Paul Draper Live Lecture

Josh

DAMIAN

First of all, if you're hoping for performances, tricks and explanations, you'll be disappointed. Paul starts off by saying 'You know enough tricks'. So this is a much more general chat about magic, life, getting gigs, Paul's personal stories etc. but there are some moments of real top-class value, some passionate insights and some corny stuff too. All in all, listening to Paul was for me a strange mixture of dismay and delight - he talks A LOT and gives four examples where one would suffice, or instead of naming one instance will give a complete list - but he is so genuinely passionate about what magic and mentalism really mean, that in the end I accepted the value of the 'chat' and took some deeper understanding away. I do wish he'd been a little more generous in demonstrating performances or routines though, which could have been supported by his philosophy. Paul explains that philosophy at length, expressing his thoughts and experiences with magic and mentalism in general, about knowledge, about acting, ethics and so on. So, if you're looking for 'tricks' you could end up feeling sorely disappointed but if you're happy to listen to a successful, articulate and knowledgeable guy expound upon his ideas and experience (and you can forgive him the unnecessary divergences) then you'll hopefully absorb some of his clear and undeniable wisdom - 'tricks' though, not so much.