Robert Bone, Magician

Hello! I’m Robert Bone and I’m a professional close-up Magician, Mind-reader and Demonstrator of Extra-Sensory Curiosities. (Basically it’s a posh way of saying I mess with people’s heads in a fun and entertaining way.)

I use a combination of sleight of hand, memory techniques, psychological reading and hypnotic suggestion. This creates a style of entertainment that is both fun and engaging.

Mix this my interactive style, unique sense of wit and a persona that grabs attention; and I create an exciting, fresh, lively genre of entertainment – perfect for interacting with your guests and initiating conversation that will go on long after I’ve have finished. It’s much more than just card tricks.

I’m also an award-winning magician, and have won numerous professionally recognised awards (including Best Magician and Mind Reader in the UK, amongst many others). These awards are within both the corporate events and wedding industries.

Close Up Sleight of Hand Magician

There’s three layers to my long term entertainment objective. Firstly I entertain at the time (so that those watching are actively entertained). Secondly it creates a talking point afterwards (when guests will discuss what they’ve seen to other guests – that’s why it is such a great conversation starter). And thirdly I aim to create a longer term memory that guests will talk about after the event; I do this by sowing in subtleties that most people won’t notice straight away, but their subconscious will!

Or to put it another way: I can go up to the group that have been at the bar since three in the afternoon, show them something that will make their heads spin, and leave them wanting to see more – and probably in need of another drink. 😉

I perform at all different types of events such as weddings, parties, corporate hospitality events, Christmas parties, birthdays, military piss-ups, awards galas, trade shows and exhibitions.

Essentially, if you have a group of people and you want to ensure they don’t just stare at each other blankly for a couple of hours and moan about it afterwards then you probably need to book a magician. And if you want to book with confidence then it makes sense to book me.

The versatility of my magic (remember that bit where I said I use sleight of hand, memory techniques, psychological reading and hypnotic suggestion?) means I can entertain whilst mingling with guests during a reception, between the dinner tables as well as a stand-up mind-reading cabaret show.

Premium Magical Entertainment

I have a varied repertoire of material and constantly adapt what I’m performing (literally group by group, table by table and person by person) to ensure they see the material that will make the biggest impact on them. I make an effort to remember names and what they’ve already seen, the goal is to return to them through-out the event and add more layers on – pushing the boundaries further with each visit.

And BOOM!, instant talking point. From freaking out teenagers with some Dynamo style close-up magic, controlling minds like an un-bearded Derren Brown or dazzling the OAPs with dealing a Royal Flush from a shuffled deck of cards. And no, I can’t come to the casino with you afterwards! Magic has been my primary source of income since 2006, so those skillz really do pay the billz.

Hang on, dealing poker hands to OAPs…?! Yes. Trust me, they may seem harmless sitting there with their blue-rinse and wearing their Sunday best – but sensing the opportunity of winning big at next Tuesday’s bridge club turns even the quietest pensioner into a raging card-shark. (Legal note, this paragraph has been exaggerated for sales purposes – but I have studied card cheating techniques and even given talks on this subject at numerous WI groups!)

Sounds brilliant, doesn’t it? Too blooming right it does. You want to book me now, don’t you? Well, you should. Other people have and they all agreed they were glad they did. I know that for a fact – I did a survey.

Well, get on and contact me for a quote, or drop me an email, or even give me a call. Or WhatsApp, Skype, FaceTime, Zoom. (Please note: you can no longer fax me, it’s not 1987 any more.)

Neither can you send an owl. I’m not Harry Potter, and I didn’t go to Hogwarts. Bonus Top Tip: never book a magician who hilariously adjusts their Facebook profile to say they studied at Hogwarts. Trust me on that one. (And on that subject please avoid magicians who use a prop or coloured piece of clothing as their brand – this is a sure fire indicator they lack personality and originality.)

Parties, weddings and corporate entertainment

So as a quick recap I’m a full-time, fully insured professional mind-reader and magician. You can rest assured that your guests will be in capable hands seeing some amazing entertainment. When you book me I will issue you with a formal contract/invoice, payments go through my business bank account, and I can even accept credit card. This gives you peace of mind that you are dealing with an experienced professional.

I’m based in Berkshire, and therefore have easy access to London (either along the M4 or the train – did you know it’s just half hour from Reading Central to London Paddington?!). I can get around the Home Counties with ease, pop down to the South Coast, and Birmingham and Bristol aren’t too far either.

I regularly entertain all across the UK, as well as the occasional international event. Please don’t be put off thinking that I will not be able to attend because of the location of your event, and should I not be able to get to your event (either because the travel is prohibitive or because of existing commitments) I am happy to ask if any of my colleagues are available for you. Anyone I recommend would be a magician that I know personally and likely worked with before, and therefore I would be happy to personally recommend. I would also ask them to respect my pricing.

You can book me with confidence, having turned full-time professional in 2006 I have a wealth of experience and should the worst happen I have £5 million Public Liability Insurance. Seriously though, how I’m going to cause £5 million of damage doing card tricks is beyond me.

To put it another way, I’m not a hobbyist earning a few extra quid on a Saturday afternoon, but an experienced professional magician; and therefore I provide you with a top quality professional service. To put it even more simply, the boring stuff is taken care of so you can get on and enjoy yourself.

Give your guests an experience to remember

As an experienced magician my performance style is as entertaining as it is baffling and creates a fantastic experience for your guests. The style is full of comedy and hands on interaction, as well as creating memories your guests will remember for years to come.

By remembering names and what tricks I show them so as I mingle with them I can build on the experience and it becomes a lot more personal to them. Funnily enough people think that remembering names is a trick, it isn’t I just take notice of what people say to me. Saying that, if I bump into you in Tesco’s the next day it’s likely I’ll have no idea who you are. It’s to do with techniques I use for short-term memory, versus long-term memory. But here isn’t the place to get into such details, you just want to know that you’re booking someone who considers these details important.

Make sure you check out the videos of me performing, as well as read what other people say about me in my magician reviews.

If you’ve read this far down and haven’t yet convinced you to book me then please drop me an email and ask. Look forward to showing you some magic soon.

More About Me – Robert Bone, Magician & Mind-Reader

Hello, I’m Robert Bone, and as a professional magician and mind reader I perform magic at a wide variety of events across the UK. I currently live in Berkshire, and have family and friends in Hampshire and Dorset where I grew up and started my career as a professional magician.

Over the years I have entertained at hundreds (seriously, hundreds!) of weddings and private parties, corporate hospitality in London, exhibitions in Birmingham and even 6 hours in a box in Millennium Square, Bristol for BBC TV. Living in the Home Counties means that I have easy access to other parts of the country, and regularly entertain at Christmas parties for The British Army on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire and RAF bases in Oxfordshire.

I am also a recommended supplier to many venues. It’s great to perform at venues that I know well, but it’s also nice to perform at new and unique venues – some of which are not accessible to the public – such as performing in the revolving restaurant at the top of the BT Tower. I also travel further afield and have even been booked to entertain at Weddings in Oslo, Norway!

I became a full time professional magician in 2006, prior to which I was a mortgage adviser embedded within a chain of estate agents. I was actually quite late to taking up magic as a hobby (many magicians claim to start at about 6 years old with a Paul Daniels’ Magic Set), I first started practicing seriously when I was already well into my twenties (there’s an interesting story of how I got started – ask me about it!) It was only a few years between taking up the hobby and it becoming my sole source of income.

The Man Behind the Magic

Here’s a short, mildly humorous bio that featured in a magazine in 2011:

Robert Bone was born in Southampton on April Fool’s Day, and after a day of labour his mother managed to coincide the birth of her first-born with the running of Grand National that afternoon, much to his father’s disappointment.

As a child Robert’ s interest in science meant that many items were dismantled to see how they worked, and this led to studying Physics at Exeter University. Midway through the course Robert discovered that the mathematics used in quantum theory wasn’t as exciting as the University’s prospectus promised so left to commence a career in financial services.

Despite this turn to the “dark-side” Robert still enjoys the pleasurable side of science and is a keen astronomer (having a GCSE in the subject), has a collection of telescopes and is currently planning to convert a shed into an observatory at the bottom of his garden where he plans to image planets, galaxies, nebulaes and asteroids.

Having obtained the qualifications to become a financial adviser Robert specialised in mortgages, first self-employed, then working for a chain of estate agents in Dorset. It was in October 2003 that he joined this company and was sent on a 4 week residential training course with other new starters. As the only person on the course with the qualifications and experience he decided to pass the time learning some card tricks in the evenings.

This started Robert’s hobby in magic – something that most people do as children but soon grow out of. He found shops selling magical books and props and also joined a local group of Magicians, The Wessex Magical Society.

After a mere three years of performing magic as a hobby Robert quit his job as a mortgage adviser (also, the daily urge to bop his under-qualified boss on the nose was becoming too much) and became a full time magician. Although wanting to focus on card-tricks and mind-reading Robert had a mortgage to pay so also performed as Magic Rob at children’s parties.

Robert joined The Magic Circle in 2008. This entails being proposed by two existing members, an interview at the headquarters in London, then an audition. The audition is before many of the members, including a judging panel where the applicant is judged on technical ability as well as presentation skills. Robert passed the audition on his first attempt.

To set himself apart from other magicians Robert rebranded himself from “Professional Magician” to a “Demonstrator of Extra-Sensory Curiosities”. This new title highlights his style that tends to focus on mind-reading and the psychological side of the art, whilst still performing sleight of hand magic. After five years since turning professional Robert also managed to put “Magic Rob” to bed, performing his last children’s show in early 2011. Robert’s blood-pressure has been lower ever since.

As a professional magician Robert performs at many events. During the summer months he is often found mingling guests at weddings. This is often whilst the bride and groom are off having their photographs taken and the guests have been left to sip champagne and make awkward small-talk, or in the evening around the tables prior to the disco.

Robert is also in the process of setting up a company that focuses on entertainment at corporate events and functions, as well as using magic to help companies promote their products and services at exhibitions and trade shows. He is also promoting his cabaret act, and considering taking the show to the Edinburgh Festival.

Over the years he has been performing as a professional magician he has found himself in many unique situations. On one memorable occasion he performed at a Summer Ball on a RAF base and had to cut his performance short whilst a Hawker Hurricane demonstrated strafing runs barely 50 foot over the assembled crowd – obviously Health & Safety regulations are different on RAF bases.

Many magicians perform in glamorous locations around the world and meet the rich and famous. Robert is an exception to this rule. However, he does hold a valid passport and would love to perform at your party, especially if it is in Barbados. His email is [email protected].

I have also been featured in many other publications over the years (various local newspapers, magazines and online articles).

The Man Behind the Mystery

For those that wonder; yes, Robert Bone is my real name. Some people think that I’ve chosen it to ensure I have a unique name with Equity. No. That’s just me.

As an experienced professional magician (and past President of the Home Counties Magic Society) I am often asked questions by amateur magicians looking for advice so that they too can become professional. To try and help I have created the website How To Be A Professional Magician to assist amateur, hobbyist and part-time magicians; and give those that are considering a new career in magic the resources to get started – not just tricks and performing, but also on the business aspect of being a professional magician.

I have also given lectures to magic clubs and societies such a WI group and Masonic events. These talks are educational, but still feature plenty of fun, interaction and magical demonstrations.

Hope that gives you a good overview of who I am, and the reason why I do what I do. Sorry if it bored you.

I don’t think there’s much more to add

Hope you found that insight interesting!