Big illusions for London events

Let's be straight about one thing first. Jay & Joss don't have a weekly slot in a West End theatre, so if you're after magic shows London visitors can buy tickets for on a Tuesday, we're not that. What we do is bring Jamie Docherty and Lewis Joss, and their fire, lasers, blades and spikes, to your event in the capital. Corporate dinners, launches, galas and big private parties are where they fit.

Where London has already seen them

Every year they're part of the entertainment at the Royal Variety Aftershow Party, which is about as close to a home crowd of industry people as it gets. They also had a spell in West End Magic, a show that calls itself London's longest-running theatre magic show, though their dates with it were on tour in Norwich in 2022.

And then there's The Magic Circle, which has its headquarters in London. Jay & Joss hold its Champions of Stage Illusion title, awarded in 2024, three years after both of them passed their AIMC with Silver Star. If you're pitching them to a client who wants credentials, that's the one to mention.

None of which means they only do magic shows London venues host. But if your guests are the sort who've seen a lot of entertainment, it helps to know the act holds up in front of people who see it for a living.

Corporate magic shows London teams book

The bulk of our London enquiries are corporate: award ceremonies, conference dinners, end-of-year parties and client events. The format that works is simple. Dinner's done, everyone's seated, the room goes quiet, and for one stretch of the night all your guests are watching the same thing.

That shared moment is what the stage show is built for. It's loud, visual and a bit dangerous, so it cuts through a room that has been networking for three hours. And because it doesn't depend on in-jokes or anyone's job, it works for a mixed audience of staff, clients and partners.

One practical tip. If you've got speeches or awards, put the illusions just after the main course and before the formal bit, or use them to break a long list of trophies in two. We'll look at your running order and suggest where it lands best.

The other thing London corporate bookers tell us they need: something that photographs and films well for internal comms and social posts afterwards. Fire, lasers and someone hanging upside down beneath spikes tick that box without much help.

Launches, reveals and press stunts

London gets more product launches and press events than anywhere else in the country, and that's where the stunt side of the act comes in. Jay & Joss work as illusion consultants, so a reveal built around a product, a logo or a person can be discussed rather than bolted on.

To give you a sense of scale: for Wicksteed Park they made the park's train, Merlin, vanish in front of staff and visitors, and the whole thing was filmed in one take and shown on ITV News. On Radio X, Chris Moyles's show had them help a presenter saw a woman in half, live and streamed online. Neither of those were London jobs, but that's the kind of thinking we'd bring to yours.

If a launch is what you're planning, have a read of our launch work and get in touch early. Bespoke illusions need time, and London launch diaries fill up fast.

Imagination: show teaser

Private parties and big celebrations

Milestone birthdays, anniversaries, engagement parties, the kind of private do where the host wants something nobody else's party had. Plenty of private magic shows London hosts book are close-up only. This one adds a proper stage moment.

A nice way to run it: Jamie and Lewis each do sleight of hand at the tables or during drinks, then later come together for the illusions. Guests get to meet them up close before they see them do something alarming with a spiked rig. One client's Google review picked out exactly that mix of close-up and stage as the part their guests kept mentioning.

For houses, private members' clubs and exclusive-use venues, see our luxury events page.

Fitting the act into a London venue

London venues can be tricky in ways that country houses aren't, and that affects magic shows London rooms can take more than people expect. Tell us early about the things that will shape the show:

• Stage or no stage. A stage is best for the bigger illusions, but clear space at the front of the room can work.
• Numbers and layout. Round tables, theatre rows or standing. Roughly how many.
• Flame and effects rules. Plenty of listed buildings and hotel ballrooms have strict policies on fire. We'd much rather know at the enquiry stage.
• Access and timings. Loading bays, lifts and when the room is free for setting up. Your venue's events team will usually know this off by heart.
• Photos. A few phone shots of the room tell us more than a floor plan.

What you'll have seen on television

Lots of people searching for magic shows London-side want to know they're getting the act off the telly. You are. The BGT judges gave Jay & Joss four yeses in 2024 for a routine themed around a wedding, involving Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and Bruno Tonioli. Afterwards Cowell said: "I swear none of it was planned in advance, it's just blown my mind!"

Before that came an appearance on the American series Penn & Teller: Fool Us in 2021, plus ITV's Lorraine and BBC Three's School of Hard Tricks. The television page has the full list.

Want to watch them first?

Fair enough. There's a London-free option and a seagoing one. The media page has video from the stage and TV, which is how most bookers make their mind up. And in 2026 the pair are performing in AGT: Live on Stage aboard a Royal Caribbean ship, so they're not always on dry land.

For public dates, the live page lists what's coming. The 2026 theatre tour is over now, and the next round of dates is in the works.

Booking Jay & Joss in London

Do Jay & Joss have a regular London show I can buy tickets for?

Not at the moment. They don't have a residency at a London venue. Their 2026 theatre tour played 28 theatres around the country and has now finished, with new dates on the way. For a private or corporate event in London, though, you can book them directly through us.

Our London venue doesn't allow naked flame. Can they still perform?

Probably, yes. Fire is one part of the act, not all of it. There are also lasers, projections, levitation and stunts with blades and spikes. Tell us the venue's rules at the start and we'll build the running order around them, rather than finding out on the day.

Can you create something around our brand for a launch?

It can be discussed. Jamie and Lewis design illusions as well as performing them, including work for touring theatre productions. A bespoke piece needs time to develop, so the earlier you come to us with the brief, the more options there are.

Is it suitable for a client dinner as well as a staff party?

Yes. The show is visual and story-led rather than built on jokes about the room, so it travels well between a formal client evening and a looser staff do. That's not true of all magic shows London firms book, so let us know who's in the audience and we'll pitch it accordingly.

Do you only cover London?

No, they work across the UK and abroad. Magic shows London clients book just come with their own considerations around access and venue rules, which is why this page exists. For the rest of the country, see our magic shows UK page.

Pop us the details with the form below ([check a date](#enquiry)) or through contact: your date, the London venue (or the area if it's not booked yet), roughly how many guests, and if you'll have a stage. Snaps of the space always help. The Fine Entertainments team will reply with availability and talk you through the next step.