The SPREAD Sequence: A Framework for Improving the Performance of Magic

A powerful six-step process to improve the impact of your magical performances.

Have you ever fumbled or lost your way when performing a card trick? Or maybe you forgot your lines during a magic show? We’ve all been there. But what if I told you there’s a secret formula to transform your shaky performances into sensational show-stoppers? Enter the SPREAD Sequence—a powerful framework I conjured up several years ago to help me improve my magical performances.

This six-step process isn’t just about better practice and rehearsal, but also about strategic enhancement. Whether polishing a single trick or revamping an entire act, the SPREAD Sequence will help you become the magician you’ve always dreamed of being. Yes, this might sound like gratuitous hyperbole (heaven knows, we don’t need more of this in the world of magic). However, I genuinely believe that following the SPREAD Sequence will make you a more engaging, entertaining and, ultimately, successful performer.

SPREAD stands for Script, Practice, Rehearse, Evaluate, Analyse, and Develop. Here is a high-level summary of each of the six steps:

The SPREAD Sequence

1. Script: Write a script for every magic trick you perform. If you’re developing a complete act, write a script for the entire show from start to finish (including the words you will say when transitioning between tricks). A chronological list of key lines will suffice for a short routine or act (a bare-bones script), while a longer, more complex one will require a more detailed script (possibly including stage directions).

2. Practice: Dedicate several days (or even weeks) to the daily, mindful practice of each trick in your active repertoire. Practice the mechanics of your tricks until the actions are second nature. In other words, keep practising until you can perform the trick without thinking about it. The ultimate goal is to recall the moves and sleights from motor memory alone, allowing you to perform the trick with little to no conscious effort. The same is true of remembering and delivering the words of your script.

   However, you should also focus on both internal and external experiences in the present moment to avoid entering “auto-pilot mode”. The thoughtless repetition of tricks and sleight-of-hand moves will provide you with little benefit. In fact, it might cause serious medical complications, such as repetitive strain injury or carpal tunnel syndrome, so over-practising should be avoided.

3. Rehearse: Perform your act for an imaginary audience at least ten times. Follow your script as if speaking to real people. Record these sessions with a video camera, a camcorder, or a smartphone.

   Treat your rehearsal as if it were an actual performance. For some of these sessions, put on the clothes you plan to wear while performing. In other words, make some of your sessions dress rehearsals.

   If something goes wrong, don’t stop; keep going and find a way to recover from the mistake. This will help you build confidence and prepare for any challenges you might face during a live show.

4. Evaluate: Review the recordings of your rehearsals. Watch the entire video recording, no matter how painful, and evaluate your performance with a critical eye. Did it go well? Was it good, or could you do better? What went wrong? What aspects require improvement?

   Don’t be afraid to return to the scripting stage if the routine or act doesn’t work well as you practise its various elements.

5. Analyse: Examine the individual components of your act, looking for technical mistakes. Pour over the fine details of your performance. Were there any awkward moments? Think of this as a technical analysis of the “moving parts” that make up your performance. Did you flash, speak too fast, or fluff or forget your lines?

6. Develop: Given what you’ve learned, how might you improve your performance? Take active steps to address any issues identified in the previous two steps to improve your trick or act; this could be something as insignificant as changing a single line in your script or altering the overall pacing of the routine.

Depending on the amount of practice needed or additional script rewrites, you might cycle through these six stages a couple of times before performing a trick or act for a live audience.

The biggest benefit of the SPREAD Sequence is that it holds your feet to the fire! It forces you to put energy, effort and thought into each of the six steps in the checklist.

The Difference Between Evaluation and Analysis

These two words, evaluation and analysis, are often used interchangeably, but they have distinct meanings. The main difference between them is that evaluation involves making judgments about the value of something, while analysis entails breaking down something into its constituent parts. Evaluation is subjective, whereas analysis is objective.

Evaluation is the process of judging something based on criteria or standards. It involves assessing the quality of something to determine its overall worth and effectiveness.

On the other hand, analysis is the process of examining the structure or elements of something to better understand it. It involves interpreting information, finding patterns, and describing things.

Many magicians evaluate their performances after finishing them, but it is more unusual for someone to spend the time to analyse them in detail. This deeper analysis, though difficult to complete, is crucial as it can expose weaknesses and areas for improvement. The SPREAD Sequence has been purposely designed to encourage you to do both.

Enhancing Spontaneity Through Preparation

Some performers prefer a more spontaneous style and develop their routines through multiple live performances. However, I dislike this approach. In the world of magic, there’s a common misconception that spontaneity and preparation are at odds. Some performers swear by a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants approach, believing it leads to more authentic performances. While I respect the courage this takes, I completely disagree with this mindset.

Every audience deserves nothing less than your absolute best, regardless of whether they’ve paid for tickets or not. Relying solely on improvisation is a gamble that rarely pays off. If you want to deliver consistently polished, high-quality magic, then thorough preparation is the best way to go. But let’s be clear—this doesn’t mean you should script every word you utter and choreograph every movement you make. Doing this will turn you into a robotic performer. 🤖 Rather, it’s about building a rock-solid foundation that paradoxically enables more confident and skilful improvisation when the moment calls for it.

This is where the SPREAD Sequence comes into play. While the acronym might seem unnecessary to some, it serves as a powerful reminder that systematic preparation can elevate your magic from good to extraordinary. By following these six steps, you will improve as a magician, fine-tuning your act until it shines.

Remember, true magical spontaneity doesn’t come from a lack of preparation but from being so well-prepared that you’re free to be in the moment. In the end, the most captivating illusion might just be the apparent effortlessness with which a meticulously prepared magician performs their tricks.

Scripting is Difficult. Why Should I Bother? ✍

The initial scripting stage is the hardest part of the SPREAD Sequence. I know the challenge of writing scripts will discourage many magicians from using the framework, which is a shame.

Let’s face facts: even coming up with a script for a simple magic trick is tough. That’s why most magicians, myself included, start by practising the trick first. While there’s nothing wrong with this approach, writing a rough script before investing a lot of time in practising a specific trick is much more beneficial. Also, I’ve learned from experience that if I don’t write the script first, I’ll never end up doing it.

There are many reasons to have a draft script at your practice and rehearsal sessions. It helps you focus on often neglected aspects of performance—such as vocal production, timing, blocking, and misdirection—before getting caught up in learning a trick’s moves. Having a script can even lead you to modify the method, so it’s best to write your script before you begin practising a new trick or routine in earnest.

Many of the tricks I like to perform involve a complex series of moves, especially some of my favourite packet tricks. It’s much easier to remember the method if you connect the mechanics of the trick to what you say. The script serves as a helpful reminder of what you need to do with your hands. Of course, you can’t do this if you don’t know what you’re going to say in advance.

Read More Posts on Scriptwriting 👈

Is the SPREAD Sequence Something Every Magician Should Use?

Yes! At first glance, the SPREAD Sequence appears intended for professional magicians. That’s not the case. I’d argue that it is far more important for hobbyists and amateur magicians to use it. Why? Because we tend to perform less often than professional magicians. More preparation ahead of the performance of a trick can compensate, to a certain extent, for less “flight time” in front of a live audience.

Given my infrequent performance schedule, following a more structured approach significantly improves the quality of my delivery. This method ensures I’m well-prepared whenever an opportunity to perform arises. Over the past few years, I’ve found the SPREAD Sequence invaluable in getting individual tricks and entire acts performance-ready. I sincerely hope you’ll find it equally beneficial in your magical journey.

Creating a SPREAD Sequence Kanban Board

One of the best ways to implement the SPREAD Sequence is to create a SPREAD Sequence Kanban Board. I use Trello, a free online platform, to do this. A kanban board is a popular tool in agile project management. It originated in Japan (as part of the lean manufacturing revolution) and is designed to visualise work, limit work-in-progress, and maximise efficiency or operational flow. (You can learn more about the concept of kanban by reading this short article by Max Rehkopf.)

Trello lets you create digital boards (the free plan limits you to 10). On each board, you make a series of lists. On each list, you add cards. The cards can then be moved across the board from left to right. This movement represents and visualises your progress.

I recommend that you have eight lists on your board, as follows:

• Backlog: Create a card on this list for every trick you want to work on.
• Scripting (3): Move a card onto this list when you’re ready to write a script for it. I recommend limiting the number of cards on this list to a maximum of three. 
• Practising (9): Move a card into this list only after completing a draft script for the trick. I prefer to limit the number of tricks I’m practising to nine. This enables me to practise all nine tricks every day. When this list exceeds double digits, this becomes difficult, if not impossible.
• Rehearsing (3): Perform your act as you would for a live audience at least ten times.
• Evaluating (3): Once you’ve completed one rehearsal session for a trick, move it onto this list for evaluation. Again, I prefer to limit the number of cards on this list to no more than three. 
• Analysing (3): Once each performance has been evaluated, move it onto this list for deeper analysis. Again, I set a maximum of three cards for this list. 
• Developing (9): Once a trick has been evaluated and analysed, I move it onto this list to improve it by addressing the deficiencies identified in the previous two stages. I allow myself to develop a maximum of nine tricks simultaneously because fixing some issues can take a while.
• Ready to Perform: Finally, a card is moved onto this list when you feel the trick is ready for a live audience.

You shouldn’t move a card back to the backlog once you move it to the Scripting list. The idea is to keep moving cards from left to right. However, if a trick requires a significant script rewrite, you can return it to the Scripting list rather than leave it on the Developing list. Similarly, you can return the trick to the Practising list if it needs more work.

I prefer to use the list limitations mentioned above (see the numbers in brackets). However, you should adjust these to suit your own needs. The whole point of the limitations is to encourage you to focus on fewer tricks rather than bite off more than you can chew. I use multiples of three because I like to group three tricks together to form a small act (something the legendary Las Vegas magician Mike Skinner did). Three sets of three tricks will also provide you with more than enough material for a walkaround gig or an informal after-dinner show.

Trello is free to use (with some limitations). So, if you’re not sure where to start, I recommend creating a SPREAD Sequence board in Trello and adding a few cards to your backlog. The following guide from Trello is a good place to begin:

Getting Started with Trello 👈

The SPRITE Sequence

After inventing the SPREAD Sequence, I temporarily switched to a slightly different approach called the SPRITE Sequence. This checklist has the benefit of including a “performance” stage (Test):

1. Script: Write a script for every magic trick you perform. 
2. Practice: Regularly practice and rehearse each trick in your active repertoire. Engage in mindful practice, taking mental notes of any issues or difficulties you encounter. 
3. Rehearse: Perform your act as you would for a live audience at least ten times.
4. Improve: Given what you’ve learned during your practice sessions, how might you improve the performance of each trick in your repertoire?
5. Test: Perform the trick for a friend or family member to test its impact and effectiveness.
6. Evaluate: Reflect on your performance. Did it go well? What might you change next time to improve things?

I decided to include the SPRITE Sequence in this article because it might be more useful to some performers. I quickly reverted to the SPREAD Sequence because, unlike the SPRITE Sequence, it allows me to evaluate a performance separately from analysing it. The SPRITE Sequence also requires finding a suitable test audience willing to suffer through regular unpolished performances. I prefer not to perform for friends and family because they can become tired of seeing magic tricks too often. This can make them less impressed with magic effects or too familiar with the methods, plots, and procedures commonly associated with magic tricks (even if they don’t fully understand how they work).

Final Thoughts

The SPREAD Sequence isn’t about perfecting your performance—it’s about providing your audience with the best possible experience of magic. By embracing this method before your first performance, you’re not merely scripting, practising and rehearsing your tricks but crafting wonder. Each step of the sequence magnifies your magic, making it more impressive, impactful and memorable. When you thoroughly prepare, you’re not just ready to perform—you’re all set to astonish!

The real magic of the SPREAD Sequence lies in its ability to help you create experiences that turn ordinary, everyday moments into extraordinary memories for your audience. Even though committing to the process requires time, effort and dedication, I encourage you to give it a chance.