Following on from my first post in the ‘mini interview’ project I had some strong feedback from couples. From this success, people have even started to come forward asking to be interviewed about thier wedding services which can only be a good sign for readers of this blog. However, I do not want to fill the pages with interviews from every service, so I promise to make each new interview different, interesting and most importantly a recommended wedding service.
This leads me on to my recent interview with Wedding Magician – Matthew Duggan.
Hi Matt, thanks being a part of the Your Wedding Guest interviews. Can you tell us abit more about your wedding service?
Well, I’m a professional close-up magician who specialises in weddings and private parties. I entertain the wedding guests, often during the drinks reception or at the start of the evening celebrations. The type of magic I perform is the sort of thing that most people would only have seen on TV magic shows, so it‘s quite novel for people to see impossible magic happening right before their eyes. It includes a variety of magical moments with cards, coins, bank notes, rubber bands and even a little bit of fire! My style is quite light-hearted and I add humour to the magic to both amaze and amuse the guests.
Tell us more about yourself and How you got into magic?
I got into magic when I was about 8 years old after I was given a Paul Daniel’s Magic Set for Christmas. I was already a bit obsessed with The Paul Daniel’s Magic Show and in particular, the close-up magicians who would be on between the bigger stunts. These guys who would entertain small groups with the most amazing magic were just enthralling to me. I wanted to be a performer at that stage as I’d done some acting earlier that year. I’m still a professional actor now as well as being a magician. Over the next few years, I learnt a few magic effects, but it wasn’t until I started going to drama classes in London that I found a magic shop and became a proper student of magic.
I got a few magic books and a deck of cards and really got into learning card magic, which is still a staple of my repertoire today. I used to play with a deck of cards all the time, carrying one in my pocket all the time. I started performing magic at school when I was about 15 and got my first residency in a restaurant in London at 16 years old. It was also that year that I entered the Young Close-Up Magician of the Year competition and won it. From that point, I knew I wanted to earn my living from performing, both magic and acting.
Who inspires you?
The more I perform, the more I find myself inspired by a wider range of people. At first, I was inspired by theatrical magicians like Jeff McBride and Eugene Burger, and also by amazing stage performers like Peter Marvey. Close-up magicians I enjoyed were people like Anthony Owen, who is now Derren Brown’s TV producer. Nowadays, I get a lot of inspiration from comedians as diverse as Russell Brand and Michael McIntyre. I love Russell Brand’s quickwitted
style and the sheer joy that Michael McIntyre exudes when he’s performing. I was also massively inspired just recently by a guy called Philippe Petit. He’s the subject of the film Man On Wire and he’s just an incredible person. If you’ve not seen it, check it out. It’ll blow you away.
Are there any tips you can give to budding magicians?
I think I’d tell budding magicians to perform as much as you can for as many different groups as you can, as often as you can. It’ll make you very good very quickly as you’ll have a lot of experience. The most important thing is to be more involved with your audience than you are with your magic. The more you can make the magic about your audience, the more they’ll remember you and want to book you. Make each performance as unique to them as you can, even if you’ve got a set script for your patter.
What is the magic circle?
The Magic Circle is a society for magicians based in London. A lot of people I meet seem to think it’s some sort of odd Masonic lodge for wizards and it’s not at all. It was set up in the 1900’s by a group of magicians and magic enthusiasts to further the art of magic. The Circle meets at their headquarters in Euston, London every Monday and hosts lectures from magicians and discussions on magic. It also hosts shows, both for magicians and for the public. You can find out more about it at www.TheMagicCircle.co.uk
What is most popular from your clients, close up or a show style?
The close-up magic is by far the most popular, but then I don’t really promote my cabaret or stand-up shows very much. I think close-up magic is far more captivating as it happens right in front of them, rather than on a stage. There seems to be no possible way that it could happen when people are so close and yet, the fact that it does enthrals them. On TV or on stage, there could be trap doors or mirrors making the magic happen. Close-up, there’s no way of deceiving people… or at least that’s what they think!
Do you give the bride and groom a practice show if they were serious about booking you?
Yes, I absolutely do offer the bride and groom the chance to meet up beforehand and experience the magic I perform for real. I want to make sure that they’re happy or confident with the entertainment that their guests are going to enjoy as well as taking the opportunity to discuss their requirements with me so I can tailor my performance to them.
What part of the day do you recommend wedding magic to fit within their day?
I think the best times for the magic would be either during the champagne reception or to bridge the time between the end of the wedding breakfast and the start of the evening celebrations. If it’s booked during the meal, I tend to find that people feel they’re being interrupted. They also have a lot of demands on their attention during dinner, with the meal, the waiters and waitresses and the conversation at the table. Also, by the time the meal begins, any ‘ice’ between guests should have been broken. My magic is an ideal way to do this during the reception so that by the time the speeches happen, the guests are entertained, amazed and amused!
Can couples get a flavour of your work at wedding shows locally or by other means?
I do occasionally perform at wedding shows in the area, but the best way to see what I do is to check out the videos on my website (http://www.workingmagic.co.uk/gallery/video/) or to get in touch so we can meet up and I can show them how I can entertain them and their guests.
Where can we find out more about you?
People can also find out about my magic and my love of magic via my radio show, which aired on Resonance FM in London. You can find out all about it www.smokeandmirrorsradioshow.com and hear my interview with Paul Daniel’s among other top magicians.
The best way to find out about me is to check out www.WorkingMagic.co.uk and www.ProfessionalWeddingMagician.co.uk. There’s a lot of info on both of those sites, including several photo galleries and a video page, featuring some of my magic. In terms of weddings, the best one to look at is www.ProfessionalWeddingMagician.co.uk.
Sounds great. Thank you for sharing all of that with us Matt, have a relaxing Christmas and New Year.
by James Cannon
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