A comedy hypnosis show turns a dozen willing volunteers into the funniest people at the event, and the rest of the room into an audience that cannot look away. It is one of the strongest after-dinner acts we book for Christmas parties, EOFY nights and awards dinners. It is also the act we most often talk clients out of, because it only works in the right room.
We have booked hypnotists into Sydney function rooms since 2003 and we know which crowds go for it and which do not. Tell us the event and you will get a straight answer before you get a quote.
Not sure the room is right? A mentalist gets a similar reaction without anyone needing to volunteer.
See the mentalists →What a stage hypnosis show actually is
The performer invites volunteers up, runs a short induction, and spends the next hour building scenes with the people who respond: a rock concert, a day at the races, a language nobody speaks. Nobody is hypnotised against their will and nobody does anything they would truly object to. The laughs come from watching colleagues commit completely to something ridiculous, which is why it lands so hard at a staff event where everyone knows each other.
- Comedy hypnosis shows: the format above, built for a room that has had dinner and a drink. A feature act of about an hour with the room's full attention.
- Performers who also do mentalism: a hypnosis show and a mentalism show are different acts and are booked one or the other, not combined. Several performers on the roster offer both as separate shows, which means that if the room turns out to be wrong for hypnosis, the same performer can usually deliver a mentalism set instead.
- Keynote style sessions: hypnosis and the psychology of suggestion as a conference talk or team session rather than a stage show. Ask about these for a daytime agenda; see also our corporate entertainment page.
Where a hypnotist works, and where it does not
- Christmas and EOFY parties: the natural home for the act. A staff crowd, a long dinner, a stage or clear floor, and a room ready to laugh at itself.
- Awards nights and gala dinners: after the presentations, never before them. Once the formal part is done, a hypnosis show is a strong way to turn the room from an audience into a party.
- Private parties and milestones: a 40th or 50th with 80 or more guests who know each other well. Smaller or more formal gatherings usually suit a magician better.
- Where we will say no: a quiet client dinner, a room where the senior people would not want to be on stage, a crowd that is still seated and sober at seven, or an event with under about 60 guests. We will tell you and suggest the act that fits.
Hypnotists we book
This is a specialist category, and the roster is small on purpose: a hypnotist who cannot hold a room is a long hour for everyone. Phoenix, "The Mind Guy", Sydney based and our most requested act overall, offers a comedy hypnosis show and, as a separate act, a mentalism show, and carries television credits and an I.B.M. membership. Isaac Lomman is an Adelaide based comedy hypnotist with television credits whose show is built around the idea that you either be the show or see the show. From Melbourne, Jason Varga fuses suggestion, psychology and showmanship into one of the funniest sets on the roster, and Shane Hill is a hypnotist who also performs mentalism as a separate show; Extra Sensory Deception is his current stage show. Mind Games is a comedy stage hypnosis show built for corporate rooms. Interstate performers travel for Sydney bookings and the travel is quoted up front.
How booking works
- Tell us the event. Use the finder or contact us with the date, venue, guest numbers, budget and, for this act in particular, who the crowd is. A hypnosis show for 300 staff is a different conversation to one for 50 clients.
- We tell you if it fits, then shortlist. If the room is right you get a small number of matched hypnotists with real video. If it is not, you get the act we would book instead, and the reason.
- One confirmation, one invoice. The performer is briefed on your run sheet, staging and sound are confirmed with the venue, insurance is sorted, and it all runs through one invoice.
Why book a hypnotist through an agency
- Hypnosis is the act where the wrong room costs the most. We have watched every hypnotist on the roster work, and we will say no to a booking that would not land rather than take the fee.
- Insurance and paperwork are handled as part of the booking and supplied to your venue in advance.
- If the performer falls ill close to the date there is a comparable act to call, including a mentalist if no hypnotist is free.
- Staging, sound and the volunteer area are confirmed with the venue before the night, because a hypnosis show without a microphone and a clear floor is half a show.
Hypnotists on the roster
Hiring a hypnotist: FAQs
Is a comedy hypnotist right for our event?
It is right for a room that has had a drink, is in the mood to laugh and has enough people who will volunteer. That describes most Christmas parties, EOFY nights and awards dinners once the formal part is done. It is wrong for a quiet client dinner, a room where senior people would rather not be on stage, or a crowd that is still sober and seated at 7pm. Tell us the event and we will give you a straight answer, because a hypnosis show in the wrong room is one we would rather not book.
Does stage hypnosis actually work, and is it safe?
Yes, with willing volunteers. Nobody can be hypnotised against their will and nobody is made to do anything they would genuinely object to; the performer works with the people who come up wanting to take part. Every hypnotist on the roster is a professional with years of shows behind them and carries public liability insurance, and the show is built so the volunteers are the stars of the night rather than the butt of it.
How long is a comedy hypnosis show?
A comedy hypnosis show typically runs for an hour, which includes the time it takes to bring volunteers up and settle them. It is a feature act, not background entertainment, so it needs a proper slot after dinner with the room's attention, a stage or clear floor area, and a microphone.
How many people do you need for a hypnosis show?
Enough that a dozen or so will volunteer. In practice that means a room of around 60 or more; a 300 person Christmas party is ideal. For smaller or more reserved groups we usually suggest a mentalist or comedy magician instead, which gets a similar laugh without needing volunteers to go under.
How much does a hypnotist cost?
It depends on the performer, the length of the show, the date and travel, since several of the best hypnotists on the roster are based interstate. Tell us the event and the budget, which stays with us, and the shortlist we send back comes with quotes attached.
Do you have hypnotists outside Sydney?
Yes. The roster includes hypnotists based in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide, and all of them travel. Where a local act suits the room we use them; otherwise we bring the right performer in and quote the travel up front.
Further reading
Not sure who's right?
Take the finder or tell us about your event - we'll shortlist the right acts and check availability.
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