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Frequently Asked Questions
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I've done my best to answer as many of
your possible questions as I can on this page.
However, if you do have a question that
you can't see the answer too, please don't hesitate to contact me and I'll
do my best to answer your query at the earliest opportunity.
You can either email me at
david@fingertipmiracles.co.uk or you can call me on 07733 010912.
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How much does it cost? I can't find a price on your website. |
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I couldn't possible list a single price on the
website as each booking will be priced individually and will depend on many
factors such as:
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The
time of the day - if it's an afternoon event, it will be cheaper
than in the evening;
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The
day of the week - Friday to Sunday will generally be more
expensive;
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The
time of the year - June to September and December is peak season
and will be more expensive;
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Whereabouts in the country your event will be - see the travel
section below;
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How
long you will want me to perform for - I usually perform for up to 2-3 hours, there will be a small
additional fee if you want longer;
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Do
you have any special requirements? - i.e. fancy dress, large
amounts of flash fire consumables. 'Giveaway' presents for kids.
If you send me an email, fill
out my customer
enquiry form or give me a call on 07733 010912, we can
discuss your requirements and I can give you a suitable quote. I look
forward to hearing from you. |
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How far do
you travel and where are you based? |
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Being a full time professional magician, I
couldn't possibly base myself in one location, there would never be enough
work, so travel is an integral part of my job, I will often spend 10-20
hours a week in the car driving from location to location. But I don't mind
driving, I use the time to learn new languages via audio CDs!
I'm based in Fareham, in Hampshire, but 90% of my work is in and around
London and the surrounding counties. I do however, regularly perform much
further a field ...it's not unusual for me to be in Leeds one day and
Bristol the next. I also have family in South Wales and Norfolk, and close
friends in Northampton and Birmingham, so it's always a pleasure to be asked
to perform in these places.
There is no limit to where in the UK I will perform, but there is a small
additional fee to cover petrol if it's more than 100 miles outside of the
M25.
I work quite a bit in Scotland too, ...believe it or not, ...it's quicker and
cheaper to fly to Scotland from Bournemouth or Southampton Airports than it
is to get a train to London! |
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I have over 100 guests coming, will you be able to cope with that
many? |
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Some events are so big,
they exceed the capacity of just one magician on his own!
Generally speaking, one magician can entertain around 10 tables or 100
guests in about 2-3 hours between the courses of a meal.
I can do more, but it will mean that the guests
will only get to see a tiny bit of the magic.
I'm asked regularly to perform at very large corporate events and
have built up an impressive list of fellow magicians, all of
outstanding ability, whom I can call upon. It means I can provide
entertainment for up to 1,000 guests or more.
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Do
you perform at children's parties? |
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Unfortunately not, I specialise in adult close
up sleight of hand magic, all with an adult theme, with adult humour.
I've spend nearly 25 years perfecting this type of act and find that with
the younger age group, it just goes straight over their heads, they respond
much better to a differently kind of magic act. Generally speaking 13 years upwards is my limit, although I prefer to keep
it over about 16/17 years old.
If you are looking for a children's entertainer,
please do let me know, I have many magician friends who either specialise
purely in children's magic or who perform for both children's and adult parties.
I would be more than happy to recommend one of them either in your area or
close to it. |
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There will be children present at my event, do you do any children's magic? |
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Although I don't perform at children's parties,
more often or not there will be children present at weddings or private
parties and it's not uncommon for me to have a trail of 'little people'
following me around the venue. Just read some of the comments on my
Client
Comments page.
For this reason, I do have a small selection of
children's magic tricks 'up my sleeve', I find it just enough to keep them
entertained and amused. I can also provide you with small magic
'giveaway' presents for the children too, please contact me to discuss this
option.
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How far in advance do we have to book? |
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Difficult one! During peak
season (June to September) I can be solidly booked for months in advance.
If you can, book as early as possible to guarantee availability. I
usually start getting the Christmas enquiries around June/July and can be
fully booked for Christmas by October/November.
This being said, I'm rarely
booked every day of the week and cancellations do happen, so if in doubt, drop me an
email or give me a ring and I might just be available at short notice. |
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How far in advance
do you take bookings? |
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I try not to take bookings
any further than 2 years in advance, purely because you never know what
might happen that far in the future. To reflect this, if you did want
to make a confirmed booking that far in advance, the price would be somewhat
higher.
Most of my advance bookings
are just for the following year. Especially the wedding bookings.
Please give me a call if you'd like to discuss long term bookings. |
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Can
we see you perform in advance? |
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My days of doing public performances in
restaurants are long behind me, all my performances nowadays are for private
parties, weddings or corporate functions, but that doesn't mean you can't
see me perform before you decide.
If you are in the Hampshire, Surrey or London area, I would be more than
happy to meet up for a chat to discuss your requirements and give you a
short demonstration. However, a promotional showreel can be seen on my
Video
section. This is a preferable option as it cuts down on travel
expenses and time.
If you'd like a copy of this on a DVD to show your colleagues, friends or
family, please email me your address and I'll pop a free copy in the post
…or if you really feel that you would like to see me in person, give me a
call and we can arrange a mutually suitable time to meet up. |
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I have foreign guests. Some of my guests are deaf.
There will be a lot of background noise .....Can you cope? |
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I can perform my whole act in Spanish and I've
picked up snippets of other languages along the way, but if there are foreign guests who
don't speak English, or if you have guests who are hard of hearing or deaf,
or if you just have a loud band playing in the background ...it's not a
problem.
I have performed in many countries all over the world
to thousands of audiences who don't speak a word of English.
Magic is a very visual form of entertainment and
I've learnt to pretty much mime my whole act. By using simple visual
communication techniques and a few simple mime techniques, not a word need be spoken
throughout the whole act. Even some of the jokes are completely
understood in this visual medium. |
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Can you provide
any me with any references? |
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Yes! I have performed for thousands of
clients over the years, and with the exception of HM The Queen, I'm sure
that any
of them would be more than happy to give me a glowing reference!
See also my
Client
Comments page, there are many, many comments left there by
happy customers, all who
have agreed to let me pass on their details for a reference. |
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Are you willing
to perform abroad? |
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Absolutely! ...I love to travel and have
performed my magic all over the world, for all races, religions and walks of
life!
I spent over
6 separate months performing magic in Dubai between 2006 and 2007. I also
regularly perform in Tanzania, Africa and have spent many months over the
last 8 years performing in Tenerife. Other places I have performed are
France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Turkey, Greece, Cyprus, Egypt, Oman, the
Caribbean, USA and Canada …..but I've never performed in Australia or the
Far East ...hint, hint!!
I'm fully vaccinated for most tropical climates
and am willing to travel at short notice. |
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Do you have insurance and are you a member of any professional body? |
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Yes and yes. I'm a member of The Magic Circle
and an Associate Member of the Inner Magic Circle (A.I.M.C).
I'm also a member of the International Brotherhood of Magicians and Equity -
the actors union
My public liability insurance is for up to £10
million and is arranged through Equity. The details are as follows:
Public Liability Insurance Policy:
First Act Insurance, Simpson House, 6 Cherry Orchard Road, Corydon, CR9
5BB
www.firstact.co.uk - mail@firstact.co.uk - tel: 020 8686 5050
Policy No: RTT112094 Equity No: M00220444
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What happens if you can't make my event due to illness or unforeseen
circumstances? |
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Fortunately occasions like this are very rare.
Illness doesn't really come into it, unlike regular jobs where a cold will
wipe you out, with magic you will feel dreadful only up until the point
where you start, then the adrenaline kicks in and you feel like 'a million
dollars!' I've never missed a booking in all my years of performance due to
illness.
If, however, something happens on the way to you, I will do my very best to
make it to your event, no matter what the financial implications. If for
some reason I can't get to you, I will do my best to arrange a suitable
replacement for you. I know many magicians all over the country and should
be able to find one free in the area and “ cash in” a favour, even if I end
up paying far more to get him there than you are paying me.
If something happens in advance, like injury or serious illness, I will
contact you at the earliest opportunity and discuss the situation with you.
If it's ok with you I will find you a suitable replacement of equal ability
and experience to me.
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How do I
go about booking you? |
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I don't use any kind of booking forms, just
contact me and let me know the details of your function. I will need a
contact name and address to send a confirmation letter out to. If you
require an invoice, I will need to know who to make this out to and where to
send it.
I will need to know the details of the venue and
the times that you want me there and of course a contact number in case of
emergencies.
I don't require any kind of deposit. ...I look
forward to entertaining you! |
If you would like to
make a booking, please call me on:
+44 (0)
7733 010912
or you can send me an
email to:
or you can fill in the form below and I'll get back to you right away.
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