So Jack,
Tell me about magic
One of my favourite magicians is a guy called Paul Harris. His philosophy is that good magic creates a moment of astonishment.
Astonishment, he argues is the default setting of a child. They are forever astonished at the world around them.
Good magic creates astonishment. For a moment, magic makes you a child. It makes the world an astonishing, magical, bewildering place.
I don’t come to your table and show you tricks.
I bring child like awe. I bring moments of astonishment.
Are you any good?
Well, I don’t like to blow my own trumpet, but yeah. I’m pretty good at magic.
I’ve been doing this for 12 years now, and I’ve learned a lot.
It’s not about the sleights, the tricks and the props.
Good magic is about the rapport. The patter. The eye contact.
Most of all, it’s about the astonishment.
And, I’m well practiced at bringing astonishment to events.
What is "transparent pricing"?
I’m happy to share my prices online. I charge £2.50 per minute. £150 per hour. The minimum booking is 1 hour.
The usual booking for most events is two hours, for which I charge £300. I do have a “travelling fee” as well.
If there is an hour of travelling, I add on £30 to the total fee. 2 hours of travelling incurs a £50 extra charge.
Where do you perform?
I live in Cullercoats, Tyne and Wear. I’ll travel as far north as the Scottish border, and as far south as North Yorkshire.
If It’s a long drive, I’ll add a little on to my fee for travelling. If I can walk to your event from home, you’ll get a discount.
So, do you have any videos?
Good question.
I’m not really a fan of making videos.
You don’t get the same feeling as seeing magic up close and personal.
They feel more like tricks than moments of astonishment.
But, here you go. Enjoy.
What tricks do you do?
Close up magic is all about being close. A lot of my magic takes place in the spectators hands. I don’t like props. People (rightly) think that magic props are dodgy.
Everything I use fits in my pockets. I do tricks with cards (and then give my deck away at the end of the night). I use business cards and rubber bands. I use borrowed coins.
Mind reading is terribly fashionable at the moment. And though I’m no expert, I do like to dabble in a the more psychological side of the art. You should expect a little “mental magic” during my set.
That video was quite good. Have you got any more?
Ok Then. If you insist.
Here you are.
This trick costs me 30p each time I perform it.
Worth it though.
Do you do children's magic?
Well, kind of.
I don’t do rabbits in hats and balloon animals traditional children’s parties.
But I do astonishing magic that children will enjoy.
In a wedding situation, I can entertain groups of children with magic that will make them gasp.
And, for young magic fans, I can arrange a close up show of about 45 minutes that will keep a small crowd captivated. For a birthday treat, I will even teach the birthday guest a professional standard trick, and give them the props to perform it.
Do you have any professional affiliations?
Thanks for asking! Yes I do!
I’m a member of Newcastle Magic Circle, and also Equity.
The former allows me to mix with world class magicians and hone my skills. The latter gives me a bi-monthly magazine and £10,000,000 worth of public liability insurance. Not that I’ve ever needed it.
