Variety
 

Many famous magicians perform the same act for many years without a single change. When I perform close-up I have a lot of routines (combination of three tricks), I also know tricks to do in each moment... But I am currently preparing a stand-up act (not stage, but actually standing up with the audience that come and sit down to watch your act, not like when you go around performing). So I've thought of one act where the start and end never vary. For the tricks in the middle I have a few options that I can choose from each day.

So, do you think it's better to have many completely different acts, or do one single act repeatedly (this has worked for most famous magicians, but I like to do new things all the time)?

I think you need to have one act that represents you, you can have other acts, of course, but you need to be a complete master of one single act first, then you can start developing other stuff, or adding and removing stuff from your act.

I agree with OliveroG. There is a saying that goes roughly like this: "a professional magician becomes a master of just a few tricks, while an amateur learns to do a hundred tricks badly".

If you are a professional, performing for paying audiences on a regular basis you owe it to yourself and to them to have mastered those tricks you are showing them. But if you are only performing for friends, then they will see your best tricks and then what? So obviously you'll want to learn more so that you have "new" things to show them all the time.

Personally, I'm not a professional, but I try to get a balance. I learn lots of new tricks all the time, but I have a set few tricks that are for performance, that I am trying to master. I am pretty patient, and not worried about showing my friends something new every time I see them, there is no rush! I'd rather show them 3 perfect tricks in their lifetime than 20 average ones every time we meet.

i agree with Fin and Oliver, if you really like to go and perform, then have a solid base for all your performances first, and that means to have a single act be ready enough to perform at all times without fail. If you already have that, you can change it up from time to time or even think of new ones, in order to not be too repetitive, but for now, if you don't already have it, then preparing a core routine is absolutely necessary