Category Archives: Booking

The Bo Diddlers

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So if you thought you knew all about Morris Dancing, think again…

This group of Morris Dancers calling themselves The Bo Diddlers are a new kind of Morris Dance act who are ‘experimenting’ using a blend of contemporary and folk dance. And do you know what? It really works well.

They put a humorous touch in their act (it gets quite physical) with live music the group creates something quite mesmerising and downright funny, so if you were expecting the traditional Morris Dance (which can be a bit bland) you will be more than pleased you booked these guys

They have created an hour long show called Stump and it has been put together especially for the theatre, it gives a traditional outdoor event an exciting twist whilst having a sense of being theatrical

The Bo Diddlers have performed at the Brighton Fringe Festival and danced at the Royal Court Theatre as well as other prestigious events.

So if you want an event to be a bit different in and unexpected then you should book The Bo Diddlers. At your corporate event which will break the ice and get people taking, this is a definite act to hire.

The unexpected is always good and a seemingly ‘ordinary’ event which is custom for you to go to year after year and where the entertainment is always quite ‘samey’, this act will certainly be a wonderful surprise.

So if you have been put in charge of organising this years’ corporate Christmas party and you wanted to be in your CEO’s good books, we believe you are looking at the main act of the year!!

Adult fun at Halloween

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Incorporate fun adult Halloween party games into your monster event this year. Halloween party entertainment for adults can be competitive, scary, or even silly as long as they are Halloween inspired. Adult party games are also a great way to entertain your guests and make your party more memorable.

Here are some easy adult Halloween party game ideas to play at your spooky soiree:

Mummy Wrap: Teams pair up and each get a roll of toilet paper. Then one person spins around the other turning them into a mummy. The person becoming the mummy generally also tries to spin to help the team finish first, which is the goal. With all that spinning and drinking, it’s bound to be entertaining for those watching and playing! 

Shot in the Dark: This is a great scary Halloween party entertainment for adults. Play a scary movie in the background or in a separate room. Set up some movie rules, like whenever someone gets shot, everyone does a shot. Or whenever a character screams, everyone drinks. Or whenever they say a certain word, everyone cheers. You get the point. You can get really creative, however it’s generally a good idea to watch the chosen movie ahead of time to get an idea of how many times you’re going to have people do each thing.

Monster Mash Dance Contest: Get everyone up and dancing with this Halloween party game. Have a monster mash dance contest and award the best dancer a prize. All you need is a Halloween themed playlist and two dance judges. Have several dance off rounds and eliminate a few people each time until one winner is left. Make a fake plaque that reads: “monster mash—best dancer award.” Everyone will want to keep dancing way after a winner is declared.

Who am I? This is a Halloween twist on a classic name game. Write down characters from famous scary movies on notecards. Tape one note card on each person’s back as they arrive.  The objective of the game to have everyone ask questions and talk to each other them if they are that character to give them hints. Once everyone guesses his or her “identity” the game is over.

When you plan the games and activities for your party, it’s always important to consider your audience. Most adult Halloween parties involve a lot of mixing and mingling so try to mix in a couple of your favourite game ideas to keep things interesting!

Cool Venues in Manchester

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Here at Red Masque directory, we like to give you ideas for different cities that you could hold your event. Today we are taking about Greater Manchester:

We provide a directory for you of fun entertainment ideas and equipment hire.

Why host your event in Manchester?

  • Crowned the world’s ‘Best Sports City’ in 2012
  • Ranked as Europe’s Top city for business competitiveness in 2010
  • Started Manchester Enterprise Zone
  • Third most visited city in the UK by foreign visitors

If you’re interested in organising a corporate in the city but want a venue with a difference, here are 10 unique places to choose from:

1. The Palace Hotel, Oxford Road

What could be better for a conference, wedding or charity event than an iconic, Grand Victorian luxury hotel? 

The Palace Hotel features a beautiful glass-domed lobby, stunning art deco interiors and 885 metres of space for up to 900 guests- so there’s plenty of room for entertainment equipment. 

2. Audit Room, Chetham’s School of Music

Chetham’s School of Music is the largest specialist music school in the UK and the only music school based in the North of England. 

If you’re organising an event and looking for a vibrant atmosphere in a setting with gothic windows and 17th century doors, what better venue than a building that is nearly 600 years-old and truly magical.

3. Players’ Lounge, Hotel Football

Want to say that your event is in a building founded by the infamous Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville? The Football Hotel is a unique venue situated yards from the Old Trafford stadium.

The Players’ Lounge is a great space that can accommodate up to 200 standing and 100 guests seated. 

4. Main Gym, Evolve

Work up a sweat by hosting a fun, innovative event at Main Gym!

The venue has the capacity for up to 200 people and the combat sports facility comes complete with boxing ring, trapeze, gloves, shin pads and more. 

5. Rovers Return, Coronation Street

If you’re a big Corrie fan, take to the Manchester cobbled streets by hiring out the nation’s famous pub. 

The venue tour can hold up to 250 standing guests or 80 dining, and you get wine and dined in the main studio, surrounded by the iconic sets. 

6. Zombie Shack

Just the name of it is unique and cool!

The Zombie Shack, near Oxford Road Station, is the loudest and wildest Tiki Cocktail Paradise in Manchester.  Please note it’s only available to hire midweek. 

7. 2nd Floor; K2 Karaoke Nightclub

One might associate a nightclub with an evening of music, drink and dancing but it can be so much more with a cocktail bar on hand and a dance floor space that’s ready for you to throw out some shapes!

The K2 Karaoke Nightclub, located in the heart of Manchester’s China Town, plays host to corporate events and private functions on a weekly basis.

So if you want somewhere different to host your event (and also get your groove on), this place is ideal

8. Chill Factore

The Chill Factore is home to the UK’s longest indoor skiing and snowboarding slope and is a brilliant family day out but it’s also a great place to hold an event whether that’s a team building experience with your business or a conference. 

It’s situated just off the M60 so it’s super accessible too!

9. The University of Manchester

It’s not just a place for learning! The University of Manchester offer fantastic conference and event facilities all year round. 

Its inspirational heritage and convenient location make it an excellent choice and some of their venues are suitable for up to 1000 delegates which is perfect if you’re planning a large scale event. 

10. Museum of Science and Industry

Situated on Liverpool Road, the Museum of Science and Industry is a truly unique venue with gorgeous galleries and state-of-the-art function rooms. 

The historic building offers an amazing backdrop for events and conferences and it can accommodate a variety of event sizes from 50 to over 300.

Street Dance Parties

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Children’s party entertainment is something that many parents lose sleep over. Where do you find something that will keep your kids busy and engaged for the whole duration of the party, and something that they haven’t already seen before? It’s a challenge most parents would gladly forgo, so Red Masque is here to help. We have access to an eclectic mix of party games, party entertainers and a fund of children’s birthday party ideas that are new and different.

It’s quite challenging thinking up every year of something ‘special’ and different for the right reasons for your child’s/teenagers birthday this is why Red Masque hold the key to taking the stress out of trying to think of something unique.

We at Red Masque advertise only the best children’s party entertainment, for any age group, which can thrill, enthral and astound the audience; from balloon modellers to magicians, street dancers to caricaturists and even green screen photography entertainments, plus a whole series of indoor and outdoor games which include:

Indoor -Dance Machines, Photo Booths, Table Football, Air Hockey and Skittles.

Outdoor – Funfair Stalls, Connect 4, Ker plunk, Table Football and Giant Scalextrics.

All the performers are CRB checked (a necessary precaution these days), and each has been assessed for the quality of their performance, both by us and by the harshest critics of all, the audience. So, if you’re looking for children’s birthday party ideas London, look no further than Red Masque.

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