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Mel Mellers - The Travelling Trickster
‘Thoughts, tricks, scripts and routines from the world’s most travelled comedy
magician’
148 Pages. 7.5 x 10 inches. Softback. Full
colour.
Published by Magicseen Publications
www.magicseen.co.uk
Reviewed by Jay Fortune
Mel Mellers is someone who has done the rounds and rightly earned his place as
one of the UK’s best comedy magic entertainers. Like others with similar skill
and experience, Mel focuses on the lucrative cruise ship market; one of the few
venues left where you’re guaranteed an attentive audience in a theatre style
venue (albeit given the age of many cruisers they might not be fully awake
during the show). And that makes for routines that have personality,
pack-a-punch and pack light!
This well produced full-colour soft-back book is crammed with tips, routines and
advice from a working professional. A huge amount of quality material is
included here. Some routines, which no doubt appear simple in effect and method,
must surely be the result of countless performances to hone them into shape. And
that hard-work is almost glossed over in the laid back and simple flowing style
in which the material is presented for the reader. I felt as if Mel was giving
too much away and perhaps not giving enough prestige to some of these pieces.
Guess that is also a great scoop for the purchaser!
Reading it with my performer's hat on, it was the ‘bits of business’ that were,
in my opinion, really worth their weight in gold. And these are littered
throughout the book. Many may pass them by, but to the savvy and experienced
performer you’ll read a sentence for a gag or bit of business that might give
birth to a whole routine inspired by Mel’s thinking.
I’m not a fan of routine books that tip the performers patter and gags, warts and
all. It usually means there’ll be more clones imitating the originator (usually
though lack of experience and the mistaken thought that if it works for Mel then
it’ll work for you). However, that aside, the keen magician who studies why
the routines and scripts work so well for Mel will learn how to structure their
own magic to suit their own performance.
This book is great value for the working pro, or those who aspire to be paid to
perform. It deals with stage magic in the main, and shows how through study,
contemplation and experience, the simplest bit of magic can be made into
something which is engaging and interesting for modern audiences.
But I would urge the reader to study each routine, essay and script closely and
not imitate the scripts word-for-word. By understanding the rhythm of Mel’s
magic, you can begin to make his routines work for you. There’s only one Mel
Mellers and behind each piece is years of practice, vast experience and a deep
understanding of magic.
A few years back I was involved with Geoffrey Durham’s Professional Secrets
book. Mel’s new book is of similar ilk; a lifetime of wisdom captured in a book.
Learn the lessons, apply it to your magic and you’ll be well rewarded for the
investment of buying this book.
Highly recommended.
© Jay Fortune, April 2016