Hello peoples

what are peoples thoughts on performing at a Gala dinner for example ((corporate event)

and the event manager says they want you to perform during the main meal

Personally I do not like this as waiters are serving, clearing and making noise

it also makes it hard with audience participation.

I don't want to decline the booking if they insist on having me perform during eating but what is an alternative to this

should I say- I'll just do a comedy act with no participation- something they can just watch and laugh at. I don't know.

Explain to them the reasons it would be better to perform right after dinner or right before!
for example when performing I like to make the sponge ball appear in someones hand............I don't want them to have to stop eating!

Never do it. If you don't show respect for your work...why should anyone else. Even sponge balls need respect. Magic is an interactive performance..it not like 'background music'.
You should make the "not performing during dinner" a point in your contract.
you asked...thank the way I feel.

I agree with TC, NEVER do it! I am speaking from experience when working in Singapore on and off in the corporate market for 4 years. Their corporate functions are VERY different than anything I've experienced. They have what seems like 20 course meals all night long while entertainment is on stage. They have an MC who hosts 'games' and various entertainers throughout the evening. Audiences ranged from several hundred to several thousand in a grand ball room, often the shows were projected on to large screens.
You certainly felt like 'background' music (magic)as you performed while people ate. My worst experience was one night I had four shows and the only way to get to each venue was on the back of a motorbike. (that's another story)
My agent told the client I had to be on at exactly 8.15 to make the next gig. At exactly 8.14 they introduced me, however they also made everybody stand up and go to the back of the room to get their 'american style buffet (quite a novelty in dining experience in Singapore), the entire room stood up, went to the BACK of the ball room and lined up for their buffet, then they said, "and now please welcome ... Paul Romhany"!! I went onstage to NOBODY in the room, all I saw were their backs. It was so terrible I found it funny. My agent went nuts at the organiser as I left the building at the end of my show to jump on the back of a bike and get to the next venue.

Basically I developed a 'thick' skin to get through these gigs. I knew of several magicians who went to work there and couldn't handle it, they never returned! TC is right when he says, "if you don't show respect for your work ... why should anyone else." You hit the nail on the head TC. It's not enjoyable AT ALL to perform when people are eating, and they won't enjoy your act because they 'don't care about it', so do yourself a favour and don't get in to that situation.

Find out the door that the wait staff will be coming out of to serve the meal and put a couple of items on the floor there. With any luck, the waiters/waitresses will have the heavy laden trays with dinner plates on their shoulders and unable to see the floor. When they trip over your carefully laid traps, the dinners go smash and new ones have to be made. You, being the hero, step forward and announce, "Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to entertain you for a while as the cooks prepare you another meal."

Other than that, I'd say don't perform during the dinner if you can at all avoid it.

All the best,

Rob

p.s. This tongue in cheek solution is based on a true story that occured many years ago. Went into a banquet hall to do a show and put down my prop case to look for the contact. I left it near to a wall, but close to a door to somewhere. A waiter came out with a huge tray of clean glasses and not seeing my case, tripped over it sending glasses smashing on the tile floor in every direction. Ooops!

I hate it myself but last month the cleint was so insistant becouse of time constraints that I relented and added 50% to my fee they were happy and so was I.

It was a table hopping deal and I almost never do that.

But I do like money.

Jack

H.O.a_X

I had to perform during dinner at the Copacabana recently.
The first table I went to, I started doing tricks that were visual with no audience participation. The second table, started the same way. By the third table, people had thier hands free.
The client wanted entertaiment during the diner. They did not want any during the cocktail hour at all.
They are the boss. They were very happy and added a nice tip.

The only way it has ever worked for me is to do a very short, visual, silent act done to music, kind of like nucinud just described. Forget any audience participation or trying to get any verbal comedy going. There are just too many distractions. I call this type of performing "living wallpaper." I'm just there to add to the ambience. I'll sometimes agree do a few short turns during dinner after I've already entertained as a strolling performer during the cocktail hour.

If they want a full show, then it's after dinner is finished and there is no wait staff working the room.

Jim

Yes I'll be doing a Manip style act with very limited audience participation
a card sword and a cig in Jacket will be the only audience bits- and they don't go for very long.

The bulk of it is done to music so all

cheers all