The Magician’s Starter Kit – Props You Will Need

If you are planning to perform illusionist tricks, there is only so much you can do just using sleight of hand. Items borrowed from audience members and simple stage accoutrements can get you some of the way, but the audience will expect certain stalwart parts of the show which can only be achieved with the use of some props.

The old image of the magician wearing a cape and a hat has gone out of fashion in recent years, but there is still room for both in a show if your tricks will be helped by them. The cape is particularly useful for tricks which involve a revelation – “now you see it, now you don’t!” – while the hat can be used for tricks which involve “magically” producing something as if from thin air.

Other props which are commonly used in magic shows include playing cards. Some of the simplest magic tricks involve a deck of cards and the selection of one of those cards by an audience member. When the card is placed back in the deck, the magician will “find” the card using a trick that makes it identifiable. In the basic trick, he or she will pull it out of the deck. To go more advanced, the magician can make the card “appear” in the audience member’s pocket or inside another prop.

There are many and various tricks which require specific props. Unless you happen to be a very skilled illusionist it is wise to have some of these props on hand, as working without them can be hugely demanding.