Booking a Close Up Magician

What to look for when booking a Close up Magician (Table Magician).

Close up magic (or table magic) has really taken off in the last 15 years. Before that most people associated magic with Paul Daniels (especially in the UK) and before that David Nixon. Magic was also thought of as a children's entertainment - the magician would come along and perform a few funny tricks for the little uns at birthday parties and often make balloon animals.

Nowadays, most magicians perform at weddings, private parties and corporate events with close up magic - that is magic performed to small groups at a time. No stage, no special lights, no mic. And it's great. It can really help break the ice for guests that don't know each other and create a genuine buzz before the alcohol has kicked in.

The downside is, that as having magicians becomes more popular then more 'magicians' jump on the bandwagon. All you need is a couple of tricks, a quick website and put an ad on Google Adwords or a few internet directories and you're away. Anyone can get at least a few bookings.

So how can you separate the wheat from the chaff? Here are a few things to look out for -

1) Price. If the magician is charging a very low fee then chances are he is new. Ignore the fact that he claims to have lots of corporate clients. If he is charging a good fee then chances are that he has self worth and belief in what he is doing.
2) Video. Make sure you can see a video of what the magician is like. This is vital. Lots of magicians put together videos that are heavily edited so you can just see a few card moves - this is because unfortunately, many magicians are socially inept and are bad at actually engaging and entertaining. Sure, there tricks might be fine, but it's a bit like having comedian like Peter Kay or someone you know saying the same jokes. It's all in the delivery.

3) Recommendations. Have a look for some recommendations or Google the persons name. If a magician has been performing for a while then inevitable his/her name should be all over the place. I would be very wary of any magician who's name only comes up for his website.

4)Pictures. Have a look to see if the magician has a few picture of him performing. It's all very well to say they can entertain - a picture is worth a thousand words. Also, make sure the magician is actually in some of the photos - some unscrupulous magicians just pinch photos off other sites.

5) Response. Look at the professionalism and speed of the response. If a magician isn't used to getting lots of enquires about his/her services then they are usually slow and bad about sending out a detailed and professional response.

Even the above can not guarantee you will choose the right person. Out of them all I would say the video is the most important. If you can get an idea of the performers personality (and tricks) then this is your best bet.

Usually a magician is seen mixing and mingling amongst groups. However, an excellent way to use your magician to the best advantage for everyone is setting up a separate room and inviting small groups in at a time. This way everyone gets to see the show in it's best possible form - no interruptions at the wrong time (ie a waiter coming over at the vital moment), full focus and it just feels a bit more special to go and see a show rather than a show coming to you.

Alan Hudson - Professional Close Up Magician in London

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