About Jamie Docherty
Jamie Docherty is a close-up magician and entertainer with well over ten years of performing behind him, and he's the Jay in the double act Jay & Joss. This page fills in a bit more about how he works and what he's like to book.
On this page
Jamie Docherty
Leading Magician and Entertainer
- ‘East Midlands Wedding Entertainer of the Year 2017’
- ‘Northamptonshire Close-Up Magician of the Year 2015’
- Nationally ‘Highly Commended’ for entertainment within the wedding industry
- Member of The Magic Circle and Equity (the Actors Union)
Jamie is a regular performer at the Royal Variety After Show Party and has performed at hundreds of prestigious events all over the country – The England Rugby Team’s briefing talk, Jamie Carragher’s Official Retirement Dinner and New Years Eve at The Shard, to name just a few.
Not just a highly skilled performer, Jamie is a true entertainer and naturally makes people laugh and smile whilst performing magic.
With well over 10 years of performing experience under his belt, you can be sure that Jamie’s the perfect choice of entertainment for your next event.
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Jamie Docherty on the night
Ask people what they remember about a Jamie Docherty performance and it's usually the laughing as much as the magic. He's chatty and quick, and he reads a group fast. Some tables want big reactions, some want something quieter and a bit more baffling, and he shifts between the two without making a thing of it.
That's what clients tend to pick up on. Joshna Patel booked him for her daughter's wedding and summed him up like this: "He is a really really lovely person and a fantastic magician." (Joshna Patel, Facebook review, August 2019). Plenty of magicians can do the tricks. Being good company while you do them is the harder part.
Jay of Jay & Joss
Alongside his solo work, Jamie Docherty is half of Jay & Joss, a magic and illusion double act. In 2021 the pair became Associates of The Inner Magic Circle with Silver Star, and in 2024 they won The Magic Circle's Champions of Stage Illusion.
You might well have seen them on TV. They performed a wedding-themed routine on Britain's Got Talent series 17 in May 2024, and they've also appeared on Penn & Teller: Fool Us (2021), BBC Three's School of Hard Tricks (2020), a Channel 4 documentary (2020) and ITV News (2025). In 2026 they're out on their theatre tour, It's Not a Game.
That stage work feeds straight back into the close-up side. Putting together a big illusion show teaches you a lot about timing and about how an audience thinks. You can see it when he's stood at a table with a pack of cards and a dozen people leaning in.
The sensible stuff people ask about
Jamie Docherty is a full Member of The Magic Circle and a member of Equity, and he holds £10,000,000 public liability insurance. Every booking gets a formal confirmation of the event details, and there's an invoice receipt for every payment.
He always dresses smartly, he's a non-smoker and he doesn't drink alcohol at any event. Not the most exciting list, but it's exactly what a venue manager or a nervous parent of the bride wants to hear. He travels far and wide for bookings, too, and keeps travel expenses to a minimum.
He's performed at hundreds of weddings, private parties and corporate events across the country, from intimate house parties to big black tie dinners, so there's not much about an event that will throw him.
Three ways to use him
Jamie has a different style of performance for each kind of event. Close-up magic is the one most people know: small groups, cards and borrowed objects, things happening in your own hands. Then there's stage and cabaret, where the whole room watches together and volunteers come up to help. And there's the Jay & Joss show, a full illusion act for bigger nights.
Lots of clients mix them. A walkabout set during drinks, say, and then a short spot after dinner once everyone's sat down. If you're not sure what fits your event, describe the day and he'll suggest something that works rather than selling you the biggest option.
Booking Jamie Docherty for your event
Most clients book Jamie Docherty for close-up magic, working between guests at a drinks reception or between courses. There's more detail for weddings, company events and private parties, and a stage and cabaret option for when you want the whole room watching together.
If you'd like to see him in action first, the gallery has video and photos. When you're ready, send your date and venue through the quote form. The earlier the better, because good dates do go.