What do you do when someone requests that you repeat a trick? I've written a short article on my blog about this topic aimed at beginners, so I thought I'd post a link here:

Read Understanding the Impossible: Do That Again!

Thanks,

Marty

P.S. Have I missed any of the obvious ways to respond? Do you do something different?

I always liked --

“Do it again, why?
If it wasn’t magic I’ll do something else.
If it was magic for you, I can do something better.”
the Godfather

but, methinks a possible problem is on "doing tricks." If you are perceived as a doer of tricks, then many will wish to "figure it out."
Some may feel "off put" by being made to appear foolish and want some emotional relief. A few ere not paying attention and actually need to see it "for the first time."

If instead, you are creating conditions under which magic can happen and orchestrate anticipation that it will,
then there is no "repeat" desire as they either want more, or wish to cherish the unique experience.

Easy to do? No. But never possible if you think you are just doing tricks.

Often the real problem is performing for pay for a less than appreciative audience. Those crying "just entertain me" will always find fault,
or treat you as an organ-grinder monkey.

Proven response: "You know, I'd like to, but I belong to the Magician's Union and one of their rules is that we are not allowed to show the same bit of Magic more than once within a 24 hour period. I don't know how, but somehow one of their Watchers is always keeping track of each of us. (Look furtively around as if trying to catch someone spying on you.)

The GOOD NEWS is, I have just learned a brand new trick I think you'll like...have you ever seen one of these...?"

...and you're off to the races!

(Remember YOU are in control.)

Julie

I say "sure" and then do something else. I can't even remember the last time someone tried to bring it back to the original trick again.

Do it again?! I don't know how I did it the first time!

I'm on a roll! Let me try this while I can . . . (move into next routine).

I like that approach a lot. This would also work well if you're a member of a magical organisation like IBM, SAM or the Magic Circle. "I'd love to show you the trick again. But they might kick me out of the Magic Circle if I do. They insist that magicians must perform the same trick no more than once every 24 hours. Apparently, if you break this rule, bad things happen! They have eyes everywhere, watching and listening. Well, not listening. They use their ears for that. I've said too much already. Let me show you another trick."

Thanks, Julie.

That's a great line, thanks.

I have had that happen to me quite a few times. Most times they inflate or mis-remember an effect I performed. They will say, Do that one where my card ends up in my back pocket. I never did that, but that's what they remember. Many similar examples I have found in my restaurant work over the years.

Or as was mentioned, do something similar but by a diffent method.
Ex: CTIL Card To Impossibe Location. Instead of having a card appear inside a wallet in your back pocket,(Mullica Style) have it appear in a wallet
from your inner breast jacket pocket Balducci/ Kaps style,or just from your pants pocket, no wallet. It's good to invest in different props to achieve different scenarios. Just some examples regarding wallets.

Thanks for sharing, Marty.



I think this depends on context.

Since I'm not a professional magician and perform pretty much only in casual social situations for friends and family, I avoid the canned lines that most people are suggesting here. Those are fine in formal situations, although I imagine that it doesn't happen very often in formal shows. Those are probably good responses to have ready to go if you're doing walk around or table hopping. But in the social situations I find myself performing magic I think those are a little off-putting, or at least not a normal response for two people who know each other already.

If you were playing pool with friends and set up and performed a trick shot for them, a natural response might be, "Do that again." It probably wouldn't be natural for you to respond that the Pool Player's Union forbids it. The most natural response would probably be to repeat your trick shot, but with a magic trick that potentially exposes the method. You might set up a different trick shot instead, so I guess that would be a natural response. But normal people don't converse with each other using obviously scripted lines, so I avoid those when I'm performing socially.

Personally, I find the best way to respond to this question is to set up your presentation so that it's not you making the magic happen, but something else. If you're not taking credit for the magic, not only will they be less likely to ask you to repeat a trick, but you have a built in response that makes sense in the context. "I'm sorry, the crystal only works once a week, then it takes some time to charge up again." "I wish I could, but I don't know how this works either, it just does." "Rubbing your temples like that will make you psychic for only about 15 minutes, then it goes away. It will take a couple of days before that works again."

My friends know it's a magic trick, but they are more likely to play along with the interactive fiction if I'm presenting it in a way that's not showing off.

I tend to not go into another trick to distract my friends, mostly because I don't want to monopolize our interaction. Another way to deal with the "do it again" request is to redirect the conversation to them. You can ask them about their hobbies or offer to show them how to perform a simple magic trick (that at a later date you can use to fool them with a different method). Usually we're not hanging out for the sole purpose of watching me perform magic, so it's not hard to shift into whatever we're doing.

If you're interested in this approach I recommend Gerald Deutsch's Perverse Magic book/Genie forum thread or The Jerx blog.

Dave

This is really quite simple when thinking like a performer not a magician. Do you see singers immediately repeat the same song they just did just because the audience enjoyed it? Do actors playing Hamlet immediately repeat "To be or not to be" in the middle of the play just because some people in the audience would love to hear it again? Do comedians retell the same joke because someone missed the setup or simply wants to hear it again? The answer is no in every situation.

Magicians see this as just a trick they do, performers or entertainers see it as a piece in an overall, momentum-building performance. Taking a piece out of something in totality is very out of place and out of context.

You are a performer, an entertainer, not a video game or performance monkey.

First time it's a trick, second time it's a lesson

Going with what others have stated - I just show something else or a different variation of the previous effect.

That's quite true, Mindpro, but your analogies are imperfect. Marty already addressed one reason in his blog post that started this topic.



Magic is an inherently different way of performing that necessarily involves doing something that looks impossible. A joke, monologue, or song are not things that cause cognitive dissonance the way a well performed magic trick will.

But your analogies do help make the same point I was trying to make in my earlier post. Specifically, the reason we don't ask a comedian to repeat a joke or a singer to repeat a song is because in the middle of a formal performance it would be awkward. It breaks the social contract we have when we go to a show of any sort.



Yes! But when you're a hobbiest performing magic for friends and family in a casual situation, there's a different social contract. I contend that this is an issue that is mainly something that amateurs deal with (because of the nature of who and where they are performing magic). Furthermore, I think that most of the standard advice that is given on how to handle the request to "Do it again!" is designed for the formal performance in mind, not that casual environment where it's most likely to happen.

If you're performing in a formal situation for people who are there to see magic, then thinking like an entertainer is probably the way to go. You'll be less likely to get the question, you'll be prepared with stock lines if it does happen, and your overall performance is probably going to be better anyway.

If you're performing in a casual situation for people you know who are just hanging out with you (the most likely scenario to be asked to do it again) then thinking like an entertainer is probably the last thing you should do. It will make your social interaction feel strange and out of place. You're going to come across as someone who is needy and just wants attention. Furthermore, I think you're still going to be likely to get asked to do it again and by using stock lines or segueing into another trick you're going to make your social interaction feel even more unusual. Normal people don't interact with each other in this way.

Your initial presentation seems to be the answer in both situations, but the presentation needs to be different between a professional and an amateur.

Dave

Dave, I agree about the difference in the social contract when performing casually. If I'm too theatrical in my delivery, it damages my authenticity in these situations. I usually perform another similar trick or move the conversation onto something else, as you suggest. If I'm performing a small show, with a more formal structure, even for friends, I'll use something more scripted. Thanks for sharing your experiences.

How about "It ain't any better the 2nd time." or "1st time is free, if you want it again, pay up".

I like the self-deprecating humour.

A dear friend of mine (may he R.I.P.) would always reply...
Do it again? Do you know how many times a beautiful woman asks me to do it again in a night? ~then would kind of mumble dejectedly; Never nearly often enough.

Check out my signature below...



Best Magical Regards,

Mark Williams

Lots of excellent responses to the OP here and I would also add that mentalism effects can often be achieved by a variety of means, so I say Ok and do the same thing with a different MO.

Mentioned befor -when asked to do it again or do another trick, I ask for a coin or bill, do a trick with it and then put "it" in my pocket- if the ask for 'it' - I say "I do this for a living , and my Family says thank you."

When faced with a request to repeat a trick, we have to navigate both the audience's curiosity and the integrity of our performance. Your perception as a performer is important so if they see your act as a puzzle to solve that's what it'll for them. Creating an atmosphere where magic is an experience rather than just a series of tricks does reduce the chances of them asking you to repeat it. For example, if I write you a love letter the correct response would be to cherish it and enjoy the experience not ask me to write it again or ask me to write one for their friends too.. that's how our magic should be.

Of course context matters and the approach may differ based on whether you're performing professionally or casually for friends and family but try to strive for an ideal. In casual settings, it's probably best not to overload people with trick after trick becoming a performing monkey for them.. I say a demonstration or two is enough while hanging out. If what you're doing is special then it shouldn't be something you eagerly jump to show everyone.. that too multiple effects back to back. There's nothing wrong letting them know you can show them something but when you feel the time is right and making them wait. For professional contexts your approach may differ and you might want to show them something else and keep your set moving.

Think like a performer, not just a magician. Professional performers in other arts don't repeat a segment just because it's well-received so try to view your magic as part of a cohesive performance rather than isolated tricks and that can help manage audience expectations about repeats. For example, you perform a book test for someone who had a book on hand and everyone asks you to do it again or do it with them. Instead of letting them decide where your story goes realise that you're the director of your performance and move on... "Well, they had their book on hand and seem good with words.. you seem more of a visual or artsy person let's try something else" and now you do a drawing duplication. You haven't denied them their participation, you've just shifted gears and also given them something personal.

Obviously repeating a trick increases the risk of revealing its secret since the audience shifts from enjoyment to analysis, unlike other performance arts. So if you do perform the same thing again it's good to use a different method or just perform something similar. Another approach I saw from Luke Jermay is taking a participant aside to perform for them alone. The others would watch curiously from a distance and this way tricks are repeatable too.

Of course if requests for repeats are frequent, it could mean that your performance pace is too fast or not clear enough. Slowing down and ensuring clarity can help mitigate that issue as well as show them that you're not zooming through a trick to cover up sleight of hand. If they can watch it and see it performed slowly and clearly they might not think they've missed anything they need to see again. In any case, maintain a balance between your artistry as a magician and the social dynamics at play. The way you handle repeat requests should feel natural and not disrupt the social interaction. You can even use the moment to engage in conversation or storytelling that enhances the magical experience and talk about what just happened etc. So handling requests to repeat a trick involves a combination of understanding audience psychology, maintaining the mystery of magic, and managing social dynamics. Tru to tailor your response to fit the performance context and your personal style.