Top Quality Professional Stand up Comedy Magic Act and Award-Winning Close-up Magician for Private Parties and All Corporate Events
How it all started...
I started entertaining at a very early age. (At just seven) performing magic tricks and telling jokes. I also had a ventriloquist dummy which I got for my birthday (Who I named Charlie) I used to put on little shows for my family at the weekend. (Pictured below)
Before you ask – I’m the one on the right!!!
Through the coming years, my love of magic and comedy got stronger and stronger. I became (the class clown) performing for my friends at school whenever they asked “to see a trick” continually working on my my magic act and practised tirelessly for hours and hours on end, every single day.
Eventually, all the hard work finally paid off, as by the time I left school aged 16 I had a 45-minutes silent Magic and Illusion cabaret act ready to perform and an agent that I sent my info to booked me for a tour around working men’s clubs supporting The ventriloquist Roger De Courcey and Nookie the bear.
Aged 16
A signed promo poster of the show
Hi De Hi
Hungry to gain more experience, and only doing a silent act to music I decided I needed more experience of talking to people to grow my confidence. My Auntie who I had spoken to about this saw an article in a magazine called “The day in the life of a Butlin’s Redcoat” and sent it to me.
After reading the magazine article and seeing that so many famous entertainers started out as Redcoats I decided to try to become one myself. I auditioned and got the job as a Redcoat entertainer at Butlins in Bognor Regis. This was the best apprenticeship that I could have wished for, as I was on stage every night, entertaining thousands of people that were on holiday each week.
I volunteered for every show that I could and worked the very long hours asked of me knowing that this would help my future career in the business. I soon learnt things that would have taken me years to pick up, elsewhere, like microphone technique, stagecraft and how to handle audience members (good and bad.)
Whilst there, I put a bit more time into my comedy and started writing gags and routines. As anyone in comedy knows, you have to get out there and try your material on people and it couldn’t have been better as being at Butlins, I could try out my new gags and magic on the ever changing audiences, as Butlins were getting around 14,000 day visitors let alone the 9,000 people staying there every week.
Roy on the right.
Performing in the Redcoat Show in the 2300 seater Gaiety Theatre.
The Team Photo
Roy was always teased as Redcoat! As he had a great big white arrow sticking out of his head. 🙂
Roy Pictured in the foyer of the Manhattans cabaret Showbar.
Time to move on...
What Roy read in that magazine article that his Auntie gave him previously about gaining experience as a redcoat was absolutely true, and after two successful seasons, he felt that the time had come to leave the safety of Butlin’s and get back out there, in the big wide world and re join the cabaret circuit.
Roy performing on stage at the Lakeside club at Frimley
Since then his talents as a stand up comedy act and close up magician have taken him all over the UK and worldwide. Performing in theatres, on cruise ships, TV supporting many leading celebrities and even in front of royalty.
Roy in Theatre
Roy performing his stand up comedy magic act on Stage at the King’s Theatre Southsea.
Roy was performing his act here at the Lord Mayor’s Gala show.
Roy on TV
Roy Performing his stand up comedy magic act ably assisted by an audience member on Television in a show called Laugh a minute”
The show was filmed at Cornish comedian “Jethro’s” club in Lewdown in Devon and was later made into a series of DVD’s.
Roy on Cruise Ships
Roy also performs on Cruise Ships.
Award Winning
Roy at the Portsmouth and District Magic Circle receiving the Will Ayling Trophy from Bob Hayden of The International Brotherhood of Magicians.
Below is Roy being interviewed by ventriloquist Steve Hewlett on his podcast "Eyes and Teeth"
Show Notes
Member of the magic circle Roy Charles is one of the most sought-after comedy magicians on the circuit and guaranteed to raise tears of laughter. I first encountered Roy when I started to roadie for a ventriloquist back in the 1990s. Roy and I ended up working together in clubs and variety shows and it's always a pleasure watching him work. It's fab to hear his stories that I've never heard before and you can hear on this episode about where Roy started out, we talk about Crisco, Roy Charles, Rhiannon and Lord Charles, Tommy Cooper, Butlins, the 1987 UK storm, Charlie Drake, sky star search, sinking cruise ships and more.
Close up magician – Table magician – Wedding magician – Trade show magician – Birthday party magician – Special occasion magician – Product launch magician – Mix and mingle magician – walkabout magician – Award ceremony magician – Christmas party magician – Corporate magician – Civil ceremony magician – Masonic Ladies night magician – Roundtable dinner magician – Rotary dinner magician – Cabaret magician – Stage magician – Halloween magician – After dinner magician – stand up comedy magician