Unexpected Magic (Impromptu / EDC Tricks)

Yes, it’s the dreaded words. The words we are all told that we should not have to say. "Be prepared" we’re told, "always have something on you to show". And yet, it doesn’t seem to be that simple. If it was that simple, we wouldn’t have endless threads on magic forums with people saying how they’ve been caught out too many times. People have asked to see a trick but they weren't in a position to show anything. 

When I started magic, it seemed to be a bit of a taboo subject. There was only really one main source of tricks to do unprepared and it’s still considered one of the go-to resources. A few years later, a second DVD came out. For many years those two DVDs were mentioned time and time again in magic forums as the two sources for magic to do if requested when you’re unprepared.

Now, however, times seemed to have changed. We no longer talk about “impromptu magic,” as was the term in previous times, but we now use the dreaded three letters EDC (Every Day Carry). 

No one quite seemed to know what impromptu magic actually meant. Was it magic you carried with you in your pockets? Was it magic you improvised when asked to perform? If you carried it in your wallet everyday, then could it be considered impromptu seeing as it was, after all, rehearsed and prepared? The EDC generation seems to have narrowed it slightly to magic you have on you. Not magic you’re prepared to do with borrowed items or those on the table at the restaurant in which you find yourself. And with that definition, are we lead to believe that the best magic to do when you aren't expecting to, is the magic you have in your pockets or on your keychain? 

For me, I was caught out too many times. It was frustrating how often I’d have to say “I can’t do anything at the moment I’m afraid.” And so I set myself the task of getting organised and not getting caught out.

The first thing for me to do was to come up with a definition of impromptu magic. For me, it became this: any magic I perform when I'm not expecting to. Call it impromptu, call it EDC, call it what you like, this was the situation I needed to prepare myself for.

For me, getting organised and being prepared to perform when out and about, firstly involved making a list on my phone of impromptu tricks and what one would need to perform them. I now have a fairly sizeable list of tricks in a notes page and what I need to perform each magic trick. There’s a lot of pen and paper mentalism on there, as well as various coin tricks and various other stunts. This was such a valuable step for me to take.

Although I carry two tricks with me everywhere I go (one in my phone case and one on my keys,) they are NEVER the tricks I go to when I am asked to show a trick. I’m convinced that making a list of all the stuff I’ve read over the years has been one of the most useful things I’ve ever done for myself in magic.

Here’s an example. It’s a trick we’ll have read about in beginners books and, while I’d never use it as part of a regular or planned repertoire, it’s served as an impromptu trick on a couple of occasions and has gone down well. I’m asked to show a trick and, as I scan the room, looking for what’s there, I notice a few wax crayons. Someone hands you one behind your back without you seeing and you can immediately tell them what colour it is. Many of us will have read about it and forgotten it over the years but it’s been pretty useful for me on more than one occasion. As Paul Daniels once said “the only way to make sure you can perform a trick any time someone asks to see one, is to read a magic book every single day and make notes.” 

I’m now in a much better position to show magic at any time someone requests it. For me, it’s not a case of “I never leave the house without it” but rather getting organised and looking at what is around me. My list of tricks is constantly being added to. Of course, your list will look different from mine, but here’s one excellent trick to look up. It’s called Numero and it’s an ebook by Jay Sankey that is completely free off his website. It is simple but effective mental magic that just needs a slip of paper and a pen.

Happy hunting, and happy performing.

an article by Elliott Hodges

Note: Two DvD's which you can find on our website that fit this category are "Ultimate Impromptu Card Magic" by Cameron Francis, and "Any Shuffled Deck, Self Working, Impromptu Miracles" by Liam Montier.