Timing
Booked by the hour rather than as a fixed-length show. An hour or two covers most rooms.
Performed up close
Close-Up Magic
Small groups, a few feet away, at a table I bring with me.
Often booked as strolling. In practice I work from one spot, a corner and a close-up mat, and guests come to me a few at a time. It runs alongside the evening instead of interrupting it.
The setup
A corner, a mat, and whoever wanders over.
I set up out of the traffic and perform short pieces for a handful of people at a time. Each group gets a real routine with a beginning and an end, not one quick flourish before I move on.
Working from a fixed spot means the material can be better. I'm not limited to what fits in my pockets, and everyone watching is close enough to look wherever they want.
Word travels. By the second or third group, people are bringing friends over to find out whether it happens again.
What to expect
It fits into the evening you already planned.
Nothing stops, nobody has to sit down, and the room keeps doing what it was doing.
Groups
A few people at a time. Guests join and drift off as they like.
Setup
A corner, a surface, and enough light to see by.
Best for
Events where people are already moving around.
Close-up works when there's no natural moment to gather everyone, or when you want something happening in the room without taking the room over.
Cocktail hours and receptions
House parties
Corporate events and client entertaining
Anniversaries and celebrations
Longer evenings with gaps to fill
Booking
Add close-up magic to the evening.
Tell me the date, the location, roughly how many guests, and when in the evening you'd want it. If a parlor show would serve you better, I'll say so.