Chadwell St Mary, Borough of Thurrock, Essex
Darren McQuade is one of London's premiere close-up magicians. He will appear at your event, mingling with your guests, enteraining them with some spellbinding illusions. He has a mind variety of tricks that are perfect for all age groups. He has performed at some of the top venues around the county including the prestigious London Palladium.
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How long have you been interested in magic?
I have been interested in magic since the age of six. I started with a Paul Daniel's magic set and never grew up :-) I still have my first ever magic book 'Ali Bongos Book of Magic' which was given to me by my Nan. I am thinking of putting together a show based around tricks from that book.
Take us through your show – what can we expect?
I do close-up magic which involves mingling with people in small groups showing them my illusions. I have a wide variety of effects. Two of my favourites include a coin burning through a pack of cards so find the chosen, signed one and making money appear inside of a lemon. for the right crowd I also swallow needles and cotton, then pull the cotton back out with the needles threaded on!
What do you love most about your job?
I love entertaining people. The looks and smiles on their faces bring me a lot of pleasure.
What inspired you to start your own business?
When I left college my first job was working in a magic shop at Lakeside Shopping Centre. This shop sold good quality beginners tricks, and my job was to gather a crowd, then perform and sell these tricks. All this constant performing for strangers was a massive part of my growth as a magician, and I think I learnt a lot more in those two years, than I did in all the years I spent practising in my bedroom.
From working in this shop, I had people ask about booking me to perform at their parties and that is what inspired me to start advertising properly. My first advert was in the Yellow Pages. It was still 2 inches thick back then.
Why should our clients choose you?
As well as being a magician I am also a trained actor and have plenty of experience performing on stage. I also perform stand-up comedy and improvisational comedy (similar to Who's Lind is it Anyway?) I believe all the performance skills I have picked up over the years with these other ventures have really improved my magic and gives me an edge over other magicians. I love meeting new people and am good at mingling with crowds, an essential skill for a close-up magician.
One important thing I have, and something you should check when booking a magicians no matter who you go with, is that I have Public Liability Insurance. A lot of venues will not allow people to perform without it nowsdays, which is something I completely agree with. PLI is essential. I am insured via Equity, the entertainers union.