Mentalism is the act that stops a conversation dead with someone's own thoughts. No props to speak of, nothing up a sleeve, just a performer who names the word a guest is thinking of or predicts a choice before it is made. It lands hardest with the crowds that are hardest to impress: executives, clients, the table of people who have seen every magician in Sydney and think they are past it.
We have booked mentalists into Sydney corporate rooms since 2003, and it is the act we reach for most when a client says the room is senior, sceptical or both. Tell us the event and we will match the performer and the format to it.
Want a room full of volunteers instead? Several performers on the roster offer a comedy hypnosis show as a separate act.
See the hypnotists →What a mentalist does, and how it is booked
A mentalist reads people rather than performing tricks with objects. The techniques are psychology, suggestion, observation and a great deal of showmanship, and the effect is different from magic because it feels personal: it is your thought, your memory, your choice that the performer gets to. These are the formats we book.
- Roving mentalism: table to table or group to group during drinks or dinner, with a few minutes of mind reading for each. Works like close-up magic but reads as something stranger.
- Stage mentalism: a 20 to 45 minute set for a seated room, built around volunteers who stay in their seats or come up briefly. It needs no props the venue has to accommodate, which makes it the easiest stage act to fit into a program.
- Roving plus stage: the same performer works the drinks hour and then takes the stage after dinner. One act, one through line, and usually better value than two bookings.
- Keynotes and workshops: memory, influence and the psychology of persuasion as a conference session or team day. See the memory techniques workshop and our corporate entertainment page.
- Hypnosis as a separate show: mentalism and hypnosis are different acts and are booked one or the other, not combined. Several performers on the roster offer both as separate shows; see the hypnotists.
Where mentalists get booked
- Corporate dinners, galas and awards nights: the home ground for the act. A stage set between courses or after the last award, with the CEO or the major client on their feet being read in front of the room.
- Conferences and client events: a short set to reset attention between sessions, or a keynote on memory and persuasion that earns its slot on the agenda.
- Christmas and EOFY parties: for the function where the room is mixed and a hypnotist would be a gamble. Mentalism gets the reaction without needing anyone to volunteer to go under.
- Private parties and weddings: roving mentalism during drinks, where guests who do not know each other suddenly have something to talk about.
Mentalists we book most
Phoenix, "The Mind Guy", is Sydney based and our most requested act overall: a mentalist with a sharp sense of humour, television credits, an I.B.M. membership and more bookings through us than any other act on the roster. From Melbourne, Nicholas J. Johnson is a multi award winning magician, comedian, best selling author and expert on cons and deception, and Nick Kay won the Australian Society of Magicians championship before building a career in roving mentalism with television credits. Matt Tarrant in Adelaide combines psychological skill with magic and is one of the most popular mentalists in the country, and Pierre Ulric covers Perth with an award winning blend of magic, illusion and mentalism. Jason Varga and Shane Hill, both Melbourne based, perform mentalism and also offer comedy hypnosis as a separate show. A number of the roving magicians on the roster carry mentalism in their close-up sets as well, including Josh Norbido, Dave Lord, Zarbo Magic and Sam Gordon.
How booking works
- Tell us the event. Use the finder or contact us with the date, venue, guest numbers, budget and who the crowd is. For mentalism, knowing whether the room is senior, mixed or casual decides the performer.
- We shortlist and check availability. You get a small number of matched mentalists with real video and honest advice on roving, stage or both, not a long list to sort through yourself.
- One confirmation, one invoice. The performer is briefed on your run sheet and your key people, insurance is sorted, and it all runs through one invoice, including any MC or band booked alongside.
Why book a mentalist through an agency
- We have watched every mentalist on the roster work a real room, which is the only way to know whether a performer can handle a sceptical executive table.
- Insurance certificates and paperwork come as part of the booking and go to your venue in advance.
- If the performer falls ill close to the date there is a comparable act to call, not an empty slot after dinner.
- Honest advice on format comes first. If your room wants roving rather than stage, or a magician rather than a mentalist, we will say so before you book.
Mentalists on the roster
Hiring a mentalist: FAQs
What does a mentalist actually do?
A mentalist reads people rather than performing tricks with objects: naming the word someone is thinking of, predicting a choice before it is made, reconstructing a memory a guest has never said out loud. It is done through psychology, suggestion, observation and showmanship, and it works close-up at a table or on a stage in front of hundreds. The effect on a room is different from magic, because it feels personal.
Is a mentalist better than a magician for a corporate event?
For a senior or sceptical crowd, usually yes. Mentalism does not read as a trick, so it lands with executives, clients and people who think they have seen it all, and it gets the most important person in the room involved in a way card magic does not. For a younger or more casual crowd, or a children's event, a magician is often the better fit. Many performers on the roster do both, so we can match to the room.
Can a mentalist work both the drinks hour and the stage?
Yes, and it is one of the most efficient bookings we make. The same performer works table to table during pre-dinner drinks, then delivers a 20 to 40 minute stage set after the main course, so the night has one act with a through line rather than two separate bookings.
How long is a mentalism show?
A stage set typically runs 20 to 45 minutes. Roving mentalism works across the drinks or dinner period in sets of an hour or two. For a conference, a mentalist can also deliver a longer keynote style session on memory, influence or the psychology of persuasion. We confirm the exact length with the performer for your run sheet.
How much does a mentalist cost?
It depends on the performer, whether the booking is roving, stage or both, the date and any travel. Tell us the event and the budget, which stays with us, and the shortlist we send back comes with quotes attached.
Do you book mentalists outside Sydney?
Yes. Sydney has the strongest bench, and the roster also includes mentalists in Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth. Where a local performer suits the room we use them; otherwise we bring the right act 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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