The similarities between mind reading and comedy

Written by: Colin Cloud
Published: Friday 12th June 2015

Ahead of the The Edinburgh International Magic Festival, forensic mind reader Colin Cloud explains how the worlds of 'people reading' and performing comedy overlap in many ways...

"You see but you do not observe. The distinction is clear." - Sherlock Holmes

Little did Sir Arthur Conan Doyle know when he penned those words, he wasn't only describing the fundamental skill required by any great detective, he was also sharing the perfect summary for the difference between someone telling jokes and someone who is a great comedian.

Much of my life has been shaped by trying to recreate what Sherlock Holmes was able to do. This has led to me training in many esoteric skills and ultimately studying forensic investigation at university at the age of only fifteen. But the key skill I realised early on that I was going to have to master was the ability to observe and ultimately be hyper-aware.

I was sixteen years old when I realised that the people in life who are great at being aware 'in the moment' are stand-up comedians. A stand-up comedian not only has to capture and engage attention, the best comedians are able to truly observe their audience both physically and on an empathetic level allowing them to tailor their set and include things which they know are going to enhance their performance.

I realised this wasn't something that could be learned by studying, it could only be learned by actually getting up there and doing it ... Thus my venture into the world of comedy.

My world of 'people reading' and their world of 'being funny' offer some incredible parallels. They're both about people and, because I'm dealing with what's on people's minds, I also have no props to hide behind. I, like a comedian, am standing there, naked before the audience.

In the same way that a comedian can reference some clever observation - something that we all have in common (such as a carrier bag in our cupboard full of other carrier bags) - and make it a hilarious realisation for the audience, a 'psychic' would be able to use this same information and make it seem like they know everything about you.

The one key difference is in the character that our audiences decide they are watching. Then it's down to the delivery of the information, skill or ability from that character.

Robert Houdin, the great 19th century stage illusionist, once wrote that, "A magician is an actor playing the part of a magician." Because as much as we magical performers are looking to create the experience of real magic, it is ultimately an illusion.

However, the best entertainers are able to take you to the very edge of impossibility and dangle you over the side. As soon as you can no longer tell if what you are seeing is real magic or not, or if the comedic tale being regaled is fabricated or not, the performer on stage has done their job effectively.

Of course, it's important to remember that entertainment is not just about making people laugh, there is a whole range of emotions that we strive to take people through. It's about sharing a compelling story which evokes controlled emotion within people and has the performer, as the conductor of this social orchestra, ensuring everyone is involved in the process.

Obviously in shorter spots, the goal is to get the audience to buy into you in order to make them desire seeing your full show. However, when you have an entire sixty or ninety minutes to really take people on a journey, you can then really begin to positively affect them.

Magic and comedy are different to watching a play in a theatre because they offer a fully immersive experience for the audience. Where magicians are different to comedians though, is that a magician will do more than just make you laugh. The best magicians will also make you feel stunned, astonished and euphoric all at same time.

The Edinburgh International Magic Festival 2015 runs from 26th June to 4th July. www.magicfest.co.uk

Colin Cloud will be performing his new show 'KILLS' as part of the festival from Saturday 27th of June to Friday 3rd July at 8:30pm in Summerhall's Old Lab Theatre. Info & Tickets