Magician Frequently Asked Questions.

Here is a list of some of the most popular asked questions.

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Q.  How far do you travel? 
A. Dorian is UK based magician who performs all over the country and abroad. He has worked  in France, Germany, Monaco, Switzerland, Austria, Spain, and Brazil. (See also Magician UK Areas Covered page).

Q.  How far in advance do I need to book? 
A. Bookings can be taken up to 18 months in advance of the event. It does not hurt to check availability as soon as you have a date in mind as many key dates do tend to get booked up way in advance. For example May, June, July and August are predominantly booked by wedding clients and the weekends in these months are very much prime dates that get snapped up quickly. November and December get booked up for the Chrismas events.  All bookings are taken on a first come first served basis.

Q.  What sort of magic tricks do you perform? 
A. Answering that would spoil the surprise. Suffice to say it’s all great stuff and nothing boring or cheesy. There's no rabbits in hats, no colourful silk handkerchiefs, no dodgy looking boxes covered in sparkly paint and no wand either! The magic will be solid close up magic that involves sleight-of-hand a bit of mind reading and a lot of stuff that just defies all logic, physics and time.

Q. How many people can you entertain at a function?
A. That depends on what type of function it is. The basic rule of thumb for a typical dinner party type event is 1 magician per up-to 100 guests. Dorian can perform a specialized act for just a single table if need be (see Stand Up Magician page for more details on this). If your event is huge that’s no problem either as Dorian works with an outstanding team of magicians (see Team of Magicians page) that can cover guest numbers over a thousand. He can also recommend other top-class event entertainers such as caricaturists.

Q. How long do you perform for?
A. However long you want. Most bookings tend to be two to three hours, which normally covers for example a drinks reception then an eating period. Or in the case of a wedding for example a photo session period after the ceremony is approximately two hours. Some events are longer, such trade shows or at a corporate family fun day. Dorian also performs a 'one table show' or 'parlour show' that lasts about 40 minutes. This show is ideal for those special occasions where there are only a select number of guests seated at a single table.

Q. There no prices on the web site, why not?
A. Every event is quoted fairly on its own merit and requirements. The best thing to do is drop a quick line via email (see Contact Magician page) and don't forget to include the basic details about your event such as type of event, date, approx times, number of guests, venue and location. Emails are normally answered within a 24 hour period.

Q. How can we tell if the act is going to be any good?
A. Take a really good look through the web site and you will see countless photo’s of magician Dorian performing live. These photos clearly capture the delight, amazement and enjoyment of the spectators. Also on the web site are a number of video’s that capture some of the magical moments and audience reactions to the magic. There are favorable references and testimonials from both private, wedding and corporate clients that have been so happy with Dorian’s high quality magic that they put pen to paper to express their gratitude. Dorian's work also comes with a 100% money-back guarantee of satisfaction.

Q. Is it possible to see Dorian perform before committing to book him? Can we meet up with you before deciding to book your services?
A. It is possible that you can meet and see him perform before committing to a booking. Any magician that is confident in his work would be more than pleased to meet up with you to give you a demonstration of his performance. As a busy full-time professional it might be difficult to arrange, but on the flip-side being a well traveled entertainer Dorian might be working right on your doorstep in the very near future and can pop around at little or no expense at all. It does not hurt to ask and see if something can be arranged.

Q. Which areas in the UK do you cover?
A. Dorian travels all of the UK and on occasion also works abroad.

 

Q. We want to book you but have not decided on times yet. Is this OK?A. That’s fine. As time goes on, should a second enquiry come in for the same date you will be contacted first to see if you have decided on a time and work the second booking around that.

Q. What kind of events / functions do you perform at?
A. Dorian performs at all kinds of events for both private and corporate clients. This list includes weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, dinner parties, drinks receptions, gala functions, family fun days, trade shows, exhibitions, house parties, garden parties, product launches, engagement parties, anniversary celebrations, retirement party, Christmas parties, New Years Eve parties, Christening’s, charity auctions, university ball's. Anywhere where there is a group of people that need entertaining Dorian can cater for your requirements. Even if there are a very large number of guests planned, he can recommend other top quality magicians to help cover all the bases.

Q. What’s your favorite thing about being a magician?
A. There is no single answer to that question as there are a many number of things that make this job very enjoyable, but here's some of the things that come to mind:

* The reactions people have to the magic. There is nothing more satisfying than getting great reactions from the people you are entertaining. Some people respond so vocally and spontaneously that it is a joy to witness and gives an instant feeling of job satisfaction.
* I really enjoy meeting (and entertaining) new people. In this business you are meeting all different people all the time and from all different walks of life.
* The mystery factor. I don’t mean the mystery of the magic, but more in the places you end up and the things you get to see. Sometimes you do get to see things that you would not get to see in normal everyday life, this job can be a great adventure.
* Traveling is a big part of the job. Whether it’s driving up and down the UK or hopping on a plane to work in another country. It's a very nice feeling to be sitting on a plane awaiting take-off, with the knowledge that someone deemed your act worthy for you to be jetted off to entertain their clients in another country.

Q. Do you entertain at kids parties?
A. A number of functions (such as weddings) there are children present and that's no problem at all, but Dorian is NOT a kids party entertainer.

 

Q. Do you have Public Liability Insurance (P.L.I.)?
A. Yes indeed. Any professional that works in the public domain should have this and be able to prove so.

Q. What if you are ill and can't make it to our event?
A. To date Dorian has never been late or not turned up for a booking. Should he be taken ill (he is only human after all.. well kind of... ish) He does work with a small handful of truly excellent magicians and can get the job covered.

Q. What’s the best method to get hold of you?
A. To contact magician Dorian you can telephone him on the numbers on the contact page of this web site (see Magician Contact page). If there is no answer on either land line or the mobile, just leave a short message stating the basic details of your event. Don't forget to include the date and location along with your contact telephone number. Alternatively you can send an email. Dorian endeavors to respond as soon as he can to all enquiry's. If for some reason you have not heard back within 48 hours, please re-send.

Q. I have had a number of quotes from magicians and yours is at the higher end of the scale. Why is this?
A. The saying “pay peanuts and get monkeys” comes to mind, which is fine if you’re organizing a chimp’s tea party. Dorian’s fee is a direct reflection of the quality of the magic and service you will be hiring. In two decades he has to date never been late and never not shown up for a booking.

 

Q. I am after some magician prices. Cost of a magician to hire?

A. For magician prices just fill out the enquiry form on the CONTACT page. Give as many details about your event as possible, then a quote can be made.

Q. Will you haggle?
A. You wouldn't go to a shop and haggle down the price of a bar of chocolate. The fee quoted will be a fair quote and a fair reflection of the quality of service you will be getting for your money. A professional magician will no doubt have to pay a mortgage and bills out of being full time at his job. Out of their wages they need to pay for professional services such as accountants, marketing, promotional material and not to forget the treasury's hungry coffers.

Q. Do I need to pay a deposit?
A. Yes. A deposit (normally about 20% of the fee) is taken to secure the date.

Q. Do you have any references from previous bookers?
A. Absolutely! There are three separate pages dedicated to the testimonials gained from satisfied customers, the links are as follows:

  Private Party Testimonials
  Corporate Event Testimonials
  Wedding Magician Testimonials

Q. What are the reasons for you to book a real professional magician for your event?
A. Magic is not (for the most part) a career that you can just jump into. One has to invest much time and effort in acquiring the necessary skills and techniques in the art (along with all the other stuff that is involved in running a business). Even after the magic has been perfected, it has to be audience tested and tweaked. So after all the technical learning and time in developing and refining the magical effects, skills have also to be developed in audience management and how to interact with all manner of people with the magic. It is necessary to apply time and build up the live performance skills for all kinds of social situations. It depends on what you are looking for as a client wanting to book a magician.

In short there are some really good armature magicians that can do a very competent job of being an entertainer with their magic. If you are looking to book a magician and your budget is very minimal it’s going to be a bit of a gamble. You could be lucky and manage to get an armature that is both good and entertaining and worth the small financial outlay. Or you could end up with someone that is not ready to be performing to a live audience and definitely should not be charging money for it.

 

Alternatively you can book a full time seasoned professional who is going to perform a refined and astounding magic act that will help make your party or event an amazing experience. A professional magic entertainer will help make your guests and colleagues absolutely rave about what they saw for a long time after the event.

Q. Is this really your full-time job?
A. Yes 100%. As of 2002 this is the job that pays the bills, keeps a roof over our heads and feeds the family.

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For more advice on booking a magician please see:

Booking Tips and Advice

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