talkmagic.co.uk

I have an idea that's floating around my mind. I thought I'd share it with you guys and gals and see whaty ou thought. Please tell me if I'm living in cloud cuckoo land or if it's a "goer".

People are always moaning about the lack of live magic shows. People also complain that magic these days is not as "classy" as in the golden era. So imagine this...

A stately home lit by candles. Dinner is served in the elegant dining room, a three course meal served to your table. Between each course a magician introduces himself and performs parlour magic for your entertainment. On the evening there are three 30 minute acts from three different magicians with very different styles.

The guests (not "punters"!) are requested to dress in their finery, although this is by no means essential. However your hosts and performers will be dressed in a style befitting such an elegant setting.

The evening would last from 7pm til the witching hour. The setting would be a stately home in the Midlands.

And the performers would be made up from suitable TM members with the required level of skill to make this work. The workers would be paid - although the pay would not be hundreds and hundreds. It is hoped that the experience of working in such a wonderful setting would recompense somewhat - although you will be paid!

So here's the questions - would you be willing to attend such an evening? How much would you be prepared to pay for an evening comprising of 3 magicians, a three course meal, all within a wonderful stately home? And are you willing to perform??

Ideas, thoughts etc. most welcome. I'd love to get this off the ground but obviously there's no point if no-one would be interested. There'd be room for around 36 guests, give or take.

Proposed launch date would be around easter 2009, with perhaps another one around halloween.

Sign me up Mr Bell Im there

I call "shotgun" on Metal bending...

It sounds like a great evening. To answer your question, if the event is to have longevity, it needs to have a broad appeal beyond magicians watching magic, and offer a sense of value.

So put magic to one side, for a fine meal in such surroundings, how much would one expect to pay?

The place needs to be good AND the food needs to be excellent.

A good meal including drinks etc in AUS may cost around AUD$60 - $80 per head. Adding some theatre style entertainment typically brings that up to $90 - $100 inc drinks to cover the entertainment.

Eating out in the UK is fiercely expensive, however I would imagine a similar degree of surcharge/extra cost would be reasonable.

People pay to see caberet style theatre dinner shows, comedy dinner shows, a magic dinner show is an excellent alternative PROVIDING the place and the food is also good.

Also, keep in mind, restaurants survive based on how often they can turn the tables over and your concept eliminates that. Avoid the temptation to skimp on the food. When people pay a little too much for a fine meal, they can always reflect on the fact it was a "fine meal". When the meal is bad, it doesn't matter how cheap the price because the meal was bad.

If you can get it up and running it sounds like fun! However for longevity's sake the evening needs to stand up as a restaurant... not just amagic act that "just happens to serve food".

EDIT: I would also consider how long is too long in terms of serving the meal. May be best to get 2 courses served, then move on to the next act?

Sounds like a great idea Mr Bell.

Pricing is tricky, I think you could get away with charging £100-£150. A decent meal can cost £60 each easily and then with the added entertainment, throw in a few bottles of nice wine and I think that's a fair price.

I might be able to souce and events company for you that would sort out a deal on caterers..will chat on 30th

I worked at a nearby hall about 18 months ago for a party of two. Very nice setting, Very classy people, And absolutely no heckling

May I suggest any of these, very nice have worked at them before..and contiinue to do so...lovley surrounding etc

http://www.whittleburyhall.co.uk/

http://www.fawsleyhall.com/

http://www.woburn-hospitality.co.uk/

http://www.stowe.co.uk/Stowe-House.aspx

http://www.mercure.com/gb/hotel-6627-me ... ndex.shtml

All of which you cud charge an arm and n a leg for...lol

I think that this could work.

What sort of magic though? Parlour? Close-up? What do you mean by different styles? The three that spring to mind are magic, gambling and mentalism.

I'd personally be interested in this.

Magician James Hamilton did just show a program in the San Francisco area for years in an act that was an exact replica of the old Herrmann Parlor show. He even used oil foot lamps so as to get the old world tint on the stage, etc.

I have likewise booked a few dates in the B&B market in which someone doing basic manipulation & birds was part of the luncheon... more for the children, as it was oft treated in bi-gone days; the adults attending the more analytically stimulating demonstrations of mental prowess once the children have been tucked away.

I believe such a program could work well in today's markets but then, I'm a sucker for the more intimate setting for things; its a more realistic sense of obtainment if you think about it, far less competitive.

I'll work bar!

It is something I would be interested in, as either performer or guest (preferably performer though!)

As for price - a meal with entertainment in a stately home with silver service waiting staff could / should cost at least £150 per person.

Wow! Thanks for all the replies, both via this thread and PM. I'm over-whelmed by the response.

I already have a location in mind, all I need to do is find out the exact pricings they would be looking at. They already put on similar evenings (not magic but special interest as it were), and so I know they'd snap my hands off.

Act wise I'm thinking of the evening starting with a "real" magician - coins, cards, sponges etc. Then moving on to a more mind-reader style act, and finishing with a more bizarre-esque act. So a real mix of all the disciplines. Any thoughts?

This is in many ways a one-off event, but I'm shying away from a £150 price tag. That just seems a little too much to me. Perhaps £95 would be more realistic? But again, I haven't got costings so I'm really whistling in the dark at the mo.

Thanks again for your enthusiasm, and I will of course keep everyone up tp date.

I've fostered very much the same sort of dream for many years, the right setting with guests suitably attired to enjoy something which would be more up market to club or pub shows. Nothing wrong with those at all, just targeting a different potential audience. In the West Midlands we're used to paying a bit less than further South but around to £80-£85 mark for three courses and entertainment would be worth considering. Guests would have to add in the cost of transport etc but if they were assured of a good evening's entertainment then it would be worth it. There's not much around to compare but check out the prices of tickets for events at the NEC and NIA - those guys know how to charge! On a slightly different track, I usually go to the Albert hall each year to see Cirque Du Soleil and that can cost up to £70, plus train fare each way and find your own food!

As long as the entertainment was good, I'm sure folks would enjoy the evening. Around this time of year seems to be when people are happier at spending on such entertainments?

To be perfectly honest Paul, with only 36 guests if the tickets are £100 each that doesn't give you much of a budget - especially if you are hiring a prestigious venue and top notch service.

I am still interested though

I think it's a great idea, and love your proposed mix of stage acts.

I agree with you about the price though, I would say £100 tops. Here's my thinking: Certainly in the North/Midlands, two people can eat very well for £100 - £10 for a starter, £20 for a mains, £30 for a bottle of wine and £5 for a dessert (perhaps a little tight on the dessert, but you won't necessarily spend quite that much on the other stuff!). For this I'd expect food of local renown, not to mention surroundings and excellent service.

If you charge £150 (costing a couple £300), you are suggesting that you are providing excellent, restaurant quality food and drink (which is something to consider anyway, given that everyone will presumably be having the same dish), then - give or take a little for the setting you've provided - entertainment that's worth getting on for £100 per person! Which, unless they're really big names, isn't really the case.

So yeah, I would think £70 the low end, £95 the top end. But that's just my opinion, and admittedly I know nothing about event planning or management.