The Circus Space
Coronet Street
London N1 6HD
T + 44 (0) 207 739 7713
E info@circusperformers.com

Bookers Tips...

This section is to help you, as organisers put on the best event you possibly can, and give you some tips we have found useful in our event organising. Without proper planning the money you have spent on the entertainment can seem disproportionate to the impact it makes and you may feel that things had gotten lost in the crowd. With a little bit of forethought the entertainment can make your event truly outstanding, and really enhance a special evening.

One of the most important things for a booker to consider exactly what is the sort of impression you are trying to create. What would your ideal crowd reaction be? Would a show or walkabout best suit your event? What sort of performing would suit your crowd? For help with theming of events please see our Themes section.

When deciding which performers you would like, it is essential to think about the venue. The space, the lighting and what kind of music or sound system facilities you are planning for are all essential to planning a good event. Is there going to be enough room for the show to happen without the crowd blocking an important exit or public highway? Is there going to be ambient noise or light which could distract from, or even drown out the show?

The hours of the event also need to be known before a performer can be booked. The majority of our walkabout performers do three forty-five minute sets. If you are booking a show you need to allow time for a tech check before your audience arrives.

Programming is important in order to make the most of your entertainment. It is not a good plan, for example to have magicians working tables whilst dinner is being served, as they tend to get in the way of the waiters and people may end up with green beans when they really wanted swede. Another prime example of the importance of programming is that caricaturists may not work so well towards the end of the evening, when they have been drinking and their ability to sit still, or see the funny side of their caricature seems to wane slightly. In the office we have years of experience of what works best and what situations may be best avoided. Please do ask us for advise with regards to the programming of your event, we will be happy to help as it makes your event a lot more successful and our performers have a better environment to work in.

It is good to have an idea of your budget when enquiring about performers. The reason we do not put prices on the web site is because prices vary so much according to the time of year, the time of an event and where the event is. We do try and accommodate all budget requirements but it is easier for us to find you an appropriate performer if we have an idea of how much you wish to spend. As with everything, you get what you pay for, but a Trade show is not going to suit the same sort of performer as a community day.

And after all that hard work, don't forget to advertise your event if it is open to the public. People do tend to forget things and the final role should to be make sure your event is not one of them. Use posters, flyers, adverts in local papers, listings magazines and press releases. Mentions on local radio can go a long way to drawing the crowds your event deserves.

It is worth taking into consideration that suitable refreshments, a changing space and a secure area for performers equipment and belongings need to be provided at an event. A table a chair and a mirror makes everything a lot easier. You would not be your best at a party if you were expected to get changed, do your hair, make up and have a shave in a public toilet or in a car - and neither do the entertainers. Many entertainers need to warm up as well as get changed, so a suitable area away from the guests is essential.

The performers will also need a decent map of how to get you and your event, and close parking. Most of our performers have a lot of heavy kit and will need to have an easy access route to getting this into your venue. The last thing you want is an acrobat doing their back in because they had to drag their set halfway accross town!

The more information your can give us about the meeting point for the entertainers, the less of your time will be taken up on the day when you are going to be very busy. Mobiles are helpful, but they simply cannot replace a decent bit of planning.

One last note is that if you intend to film or photograph the performers, prior permission must be granted by Missing Link Productions Ltd and the performers themselves. This includes use of pictures, video and wording from this web site. For more information on this please see our Copyright Information.

Glossary...

Walkabout - Entertainers circulate amongst the guests / crowd.

Mix and Mingle - Walkabout that is more interactive with public.

Static Show - Requires space for an audience to gather for a performance of a set length.

Aerial - Apparatus rigged from above, eg Trapese, Rope, Silks, Hoops.

Hangabout - Slow sequences performed on Aerial apparatus.

Aerial Act - Set routine of higher impact and shorter length than hangabout.

Dressing Room - Area for performers to change, warm up, eat, prepare for work and relax between performances.

Overkill - the feeling an audience gets when they have seen everything the performer can do more than twice. - The fine line between value for money and relentless repetition.

Rehearsal / Training / Designing / Creation - The behind the scenes work that is included in performers fee, except when there are special requirements unique to an event.

Parking Space - Sounds simple, but is often overlooked. Can be as simple as saving a space by a meter with another car and moving it when the performers arrive and need to unload.

Food Vouchers - A token given to performers that will be accepted by a local retaurant / pub for a meal up to a certain value, that is paid for by the organisers at a later date.

Refreshments - Light snacks and drinks (especially water) in the dressingroom enable a performer to be on top form, without having to dash off and find something while in costume.

Great Gig - What you get if you treat the performers like rock stars.

Stalked - What you get if the performers don't feel like rock stars.

Public Liability Insurance - All our performers have this, which means they are covered if they cause any accidents while at work.

Pension Plan - None of our performers have this, so please think about booking them again next year.

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