Shaun McCree’s Advice on How to Choose
and Use a Close-up Magician.....
Shaun McCree probably has more experience of Close-up Magic at every kind of function
you can imagine than practically any magician in the country - in the past twenty
years as a full-time professional magician he has amassed a wealth of knowledge and
advice both for other close-up magicians and for clients wanting to book close-up
magicians, whether for a wedding celebration, corporate promotion or a private birthday
party. Let Shaun McCree’s magical experience help you be sure you have the right
magical entertainment for your event!
Just What Do You Want Your Magician To Do?
This may seem like an odd question, but selecting the right magician for your event
relies upon you knowing during just which part of your event you expect your magician
to perform - not all magicians are comfortable performing in all situations, some
are specialists in their particular style of magic.
To this end, let’s take a look at the styles of magic you may be looking for......
Table Magic - as it sounds, this is the most usual type of close-up magic, performed
as a mini show for each table at a dinner function or in a restaurant - this is the
normal kind of close-up magic for banquets, wedding breakfasts, sportsman’s evenings,
awards dinners and so on - at the 2007 Professional Close-up Magic Forum Shaun McCree
was the keynote speaker on performing at this type of function.
Mix & Mingle Magic - here the close-up magician moves amongst your guests and performs
for individuals and small groups of people as they stand and socialise at a cocktail
party, promotional event or the reception phase of your function before sitting down
for dinner - this is often the key part of a wedding magician’s performance, as an
ice-breaker and conversation starter. It is also the title of Shaun McCree’s highly
acclaimed training DVD for magicians!
Parlour Magic - an odd sounding name which dates back to Victorian times when the
sophisticated dinner host would stage a show for their guests in ‘the parlour’ after
dinner. Today this is experiencing a resurgence as dinner party entertainment for
small intimate groups - under twenty people or so - with a performance for the entire
group over coffee for perhaps 45 minutes. Do remember that this kind of magic has
to be arranged in advance as it often requires the close-up magician to bring extra
material he would not usually feature during a regular Table Magic or Mix & Mingle
magic performance, with which it can sometimes be combined.
Corporate Promotional Magic - is probably the most specialised type of close-up magic.
The magician you see in your local restaurant is unlikely to have the skills needed
to qualify and process new sales leads on an exhibition stand or to design and script
a show to launch your new product on a promotional road-show. This kind of magic
is a specialised field and generally word of mouth referrral is the best route to
find your corporate magician.
These days, Shaun McCree seldom performs on exhibition stands (except under very
special circumstances) but did do so for more than ten years, performing at exhibitions
all over the UK and Europe. He does, however, provide a consulting service to help
you maximise the returns from an exhibition performer - contact Shaun McCree if you’d
like to know more about this service.
Stand-up Magic - performed for the audience as a whole, just like a stand-up comedian,
this is often employed after a meal, when a close-up magician has been performing
over dinner he may round off his performance with a stand-up magic show. Many close-up
magicians do not have an act of this type and those that do may place restrictions
on the size of audience for which they will perform a stand-up magic show, others
may require the hire of lighting, staging and/or sound equipment. If after-dinner
entertainment of this type is what you’re looking for you should choose your magician
carefully and discuss your needs. This is the kind of entertainment which is traditionally
the province of theatrical agents, such as Shaun McCree’s colleagues at Arena Entertainments
- they can discuss your requirements with you and may even be able to suggest an
act of a type you would not have thought of booking directly.!
Next: How to get the most from your magician....
Promotional Magic at RSVP North
Professional Close-up Magic
Forum 2007
