Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: Where is Chris McGeever based? How far does he travel to bookings?

A: Chris is a magician in London, who entertains at events both within London, across the rest of the UK and even abroad. For instance, he has held long-term contracts as the onboard magician for a number of international cruise ships.

Q: How much does Chris charge for an event?

A: There are numerous variables which affect the charge to book Chris. These include the type of magic you would like him to perform, the number of hours of entertainment required and the travel distance to/from the venue.

Q: Are there any references for Chris' previous work?

A: Yes - please visit both the Quotes page for verbatim feedback Chris has received from past bookings, and the Clients page for a non-exhaustive list of organisations which Chris has entertained.

Q: At what sort of events does Chris perform?

A: The list is very varied! Recent events which have witnessed Chris in his capacity as a close-up magician in London have taken place at prestigious hotels, opulent banqueting lounges and lavish function suites. He is an accomplished wedding magician, corporate magician and party magician. Chris' close-up magic is very adaptable to both the occasion and the audience. See the Services page for more details.

Q: How do I check availability?

A: In advance of the date of your special occasion, please get in touch with Chris to make a booking enquiry. If you visit the Contact page, you can complete a short Contact Form regarding your event, to which you will receive a prompt reply.

Christmas Party Magician

In the build-up to Christmas, Chris has had the pleasure of performing his close-up magic at several bookings in and around London. Some of these have been repeat clients, whilst others have witnessed his magic for the first time. The groups of people he has entertained recently have been very diverse in age and background. Teachers, doctors, nurses and bankers have all seen Chris McGeever in action lately. Audiences have ranged from a group of management consultants holding a corporate event at Stamford Bridge (home of Chelsea Football Club) to a Christmas dinner party for a software company in Cambridge. 

Preparations underway for the Stamford Bridge corporate lunch

How do you join The Magic Circle?

A close-up magician - and in particular a close-up magician in London - gets asked several questions. Two of the most frequently asked questions Chris McGeever receives are (i) Are you a Member of The Magic Circle? and (ii) How do you join The Magic Circle?

Logo of The Magic Circle

The motto, 'indocilis privata loqui', translates roughly as 'not apt to disclose secrets.'

The answer to (i) is 'Yes'. Chris McGeever joined The Magic Circle at the youngest-possible age of 18. At the time, he was the society's youngest Member; today, he still remains amongst their younger cohort. The Magic Circle has its Headquarters in London, which is why a London close-up magician, especially, is often posed these 2 questions.

The answer to (ii) - i.e. How do you become a Member of The Magic Circle? - is essentially a 5-stage process:

1. Get to know at least 2 existing Members of The Magic Circle, for a minimum of one year
2. Be proposed and seconded for Membership by these 2 Members of The Magic Circle
3. Have an interview with a senior Member of The Magic Circle, who will ascertain whether or not you have sufficient knowledge, experience and skills to become a Member yourself
4. Audition by way of a performance examination - usually in front of current Members of The Magic Circle at the HQ in London. This can either be as a close-up magician or as a stage magician. Mostly the auditions are live, though sometimes magicians who are children's party specialists submit DVD footage of them performing at a children's party, in front of a more age-appropriate audience.
5. Assuming your close-up magician (or stage magician) audition is well-received, there is a vote of the Council of The Magic Circle as to whether you may join or not. This is invariably a 'rubber-stamping' exercise for Council to simply approve the new Members.

Chris McGeever is one of only a handful of Members of The Magic Circle who never had to officially audition to join the society. Though a date had been set for him to audition (as a close-up magician), the society subsequently waived this requirement for Chris, having previously seen him perform close-up magic at events in front of The Magic Circle's Members, including their Showcase of young talent - then known as 'Young Magicians Club Entertains The Magic Circle'.

The vast majority of current auditionees are close-up magicians, and most exams take place in London. By extension, most of the newer Members are London close-up magicians - some as hobbyists, many professional magicians, and some semi-professionals. Members who are close-up magicians (either exclusively, or predominantly) have outnumbered stage magicians for many decades. Historically, Members were nearly all London-based, though over time, as London has become easier to reach, many more people from beyond the capital - and even from outside the UK - have joined the society.

Therefore, though London-based, and with many Members from London and the rest of UK, The Magic Circle is now truly an international organisation.

Welcome

Welcome to the blog for the website of Chris McGeever, London-based close-up magician and Member of The Magic Circle.