Matt Duggan

Hey folks!

Just a quick update to let you know that a few months back, I filmed some magic for TV and tomorrow night (Friday 26th November) it airs on the UK digital channel, E4.

The show is called Natalie Cassidy – Becoming Mum and follows said Mum-to-be around as she prepares to embark on her journey into motherhood.

Why did she need a magician?

Well, she’s also getting married and was holding a party to celebrate her engagement to Adam Cottrell at The National Theatre on London’s South Bank. Obviously, every TV celebrity engagement party needs a magician and the best ones all hire me!

So, tune in to the show at 10pm for footage of me performing for Natalie and Adam. Apparently, you can also spot me in the background of the party too… but blink and you’ll miss it. It’s literally only around 30 seconds of TV time, but as I look at it, that means I have 14.5 minutes of fame left!

I was performing at a beautiful wedding venue in Wiltshire at the weekend (Bradley House), and as my ‘set’ was coming to an end, the first dance was announced.

I’ve heard about first dances like this, but this was the first one I’ve witnessed.

Enjoy!

I’ve decided to start doing some video updates from my events, as I thought it might give you (my lovely blog readers) a chance to see a bit more about me and the places I perform.

Today I’m at Bradley House in Maiden Bradley. Check it out at http://www.bradleyhouse.org. It’s a great venue and ideal for a wedding as busy as this one…

Enjoy!

Hiring a magician for your wedding, party or corporate event is a fantastic way of breaking the ice with your guests and have them laughing and chatting in no time. However, there are several things you need to consider when hiring a magician in the UK. I’ll take you through the options and some things to look for to make sure you get the best of the best.

The most important factor to consider when booking a magician in London is to see what previous customers have said about them. If they don’t have testimonials or feedback from clients on display, it’s best not to go any further. The good performers will have a number of satisfied customers who have allowed them to use their letters/e-mails of thanks as proof.

This type of social proof means that you can be sure that the performer is good and has performed at your type of event before.

You may also want to check to see that the performer has performance photos clearly displayed on their site. This enables you to see some of the reactions their performances elicit. The more happy smiling faces you see, the better. If they have video of them performing, even better.

There are a few organisations in the UK that act as a ‘seal of approval’ for magicians. The most well-known and highly respected society is The Magic Circle. Members of ‘The Circle’ have had to pass an audition to become members, where they are ‘vetted’ by a group of their peers. Again, membership of The Magic Circle is another good sign when looking for a London magician.

Another organisation is Equity, the performers’ union. Membership of this union gives the performer up to £10 million of public liability insurance. When hiring a stage magician, this is particularly important, as in the very unlikely event of a problem you are covered.

To find a top London Magician there is a faster way… Simply go to my London Magician site and let me know what sort of event you’re holding. I can tailor my performances to you, ensuring that you guests have a fabulous night, with moments of fun, laughter and amazement to remember long after the event ends.

I look forward to meeting you.

Matt

Late last year, wedding photographer James Cannon interviewed me as part of his Wedding Guest Blog Interviews.

http://www.yourweddingguestblog.co.uk/2009/12/12/magician-matt-duggan/

Every so often, James interviews a wedding supplier to get their perspective on weddings and how to make them as magical as possible. So it stands to reason that speaking of magic, James chats to a magician. You’ll never guess who he chose…

James and I chat about my background in magic and the entertainment I provide for weddings across the country. We also touch on The Magic Circle and the way I helpthe bride and groom to see how magic can help make their day that bit more special.

You can find the full interview on James’ excellent blog at:

http://www.yourweddingguestblog.co.uk/2009/12/12/magician-matt-duggan/

You can also find out more about his excellent photography services (the photos are some of the best I’ve seen and I’ve seen lots of photographers!) at:

http://www.cannonphotography.co.uk/

I got a rather interesting enquiry today from a researcher who’d seen my details on a wedding supplier’s website. She told me that Living TV are looking for brides-to-be for their new reality show ‘Four Weddings’ and did I know anyone who’d be interested?

So I’m asking, are any of you beautiful brides-to-be interested in winning a luxury honeymoon and appearing on Living TV in ‘Four Weddings’? Check out the flyer by clicking here.

Here’s what Meg, the researcher at ITV (who are producing the show) sent me about it:

We are casting for a second series of the hit TV show for LIVING, called “Four Weddings”. We are looking for more brides-to-be to attend and score each others big days, scoring the venue, the dress, the food and the overall presentation. The scores are not disclosed amongst the other brides until after all the weddings when it will be revealed whose wedding has been judged the best! The winning bride will win a LUXURY Honeymoon!

This is a fun and entertaining show for both the bride and the viewer. We are looking for all sorts of weddings and themes ranging from small civil ceremonies, to fairytale, traditional English to Greek/Jewish to mention just a few between now and March 2010.

I have attached a flyer for the show, and I would really appreciate it if you could forward this onto any brides who are getting married. We are particularly looking at the mo for brides getting married in October, so if anyone springs to mind, I would be most grateful if you could pass on my contact details. We are of course also still interested in anyone getting married between end of September and March 2010.

Let me know if you go for it.