Creation of a Magic Act

"If you apply what Robin shares in this book, you'll be able to take your performances to the next level and create even stronger magic. Enjoy!" Boris Wild

Most magicians know plenty of tricks. But much fewer know how to turn those tricks into a complete act with structure, rhythm, progression, and a clear identity.

In Creation of a Magic Act, award-winning magician Robin Deville shares the process he uses to transform individual ideas into cohesive, memorable performances.

Robin is the winner of The One at Blackpool 2025, a French Champion of Magic, the 2019 FFAP Close-Up Champion, and a FISM Europe 2024 laureate. Rather than simply presenting the finished material that earned him those accolades, he takes you behind the scenes to show how it was developed.

You’ll learn how to approach an act from the audience’s perspective, create a progression of magical moments, refine unfinished ideas, and make creative choices that give your performance its own personality. Robin also examines common mistakes that can make an act feel disjointed or overly technical, and explains how to avoid them.

One of the most interesting sections explores Robin’s COPYCAT series.

During lockdown, he created a series of short acts inspired by performers including Yann Frisch, Boris Wild, Juan Tamariz, Pierric, and Dani DaOrtiz. The goal was not to imitate their material, but to study how each performer thinks, structures routines, and expresses a distinct creative voice.

It’s a practical exercise that can help you better understand the artists who inspire you while developing a style that remains entirely your own.

Building an Award-Winning Act

Robin also provides a complete case study of his acclaimed act, Dr Blue & Mr Red.

He openly discusses the original concept, ideas that didn’t work, structural changes, artistic decisions, and small details that helped shape the finished performance. It’s a rare opportunity to follow the development of a competition-winning act from its earliest stages through to the final version.

Alongside the creative theory, Robin teaches several of his working routines:

Coins Through the Table - Three coins visibly penetrate a table without gimmicks.
Sandwich Chercheur - A direct and thoughtfully constructed sandwich routine.
Instant Sandwich - A fast, visual approach to the classic card plot.
Investigator Sticker - An original routine built around a simple sticker.
Gambler vs Magician - A dynamic, multi-phase contest between skill and magic.

Each routine is explained in full, but the teaching goes beyond method. Robin shows how the effects are structured, why certain decisions were made, and how each routine can contribute to a larger performance.

Creation of a Magic Act is a detailed look at how strong magic is developed, refined, and shaped into something personal.

Whether you’re building your first complete set or improving an act that you already perform, Robin Deville will help you think more carefully about what you present, how you present it, and what makes it unmistakably yours.

"Read the following pages carefully. They will help you appreciate and understand all facets of Robin, as well as the evolution of our art-with its strengths and its flaws." Bernard Bilis

"I consider Robin Deville to be an important voice in contemporary French magic and, without a doubt, a figure who will continue to shape its future. These pages bring together not only valuable ideas, but also the way of thinking of a magician who has chosen to take magic seriously." Luis Olmedo