Magician in London for corporate events
Client drinks in the City, a Christmas party for four hundred, an awards dinner on Park Lane. Jamie works the room table by table so every guest gets a moment of real astonishment.
Hiring a magician in London for a corporate event means competing with a lot of noise: a busy room, a tight running order, and guests who have seen plenty of entertainment before. Jamie Docherty is a professional close-up magician and entertainer who thrives in exactly that setting. He's performed New Year's Eve at The Shard and is a regular at the Royal Variety After Show Party.
He's also "Jay" of the double act Jay & Joss, who were on Britain's Got Talent in 2024 and earlier on Penn & Teller: Fool Us. Below is how he approaches a company party or client evening in the capital, and how the same skills transfer to London weddings and private celebrations. If you're comparing options for a magician in London, it helps to know what actually happens on the night.
On this page
Christmas parties and client evenings with a magician in London
A big work party in town often starts with a crush at the bar. People find their own team, check their phones and wait for dinner. Jamie cuts into that by approaching one small group at a time. A borrowed banknote or a signed card does the rest, and suddenly the people from compliance are laughing with the people from sales.
For client evenings, close-up magic does a useful job for your staff. It gives them a reason to bring a guest across the room, an easy topic of conversation and a shared moment that tends to be remembered long after the canapés. A magician in London who knows how corporate hospitality works will keep it light and never steal the spotlight from your hosts.
At a seated dinner he visits tables between courses, keeping each visit short enough that nobody's food goes cold. At a standing reception he roams. For awards nights, he fits around the presentations and stays well clear of the stage when the compère is on.
Big rooms are familiar territory. Jamie has worked events at the ExCeL and Grosvenor House, and performed for the England Rugby Team at their briefing talk. A trade show stand, a gala dinner, a product launch or a conference drinks reception all suit the same approach. The corporate entertainment page goes into more detail.
Some companies want something after dinner too. Jamie offers stage and cabaret styles as well as close-up, so a short show can follow the table magic. See the stage entertainment page if you're after a cabaret magician for hire.
London weddings, from the ceremony drinks to the evening
City weddings have their own rhythm. Guests often travel in from all over, many won't know each other, and the gap between ceremony and dinner can stretch while photographs are taken. That's where close-up magic earns its place.
Jamie mingles through the drinks reception, introducing himself to each little group and leaving them chatting. Plenty of couples ask him to carry on into the wedding breakfast, stopping at each table between courses, or to welcome evening guests when they arrive later on.
Timing is worth sorting early. Jamie talks through the day with you or your planner in advance, so he knows when the photographer needs you, when guests sit down and when the speeches begin. A magician in London who has that plan in hand can simply get on with it, leaving you free to enjoy the day.
If you're after a wedding magician in London, his record speaks for itself: East Midlands Wedding Entertainer of the Year 2017 and a national Highly Commended for wedding entertainment. The wedding entertainment page explains how he plans the day around you.
Space is rarely generous in town, and that's fine. A magician in London who works close-up needs no stage or setup at all, so he fits a rooftop terrace or a private dining room as easily as a ballroom.
Birthday parties and family celebrations in the capital
A 30th in a private members' room, a 50th in a hotel suite, a christening lunch at a family restaurant. Private parties in London can be any size and any style, and close-up magic adapts to all of them. Twelve friends round one long table or two hundred in a hired hall, the magic still happens a few feet from people's faces, so nobody's squinting at a stage from the back.
Jamie makes sure everyone is included, from the youngest cousin to the oldest family friend. The humour stays warm and nobody is made to look silly, which matters when the room is full of people whoever you're celebrating loves.
Most families book him for the first part of the party, while guests are arriving and the room is still warming up. If there's a meal, he moves to the tables between courses. For a bigger party, he'll suggest a length based on numbers, so everyone gets a turn rather than just the people nearest the bar.
The moment people talk about afterwards is usually the glass. Someone chooses a drinking glass, and he bends it right in front of their eyes. Booking a magician in London for a family party gives you a story that does the rounds for weeks.
There's more about birthdays, anniversaries and Bar or Bat Mitzvahs on the private party entertainment page. Jamie has played to every kind of crowd, and a family party gets exactly the same care as a corporate gala.
What London event planners usually check
- Works to your running order Send the timings and Jamie plans his sets around speeches, awards and service.
- Fits any room No stage, no power, no space to clear. He works among standing guests or seated tables.
- Close-up, stage or cabaret Different styles for different events, all from one booking.
- Properly covered An Equity member with ten million pounds of public liability insurance, plus a written booking confirmation and receipts for each payment.
- Professional on the night Smartly dressed, a non-smoker and never drinking at events, so he fits a black tie dinner without a second thought.
London venues and the counties around it
Jamie is a regular performer providing magic entertainment in London. Some of the venues he has previously visited include Altitude, The Shard, the ExCeL and Grosvenor House. The capital has hundreds of other event spaces, such as livery halls like Glaziers Hall or event venues like Between the Bridges and Aures, all the kind of place a company dinner or a party might be held.
He travels well beyond the M25 too. If your event is outside the city, see the pages for a magician in Hertfordshire, Surrey or Kent. Travel expenses are kept to a minimum, and booking a magician in London or the counties around it works in just the same way.
Good to know
How many guests can a magician in London reach at a big corporate dinner?
It depends on the length of the booking. Philippa Fox's Google review of a company party for 250 guests says he "managed to get around to virtually everyone". For larger events, Jamie will suggest how long to book so no table is missed.
Can he perform at a trade show or product launch?
Yes. Close-up magic draws people to a stand and gives your team an easy way to start conversations. Trade shows, conferences and launches are all part of his work. Tell him what you're launching and he can keep the patter in step with the evening.
Do you offer a short cabaret act after dinner?
He does. Alongside close-up magic, Jamie has stage and cabaret styles, so a set after the meal can round off the night.
Is Jamie available for London weddings?
Very much so. Couples usually book him for the drinks reception, and many add the wedding breakfast or the arrival of evening guests.
Will a magician in London suit a family party with children?
Yes. Jamie includes children and adults in the same routines, so birthdays, christenings and anniversaries with mixed ages all work well.
How far ahead do companies book for December?
Christmas party dates go early, often months in advance. Send your date and venue through the quote form as soon as you have them. Companies that book a magician in London for December usually start asking in the summer.
Planning a company event in London?
To book Jamie as your magician in London, send the date, venue and guest numbers through the quote form. He'll confirm availability and talk through what would suit your evening.