A stage magic show is the version of magic made for a big room. Instead of cards a few steps from your eyes, you get larger props, illusion cabinets or escape effects, sometimes an assistant, and tricks that still read clearly 20 metres back. It suits a gala dinner, a dinner and dance, a product launch or a public festival stage in Singapore with 100 or more guests.
Price: a stage illusionist usually costs SGD 1,500 to 4,000 for a 30 to 60 minute show. See magician prices in Singapore.
Illusionist or magician?
The words overlap. Illusionist usually means a performer who does bigger stage effects for a seated audience, while magician covers everything from close-up card tricks to full stage shows. When you book, describe the room and the audience rather than the title, and you get the right act.
Stage show or mind reading?
Both work for a room of 100 or more, and they solve different problems. An illusionist gives you visual spectacle that works for any audience, including families and public crowds. A mentalist gives you a talking show that uses the real people in the room, which tends to land better at a corporate dinner where everyone knows each other.
Where it fits in the programme
A stage show runs 30 to 60 minutes as the main act, or a shorter segment inside a longer evening. At a dinner and dance, place it between courses or just before the awards or speeches, not during the noisiest part of dinner service. Leave a buffer after the show, so a set that runs long does not push the whole programme back.
What the venue needs
- A stage or raised platform, or about 3 by 3 metres of clear floor
- A wireless microphone and the house sound system, or a rented one
- 30 to 60 minutes to set up, plus a sound check before the doors open
- Loading bay access for the props, agreed with the venue's AV team
Many hotel ballrooms are still being set up until the last hour, so book the sound check slot with the venue early. Check whether fire, smoke or confetti effects are allowed before the show is planned around them. The planning guide covers all of this.
Book ahead for the year-end season
From October to December, illusionists are booked across many company dinner and dance nights. Book four to eight weeks ahead for those dates. For a corporate night that mixes a stage show with roving magic at the reception, see corporate magicians.
How to book
Send the date, the venue, the stage size, the headcount and the slot in your programme on WhatsApp or through the quote form. You get a shortlist with videos and a price.
