The Professional Touch by Billy McComb

The Professional Touch by Billy McComb
My oh my is this a great ebook! If you intend to earn a living doing magic or if you simply want to make your performances more professional then do yourself a favor and read and study this ebook. There are decades of experience bottled up in its wisdom. And on top of this it is fun to read.

The ebook starts with a superb introduction by Kirk Charles reproduced with kind permission of the Linking Ring. The ebook is edited and illustrated by David Britland with extra illustrations by JAT. And Martin Breese is the publisher. It was also Martin who recorded on tape Billy's recollections from which this book was largely created.

Billy McComb was one of the world's top cabaret magicians. He has worked all kinds of venues and performed all kinds of magic and in this ebook he shares some of his many experiences, thoughts and routines and describes how you too can give the professional touch to your act. Being a professional means thinking about your act in a commercial way. Here Billy deals with such points as misdirection, patter, close-up, opening effects, cabaret - in fact a wealth of information gained during his many years as a professional entertainer.

Billy touches on so many varied and interesting subjects connected with show business that it is impossible to list them here. We can promise you that reading about them will be an entertaining and educational experience. In addition to the tricks and routines explained in this ebook, Billy has also included complete descriptions of three cabaret routines used by him for many years. Every nuance of the performance is explained. Not just how you do it but, more importantly, why you do it.

A study of these three routines and their construction should pay dividends when applied to your own act. This is professional magic by one of our most entertaining professionals. Amongst the routines and effects described you will find The Nap Hand routine, the Ring on Stick and Billy's Bill in Lemon.

1st edition 1987; revised in 2003; digital edition 2010; 100 pages.

Table of Contents

Contents
Foreword
Introduction
William's Words of Wisdom

What Are You Going to Wear?
A Beginner's Tricks
McComb on Patter

Where the Patter Comes From
Tape Recorders
Timing and Pointing
Keep It Clean
Learning Your Patter
Repetitive Gags
Pinching Patter
McComb on Misdirection

McComb and the Professional Touch

What Went Wrong?
Signs of the Amateur
Knowledge is the Key
Working Out a Presentation
The Rice Bowls
William's Torn and Restored Newspaper
William's Presentation Wand
William's Fantastic Fez
William's Hot Book
William's Square Dancing
William's Fizzling Firework
The Eggs and Glasses Inertia Trick
McComb on Close-Up

Introduction
Cigarette Through Handkerchief
The Shrinking Napkin
Challenge Silk Vanish
Oliver Mackenzie's Drink Trick
George Blake's Recurring Card
Thought on the Pea Can
The End
McComb on Cruising

McComb on Opening Effects

The Six Card Repeat
Golf Ball Through Handkerchief
The Torn and Restored Airmail Letter
Pat Page's Easy Money
Leopard Silk
Just Chance
The Professor's Nightmare
Invisible Card Trick
Red and White Ropes
McComb on Cabaret

Be Bookable
Dealing With Your Audience
Humour
Cleanliness
Your Trademark Trick
The Role of the Compère
Get Organised
Learn From Everyone
Be Bold
Cabaret Defined
Contracts
Travel Light
Nerves
Get Them to Relax
Be Sneaky
Salesmanship
Heckler-Stoppers
Please the Ladies
What Is Right?
Comments and Suggestions
The Professional Nap Hand

Requirements
Preparation
Presentation
Playing the Hands
Final Comments
References for Further Reading
The Professional Ring on Stick

The Effect
Introduction
What You Need
Preparation
Presentation
The Professional Bill in the Lemon

The Effect
Method
Requirements
Preparation
Forcing the Lemon
Switching the Bills
Vanishing the Bill
Cutting the Lemon
Revealing the Bill
Where Everything Is Placed
Presentation
Patter
Conclusion