In Courchevel, events rarely happen in a function room. They happen in a chalet, a suite, a private lounge, in front of ten or thirty people who already know each other. Stays are short, the clientele is international, and bookings often come in a few days before the evening itself.
Harry Covert performs in Courchevel and across the Tarentaise resorts for private evenings, chalet dinners, hotel receptions and corporate events, in close-up as well as full shows. Performances are delivered in French or in English.
A PRIVATE EVENING IN A COURCHEVEL 1850 CHALET
A concierge service was looking for entertainment for a group of international friends on holiday, without them having to leave the chalet. Harry Covert performed for an hour: first close-up in the lounge, standing among the guests, then a parlour show as a finale in the chalet's cinema room.
Five to ten people, in English, with no stage and no technical setup. Reactions that evening ranged from "How did you do that?" to "Can you come to Dubai to perform?"
CLOSE-UP FOR SMALL GROUPS
In a chalet there is no distance, no stage lighting, nothing between the hands and the eyes watching them. Effects happen inches away from people who have nothing else to look at. It is the most demanding format there is, and the best suited to this setting.
Close-up requires nothing: no sound system, no technical desk, no dedicated room. It is performed standing in a lounge, around a dinner table, in a corner where drinks are being served, and it stops without damage the moment conversation takes over again.
For guests who have chosen to stay in the chalet, that is exactly what matters: the entertainment comes to them, without imposing anything.
THE PARLOUR SHOW
When the group is larger, or when the evening calls for a shared high point, a parlour show brings everyone together around the same moment. A more structured format, attention focused on a single point, running anywhere from twenty to sixty minutes.
The two formats often combine over a single evening: close-up builds the connection guest by guest, the show closes the evening on a shared moment.
CHALETS, PALACE HOTELS AND CONCIERGE SERVICES
In Courchevel, the request rarely comes from the end client. It comes from luxury concierge services, chalet rental agencies, palace hotels and bespoke travel organisers, looking for a reliable act for demanding clients who are often in a hurry.
Three things matter to them. Discretion first: no client name, no photograph and no video is published without written consent, and that rule applies to the case studies on this site as well. Flexibility next, because a holiday programme is rarely decided far in advance. And language.
FRENCH AND ENGLISH
In Courchevel, one evening in two is performed in English. Magic and mentalism are delivered in either language, including in front of a mixed audience.
This matters more than it might seem. Participatory mentalism relies on shades of phrasing, on silences, on knowing how to bring a guest back in without breaking the rhythm. None of that survives an approximate translation.
WORKING IN COURCHEVEL
Harry Covert has been performing since 2010. He is based in Saint-Jorioz, on Lake Annecy, around two hours' drive from Courchevel. He works throughout Les 3 Vallées, in Méribel and Val Thorens, as well as Val d'Isère, Tignes, Les Arcs and La Plagne.
School holidays account for most of the demand, with a new audience arriving every week. Availability over Christmas, New Year and the February holidays goes early.
Every proposal takes into account the number of guests, the spaces available, the languages spoken, the timing within the evening and the level of confidentiality expected.
Planning an evening in Courchevel or elsewhere in the Tarentaise? Tell us about the venue, the number of guests and how the evening is structured.
FAQ
Which format works best for an evening in a chalet?
Close-up is the format best suited to a chalet: performed standing, in small groups, with no stage, no sound system and no dedicated room. For a larger group, or an evening that calls for a shared high point, a parlour show brings everyone together. The two often combine over the same evening.
Does it make sense for only five to ten guests?
Yes, and the format changes completely at that scale. Every guest sees everything from inches away and can be drawn in, which makes the effect stronger but leaves less margin. A recent evening in Courchevel 1850 brought together five to ten people in a private chalet, for an hour of close-up followed by a finale in the cinema room.
Can the evening be performed in English?
Yes. A significant share of evenings in Courchevel are performed in English, including in front of a mixed audience. Participatory mentalism relies on shades of phrasing and rhythm that require working directly in the guests' language, rather than translating a routine designed in French. Both languages are used interchangeably.
How is confidentiality handled?
The client's name, the identity of the guests and the private venue are only published with written consent. No photograph or video is taken on the performer's own initiative. This rule applies to the case studies on this site too: the chalet evening is told, but the client remains anonymous and no images exist.
When should I book?
School holidays account for most of the demand, and availability over Christmas, New Year and February goes early. Outside those periods, an evening can be arranged within a few days. Harry Covert also performs in Méribel and Val Thorens in Les 3 Vallées, as well as Val d'Isère, Tignes, Les Arcs and La Plagne.
