Magician in Olney for receptions and dinner parties
Good food and a glass of something are a fine start. What makes guests remember an evening is something they didn't expect.
A magician in Olney earns his place at the two moments every formal evening has: the drinks beforehand and the dinner itself. One is a room of people standing about wondering who to talk to, the other is a table of guests waiting for the next course. Both are better with close-up magic in them.
Lewis Joss is a Member of The Magic Circle, and he's been booked everywhere from the Royal Air Force Club and Hyde Park in London to Malta. His tricks happen inches from people's faces, often with their own rings, phones and signed cards, and he has the energy to keep it going all evening. He's been doing this since he was six.
On this page
Drinks and dinner with a magician in Olney
At the drinks, Lewis works as a roaming magician. He joins a group of four or five, does a few minutes, and moves on before the conversation has run out. The point isn't to hold a crowd round one spot. It's to give each little cluster of guests something to talk about, including with the people standing next to them.
Once guests sit down, he switches to table magic. Courses come with natural gaps, and he slips into them, visiting each table while plates are cleared. Everyone has a ringside seat because it happens on the tablecloth in front of them.
A corporate client at Cranfield University once asked for exactly this mix at their end-of-year ball: mingling over welcome drinks and canapés on the lawn, then performances at the tables during the formal dinner. They said afterwards that his tricks weren't your run of the mill card tricks, and that his energy kept everyone entertained.
He keeps out of the way of the kitchen and the speeches. Send him the timings and he'll plan his route, finishing each round before a course is served or a toast begins. Waiting staff have enough to dodge without a magician. If a course runs late, he simply waits and picks up again when the plates come away.
The length of the booking depends on numbers and on whether people are standing or seated. Tell us the guest count and Lewis will say honestly how long he needs for a magician in Olney to reach every table.
Olney weddings, from the fizz to the first dance
A wedding is the biggest drinks reception and dinner most people ever host, so all of the above applies. While you're off with the photographer, Lewis keeps your guests busy and gets the two families talking. It's the hour couples worry about most, and it's the one he's best at.
During the wedding breakfast he visits tables between courses and steps aside well before the speeches. If you'd like a wedding magician in Olney for the evening, he can welcome the later guests at the bar while the room is turned round after dinner.
Mixed ages are no problem. Grandparents get the magic brought to their seats, and page boys get a few minutes of something fun at their level, which can save a long afternoon for their parents.
Some couples worry that a magician in Olney will clash with the photographer. He won't. If guests are needed for a group shot, he wraps up the trick and hands them over, and the candid shots of people's reactions often end up among the favourite pictures in the album.
Nothing needs setting up and the venue doesn't need to do anything. More on how he plans the day is on the wedding magician page. If your wedding is a smaller affair, perhaps a family meal after a register office ceremony, the same table magic works beautifully with fewer guests.
The shape of a typical booking
- Mingling over drinks Short sets with each group as they arrive, so the room warms up quickly.
- Tables between courses Every table gets a visit, timed round the kitchen rather than through it.
- Clear of the speeches Toasts, awards and the first dance always come first.
- Nothing to set up No stage, no power and no space needed. The room stays as you planned it. A magician in Olney fits into a packed function room or a quiet private dining room alike.
- Seen on Britain's Got Talent Lewis is one half of Jay & Joss, the double act from BGT 2024.
Company dinners, birthdays and family celebrations
Work events have the same two halves. Christmas parties, awards dinners and client evenings almost always open with drinks and move on to a meal, and that's exactly where close-up magic slots in. It gets departments mixing, and nobody gets hauled up in front of their colleagues. The corporate entertainment page has more on work events.
Lewis has worked for clients including Mercedes-Benz and the Ministry of Defence. He can also build a trick around your company name or product for a launch, so ask early if you'd like that.
Private parties suit it just as well. A fortieth dinner in a hotel, a golden wedding lunch, a retirement meal for a parent. With a magician in Olney going round, the host is free to enjoy it rather than spending the night making introductions.
Whoever you're celebrating can be part of a trick, or they can sit back and enjoy their friends' faces. The party magician page explains how he works with mixed ages.
For a small dinner party at home, with a dozen people round one table, he can spend real time with everyone and it becomes more of a conversation with tricks in it. It's a nice way to make a special birthday feel like an occasion.
Venues for an Olney dinner or reception
Lewis travels across Buckinghamshire and the counties around it, so a magician in Olney can come to whichever venue you've booked. Dinners and receptions in the area might be at a hotel like The Queen Hotel, or in a golf club function room such as Pavenham Park Golf Club, Bedfordshire Golf Club or Colworth Golf Club.
He also covers Milton Keynes, Cranfield and Northampton, and the Buckinghamshire page has the rest of the county. Tell us the venue and when the drinks start, and we'll check if Lewis is free.
If the venue isn't fixed yet, you can still ask. Send the date and rough numbers, and a magician in Olney can be pencilled in while you decide where to hold it. Lewis will confirm arrival times once everything is settled.
Questions people ask
Is it better to book magic for the drinks or the meal?
Each does a different job. The drinks reception is the best icebreaker, and table magic fills the gaps between courses. Many people book both, but if you can only choose one, go for whichever part of the evening has the longest wait.
Will a magician in Olney slow down the dinner service?
Not at all. Lewis keeps an eye on the waiting staff and only goes to a table once plates are being cleared, never as food goes out. He'll also be finished before any speeches.
Can he work a dinner party for twelve at our house?
Yes. A small dinner is a lovely setting for close-up magic, because everyone has a front row seat and he can spend proper time at the table. Tell him when each course is planned and he'll fit round the cooking.
Do you cover wedding receptions near Olney?
Yes. Lewis does drinks receptions, wedding breakfasts and evening receptions, and plans everything round your photographer and running order. The drinks reception is the slot most couples start with, as it's the longest stretch your guests spend without you.
Could a magician in Olney work our firm's awards dinner?
He could. He'll mingle over the drinks, then do the tables during dinner, and step back for the awards. For a big room, tell us the headcount early. He can also build a trick round your company logo if you'd like the brand to feature.
Does a magician in Olney need a stage or a microphone?
Neither. Close-up magic happens in among the guests, so he needs no stage, no microphone and no power socket. Just let the venue know he's coming and roughly when he'll arrive.
Planning drinks and dinner?
Send us the date, the venue and how many are coming. We'll look at the diary and come back to you about booking Lewis as your magician in Olney.
What people say about Lewis
Lewis absolutely transformed our event and made it a day to remember! He managed to capture everyone's attention and engage with all ages. I really didn't expect such a huge impact, but let's just say that my guests are still talking about how amazing he is a month later! Thank you Lewis for making my…
Jamie for Fine Entertainments arranged Lewis to perform at our wedding. We cannot thank him enough for the performances he gave us and our wedding guests. Made the effort to learn everyone's name, was great with the kids aswell. Such a nice guy and an incredible magician. We were all blown away. Absolute highlight of…
Lewis performed at my recent party. He has a lovely personality, is very entertaining, very competent ,and very well received by all.