10A Secrets

Ice breaker

- Have you ever been to a magic show? Or seen a magician at work?
- Which famous magicians have you heard of?
- What are some typical tricks magicians do? 
- Do you know any films on magic?
- Is it fun to what magic trick or not?
- Do you like to work out how the tricks are done - or do you prefer not to know?


Language and cultural notes: magic tricks

• An illusion is when you think you see something (or see something happen) - but it isn't real or is different from what is really there.
• A magic trick is an entertainment in which the magician seems to do something impossible (or which only seems possible if he has special powers). A famous trick is pulling a rabbit out of a hat.
• A card trick is done with a pack of playing cards.
• A conjuring trick is when things appear or disappear (often because of quick hand movements). Putting a knife down your throat is a magic trick, but not a conjuring trick. Making a bird disappear is a magic trick and a conjuring trick.
• Close-up magic is done directly in front of you, eg in the street or at a café table rather than in a big theatre. 
• People who do magic tricks in a theatre are magicians, conjurors or illusionists. Traditionally they often wear black suits with tall top hats - though modern magicians such as David Blaine and David Copperfield wear more fashionable clothes. 
• The most famous magician ever was probably Harry Houdini (1874-1926).
• Stage magic is done as entertainment. Some people believe in real magic, ie using spiritual or paranormal powers.
• If you trick someone, you cheat or deceive them. This may be a joke or something serious that cuases you to lose money, etc. You can also play a trick on someone. 
• A trick of the trade is a special technique or method that only experienced members of a profession know about and can do; eg He knows all the tricks of the trade.
• A hat trick has no connection with magic. It means you succeed in doing something difficult three times, eg score three goals in a football match.

Language notes: illusions

• If something is fake, it is not a real or original thing. If the fake thing is a document or picture, it is called a forgery.
• If you act as if you feel something, you pretend to feel it. A common expression in an embarrassing situation is Act as if nothing happened!, ie 'pretend all is normal'. In situation where you feel that you don't know what to do a friend might encourage you to act as if you know what you do!

Cultural notes: parts of a theatre

When you come into a theatre, the first area you come to is the foyer - the open part where you walk around and chat with people. From there you enter the auditorium (ie the large room where you can see the performance). The stage is the raised part where the actors, singers, magicians, etc., perform. The two sides of the stage are the wings. The audience sits in the stalls (downstairs) or the circle (upstairs). The place you can walk between seats is the  aisle. The word house is sometimes used to refer to the auditorium - especiallly in the compound noun house lights (ie the lights that light the audience), and in the phrase full house, ie there are no empty seats.

Language notes: reading

- If someone lets a secret out of the bag (or lets the cat out of the bag or spills the beans), they publicly reveal something that no one knew about, ie they give away a secret.

- A code of secrecy is a private and usually unwritten agreement between people that they will not tell other people their secrets. The phrase is often used when talking about criminals such as the Mafia.

- A traitor betrays his or her country, friends, profession, etc.

Cultural notes: magicians & secrets

Traditionally magicians have always refused to tell anyone the secrets of their tricks. This is because they believe that when people know how  a trick is done, it often seems too simple and unimpressive. Most professional magicians in the UK are members of a club called the Magic Circle, and to be a member they have to promise not to reveal any secrets. In fact, most new illusions are often just variations on tricks that were actually invented hundreds of years ago. If you really want to find out how they are done, there are quite a lot of books and websites that can tell you how to do them.

Criss Angel

Dynamo