Most people book a magician once or twice. Almost nobody does it often enough to develop a sense of what separates one performer from another. So as a professional magician and mind-reader, I’ve written a quick guide to help you know how to choose which magician to book and why.
It is an annoying position to be in when the websites all look similar, and everyone has good reviews. And the difference between a magician who lifts an event and one who quietly drains it is not visible from a booking page.
So here is what actually matters…
1. Magic Circle standing, and what the grades mean
The Magic Circle has around 1,500 members worldwide. Entry requires a performance examination, so membership itself is meaningful. Above that sits the Inner Magic Circle, and above that – the Gold Star, held by fewer than 290 performers globally.
The terms get used loosely, but it is entirely reasonable to ask which grade someone holds and when they were admitted. That being said, plenty of excellent performers are not members.
2. Hours in front of real audiences
Not how long someone has been a magician – the hours they have spent performing. Ask how many events they worked last year.
A magician performing weekly has already met the group that ignores them, the guest who wants to expose the method, and the room where the music is too loud. They have solved those problems long before your event.
Someone doing twenty events a year is still solving them in front of your guests.
3. Regular venue work
A weekly residency is the most useful reference there is, because it renews itself – venues drop performers who do not work. If someone has held a slot at a serious venue for years, that is a verdict delivered repeatedly by people whose own reputation depends on it.
4. References from events similar to yours
A wedding is not a corporate drinks reception, and a seated dinner is not a standing party. Ask for a reference from an event of your type from the last six months. A magician who can be flexible across a wide range of events will be able to seamlessly adapt to whatever you throw at them.
5. Reviews
Look at three things: how many, how recent, and what they mention. Reviews that describe the tricks are mildly useful. Reviews that describe the atmosphere, the mood, and how guests felt afterwards, tell you far more about what the performer actually does.
6. Who actually turns up
Some magicians and most agencies subcontract. This is not dishonest, but it is good to know. Ask directly: will you personally be performing, and what happens if you are unwell on the day?
A professional will have an answer – often this involves a named colleague of comparable standing.
7. The practical stuff
Public liability insurance. PAT certificates if anything is plugged in. Any full-time professional has these ready to send across.
8. How they work a room
This is the skill nobody advertises and the one that decides the evening.
The difference between an adequate performer and a very good one is not the material. It is knowing which group to approach, how long to stay, and, most of all, when to leave. Rooms have a rhythm, and a magician who does not feel it will hold a group past its natural end and the energy will sag.
You cannot test this from a website. You can test it by asking how they decide when to move on. The answer will tell you whether or not they have thought about it!
The questions worth asking
Copy these into your enquiry email if useful.
- Are you a member of The Magic Circle, and at what grade?
- How many events did you perform at last year?
- Do you hold any regular venue work?
- Can you share a reference from a similar event in the last six months?
- Will you personally be performing, and what is your cover arrangement if you fall ill?
- Can you send your public liability insurance and PAT certificates?
- How do you decide when to move between groups?
A note on fees
Most established performers offer two or three options. What changes between them is duration and coverage, not the quality of what you get. If you are shown a single figure with no structure behind it, ask what it includes and for how long.
And if your event is small, informal, and among friends, you may not need any of the above. A capable local performer will do very well. These criteria matter most when the room is large, the stakes are public, or the guests are people you would rather impress.
I should say, having written all that, that I hold a Gold Star for performance excellence at the Inner Magic Circle and have performed at The Ned every Wednesday and Saturday for the past eight years, as well as regularly performing at The Magician’s Table. If you would like me to answer any of the questions above about my own work, I am happy to. However, I hope the list is useful regardless when finding your next performer.
Roberto Forzoni