PRESENTERS
CABARET
"John went down a storm. All the feedback has been excellent."
Aon
EXTERNAL LINKS
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WIKIPEDIA
BIOGRAPHY
Twenty-something years ago John Lenahan arrived in Britain from his native Philadelphia, and never quite made it back. Now a popular and well established entertainer, he enjoys the twin distinction of being hailed by The Guardian as "the mascot of a magical renaissance" - and being thrown out of the Magic Circle. (His offence was to reveal to millions of TV viewers a card trick used by con artists around the world to fleece unsuspecting victims.)
John starred in BBC's Secrets of Magic and hosted his own BBC2 series, Stuff The White Rabbit. Other credits include presenting the travelogue Open Road and appearances on How Do They Do That?, TFI Friday and Richard & Judy. He also fronted ITV's HoaxBusters, again lifting the lid on scams; but despite all this, there are still those who can only think of him as the voice of the toaster in Red Dwarf.
John has performed live from China to South Africa, and toured the UK with the likes of Victoria Wood, Lenny Henry and Jack Dee. And alongside a finely honed corporate cabaret act, he has made kitchens appear, levitated enormous bars of chocolate and taught hundreds of bankers how to juggle (though he accepts no responsibility for the subsequent crash). John was also the first to perform magic live over the Internet, for BT.
As he often admits when hosting awards shows, John is proud to have once held the title Time Out Street Magician of the Year. 2009 sees another achievement: publication of his first fantasy novel, Shadowmagic. When he isn't entertaining audiences across the globe, John lives quietly in London surrounded by an ever growing collection of computers and gadgetry.
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GETTING THE BEST OUT OF... CABARET
Unlike comedy club or theatre crowds, event audiences have not paid specifically to see your cabaret artist - or any other kind of live performance. Other things will be vying for their attention, the house lights will have to remain up, and a third of the guests will probably start off with their backs to the stage. Live comedy can engage and unify audiences more than any other form of entertainment, but for maximum effect it helps to follow some basic rules.
The audience must be able to see and hear the artist. If possible avoid towering table centres and an acre of dancefloor between stage and audience. When the artist arrives, usually no more than an hour before going onstage, brief him/her on the day's events and any sensitivities about the host organisation, sponsors or guests. Try to keep to the timetable, allow the audience to have a 'comfort break' before the show, ensure that waiters have cleared the room, agree how the artist should be introduced - and then leave it to him.
