Magician in Sussex for drinks receptions and dinners
Glasses in hand, canapés going round, and then everyone sits down to eat. Those two stretches of the day are where close-up magic really earns its place.
If you want a magician in Sussex for the drinks and the dinner, you want someone who can work a moving crowd and then slip from table to table without holding up the food. That's how Jamie Docherty spends most of his evenings. He's a close-up magician and entertainer, a Member of The Magic Circle, and "Jay" of the double act Jay & Joss from Britain's Got Talent 2024.
He's a regular performer at the Royal Variety After Show Party and has been nationally Highly Commended for entertainment within the wedding industry. Below is how he handles drinks receptions and sit-down meals, at weddings first, then at company dinners and family celebrations across East and West Sussex, from Brighton and Hove to Chichester.
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A magician in Sussex for wedding drinks and the breakfast
The drinks reception is the part of a wedding that most needs help. You've gone off for photos, guests are standing in clusters, and conversation has stalled at "how do you know the couple?" Roaming magic changes the mood fast. Jamie walks up to a group, borrows a ring or a phone, and within a minute those strangers are swapping theories about how he did it.
He keeps moving, so nobody is cornered for too long and every group gets a visit. He works standing in the crowd, which means no table, no stage and no extra space, whether the drinks are indoors, in a courtyard or on a lawn. If your venue runs the drinks across two spaces, he'll split his time between them.
Then it's time to eat. During the wedding breakfast he goes table to table between courses, a few minutes at each, so guests get magic right under their noses without leaving their seats. He keeps an eye on the waiting staff and never holds up a course. Steph Maycock wrote on Facebook: "He performed during the drinks reception and also went round the tables during our wedding breakfast. Lots of guests have commented on how amazing the tricks were and people are still trying to work out now how he managed to do them!!"
Speeches belong to you. Jamie stops before the toasts and carries on afterwards if you've booked him for longer. Couples hunting for a wedding magician in Sussex often add the room turnaround or the arrival of evening guests, too.
One trick that tends to travel round the tables is the glass. He bends a drinking glass a few inches from a guest, a glass they picked themselves. More on wedding bookings is on the wedding entertainment page.
Gala dinners, trade shows and Christmas parties
Corporate evenings follow the same shape as a wedding: drinks, then dinner, then speeches or awards. A magician in Sussex who knows that shape can make the whole night run better. Jamie mingles while guests arrive, visits the tables between courses, and leaves the floor clear for presentations.
At trade shows he works a stand, drawing people over and giving your team an easy opening line. At Christmas parties he gets colleagues from different departments laughing together, keeping the humour right for a work crowd.
Dinners are where the planning pays off. If there's an awards ceremony after dessert, he'll aim to have visited every table by the time the plates are cleared. A magician in Sussex who knows when to stop is worth as much as one who knows when to start, and Jamie will ask for your running order well before the night.
He's comfortable in front of demanding audiences. He performed at Jamie Carragher's official retirement dinner, so a hotel ballroom of clients in black tie won't faze him. The corporate entertainment page explains how a work booking runs.
Whether it's twenty people at a restaurant or a few hundred at a gala dinner, the approach is the same. Every table gets a visit, and nobody has to stop eating to watch. For client evenings the benefit is a little different. Your team can bring a guest over to watch a trick, and the chat that follows is far easier than talking shop over a cold glass of wine. People remember the company that gave them a good night.
Birthday dinners and family celebrations
Plenty of family parties revolve around a meal too. A 50th with a three-course dinner, an anniversary lunch in a hotel, a christening with drinks and a buffet afterwards. Jamie fits round the food, working the room as guests arrive and visiting tables between courses.
The magic works for every age at once. Children love holding the cards and checking his sleeves, while grandparents enjoy a front-row seat without moving from their chair. Whoever you're celebrating gets a moment of their own.
A sit-down birthday dinner has natural pauses, between the starter and main, before the cake, while the coffee comes round. Those are the moments Jamie uses. Booking a magician in Sussex for a meal like that keeps the table chatting in the lulls, without anyone having to get up or move chairs.
Booking a magician in Sussex for a family do is also a kind way to help the guests who only know one or two people. Magic gives them an easy way in. There's more detail on the private party entertainment page.
House parties work well too. He needs no space, so he simply moves from room to room with your guests, catching people in the kitchen or the garden.
Five details Sussex hosts ask about
- Works around the food Jamie times his table visits between courses and never gets in the way of the waiting staff.
- No set-up No stage, no table and no power needed. He performs on his feet among your guests.
- Smartly dressed He always dresses smartly, doesn't smoke and never drinks alcohol at any event.
- Everything confirmed You'll get a formal booking confirmation and receipts for all payments, and he's an Equity member with ten million pounds of public liability insurance.
- Book early Summer weddings and December parties fill up first, so a magician in Sussex is worth booking well ahead.
Sussex venues and neighbouring counties
Jamie regularly provides magic entertainment in Sussex at Upwaltham Barns Wedding Venue, The Sussex Barn and Barnsgate Manor Vineyard. There are many other places to host a dinner or reception around the county, such as hotels like the Harbour Hotel and the Royal Albion Hotel in Brighton, or events venues like Wagner Hall.
If your event is just over the border, Jamie also has pages for Surrey, Kent and Hampshire. The booking is the same wherever you are, so a magician in Sussex for a Chichester wedding or a Brighton gala dinner is equally straightforward.
Good to know
Should we book magic for the drinks reception or the dinner?
Both work well. The drinks reception is the most popular, because it fills the wait while you're having photos. Adding table magic between courses keeps the energy going through the meal.
Will a magician in Sussex hold up our wedding breakfast?
No. Jamie times his table visits around the courses and works with the venue team so service runs on time.
Can Jamie work a trade show stand?
Yes. Close-up magic draws people to a stand and gives your team an easy way to start a conversation. He can work in short bursts through the day, so there's always something happening when the next wave of visitors walks past.
Is it suitable for a Christmas party in West Sussex?
Yes, and the rest of the county too. He mingles during drinks and goes table to table at dinner, keeping it suitable for colleagues.
Will kids enjoy it at a family dinner?
Definitely. He includes children alongside adults, so everyone at the table gets involved. A magician in Sussex who can make a seven-year-old and her grandma gasp at the same moment is a rare treat at a family meal.
How do I check if Jamie's free?
Pop your date, venue and rough numbers into the quote form. If you want a magician in Sussex for a summer Saturday, ask early.
Planning a reception or dinner in Sussex?
Tell Jamie about your wedding, work dinner or family party through the quote form and he'll let you know if he can be your magician in Sussex on the day.