Magic tricks for your first open mic: a buyer’s guide

Bring a short set you know cold, built from tricks that set up fast, read from the back and survive a microphone in one hand. Ask the host how long your slot is, plan to finish a little early, and script your first and last lines.

An open mic can be a good first stage: a short slot and a chance to try material in front of strangers. It also throws up problems you won’t meet at a kitchen table, like unknown lighting, a microphone and very little time to set up. This guide covers what to look for, names four pieces from our shelves and points to two free books on presentation and patter.

What should you ask before you go?

• How long is my slot? Plan your set to fit inside it with time to spare.
• Is there a table? If not, everything has to work from your hands and pockets.
• Is the microphone on a stand or handheld? A handheld mic leaves you one free hand, which rules out many two-handed tricks.
• How big is the room? Small props that work across a table can disappear on a stage.
• Can a volunteer come up? Some venues have steps and space for one; some don’t.

What should you look for when you buy?

Question	Why it matters at an open mic
How fast does it set up?	The less you need to set up, the less the room waits.
Can the back row see it?	If they can’t see it, it didn’t happen for them.
Does it come with a routine and script?	A tested structure helps when nerves hit.
Does it pack small?	Everything you bring, you carry in and out.

Our guide to doing a card trick for a big audience covers how to make cards read in a larger room, and our talent show guide covers building a short act.

What helps you take it further?

These four come from our shelves and suit a first stage set. Every detail below is from the product’s own description.

• Balloon Oracle by HJ: a prediction routine that starts with musical hot potato. The balloon is thrown around the audience and spectators are chosen when the music stops; each makes a free choice. The last person holding it joins you on stage, you pop the balloon with a wand, and the paper inside predicts their choices. It includes the wand and holder, a 52-slot index and 20 balloons, has built-in jokes, and the description says it packs small and plays big.
• Afterglow The Anytime Act by John Graham: a hardback book teaching seven card tricks with a normal deck that can be borrowed, with no set-up. They combine into a 20-minute-plus act with all the scripting and transitions, and each effect can also be performed on its own, so you can pick two or three for a short slot.
• X Light by Kingsley Xu: you sweep a wand through the air, it glows, and a feather appears in the light. The description says it sets up in 38 seconds, suits small theatres, stage acts and short videos, and can also be used for silk productions, vanishes and colour changes. Smoke and other extra effects shown in its trailer need gear that isn’t included.
• Demi Deck by Angelo Carbone: you put a deck in its case, cut it in half with a blade, show both ends, then restore it. It uses any normal deck, is easy to learn and self-contained, and the description suggests it as an opener, a middle piece or a closer. It is close-up sized, so it suits a small room or a venue with a camera and screen.

For more ideas, browse our card magic and easy mentalism collections.

Are there free books that help?

• Our Magic by Nevil Maskelyne and David Devant (1911) is a free 512-page book on the art, theory and practice of magic. Its chapters on presentation, rehearsal and speed, and on patter, stage manner and personality, suit anyone stepping onto a stage for the first time.
• Conjuring Patter by P. T. Selbit (1904) is a free 38-page booklet on what to say while you perform, with a ready-made opening speech, a chapter on how to construct patter and a set of gags.

Both are public-domain scans of library copies, so expect the odd stain or stamp. See all our free ebooks.

How do you plan your set?

1. Write a running order. Two or three pieces is plenty for a first set.
2. Open fast. Your first 30 seconds should show the room you’re a magician.
3. Script the first and last lines. A scripted opening carries you through first-night nerves, and a clean last line tells people when to clap. Our guide to writing patter helps.
4. Time it out loud. Run the full set with a timer, then trim until you finish early.
5. Rehearse with a mic. Practise holding a hairbrush or a real microphone so you know which moves still work. Our guide to pacing and timing helps you keep the set moving.
6. Plan an out. Know what you’ll say if a volunteer misunderstands or a prop fails.

What are the common mistakes?

• Running over time. If the host signals you to wrap up, go straight to your closer.
• Trying a brand-new trick. Your first open mic is for material you have already performed.
• Close-up magic in a big room. Choose props the back row can see.
• Talking to the floor. Look up, find the light and speak to the back of the room.

Frequently asked questions