling them that they are using distraction, fast hands or sleight of hand. This is all wrong if you ask me. If an audience feels as if they have been distracted or that the magician was just using fast hands, then that is not magic. Likewise magic should relate to the audience, they should be clear that what they will witness is impossible, because something similar does not happen in their everyday life.
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I perform close up magic at weddings, anniversaries, family celebrations, corporate celebrations and hospitality events. I also perform my magic as a way to market other's businesses. This is often at trade shows and exhibitions or during an on street marketing campaign. Finally, I provide magic workshops for staff training days.
I perform magic for children at birthday parties, christenings, weddings and family fun days. I am also sometimes asked to provide shows for schools during the end of term.
If you want to see a little of my magic, you may want to look at my YouTube channel by searching for Ed Sumner Magic.
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My friend gave me some great advice the other day. The best way to be perceived as an expert in something is to first become an expert in that thing.
So in short, read a lot, practice a lot and perform a lot.
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Firefighter
What kind of shape do firefighters need to be in?
Veterinarian
Do you think keeping monkeys as pets is a bad idea?
School Bus Driver
Why don't school buses have seat belts?
Sorry but I don't reveal any secrets here. Especially ones that aren't mine to give away. You'll have to ask Dynamo.
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I'm always playing around or learning something new, as that keeps my skills sharp, and widens my experience and knowledge of magic. Those routines usually don't make it into my working material though.
My working material is quite well rounded but if I want to try out some new ideas then I will work to create my own routine that fits the specific requirement.
Once I've learnt enough to not give the secret away, I'll start performing it. Not at paid shows straight away, but for friends, family, other magicians and on the rare occassions I have a charity show where I'm helping out for free or for a reduced price, then I will try some new material there too. Finally when it gets to a paid show, I'll put that routine alongside other more established material. That's a nice way to ease that material and learn some of the timing and the presentation.
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Well any trick no matter how 'hack' it might can be turned around and made presentable. It just needs a new idea. For example, there's a trick called Six Card Repeat - every magician does it at the start of their show! Most magicians just do it the same way, "I have one, two, three, four, five, six cards and I threw one, two, three away and I still had one, two, three, four, five, six, so I said, NO WAY! How can I have one, two, three, four, five, six cards, throw one, two, three away and still have one, two, three, four, five, six." etc... It's boring!! But others have created something new from it - Tim Ellis has a great rap version, Joshua Jay does a version with credit cards instead of playing cards. And I have a parody version for magicians!
The defining thing about hacks is that they don't have any creativity or originality of their own, so they just copy others, use lines that weren't funny the first time round, "Hold your hand out, no the clean one." etc... That's part of the reason why in my children's show, I don't use a magic wand, even though it's expected. I haven't found a way to make it novel for me, yet.
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