Up close
You sit in a half-circle around one table. There’s no stage, so everything happens a few feet from your face.
Clifton, Bristol · BYOB · Just 18 seats
An 18-seat magic theatre in Clifton, Bristol
Close-up magic, mind reading and a lot of silliness, performed at one table for eighteen people. You’re close enough to see everything, and you still won’t work out how it’s done.
5.0 from 42 Google reviews18 seats · Close-up magic · Mind reading · Clifton, Bristol · BYOB · Absurd comedy
What is Bristol Magic Theatre?
A tiny theatre built for one thing: live close-up magic
We’re a small independent venue in Clifton. There’s one table, eighteen chairs around it, and the show happens right in front of you.
Mind reading, sleight of hand and some fairly surreal comedy, in a warm, low-lit room full of plants. Bring your own drink.
More about us
Close-up magic
Close-up magic happens right in front of you. One table, eighteen seats, and the tricks unfold inches from your hands. You see everything, and still can’t explain it.
What to expect on the night
What the night actually looks like
Two halves
Two 45-minute halves with a 10-minute interval in the middle, so you can top up your drink.
Warm and a bit absurd
Magic for people who like theatre and comedy. No two shows are quite the same. (The Halloween specials are the exception. Properly spooky, and they always sell out.)
This is the face we’re after.
Upcoming shows
Performing the last two Saturdays of each month
Saturday, 18 July 2026
Close-Up Magic & Mind Reading
Sold out
There are no shows in August, as we’re taking a summer break. We’ll be back with new dates for the autumn and winter season soon.
Some of the teams & clients we’ve performed for
Meet the magicians
Three friends, twenty years of magic
Si, Sam and Gosia run the theatre between them. They’ve performed at the Magic Castle in Hollywood and at fringe festivals around the world, and now mostly in a room in Clifton.
Si
Magician & mind reader
Si has been performing close-up magic for over 20 years, including at the Magic Castle in Hollywood and at festivals in Adelaide, Edinburgh and around the UK. He does the sleight of hand and the mind reading.
Sam King
Comedy magician
Sam is from Australia and learned to hold a crowd on the streets of Adelaide. He has since taken his magic to over 16 countries and won Best Magic at Adelaide Fringe in 2024. His magic is the fast, funny, slightly absurd kind.
Gosia
Creative director
Gosia trained in visual arts in Poland, Germany and at Bauhaus University in Weimar. She designed the look of the theatre, down to the furniture and the props. The room feels the way it does because of her.
The reactions
A room full of “wait… how?”
Real reviews from real nights at the table.
Loved by audiences
5.0 · 42 Google reviews
Come and watch
There are only 18 seats per show, and they usually go before the night itself.
Book your seats · £20