Magician for your Christmas dinner

Table magic fills that time. A magician goes from table to table between courses, spending a few minutes with each, so every guest gets their own little show without leaving their seat.

How table magic works

The magician waits until a table has finished eating, or is between courses, then joins them for a short set. Cards signed by guests, coins vanishing from someone's hand, a thought read across the table. Then they move on before the next plates arrive.

Good performers keep an eye on the kitchen. They'll steer clear of a table when the mains are landing and won't hold up service. Venue staff tend to appreciate that, especially on a packed December night.

Add a drinks reception set

Plenty of clients book the magician from arrival. They mingle while people are having a drink and finding their seats, then switch to table magic once dinner starts. It means guests meet the magician early and look forward to them reaching their table later.

There's a practical upside too. If the kitchen runs late, which happens on busy December nights, the magician keeps people happy while they wait. Nobody notices the starter is twenty minutes behind when they're trying to work out how their signed card ended up inside a sealed envelope.

For a dinner of around 60 to 120 people, two to three hours usually covers drinks and the meal. Bigger dinners might need longer, or two magicians working different halves of the room.

Magicians who shine at the table

Matthew the Magician is The Magic Circle's Close-Up Magician of the Year, and his favourite setup is mingling at drinks with table magic between courses. He's also good at knowing when to stop for the speeches. Neil the Magician is quick and funny at the table, and Lewis Joss is used to working formal dinners after the welcome drinks.

Want a finale? Ed the Magician and Mark the Magician can both round the meal off with a short cabaret spot for the whole room.

Christmas lunches are easier to book

Lots of companies now go for a Christmas lunch rather than an evening do. It's cheaper for the venue, people get home at a sensible time, and there's no wondering who'll make it in the next morning. It's also easier to find a magician for, as most of the December pressure is on Friday and Saturday nights.

So if your dinner can be a lunch, or a Tuesday rather than a Friday, you'll have a much wider choice of acts.

Lunches also suit teams with people who have long commutes or childcare to juggle, and a magician during a lunchtime meal makes it feel like a proper occasion rather than just a nicer canteen.

Getting a price

Tell us the date, the venue and roughly how many guests, and we'll suggest acts who are free. Have a look at the price guide for a ballpark, then request a quote.