Dirk Arthur Review

There is a somewhat scathing review of magician Dirk Arthur at the Review Journal. I remember reviews done by Genii magazine some years ago and they really enjoyed him. What likely is hampering Arthur is the 45 minute show limit he has. But the reviewer noted several items which magicians would do well to take to heart.

1. They noted that Arthur wasn't bad but didn't establish a strong stage presence. While this may be a subjective assessment, nevertheless, it is a perception. Any stage show must pierce what in theater terms is called "The third wall." The wall is the separation between the audience and the performer. If the magician doesn't or can't do this then he is just a fellow bouncing around on the stage.

2. They noted the issue about Tigers in light of the attack on Roy Horn. Probably it is still too soon to be dragging out the large animals. People love(d) Horn and it is just a strong visual reminder.

3. They noted that he drags out "contraptions." The perception is that the boxes are doing the 'magic,' and not Arthur. This likely hinders rather than helps his performance.

4. They noted that his patter was dismal. Especially they noted that he should do something more than just shout "hey hey" when he appears in the audience. After watching countless hours of some young illusionists this seems to be a wide-spread problem. They would do well to look to Andre Kole who has memorized his entire patter and it is delivered (though somewhat deadpan) consistently.

If magicians want to be remembered then it seems the reviewer was looking for a strong distinctive personality that went past the spotlights and connected with the audience rather than the boxes on stage.