Hmm, usually I don't like responding to these CT's 'cause people always try and find the right answer rather than actually discussing their opinions and actual thoughts. This is kinda different with people actually telling their experiences, I've enjoyed reading them and seeing how different people react, here's mine.
I have only really been heckled twice - other occasions I'd just call it playful banter. I don't perform as much now being as it's been the summer holidays, but last year I performed quite a bit in school.
The playful banter times were when someone would say "Fake!" and then I'd laugh, they'd laugh and things went merrily along.
The first experience I had was when I was doing some small close-up magic in the school library on an open-evening type thing. I was setting up ready and up bounces
(I say bounces, he may have had some sort of walking dysfunction) what one can only describe in the British term a "Chav". He says
"Gon' do some magic then" I responded
"Not just yet, I'll wait until a few more people turn up" to which he responds
"Yeah you can't can you haha geek" to which I responded
"Yeah... of course I can't" he stopped as though I'd just invoked the wrath of Dai Vernon and walked off because I wasn't starting some kind of argument. I think this worked because I didn't challenge him and it wasn't some sort of pre-thought-of remark - it was just my sarcastic personality and I have little patience for "Chavs".
The second experience wasn't so nasty, rather than someone who was very sceptical and wanted to shuffle at every point, inspect every card etc. Everything you didn't want them to do, they wanted to do. Luckily I could let them shuffle at certain points but the constant interruption forced me to change tactics and get them involved. By involving them in the trick they couldn't interrupt because they were focused on something else. You may recognise this as misdirection.
I think people heckle performers because as many have said before they like the attention, and if someone else has it they don't like it. Another thing might be the whole showing off to their mates thing? Like at a comedy performance, someone might heckle a comedian to try and be funnier and make their friends laugh - often this backfires and they look stupid in front of the whole audience rather than clever in front of their friends
(who I might say are usually embarassed or are also just as immature).
I don't think there are actual definite solutions to dealing with hecklers because every situation is different and no two hecklers will heckle the same. Sure you'll get similarities
"let me shuffle the deck" etc. but you can't expect to use the line
"only if you let me switch it first" and have a laugh and carry on. Some will be far more persistent, some won't be. For me the best way to deal with a heckler is to either get them involved to focus their attention on something else or walk away. They're not worth my time or effort trying to battle with in any sense.
Hmm, this probably made little sense, but hey I enjoy writing nonsense.
- Sean