A Day In The Life Of Doug Segal ...A Marvellous Magician For Hire

Today is a double header. I’m recording a routine for the BBC show The Slammer at the world famous Elstree Studios, and performing my after dinner show at a 25th wedding anniversary held at The Institute Of Chartered Accountants in the City Of London. So it’s a 7.00 am crack of dawn start as I leave my sleepy Suffolk village.

At least I can fit my show into the boot of my car these days. When I started out I had flip charts, blackboards, and all sorts of things. These days I travel relatively light.

First stop – the newsagents to buy a copy of this paper, as I’m featured in it – ego?? What ego? ;)

A lot of people forget how much of my day is spent off stage – I spend long hours just looking at this…

I’m a little too early for my 9.00 am call at the TV studios, so I go to the motorway service station in search of the performers best friend – bacon!

The skies over Elstree Studios are so dramatic when I arrive that I’m reminded of how many exciting movies were shot here.

I’m shown to my “opulent BBC dressing room” and given a lunch ticket.

Next stop is make-up. You’re gonna need a bigger brush…….

Could be worse I suppose…..

I spend two hours waiting around, and then I’m led out to shoot an exterior shot by the phoney prison gates.

Four hours of rehearsals and finally it’s time for me to perform. As is typical with TV they always want it shorter, so I have to compress a carefully scripted 5 minute routine into 2 minutes. This of course takes an hour to shoot but at least I’m “top of the bill”.

Finally I can leave and drive in to the City for my next gig. It’s a beautiful stage area and I’m delighted to be able to use my two new stage banners.

It’s a lovely show with really lovely engaged guests. As is often the case when I’ve done exceptionally well, people want me to stick around and chat to them after the show, and although it’s really nice of them, I’m exhausted.

I finally arrive home at 4.00 am in the morning, 21 hours after I left!

I’ll spare you the photo of my tired face…….