Category Archives: Booking

Does your shop need a bit of promotion?

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Many businesses now enjoy and thrive off shop promotion. Whether it’s opening the shop for the first time or your first year anniversary shop promotions can attract new customers and keep existing customers. It can also help increase sales which is probably the most positive factor of all businesses. Shop promotion entertainment can help with every of these aspects… if done properly. 

Shops always have the same monotonous music playing in the background so why not switch it up a bit and hire a DJ. The public will hear different music and will also experience first-hand a DJ playing live in a shop, now that’s not something you see every day. Get the DJ to play various styles of music to attract different types of customers but also make sure it suits your shop. Ig you have a unique boutique then trance music would not exactly match the surroundings. Your shop will have that wow factor compared to others around it so it is definitely worth a try! 

Street performers are a great idea to entice people of the street and into your shop. The performers will attract attention to the facade of the shop and can even hand out leaflets to the public. Once your street performer starts performing and letting everybody know about the shop, then how can the customers resist not going in for a little look. Various street performers could include stilt walkers, fire performers, dancers and even musicians. This is a very cost effective way to add excitement and positive chit chat around your shop.

 Food is well known to be the way to anybody’s heart. So why not have some sort of unique catering outside your shop to attract customers to your front doors. A few ideas which are very simple yet very effective include hiring a fish and chip van for the day. It could be packaged in a traditional box with your brand on it, so when your customers sit down to enjoy their food they are reminding on your company. During the summer months you could hire an ice cream van or cart and if they spend a certain amount in shop then on their exit they get an ice cream. It may be a simple idea but this can be very effective. To finish up, your shop just needs to be jazzed up a bit. Make it fun and intriguing and do your research. As I said before, don’t hire entertainment which doesn’t match your shops style. And shop around and hire local artists of possible, this will reflect very positively on your shop.

Celebrity lookalikes

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Everyone wants their party to be memorable. One fun idea is to hire celebrity lookalikes to mingle with your guests. Nothing loosens up a stuffy corporate crowd quite like sharing cocktails with Gaga or Elvis.

A couple of months ago a friend of mine who happens to be a pianist was hired for a corporate party. What he didn’t know was that they had hired Michael Buble, Bette Midler and Elton John impersonators to work the party as well. Before he took the stage, he spoke with all three and asked if they would mind singing with him. He figured out what songs they could all do, and then they began their act. After the act the impersonators were mingling with the guests. The acts continued doing the show again and then 30 minutes later Elton took over the stage with a medley of his greatest hits,

I thought that the choices of Michael Buble and Elton John impersonators were particularly inspired because they are both over-the-top personalities and you can’t help but have a good time and smile in the face of such flamboyance. I think Lady Gaga, Tina Turner, Prince, Beyoncé and other larger-than-life entertainers would all be great choices too.

Of course there are brides have been hip to this for decades. Just think of the many marriages in Vegas that have been officiated by Elvis. But you don’t have to be in Vegas to get married by the likes of Cher or Sharon Osborne. Just look on our list of celebrity lookalikes and see who could be at your party!!

Fantasy photos and booths for Hire

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Capture the memories of your event in the latest and most entertaining fun and unique ways. From photo booths and themed photo shoots to green screen systems that give you the unique ability to customize images to suit your event. Perfect for any occasion and a truly long lasting way to make your event one to remember.

Pictures Are Power

So much more than a photo booth…

‘Pictures are Power’ is a photo booth with a difference – walls have been broken down to create the ideal event entertainment centre piece.

Fantasy photo booths have beautifully designed background graphics, high quality props and Hollywood-style instant beauty effects, using state-of-the-art equipment and studio quality lighting to give breath taking photographs.

On site social networking service allows your guests to upload and share their photographs seconds after they have been taken, generating excitement and conversation whilst your event is still underway and encouraging thousands of people to engage with your brand.

Fantasy photo booths are all the rage at the moment, all weddings, birthdays and Christmas parties seem to have them. They come complete with props and costumes and will be a talking point for years to come.

What hilarious captions will you be able to make up when your guests have had a few too many sherberts?

Great fun and very popular, you could be having a launch party, corporate event or private party, whichever you choose these booths will be well received.

Find the one you like and your booth operator will do the rest, just fill out a form and they will be in contact.

What is a mime?

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Mime is a form of acting and drama where the actor uses his body and gestures and also facial expressions rather than words to express his role. Drama started before the Greek times, it was created as a form of entertainment for the local people. In the past, Greeks would hold a festival to celebrate their god Dionysus. She was the god of wine, fertility and celebration. During these festivals, Greeks would entertain the public by holding drama based performances on either comedy or tragedy. Mime artists are called mimics; they exaggerate every move they make so it defines what they are trying to show. A mimic is an actor that acts without words and their entire performance is based on their non-verbal gesture and bodily movements. Mime artists usually act a story through their body; there have been many famous mime artists through the years.

Mime has been around since the ancient Geek and Roman period. It all began when Greek’s started having festivals and carnivals in honour of Dionysus, who is the Greek god of theatre. In the olden days actors would concentrate on their character a lot more than the actual plot of the story this is how mime became an exaggerated form of acting where self-expression is highly important. In Greek times, they had two main genres of drama, one was comedy and one was tragedy, this developed in Athens. During all of these performances in the Greek period, the Catholic Church showed great opposition to mime and drama as a whole, they thought that doing performances about comedies and tragedies shouldn’t be allowed and that performances should be about religion. This is when Mystery and Morality plays started to come in focus which were religious plays. A religious play would be about Jesus Christ and Morality plays would have a good moral and teaching to the story. 

Famous Mime artists.

Charlie Chaplin was a famous English comedian and was also a successful film director. Most of his films had slapstick comedy but were also based on social themes of the time. Charlie Chaplin was inspired by a French silent film comedian called Max Linder. Chaplin was hugely influenced by him and later dedicated one of his films to him. Chaplin was an actor for 75 years and he started acting at a very young age. Charlie Chaplin was known for his acting and his great films; he is one of the best mime artists in the world and is currently a legend. Many people get inspired by his work.

Marcel Marceau was a famous French mime artist who died recently on 22nd September 2007. Marcel Marceau was known for his striped pull over and his battered silk opera hat. This was his costume for one of his characters “Bip”. Marcel Marceau performed all around the world and was known by many people, his mime acts where inspiring and he wanted to spread the “art of silence” all around the world so people could learn to appreciate it. 

Mr Bean is a British television programme, and Rowan Atkinson is the main character. His character is based on a child’s mind in an adults body, this character was developed when Rowan Atkinson was in university. Rowan Atkinson plays his character in a mime with random sounds that complete the character and the atmosphere of the performance. Rowan Atkinson is one of the best mime artists now and he is known for his character all throughout England.

Having a Middle Eastern themed night?

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Have you ever wondered about Belly dancing and how it came about?  

According to some, the dance form that today many call ‘belly dance’ is extremely old and traces of it can be found up to 6,000 years ago, in some pagan societies who used to worship a feminine deity, to celebrate women’s fertility as something magic. However, there is little evidence that early pagan rituals are in any way connected to belly dance. This type of dance is supposed to be indeed good for preparing women’s body to give birth, but there does not seem to be proof of any link to ancient fertility rituals. In spite of this, there has been a tendency, in the last 40 years, to associate belly dance with spirituality and the power of the feminine. This may be due to the fact that the feminist movement, in the 1970s and 1980s in the USA, rediscovered belly dance as a form of dance that empowers women.

What we called today ‘belly dance’ seems to be the specific type of dance that comes from Turkey and Egypt. By looking at the specific movements of belly dance, some say that there could have been an influence coming from India. Indeed some movements, such as the head slides, are found both in Indian dance and in belly dance. Hence, it could be that populations migrating over the centuries from India to the Middle East and northern Africa brought their dance traditions with them, influencing the way local dances developed. Also, I think that belly dance owns a lot, in terms of dance vocabulary, to African dances. If we think about hip and chest shimmies and circles and body undulations, these are also present in African dances and in South American dances that derive from African traditions. However, each dance tradition has changed and adapted these movements so that, for example, shimmies in belly dance have a different feeling from African shimmies.

A proper chorological and historical study of dance and movement should be done in order to confirm how and when these influences developed, but it is difficult for such an ephemeral product like dance. Nevertheless, it could be attempted in the same way that linguists have studied the history of languages and traced migrations from ancient India to Europe with regards to the Indo-European languages, although movement did not leave a trace equivalent to written texts for languages.

Belly dancing has been a type of social dance since unmemorable times. It was and is danced when women gather together to socialise. In Egypt, dance has always been part of wedding celebrations, danced socially by people attending parties and professionally by performers who are paid to dance for special occasions. This is the typical baladi dance. Nowadays, the music played most commonly at weddings and social gatherings in Egypt is shaabi. The type of dance associated with shaabi music is very similar to baladi dance with hip articulations and quite grounded, but it does not have the same structure, as the music is different  (shaabi music is composed by individual pop songs, while baladi is mainly instrumental music which is improvised but follows a set pattern, hence a baladi dance performance follows the same pattern translated into movement).

What we call today ‘belly dance’ has always been also a form of public entertainment. Traveller’s tribes, both in Egypt and Turkey, used to perform out in the streets.  So hire one of our Belly dancers from Red Masque entertainment and see this great dance for yourself.

 

Bollywood Entertainment & Indian Wedding Performers

The Entertainment you choose for your wedding day will leave an impression on your guests for years to come! For this reason Bollywood entertainment makes the extra effort to connect with each couple and find the perfect entertainment solution for them. Whether you are looking for a bespoke musical creation, a flash mob to surprise your guests or simply an authentic taste of Bollywood, the Indian Dancers are highly trained professionals who will deliver a performance you & your guests are sure to love. 

Make it a night to remember

Hiring Bollywood dancers can surprise your guests with either the standard Bollywood Entertainment package or even flash mob style, adding a delightfully unexpected element to your evening! Imagine the excitement when colourfully costumed professional Bollywood dancers burst through the door and dazzle guests with their stylish moves!

Starters, main course, dessert, speeches….something’s missing without engaging entertainment. Why not provide the missing piece with our energetic Bollywood dance routines and stunning Bollywood costumes!

Heat up that that dance floor, immediately!

While DJs try their best, all too many weddings experience empty dance floors… don’t let it happen to you! The Bollywood acts work alongside with your DJ to offer a seamless transition from highly watchable entertainment to lively party; getting your guests up and dancing in no time. Bollywood acts can offer interactive workshops to teach your guests a few Bollywood and Bhangra dance moves to familiarise them with Indian Dance and get them moving well into the night! Workshops work particularly well for themed events!

Eurovision Party?

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Celebrate Eurovision with a Party Theme Night & tributes to Cliff, Lulu and Abba. A European Themed Event with French, Bavarian & Greek Bands & Music! 

Drag queens will definitely be a big hit on this occasion the louder the outfits the better. Don’t forget to hire your Abba Tribute acts or even a Lulu lookalike (hopefully she’ll sound alike too?) but it doesn’t matter if they can’t; as not many can sing at Eurovision!!! It’s all about taking part that matters right??

Eurovision parties can be as elaborate as you like, the weirder the costume the better you can even dress up as a lady even if you have a beard!! Just have fun and enjoy. Tribute acts or themed acts will be needed though taking you through the eras or Eurovision from when United Kingdom was popular to vote for, all the way to nowadays when United Kingdom is always at the bottom! Why not have your very own ‘voting system’ and put on your very own talent show; you could make it a ‘fantasy’ where United Kingdom always gets ‘Twelve Points’

If this has got you thinking then get planning.  At Red Masque entertainment directory we have so many entertainments that you can hire ready for your big party ahead. The right lighting would be very important to create the ambiance it deserves.  European food caterers and don’t forget ‘Fish n Chips’

A live band, a host, decorations that would be key to this colourful event and don’t forget your flags!!!!

Now sit back and enjoy your every own Eurovision

Your party needn’t be a Drag

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A comedy night is something most people enjoy but it has to be the right comedian. Drag Queens are sharp tongued with their risqué humour these Drag Queens will have your audience rolling around.  We have the best Drag Queens advertised in our Red Masque entertainment directory so you will be booking quality performers that will not let you down.

If you have a private function that would benefit from an outrageous Drag Queen or a launch party which could do with a variety act which could range from impressions, songs and stand up then why not book a Drag Queen.

Comedians and Comedy Acts are always very popular especially if they are current and ‘funny’ (of course). A good Comedian is always recommended and we have the very best hilarious comedians on our Red Masque directory.

You could be organising a corporate event where ‘blue’ jokes would go down very well with your audience or you may want something that all ages can enjoy, the choice is yours and we have a great choices advertised in Red Masque directory.

Another act to consider is a Mime Act it’s not everybody’s cup of tea, but good Mimes are very humorous and have the ability to engage your audience where their facial expressions speak a thousand words.  A group of Mime acts are very talented and take months perfecting their flawless routines. It maybe that they are rein acting a movie, mimicking somebody in the audience or just tomfooling around, Mine Acts certainly know how to impress your guests.

Everyone feels a bit ‘star-struck’ when they think they have just seen somebody famous. Imagine having your very own favourite celebrity lookalike at your party, why not have 2 or 3??  Your teenage child will be the envy of all his/her friends if you book a very current Celebrity Lookalike.

Whatever your occasion we are sure a Celebrity Lookalike will spice things up.  Just take a look at some of the ‘stars’ we have advertised.

So have a look, pick the appropriate one and once you have filled out a form your chosen entertainment will be in contact to arrange further.

The most romantic of venues

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Choosing a wedding venue is almost always on the top of a couple’s ‘to do’ list.  This is the place that you will remember forever, it is the place where you will kiss your new husband/wife for the first time, it is the place where you will take your children  and your grand-children back to, all to show them where you had the happiest day of your life. 

So a wedding venue needs to be characterful with its own qualities that make it desirable for a couple, but it must also to be enough of a blank canvas that a couple can put their own stamp on it.

Kew Gardens is a beautiful venue.  There are a number of beautiful and completely different areas within the venue of Kew Garden, that offer endless possibilities for the big day

There is the cosy Cambridge Cottage that can hold up to 80 guests for both ceremony and wedding reception.  The Cottage is a former royal residence and has a clean and fresh décor, which allows the Bride and Groom to choose any particular colour to use throughout the wedding, happily knowing that it will not clash with anything will always look perfect.  The cottage is steeped in traditional horticulture with floral pictures on the walls, which some couples do like to combine with their own ideas; using very bright and expressive flowers to decorate the venue, or use flower names as table names.

With entertainment, the light and elegant tone of Cambridge Cottage lends itself perfectly to string instruments, particular the harp or string quartet for a ceremony or reception.  The cottage backs on to the gardens and the sound of a string quartet drifting through the air could not be more perfect for a warm, summer wedding.

For the evening, the intimacy of Cambridge Cottage means that either a 4 piece band or a solo singer works really well and creates a flawless party atmosphere.

Within the Grounds of the Gardens there are also the 3 beautiful Conservatories – The Nash Conservatory is a nineteenth century glasshouse that has started being used for Civil Ceremonies this year and can hold up to 200 guests.  The Nash Conservatory is used in conjunction with The Orangery, which is available for evening hire for up to 400 guests for a cocktail reception

The Princess of Wales Conservatory can either be used by itself as a cocktail reception venue for up to 250 guests or in combination with The Orangery or Cambridge Cottage, as a venue for pre or post dinner drinks.  The Conservatory itself was commissioned in 1982 and was named after Princess Augusta, the founder of Kew.  Opened in 1987 by Diana, Princess of Wales, the Princess of Wales Conservatory is the most complex glasshouse at Kew, containing ten computer-controlled climatic zones, which only adds to this completely unique and interesting venue.

So with more than a few options for Weddings and Civil Ceremonies, it’s a great place to suggest wedding entertainment for – so many different acts work in the different spaces that the possibilities are endless.

Now is the time to organise your Christmas event…

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It may only be Spring but it’s always best to plan your next Christmas event as early as you can to avoid disappointment. If you want to create your own winter experience, either for a party entertainment, corporate event or business attraction, here are a few hints from Red Masque directory to make your Christmas event wonderful!
If you want a show as part of your event, you’ll need an inside space or warm, dry and well-appointed marquee to hold it in. Acts that look great in marquees include:

• Circus acts, especially aerialists, or silk acrobats!
• Dance groups who can fill the performance area with music, movement and style!
• Experienced party bands for hire that can play in all those cheesy pop hits we love at Xmas!

Make your event great by having sheer variety of entertainment on offer. So, offer lots of different acts to see, rather than one big attraction and people will enjoy the event more.

• Walkabout acts really help build a holiday atmosphere – check out Christmas costumed characters, ice characters and stilt walkers.
• Generate a warm feeling with fire acts to light up the winter darkness
• Conjure up the magic of Christmas with street magicians performing close-up tricks and illusions

Food and Drink
• Hire a hog roast or BBQ for outside cooked goodies
• Offer traditional treats such as roasted chestnuts and mulled wine that fill the air with deliciously Christmas smells!
• Be cool with a Christmas cocktail bar, decorated with ice sculptures serving frosted cocktails or frozen daiquiris (and non-alcoholic drinks for the drivers)

Fun things to do:
Visitors love interactive experiences, (aka things to do). They don’t have to be very fancy, just lots of fun for any age.

• Turn traditional side stalls into Christmas fun, such as a snowball coconut shy.
• Book a winter or “Frozen” themed bouncy castle with integrated rain cover, so the weather doesn’t stop the fun
• Get your skates on and book an artificial ice rink – all the fun, none of the wet! Most ice rink suppliers offer a complete package with chalet, boot hire, and experienced staff trained in the required health and safety procedures.

And if that all sounds great fun but such a lot of work right now, hey, there’s always next year! At Red Masque, we’re already seeing lots of people now booking acts for Christmas 2016, so find your perfect acts now to make your own winter wonderland happen.

 

A few ideas for your wedding

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Make the most of the sunshine and delight your guests with the best in British summertime entertainment for your wedding day and evening party. Let the fun begin!

Turn your wedding into a traditional fete on the lawn, with lots of activities for all ages, and a slap-up tea on vintage china in the marquee instead of a formal sit-down meal. Everyone loves those retro fete games and side stalls, such as a coconut shy, tin can bash, skittles, hoopla, giant table football and two childhood favourites made large, a games and a giant scalectrix. Give your fete a contemporary twist with a roving street magician ready to thrill anyone with card tricks and logic-defying illusions anytime, any-place, no table required.


Fantastic feats of dexterity that seem to defy gravity, from traditional club jugglers to comedy jugglers who’ll play around with everything from eggs to bowling balls! Skilled caricaturists can create hand-drawn, unique portraits of you or your guest in under five minutes, one-of-a-kind souvenirs of a very special day. Expand your guest lists with everyone you’ve ever wanted at your party with our lookalikes, from David Beckham to Marylyn Munroe to Brad Pitt.

Keep the little ones amused for hours with the help of professional children’s entertainers. Kids can twist and turn with balloon modellers, fall about laughing with a clown, get artistic with face painters. Warning; adults always want to join in too!

Forget high priced tickets for muddy fields and distant views of so-so bands bring the festival to your wedding instead. Set up a stage or two, pop up a beer tent and start booking your acts. The famous festival mixes its music, so you can hear an up and coming bad one set, then opera the next! Do the same; mix rock and jazz, acoustic and electro, DJs, opera singers and solo sax. Remember, that gospel choir who performed at the ceremony and the function band you’ve booked for the evening would probably love to be part of your festival too!

Bring a sense of theatre to your festival with unusual acts, such as stilt walkers, living statues, mime artists, themed walkabout and more. OK, we know the weather is even more unpredictable than the best man’s speech, so choose wedding entertainment that works just as well in your venue as outside on the lawns, such as micro-illusion magicians, caricaturists or a small jazz band.


Create a lovely atmosphere during your meal with gentle background music from an expert and experienced pianist, guitarist, harpist, or even a Capella group depending on the size of your room. There are plenty of moments in a wedding meal where you can surprise your guests with unexpected entertainment. Roving magicians can work the tables to bridge the gap between taking your seats and the starter being served, for example. Singing waiters have been around for years but they never fail to amuse, delight and entertain, as your waiters suddenly develop a passion for performance along with magnificent voices!

Your guests are arriving for the evening, ready to celebrate your special day and have a really great time. So, give them an evening they’ll be talking about for years! Wow them from the first moment they arrive with living statue, as costumed artists meet and greet your guests from the centre of a table and hand them the first drink of the evening! Surprising and practical too!

Will Lady Luck smile on your guests when they play in your very own casino complete with slots and showgirls? The money may be fake, but the enjoyment is 100% pure gold.

Cocktail bartenders will conjure up incredible cocktails for your guests. Expect flying bottles, swirling shakers, exotic ingredients and a taste sensation in every glass. Photo booths bring out the teenager in everyone, so get in there and banish those passport photo horrors to history! Hire some paparazzi desperate to take your guests’ photos, and get the latest scoop. Give your guests a taste of celebrity fame when the pics get posted online to a private micro-site, to view and buy if they wish. Turn your venue into a comedy club with classic stand-up by tomorrow’s stars, or today’s big names. If you’ve got the budget, we’ve got the best comedians to hire.

It’s been an amazing day, so why not finish it with a stunning fireworks display, custom-made to your venue and requirements, and with your choice of sound track or even live music. We hope we’ve given you food for thought, so when you book your wedding think of Red Masque entertainment – it really couldn’t be simpler.