Old Magic Rules, Modern Everyday Applications by Paul Regan

In 2020 the world around us changed. There was a global pandemic. Suddenly everyone was having to stay indoors and find ways to entertain themselves. Some people took to box sets, others a new language, and still others decided to start baking. I, too, wanted a project, but one that I would be able to dip into and out of.

Months earlier a magician of my acquaintance, Chris Wood, had introduced me to Our Magic, a book published in 1911 by Nevil Maskelyne and David Devant, two of the premier magicians of the day. In the first section, ‘The Art in Magic’, Maskelyne outlines 24 rules for magic performance. I thought it might be interesting to approach each rule separately and examine them; not just from the perspective of a professional magician, but as someone who is a fan of many different types of performance. Additionally, after having personally spent many years as an office worker before giving it all up for the glitz and glamour of the showbiz world, I wondered if these rules could be applied to the type of presentations I’ve had to sit through in workshops, seminars, and team meetings. After well over 100 years, are these rules still relevant, and do they apply to more than magic?

I published the conclusions week by week in various ways. This is the first time they’ve all been drawn together. I’ve edited and carried out a few amendments for clarification. In addition, there are some brand new thoughts and ideas reviewing the project, which I hope you will find useful.