The Show You Can’t Explain: 5 Things You Will Encounter During a Live Mentalist Show:
How do you know you’ve seen a good version of the show that cannot be explained? Mentalist shows are growing in popularity, perfect for date night or a fun time with the girls, but they’re so shrouded in mystery it’s hard to tell whether you’ve seen a show worth recommending to others. Was the act good, or simply not something you have seen before?
Mentalism shows are a great way to see something new if you’re someone who likes a show with their meal. There is an element of magic, an element of interaction, and it will set your imagination ablaze. So, what makes a good mentalist show? We’re outlining some ideas here.
1. It isn’t just mind reading
The centre point of a mentalism show is the mind reading act, but a good mentalist show will incorporate so much more. There is only so often a man can ask about a lost loved one before the audience gets bored.
A well-rounded mentalism show will have a range of other acts to keep the audience on their toes. They can perform predictions, telekinesis, hypnosis, control acts, and even stunts. Card play, hypnotising audience members into stunts, and other things can take a so-so show into one that keeps the audience’s attention.
2. There will be lots of chances to volunteer
You will notice that all of these acts will require someone to volunteer. Naturally, for the sake of keeping things interesting and appeasing the people who want to get involved, there will be a different volunteer for each act. This means you will have great variety in your entertainment. Maybe one act pulls on the heartstrings, and other tickles your funny bone.
Half the fun of a mental telepathy show is the volunteers, as people pulled from the crowd always have great character and will make sure that each show is a unique experience. Have you noticed that comedians’ crowd work clips are the ones that go viral on TikTok? That’s for the same reason: a unique experience where you don’t know what will happen. That is the case in every mentalist act.
3. There will be a story to it
Every mentalist act should have its own narrative. Narrative is everything in life. From tabloid scandals to marketing, nothing is worth the effort if it doesn’t have a good story – and mentalism is no different.
The common tropes of a mentalist narrative are the lost loved one talking through the mentalist or a secret getting exposed. As long as your mentalist knows how to bend and stretch narrative into something fantastical, you will have an amazing show.
A mentalist that appreciates narrative will be able to make you cry, laugh, gasp and yell all in the one show. You will come out it having seen apparent miracles happen and be in awe of how it occurred.
4. The mentalist will not be like all the others
That narrative idea goes as far as the character of the mentalist themselves. A good mentalist will have a persona that is entirely theirs, which you haven’t seen elsewhere. It comes across in their outfits, but also their stage persona. Are they chatty and aloof, or sombre and serious? Are they wearing a hoodie and sweats or a penguin suit?
Maybe neither. Maybe they’re whacky and coming out in something akin to Willy Wonka’s outfit, or look like they’ve just got off work in a shirt with rolled up sleeves for a more subdued look. A good mentalist will make his persona a part of the show so that you remember them for the next time.
5. You will gasp more than you will applaud
The point of a mentalism act isn’t to cheer and scream, but more so to gasp. An applause can go alongside that of course, but the audience is supposed to be awed. The mentalist isn’t so much a hero as he is a mysterious and wise figure in the dark. You will come out of a mentalist show inspired, awed, curious and confident that you have seen true miracles.
Conclusion
Of course, these are the elements that make a good mentalist stand out from the rest. If you are at a shoddy show, you’re not going to get all of these things that make for a good night out. Mentalism makes for a great night out with friends or date night, and if you want to experience it at its best, you can see a live mentalist show in a variety of venues, including Covent Garden Comedy Clubs, New York City concert halls, or Hollywood theatres. Get your tickets now to see what makes the difference between a run of the mill mentalist show and one that leaves you believing in miracles.