Magician, Entertainer - Brett Sirrell

Today spent most of my time signing contracts invoices, chasing payments and generally catching up on jobs that i had been putting off for ages.  Tomorrow travelling to Norfolk to see some friends.   Before that i will take the family to see some shows put on by the council in the local park. 

Mark Russell and Steve Kaos should be there.  Last year it was good fun. 

On the magic news front it has been confirmed that there will again be magicians at Manchester United this season.  Although they will be cutting back on the number of magicians booked.  The recession is really hitting everybody it seams.

We were the Policeman on stilts.  Mark Russell and myself.  Our stick on Victorian moustaches were about to fall off through laughing too much.  I got my entertainment from trying to make mark laugh so much he started crying behind his glasses! 

The Royal Signals White Helmets did an awesome display which was truly worth the weekend itself.  Not so much magic this weekend but great fun. 

I have just also set up no www.weddingmagician4u.co.ukafter lots of complaining to the web server to try and get this right its all up and running.  Hopefully i will keep adding advice and info for anyone who wants to hire a wedding magician. 

I had a great meeting earlier in the week with a potential client for a corporate close up magic job early in September.  Did a couple of great tricks which seemed to make an impression.  A fun morning with plenty to chat about, so thank you Jez!

Also this week i have edited another video for David and Gareth office lookalikes.  Very please with the results!

I haven’t posted for a while.  But then it is the busy time of year.  Even though some say its quiet!  I have been away last week, with the family in North Devon.  Although its difficult to get away from the world of entertainment.  Several magician and wedding entertainment enquiries still came through on the mobile. 

The weekend before going away I was in Ireland, as an “international Street Entertainer”  i did two show in a back alley! Despite the venue the shows went well.  Juggling and unicycle shows mostly,  Lots of very friendly people!  I wonder if all of Ireland is like that?

What else has happened,  An early morning start a few weeks ago Close up magic in the early moring for the woolworths.co.uk relaunch and then a late evening midnight walk job entertaining the walkers.  

Next weekend entertaining at the Morgan Festival in Cheltenham as Policemen on stilts. Hopefully i will be able to avoid getting swine flu before then!

Juggling Show at Draycote water Sailing club Warwickshire

Pretty much a typical mid summer weekend.  Magic and fundays.  Friday evening i was working with Caracturist  Luisa Calvo.  Probably one of the best caricaturists around,  very experienced and superb drawings.  I shared travel with her and it was great to chat and have the company on a job.  The event was Moreton Morrell College Summer ball, in Warwickshire.  Close up Magic around the tables.  Nice to around people with lots of enthusiasm, great responses! 

Saturday, a old boys reunion at Shiplake college.  Lots of punters with pink shirts!  Magic, juggling lots of amazing balloon modelling for the kids.  Not the most comfortable of surroundings, like being in a training (cloning) ground for future PMs or MDs. 

Then suday was a nice relaxing fun day for a friend who organisies the funday for Draycote Water Sailing Club.  http://www.draycotewater.co.uk/ Warwickshire

Mark Russell running the workshop and helping with a show and myself balloons, magic juggling entertaining etc!

The guests were clients of the hotel who might book accommodation etc.  There were only about 30 guests on 5 tables.  To be quite honest it was hard work as they really wanted just to talk business.  Anyway i kept it brief and to the point magic.  Which was good as the journey to Liverpool was less than entertaining.

What is going on with the roads in this country. Birmingham to Liverpool M6 shut for a while i had to go cross country. Amazingly I got there in 2:30hrs.

Coming back I left at 10:30pm. The M5 was shut at jct 4 so i thought would follow the m6 around and down the m42. I get to the 42 and the southbound exit is shut. So i go north to Tamworth for 1 junction. On heading back south the southbound exit is shut so i end up back on the M6 heading past Birmingham (home) having to turn around at the next junction 9 miles out of my way. I then get stuck on the M6 where 4 lanes are brought down to 1.
I finally get to the m42 where i get more restrictions down to 2 lanes. Fortunately little delays though.

So basically every motorway around Birmingham was shut or restricted simultaneously!
I get home at 1:40am 3hrs 10 mins!!total. 1 hr30 of this sitting in traffic in the early hours of the morning!!!  What can we do about it?    Nothing!

Oh well it comes with the job.

The rest of the weekend was a bit more enjoyable, with a wedding on sat.  They had really  put a bit of effort in.  Which made it a great party, with a casino table and a chocolate fountain and myself (magician) as a surprise for the Groom.

Sunday a 40th Birthday nr Reading, Berkshire.  Another nice family event!  All kind of makes up for the 6 hours travelling on Friday. Both events i ran over time as usual!

Yesterday I was jesting as a magic and juggling jester at the launch of a superb new venue, just down the road in Mapleborough Green, Warwickshire.  http://gorcotthall.com/  A superb venue which will be just idea for weddings, corporate days and other special occasions. It was great to be able to meet other local business people from the area as well.  Hopefully Gorcott Hall will be a regular venue for me. 

I have also been tinkering with the website.  I am running a trial of the “quick quote”,  if anyone wants to hire a magician (myself!)  or get a quote for hiring a magician at a wedding or corporate event all they have to do is fill in the quick quote form which sends me a message which i pick up from my phone and i call them back and give them a price.

Sounds simple whether it will work is another matter!  Who knows!

The end of last week was finished off with 3 days in Gloucester Quays designer shopping outlet opening weekend.  We were  Divers on stilts, quite a slow start as people didn’t know what to expect

divers on stilts

and i think the people of Gloucester were a bit overwhelmed by designer shops!  By the end of the third day we were doing really quite well.  I was even getting accurate with the water squirt. 

sky Funday at Sywell

Sunday and Monday i had two fundays for supply chain workers for SKY TV.  Sunday at Bath racecourse for a “your great event” and Monday at the aviator hotel in Sywell airfield for “Leapfrog events”

Monday a repeat from last year, Victorian Policemen on stilts out side the Royal Courts of Justice,  the ones you see on TV often enough.  We send off the Lawyers for a 10k walk around London and then welcome them back at The Law Society where they have drinks etc. 

A bit of a tough crowd but as i say it was a repeat booking so we were expecting it, they are lawyers after all!

They also book magicians and I did get the magicians to do us some magic for us.  Turned out to be an ego building exercise for myself and my magic!   London magicians you would have thought might have a bit more charisma or wow factor, but no.  Why do magicians have to wear ties with cards on them?  Do they really think its enough to get a card chosen then find it again?  A colour change that my cat could have done better!  On its own its vaguely interesting,  maybe to see your mates do this but if you are being hired as a professional magician then surely you are expected to do a little more?   At least use a fresh deck of cards that doesn’t look like its been used since the stone ages, signed cards add a little more to the trick and makes it more personal at least.  Then maybe do something interesting with the chosen card!  Its good to compare other magicians working and the level of magic “out there”  being performed, but its rather disappointing to see such a poor standard of magician in the business.  If they were plumbers they would very quickly be on BBC rogue traders!

Tomorrow Deep sea divers on stilts, courtesy of Martin Long at www.Larkinabout.net . A new shopping centre in Gloucester.

Last week started with a trip to London,  wet up with Jem, Steve Kaos and Mark Russel.  Meet and greet magic  followed by 10 min stand up spot after dinner.  Jem and Steve were on stilts and Mark was juggling, myself performing magic.

Performing close magic with others around me doing juggling and crazy stuff was great. I found the guests expected something a bit more fun than the usual serious expectations of  “a serious magician”.  This suits me down to a tee.  Coming from the same place as the others,  i always think the magic should be fun and a little bit silly, of course people know its not magic but if the trick is really baffling then it gives the fun just an added dimension.

After dinner i performed the head chopper illusion for the first time.  I built it a few months ago now and i haven’t had a chance to put it in a real situation yet.  It really has a strong effect for something so simple,  and the routine had everybody clapping and some people with their head in their hands with anticipation!  When the cucumbers get chopped its such a cool moment!!

Tanx Radio Control Tank Battle

Wednesday Tanx team building with a money bonanza fun day at Cadburys.  They looked great in the sunshine!  I did buy some new tents so if need be i can be completely covered now.  The buildings are getting a make over as well.  So very soon they will be looking like new!

Then on Sunday was a wedding,  about 40 people from the daytime.  Some magic for the first bit,  with balloons later.  I think the Bride and Groom wanted an emphasis on the balloons as they ha children and there were a number of children there. 

Nice end to the week.  Coming up, the last game /corporate magic at old trafford and a repeat from  a few years ago. 

Ta!

Well from being stupidly quiet to no time at all to do anything. The best Magician bits in summary Week Last Thurs took and agency Magician booking, when i turned up the Event organiser said “we are really looking forward to your act”  this sounds suspicious! “we have never had a magician that rides a unicycle at the same time”. Yes he was serious!  I don’t know what the Entertainment agenthad told him but I didn’t want to know! 

Mid week was Magic  Man utd.  i thought i would be OK travelling back all the matrix signs were empty and the road was relatively quiet.  Then the matrix signs show “queue after junction”  about 100 yards from the junction!  Totally useless!  No other warnings! so i sat on the M6 again at 12 am for 45 mins!  Why cant we sort out the roads in this country!

Thur, Brunel University Sports ball!  Again stuck in flippin traffic at 12pm at night! Totally pointless!  Although not so bad this time. Between courses they had awards and presentations, and then the rest of the time they were “pumped”. Although saying this,  it was like working with the apples from the tree, as they were so fresh and unsuspecting.  Had some real David Blaine style USA reactions!  Went over and magic-ed did the Rugby Players table.  The organiser afterwards said “you were brave!..but i noticed them go quiet when you finished (the stunned silence!!!) “ 

Then the weekend was a superb wedding,  Bride and Groom looked great.  I did something for the Bride at one point and she gave the best reaction in the world,  even better the photographer was on hand to capture the moment! 

Tomorrow, Magic in London with the guys! Steve Kaos etc!