Hire a mentalist for your corporate event, wedding or dinner

You can hire a mentalist through Nuno, a performer based in Zeist in the Netherlands with seventeen years on stage, known from SBS6, RTL 4 and VTM. Mentalism needs no fire, so it fits almost any room. A performance costs between €350 and €1500 all-in, travel and materials included, and you have a quote within 24 hours.

What is mentalism?

Mentalism is a stage art in which the performer appears to read minds. A mentalist seems to know the word a guest is thinking of, predicts a choice before it is made, or steers that choice without the guest noticing. None of it is supernatural. The tools are body language, suggestion, memory techniques, psychology and a good deal of theatre, and a serious mentalist will tell you so if you ask. That honesty is part of the appeal: the audience knows there is a method, and still cannot see it.

It is easy to confuse with related arts, so briefly:

What does a performance look like?

There are three formats, depending on your programme:

• Table walkabout. Nuno moves from table to table or group to group during the reception or between courses, a few minutes at each, at arm's length. Everyone sees it up close and nobody has to leave their seat.
• Stage set. One continuous set for the whole room, with guests joining him at the front or taking part from their seats. It works after dinner or as a programme item between speeches.
• Both. A walkabout during drinks and a stage set later in the evening, so every table has had its own moment before the shared part begins.

Interaction is the whole point. A mentalist needs guests who choose something, write something down or hold something in mind. Nobody is made a fool of; whoever takes part becomes the centre of attention for a moment, in a way the rest of the table will still be talking about the next day.

No fire, so it works anywhere indoors

A fire show needs space, height and sometimes a notification to the venue or the municipality. Mentalism needs none of that. A restaurant with a low ceiling, a meeting room, a living room, a historic hall or a boat all work. There is no smoke, no heat and no bang, which also makes it the obvious choice when a venue does not allow open flames or the weather makes an outdoor show uncertain.

Group size is flexible. With twenty guests, the walkabout becomes one long, intimate show. With several hundred, the stage set does the work, if needed with a screen so the back row can see what the volunteer on stage writes down.

Why mentalism works at a corporate event or dinner

At a company party or a business dinner, people often only half know each other. A mentalist gives them something to talk about straight away: "how did he know that?" comes up at every table, and colleagues from different departments suddenly share an experience. Because the act is interactive, nobody stays a mere spectator. And because there are no loud sounds or lighting effects, the conversation at dinner carries on until Nuno reaches the next table.

For an organiser, the act fits around the programme rather than the other way round. If dinner runs late, the stage set moves by fifteen minutes. If there is a speech, the walkabout waits.

A mentalist at a wedding

At a wedding, the two families and the groups of friends share something during the reception or dinner. A walkabout fills exactly the moment when the couple is away with the photographer or the tables are waiting for the next course. If you want fire as well, the fire show at a wedding on the terrace makes the finale, with mentalism as the indoor programme earlier in the day.

Combining it with a fire show or fakir show

1. Mentalism inside, fire outside. A walkabout or stage set during dinner, then the fire show on the terrace or car park to close the evening: fire juggling, spinning fire, body fire and, as the finale, fireballs up to about six metres high.
2. Mentalism and fakir in one room. Without outdoor space, the fakir show with the bed of nails, glass and swords is the physical contrast to the mental work. Neither act uses open fire.

Because it is one performer, you have one contact, one quote and one set-up. There is no need to coordinate two acts or plan two breaks.

Mentalist or fire show: which suits your event?

• Indoors only, low ceilings, or a building where fire is not allowed: a mentalist. The room needs no changes.
• A seated dinner where conversation matters: a mentalist, as a walkabout. A fire show interrupts dinner; a walkabout fills it.
• A terrace or square with a standing crowd: a fire show. Fire works at a distance, for a large group at once, and needs no words.
• A long evening with several moments: both. Mentalism as the thread indoors, fire as the finale outside.

How much does it cost to hire a mentalist?

A performance costs between €350 and €1500, all-in. Travel from Zeist, materials and preparation are included, and nothing is added afterwards. Where you land within that range depends on the length, whether you choose a walkabout, a stage set or both, and whether a fire or fakir show is added. You always get one price for the whole. The general price structure is explained on fire breather prices.

What do you need to arrange?

Very little: a spot where Nuno can be seen, some light and, for larger groups, a microphone. No stage is needed. Tell him beforehand how the programme runs and when guests sit or stand, and he will work out with you where the walkabout and stage set fit best. Nuno presents in English, Dutch, German and French, so an international group is no obstacle.

How to book

Send your date, venue, number of guests and type of event through the contact form or WhatsApp, and you will have a quote within 24 hours. Undecided between mentalism, fire or a combination? Just say so, and Nuno will advise what suits your venue and programme. The reviews average 4.9 out of 5 across 136 ratings. He works from Zeist across the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and the German border region, and travel is always included in the quote.