Magician in the Midlands for family occasions
A christening with three generations, a surprise 70th, a reunion that took a year to organise. Jamie's close-up magic gives every one of those guests something to share.
A magician in the Midlands for a family party has to be just as good with grandparents as with grandchildren, and that's where Jamie Docherty comes in. He performs close-up magic right in among your guests, so nobody has to gather round a stage or sit through a long show. He's a Member of The Magic Circle and "Jay" of Jay & Joss, the double act who appeared on Britain's Got Talent in 2024 and on BBC Three's "School of Hard Tricks" in 2020.
He knows this part of the country well from years of bookings. He was named Northamptonshire Close-Up Magician of the Year in 2015 and East Midlands Wedding Entertainer of the Year 2017. This page explains how he handles a family celebration anywhere from Leicester and Nottingham to Coventry, Kettering and Uttoxeter, and what he does for weddings and work events across the region.
Christenings and milestone parties with a magician in the Midlands
Family parties have a rhythm of their own. There's the arrival, when everyone hugs the people they know and nods politely at the ones they don't. Then the wait for food. Then the meal, the cake, maybe a few words from someone brave. Jamie fits into the gaps, especially that first hour, which is where a party either warms up or stalls.
At a christening he keeps things light and lets the day stay about the baby. He'll work the room after the service while drinks are poured, giving older brothers, sisters and cousins a job as his assistant. For parents it means half an hour where the children are busy and happy, and someone else is keeping them that way.
For a 60th, 70th or 80th, the room is mostly grown-ups, often people from different parts of someone's life who've never met. Close-up magic is a gentle way to bring them together. A signed card that ends up somewhere impossible gives two strangers a reason to talk for the rest of the evening.
If there's going to be a sit-down meal, Jamie works table by table between courses. At a buffet or a party at home he roams instead, catching people in the kitchen, the garden or by the bar. Booking a magician in the Midlands for a house party is surprisingly easy, because he needs no space or equipment at all.
Reunions and anniversaries work the same way. Tell Jamie roughly who's coming and how old the youngest and oldest guests are, and he'll pitch it accordingly. The private party entertainment page has more about family bookings.
On this page
Wedding magic across the East and West Midlands
Weddings are a huge part of Jamie's work, which is how he came to be named East Midlands Wedding Entertainer of the Year 2017. Most couples book him for the drinks reception, the long stretch after the ceremony when you're away with the photographer and guests have nothing much to do but wait.
Roaming magic fills that time and gets two families mixing. Ava Melton-Brown wrote on Facebook after her wedding: "My guests were totally amazed by his skills and really helped people to have a good time during the drinks reception!"
Many couples also have him work the tables during the wedding breakfast, or cover the room turnaround before the evening do. He stays out of the way during the speeches and fits round whatever timings your venue sets. Booking a magician in the Midlands for two slots, say the drinks and the meal, is the most common way to do it.
Evening guests can be part of it too. People who arrive after the meal sometimes feel like late-comers to someone else's party, so a spell of magic as they come through the door helps them settle in. It's a small touch, and it means the day guests and evening guests are already chatting by the time the band starts.
A wedding magician in the Midlands needs to be flexible, because venues range from city hotels to barns and country houses. Jamie needs no stage, so he fits any layout. Find out more on the wedding entertainment page.
Five things to know about booking Jamie in the region
- Fits any room He performs among your guests on his feet, so there's no stage to arrange and no power to find.
- Gentle with little ones Children are included in the fun, and nobody is made to take part who doesn't want to.
- Smartly turned out He always dresses smartly, doesn't smoke and never drinks alcohol at any event.
- Clear booking A formal confirmation of all the details, a receipt for every payment, and ten million pounds of public liability insurance through Equity.
- Travel kept sensible Jamie travels throughout the region and beyond, keeping travel expenses to a minimum.
Staff parties, charity balls and awards nights
Corporate events across the region follow a familiar pattern: a drinks reception, a dinner, some speeches or awards, then music. Jamie works the first two and keeps clear of the third. Staff from different teams end up laughing together, which is half the point of a work do in the first place.
Charity balls are a good fit too. Sophie Leanne Carter booked him for one and wrote in her Facebook review: "We recently had a charity Ball and Jamie entertained the audience of 130 people. His tricks were the talk on everyone’s table."
For Christmas parties, conferences, gala dinners and product launches, a magician in the Midlands who can move easily between tables and groups keeps the energy up without taking over. The corporate entertainment page explains how corporate bookings run.
The material is always suitable for a professional crowd. Jamie reads the room, gives the keen ones plenty of attention, and leaves the quieter guests to enjoy it from a step back.
Size isn't an issue either way. A dozen colleagues at a restaurant Christmas lunch get just as much attention as a few hundred guests at a hotel awards dinner, and for larger events a magician in the Midlands booked for a longer spell makes sure every table gets a visit.
Midlands venues and town pages
Jamie is a regular entertainer in the region and has provided magic entertainment in the Midlands at the East Midlands Conference Centre and Nottingham Conference Centre. Plenty of hotels across the region host family parties and weddings too, such as Hotel Voco and St Martins Lodge in Leicester. Function rooms, golf clubs and village halls all work just as well, because close-up magic adapts to the space rather than the other way round.
For more detail on particular places, see his pages for a magician in Leicester, Rugby and Rutland. Whichever town your party is in, booking a magician in the Midlands works in exactly the same way.
Before you book
We're having a christening lunch. Will magic fit in?
Yes. Jamie keeps the magic gentle and family friendly, works mostly while guests are arriving and before food, and leaves the cake and photos to you. A magician in the Midlands at a christening should never upstage the baby, and he won't.
Can children join in?
Definitely. Kids love holding the cards and trying to spot how it's done, and adults enjoy watching their reactions. He includes all ages in the same tricks.
Does Jamie perform at house parties?
He does. Close-up magic suits a party at home perfectly, because he needs no space and simply moves around with your guests. A magician in the Midlands in your kitchen is a lot more memorable than a playlist.
What does a wedding magician in the Midlands actually do?
Mostly roaming magic at the drinks reception and table magic during the wedding breakfast. It gets guests chatting while you're busy with photos.
Will the magic suit our office party?
Yes. It's an easy way for colleagues to mix, and the content is pitched for a work audience.
How early should I enquire?
As soon as you have a date. Popular weekends get booked well ahead, so send your details through the quote form to check if your magician in the Midlands is free.
Planning a Midlands family party?
Tell Jamie your date, venue and roughly how many guests through the quote form, and he'll let you know if he can be your magician in the Midlands. Christenings, birthdays, weddings and work dos all welcome.