After the busy Christmas season, things usually quieten down a lot for me in January. I don’t mind at all – it gives me time to work on new magic and to keep HMRC off my back! That said, I’ve had a busy start to 2019 and have some exciting things planned for the coming months. Here’s a little update.
Parties
My January started with one of several parties – Rishi’s 21st at the lovely Bush Hall in West London. It’s a beautiful dance hall built in the early 1900s, worth a look if you’re planning an event!
I also had the pleasure of surprising somebody for their 40th birthday. Her husband secretly (and expertly) arranged a party at their house, complete with a catering team, a jazz duo and magic from yours truly.
Finally, a last minute leaving party for some of the staff at the Chelsea Ram, a lovely pub just up the road from me.
One of the lovely parts of my job is surprising people on special occasions like these, and leaving them with masting memories of the night.
Corporate Events
Coincidentally, I visited the Hilton Park Lane twice this month to perform at unrelated corporate events. First up was the BAFT Bank to Bank forum – an international crowd who enjoyed close-up magic over drinks.
Then, It was great to be back for the third year to provide entertainment for the Top Employers Certification Dinner. This is a fun event to work at – 620 guests, with 5 magicians working the room over reception drinks and dinner. I arrange all of the performers every year, and it’s always nice to work with friends who happen to be brilliant performers too! The photo at the top of this page is us before the show started.
Great experience! Darren provided entertainment for our networking reception. My group loved him. Our group wanted to network – and Darren provided a wonderfully entertaining ice breaker, which was especially helpful to new individuals. – Kathryn Koch, BAFT
Public Shows
January was a bumper month for public shows – thanks a lot to Luke from Now That’s Magic and Sylar from Magic and Cabaret for having me along. Lovely audiences at both events provided me with a great opportunity for me to test out some new material.
Some of you will know that I’m part of a monthly show at The Illusioneer in Herne Hill. We’ve been running for a number of years now (do come along if you haven’t already!). This month, we started a new night, “The Bunco Show” at the Bel Air House in West Dulwich. It’s an immersive evening where you can pit your wits (and casino chips) against games and scams. All of the operators are skilled sleight of hand artists though, meaning it’s unlikely you’ll win! Through the night you’ll also enjoy cabaret spots by the team of performers.
Coming Soon!
That’s about all for January, a great start to the year for me! I do have some exciting things planned for the next few months though, most notably some memory training workshops. As well as magic, I’ve become known by both the public and fellow magicians for my memory performances. As a result, I’m writing some sessions which teach these skills, and have a couple of “trial runs” lined up for February. Watch this space for more news.
And if you’re looking for a magician for a corporate event, or would like to hire me as a party magician, do get in touch for a chat!
