Darren McQuade is one of only a small handfull of full time professional magicians, having performed all over the UK, astonishing thousands of people along the way. He performs two types of magic, close-up or stand-up.
What is closed-up magic?
Forget stages, trap doors and mirrors, this is magic right in your face, up close and personal. Cards change in your very own hand, objects float and things vanish then reappear right before your eyes!
Close-up magic has become incredibly popular over the last few years. Magic has been the subject of several big Hollywood Blockbusters and TV magicians like David Blaine and Dynamo has restored magic as one of the top forms of live entertainment around. Close-up magic is a great versatile form of entertainment, perfect for fitting into any event you have planned, wether it's a wedding, birthday or corporate event.
Darren will walk around from table to table, group to group, mingling with and performing for all of your guests making sure everyone is entertained. His magic is loved by children and adults of all ages and will be the talking point of the day. Since Darren performs for small groups at a time, it doesn't interfere with the whole occasion like a singer or other stage act would.
So how would it fit into your special event? In the case of a wedding there can be several uses for Darren's services. Perhaps a great way of keeping your guests entertained whilst the photos are being taken. You could have him perform table to table during the dinner or evening reception, or mix it up a bit and have him during both, it can act as a good transition between the two.
Of course that is just one example, but it would fit in just as well with any other type of event....
What tricks will Darren perform?
Darren does a wide variety of tricks and is always learning new ones, however here are details on some of his favourites:
The Lemon Trick - Probably one of his most popular. Some money is borrowed from a member of the audience, signed and then placed in a bag for safe keeping. This money is an 'entry fee' into a competition.
A prize is selected then they are shown what they could have won! A car, a holiday and so on. Unfortunately it turns out they have won a lemon! But this is no normal lemon. It is cut open and inside is their signed money!
Burning card - Everyone loves a good card trick, now imagine a card trick with fire! A card is selected by someone and they sign their name on the face of it. It is shuffled back into the deck. A coin is then wrapped in 'magic' paper and placed on top of the pack. It is set on
fire and the coin burns through the pack of cards, stopping at the one with their signature on. But it is not over! The card instantly appears inside a sealed envelope that is inside Darren's wallet!
The Needle Illusion - Made famous by Harry Houdini and Teller (of Penn & Teller fame). A bunch of needles are swallowed, followed by some cotton thread. After a few moments, the thread is pulled out of his mouth and all the needles are sewn on!!
Does Darren perform on stage?
Absolutely! Darren does indeed perform on stage and has taken his show all over the UK!
He is very adaptable and can do a show suited for children, a family audience or just adults. He does some of the tricks written about above on a bigger scale, as well as other stuff that only works on stage.
Darren is a trained actor, and has also studied improvisation and comedy making him a great fit for the stage, it is his second home!
Darren also hosts shows! He is the host/producer for The Magicians Showcase at The London Improv Theatre, London's top monthly magic night, and can offer this service for your event.