As I’m sure you know, producers wear many hats when it comes to putting on shows. Logistical skills include: design, accountancy, transportation, accommodation booking, show structure, booking of personnel, marketing, budget control and general management. It quite often includes performing in the show too. If you also choose to add a 4 month baby to your tour, you will need a fairly large hat stand to keep everything in order.

With the arrival of little Ophelia before Christmas, we thought it might be lovely if she joined us on the tour bus for our first run of West End Magic dates. It WAS wonderful, if slightly exhausting. Maybe that sums up parenthood in a nutshell, right?!

The year’s first run of shows took us to the north of the country. First stop was the Muni Theatre in Lancashire, then on to the beautiful Darlington Hippodrome, further northward into Scotland to the Beacon Arts Theatre in Greenock, and finally back down to Barnsley at the Lamproom Theatre.

Ophelia seemed to enjoy all that comes with touring a magic show; travelling to different locations, the bright stage lights, the folk she met backstage at each theatre, plus members of the team who entertained her backstage during the shows. There were however, points where there wasn’t a pair of hands available to look after her, which meant she made her stage debut and joined the cast for the final bows at the end of the show!

It was a great experience having her with us, but not entirely sure she’ll become a full time cast member anytime soon. Instead, she can wear her own supervisor hat and be our liaison back home with grandma.

This festive period has to be the greatest season to experience a magic show.

I may be a little biased in this opinion, as I first got into magic at Christmas time, so it holds a certain level of nostalgia for me. (It was during a visit to London to see the Regent’s Street Christmas lights, I walked into Hamley’s and witnessed an impossible moment when a shop demonstrator transformed a deck of cards into my chosen card – I was blown away!)  I was given a magic set that Christmas Day, and a spark started to grow ever brighter within my 12 year old mind.

Fast forward to today and I still love performing at this time of year, excitement is in the air and I like to think Christmas helps to convert even the most staunch non believers.

One of my absolute favourite magic shows to put on returns after a two year break at the Red Brick Barn, aptly titled Christmas Magic at the Barn.

The event is put into the calendar as close as possible to Christmas to get everyone into the festive and magic mood, just before the real celebrations begin.

This year the shows are on the 21st and 22nd December, from 5-7pm or so.

You are warmly welcomed into the cosy and atmospheric 17th century barn (with full heating) with a complimentary glass of mulled wine or soft drink for children plus mince pies for all.

PLUS every child is given a magic wand to create some magic for themselves during the evening.

The magical entertainment is an event of two halves: over the course of the first hour, a selection of close-up magicians visit your table. After a short interval to refresh and stretch your legs, it’s time for the second half, a show of magic, mirth, mystery and mayhem featuring some bloke called Oliver Tabor, comedy and magic from Wayne Trice plus a selection of guest acts.

I really can’t wait, for me personally it’s the best way to start Christmas.

Click here to book tickets

My recent run of shows reminded me of a lyric from Baz Lurman’s song Sunscreen – ’Do one thing everyday that scares you’.

It’s a good mantra for regularly taking a leap out of your comfort zone, something I did recently with my one man shows at the Colchester Fringe in October.

I’ve been meaning to take the next step and perform a solo show for the past few years. So when the opportunity came with a local fringe festival in Colchester in Essex I knew I had to take on the challenge.

Since my show, Magical Maestro, was confirmed in the festival’s programme a few months ago, I’ve been in full-on preparation mode; creating new pieces, refining magic routines, scripting, making props, practising and rehearsing. Right up to the opening performance, changes were made, routines edited, cut and replaced.  Some props were even being remade an hour before the curtain went up.

A lot can go wrong both on and off stage in a 55 min one man show – accidentally cutting my finger on a very sharp razor blade during the show was a reminder that you and your crew have to think on your feet, and quickly, during performances! (It was relatively small and healed up fast, thankfully)

Other than that everything went very smoothly the audience enjoyed the four shows. The crowd grew throughout the run, feedback was very positive and the show got some great press coverage.

Huge thanks to the Headgate Theatre and Colchester Fringe crew, team and staff – what a brilliant festival that was!

Last but never least, enormous thanks goes to my stage manager AJ Green, who was responsible for hitting my sound and lighting cues perfectly throughout the run. His skills and expertise meant the shows went without a hitch, I’m always grateful to him being part of my crew.

Whenever I’m starting a project or putting a new show together, hurdles inevitably appear. These can feel like concrete blocks disrupting the creative path. Over time I’ve learnt that I always do find a solution, in the disguise of a hammer or even an industrial concrete drill to blast those hurdles out of the way.

There have been times over the past couple of months where a few boulders have rolled into place whilst putting together my solo show ‘Magical Maestro’, debuting at the Colchester Fringe at the end of this month.

Today I want to talk about how I tackle those boulders.

I’m very fortunate to have a space at home where I lock myself away and can work without being interrupted. It’s a space where I explore ideas, work on new performances and bring new shows to fruition.

Half of the new show ‘Magical Maestro’ consists of material that I’ve performed before, and the other half is brand new material – which is exciting if a little scary.
I always have ideas for new material running around my head, but the truth is that many of these just don’t work, at all! Such is the fun and frolics of the creative process. I feel very fortunate to have time and space to keep trying, testing and developing nuggets of ideas until they’ve been worked out and rehearsed a hundred times – and the chaos becomes the polished performance.

To give you an insight into working on a new show, the creating process may look something like this:

Inspiration hits, and you have an idea that needs expanding on. I draw it out, make the props (often in cardboard, very Blue Peter…if you know you know), and test out. If it doesn’t work, make a cup of tea.
Remake the prop, retest the idea, make another cup of tea.
Go back another step, reset, practice, again – make more tea.
Practice, write a script, fill the kettle again with water.
Realise it may or may not work after all, either scrap the whole thing or move onto the rehearsal stage, and celebrate or commiserate with a biscuit to be dunked into a cup of tea.

This has been my process over the past couple of months and will continue to be, whilst locked in my magic work space, until the day before the first show on 27th October. The show you see is the tip of the iceberg.

If you’d like to see the result of all my tea drinking, book tickets here

Throughout the year I get the opportunity to be the guest performer in other magic shows.

Being part of someone else’s show is a wonderful experience, not just because you collaborate with other performers, but you gain invaluable feedback that allows you to constantly improve your magic.

On Friday 24th October I get to play with a host of top magicians at the Tower theatre in Folkstone, in the Marvellous Magic Show.

The line up includes Rob Bentley, Josh King, the incredibly entertaining and mind reading of Matt Daniel Baker and the man that puts it all together, the French Magician – Ettienne Pradier.

The following day, I’ll be part of another show providing entertainment to the Rotary club national conference at the Winter Gardens in Eastbourne.

For more information and to buy tickets, click here

This month sees us move directly across the compass as we continue the West End Magic tour for the latter part of the year, journeying from East Anglia to the West End.

It’s always a great feeling when a venue asks you to return, plus we love going back to familiar theatres with friendly faces. This Friday 10th October we journey east, back to Sudbury in Suffolk to perform the show at the beautifully quaint Quay Theatre.

This is actually the third time I’ll be performing there having first discovered the theatre in 2022 as part of another magic show. It’s a stunning old building that was originally a warehouse for a river navigation company. In the late 1970s and early 80’s it was funded and converted into a theatre and offers a variety of theatre and music.

The following week, on Saturday 18th October the show travels west to the nation’s capital, as we return to our residency venue, the Leicester Square Theatre for our last visit of 2025.

Each West End Magic show features our main cast of performers and a selection of guest acts. October’s show offers an eclectic mix from some fo the country’s finest including the utterly marvellous Ada Campe, up and coming young magician Arabella Crawford, and fresh from winning the IBM’s Stage Magician of the Year – Raymond & Cannon, debuting their award-winning act in London. If that wasn’t enough, the incredible Keith & Sarah Field join us from America.

After this, we then travel up the compass to our most northerly stop, to Colne in Lancashire for the last show of this year’s tour at the Muni Theatre on Friday 7th November.

Then back down to the South, finishing our round compass trip.

With shadows getting longer and the leaves starting to fall, Autumn is very much upon us – and my attention turns to the second half of 2025’s West End Magic tour.

The ‘Autumn tour’ kicks off this weekend at the Woodville Halls in Gravesend. Incidentally it’s regular haunt for the more manic of our cast members – Jezo, as he appears in their annual pantomime, this year sees him don even more make up than usual as one of the ugly sisters in Cinderella. But back to West End Magic! Saturday’s show in Gravesend has the usual cast of magic and mischief makers including Jezo, Wayne Trice, myself and the very last performance from Vicky Butterfly until next year.

On 10th October West End Magic heads to Sudbury in Suffolk, returning to the beautifully quaint Quay Theatre, a converted barn that now operates as a theatre seating 125.

The following week, on Saturday 18th October to be precise, we return to the show’s residency – the Leicester Square Theatre, for our last show at that venue for 2025.  With an ever evolving cast, this show will feature some bloke called Oliver Tabor, with Wayne Trice on compere duties plus a selection of guest acts including the brilliant and hilarious Keith and Sarah Fields, originally from the UK but now permanently homed in Detroit, USA.

To finish off the year, we venture up to Coln in Lancashire, taking magic, mirth, mayhem and mystery to the Muni Theatre.

Then we all fall down, rest, get up, and start creating next year’s show.

We’d love to see you at one of the upcoming shows, full details and tickets can be found at www.westendmagic.com

Whether you’re a singer, dancer, speaker or comedian, when you first set foot on stage isn’t it every performer’s dream to have your own show??

Next month I take the big step to perform my first own one man show, an aspiration I’ve had for many years. Making and producing shows and sharing a stage with other performers always feels safe and comfortable, it also provides company, collaboration and camaraderie.

However, it’s a good thing to get out of your comfort zone now and again.  Especially when friends challenge you to ‘put your money where your mouth is’ after years of saying “I’m going to be a one man show next year”, I thought it’s time to put my money and mouth together.

So, from 27th October – 1st November, my solo show MAGICAL MAESTRO will be taking part in the Colchester Fringe Festival at the Headgate Theatre.

The show will feature some of my favourite pieces of magic mixed with new routines, performed to an eclectic soundtrack on a gramophone, featuring “marvels, mystery and melodies.”
Impossible happenings will include bubbles morphing into glass balls, music notes appearing out of thin air, predicting what your favourite piece of music is, and other magical curiosities inspired by the music – and magic, that shaped me.

I’m really excited to finally get this off the ground and can’t wait to present it next month in Colchester, and step into this next stage.

MAGICAL MAESTRO 

27th Oct. – 1st Nov.

Headgate Theatre, Colchester

BOOK TICKETS

West End Magic is back on the road this month for our Autumn tour. First stop is Kent, then on to Suffolk, then back to our residency in London before finishing the year in Lancashire.

The Kent show takes place in Woodville Halls in Gravesend on Saturday 27th September. It stars the usual menagerie of magic and mischief makers: Wayne Trice, some bloke called Oliver Tabor and a regular performer at the Woodville – Jezo.

Jezo has become a familiar favourite at Gravesend’s main performing arts theatre over the past couple of years, appearing in their annual pantomime. This year he’ll put on even more make up than usual, plus a pair of heels as he takes up the role of an ugly sister in Cinderella. Note to self, must get tickets for that!

Jezo first appeared in West End Magic at the Leicester Square Theatre last year and has since joined the cast a few times as a guest act at various theatres around the country. He’s proved to be so popular with audiences and the cast that he was invited to be a regular cast member for the 2025 tour, bringing his manic style of magic and mayhem to audiences around the UK.

Not only is Jezo a versatile performer and entertainer, his vast knowledge of the entertainment industry both on and off stage means he’s in great demand for various productions, events and TV.

His latest stunt is the most dangerous (and ridiculous) part of the show. It involves a revolving platform, a treadmill on fire, a flammable piece of clothing and a rubber chicken. It has to be seen to be believed so book tickets for 27th at the Woodville and be sure to get your camera at the ready.

WEST END MAGIC

Woodville Halls, Gravesend

Saturday 27th September

BOOK TICKETS

“Please take your seats as the second half of the performance will begin in 2 mins”

A year can be grouped into two acts, act one opens to ease you into the year and then gains momentum up to the climax, followed by the summer interval to refresh (and perhaps visit the facilities) ready for the events and glittering finale of act two.

The first half of the year has certainly been packed with variety – no two days the same in the life of a magician, I wouldn’t have it any other way. So far 2025 has seen a string of West End Magic dates that started in my home town, I presented a lecture at the world’s largest magic convention, appeared in cabaret, theatre and gala shows, private events, barn shows plus witnessed some incredible magic acts at the FISM World Championships of Magic

The last few weeks have been a bit quieter, a much needed interval to reset, revitalise and recalibrate, ready for the reboot and to recommence with the second half.

The latter part of the year opens with the  IBM one day convention in Hinckley, where I’ll be helping organise the stage magic competition.

West End Magic returns from its summer break for the Autumn tour, starting in Gravesend at the Woodville Halls on 27th September, then heads to Sudbury and London in October, finishing in Colne, Lancashire in November.
Click here for details, dates and booking

In October, I’ll be appearing in The Marvellous Magic show at the Tower Theatre in Folkestone, performing close-up magic for private events in London and reigniting the Halloween shows and ghost walks at the Red Brick Barn.

Plus at the end of October and beginning of November I’ll be debuting my brand new, one man show Magical Maestro at the Colchester Fringe festival. 

The show will feature some of my favourite pieces of magic mixed with new routines, performed to an eclectic soundtrack on a gramophone, featuring “marvels, mystery and melodies.”

It’s the first time presenting my own show on a theatre stage so I’m just a tiny bit excited!!

Prepare the glitter.

MAGICAL MAESTRO

27th Oct. – 1st Nov.

Colchester Fringe Festival
Click here for dates and tickets