Category: Fairy-Tail

London’s Pantomime

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CINDERELLA AT THE LONDON PALLADIUM

14 December 2016 – 15 January 2017

Cinderella is a family classic, the tale of rags-to-riches as Cinderella escapes her Wicked Stepmother and is helped by her loving Fairy Godmother. It’s an enchanting tale that children will love and it’s the first pantomime to grace the London Palladium in nearly 30 years. With a fully flamboyant and fantastic cast to boot, Paul O’Grady as the Wicked Stepmother, Amanda Holden as the Fairy Godmother, Natasha J Barnes as Cinderella, Count Arthur Strong (Baron Hardup), Paul Zerdin (Buttons), Lee Mead (Prince Charming) and Nigel Havers (Lord Chamberlain), this is a pantomime with a cast sure to bring sparkle to everyone this Christmas.

London Palladium, Argyll Street, London, W1F 7TF

CAT IN THE HAT AT PLEASANCE THEATRE LONDON

6 December 2016 – 2 January 2017

A great festive treat for kids and great entertainment for children aged 3+ based on the much loved book by Dr Seuss, The Cat in the Hat is perfect for engaging children in their first theatre experience. Sally and her brother know from the moment The Cat in the Hat appears at their door with his tall, red and white striped hat that he is the funniest, most mischievous cat they have ever met. With tricks and crazy ideas, he turns a rainy afternoon into an amazing adventure. What will mum find when she gets home? Based on the much loved book by Dr Seuss, The Cat in the Hat is a lively and engaging first theatre experience for young children aged 3+. Expect towering hats, mischief and an imagination recharge!

Pleasance Theatre London

Carpenters Mews, North Road, Islington, London, N7 9EF

PETER PAN AT THE NATIONAL THEATRE LONDON

16 November – 29 December 2016

We all know the story of the boy who would not grow up and this year director Sally Cookson gives an inventive take on the story. Featuring well-loved characters such as Wendy, Captain Hook and Tinkerbell we follow the story as Wendy arrives in Neverland – where Tinkerbell, Tiger Lily and Captain Hook await. This family show (suitable for 7 years+) is a bit sharper than the plenty of pantomime version around this Christmas. A revival of the popular Cookson’s 2012 Bristol Old Vic production, kids will enjoy the subversive, dressing-up box aesthetic.

The Puppeteer

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Puppet shows are great for children of all ages and have been part of our culture for thousands of years. They’re normally aimed at 3-7 year olds but can work for 2 years too. Even if the younger children don’t fully understand the storyline or the jokes, they can still enjoy the visual aspects and get involved with audience participation, which usually includes shouting things to the puppets and doing loads of funny actions.

Puppet shows can be the main event or form part of a huge mix of party activities. Either way, it goes down a treat and is often one of the things kids remember best.

The Circus Performer

Circus performers or clowns are great for parties where the guests are a little bit older (maybe 4 and up) any younger and the kids can get a bit scared of clowns as they don’t like the makeup on the face or the red nose and clown wig. Our clowns do loads of fun clown gags and jokes. The parties are very interactive for children. A clown is not something kids see every day so it really adds a brilliant wow factor when your child sees a clown coming to their party for their birthday. Apart from general clowning around, a clown can be a magician, he can hold a puppet show, do games, juggling, etc. Clowns can be balloon modellers or, face painters; their versatility really is endless.

Don’t go overboard.

We are well aware of the pressures facing parents, and would like to tell you that those looking to create a memorable birthday celebration for their little one should focus on simplicity and fun and try to ignore, where possible, the feeling that they have to compete with other parents as this can actually result in having an adverse effect on your children’s party!

Ask any parent and they will tell you of the increasing pressure they feel when planning their child’s birthday party. The growing competitive element of hosting a children’s birthday party that has recently emerged now means that many parents end up overspending and creating a party that is filled to the brim with far too many activities.

Do remember that children love simplicity. Not to say the entertainment shouldn’t be good or varied. It should definitely be good and varied. It needs to be engaging, fun and imaginative too. But parents should avoid the temptation to overload their kid’s party with too many activities at the same time as this will end up being over stimulating and confusing. We’ve seen it time and time again where parent book an entertainer, bouncy castle, popcorn machine, mascot, face painter, etc. all in one party that last just 2 hours.

Parents feeling the need to plan a children’s party filled with different activities can actually leave birthday boys and girls so overwhelmed with far too much to take in that they don’t focus properly on any one thing and are unable to really enjoy their special day properly. Instead, parents should choose no more than a handful of activities for the children and to make sure that there is plenty of time for the kids to enjoy all of it.

In the same way, parents that don’t plan enough activities or have any form of kids party entertainment at all, can often find that their children are completely underwhelmed, bored or worse become very restless and start running around and be difficult for parents to control. If there is no structure to the entertainment planned this can happen a lot, which is something all parents want to avoid.

A perfect party has a few fun activities planned for different times, but parents should be prepared for their party ‘timetable’ to change slightly during the celebration so it can be adapted to suit the kid’s energy levels on the day and to accommodate any unforeseen events e.g. food running late.

Fit for a Princess

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Make your daughter’s dreams come true by throwing her an amazing princess party! You bring the enthusiasm, and we can provide the tips, and together we can plan the party your princess has always imagined!

Before you can dive into planning a fantastic kids party, you’ll want to pick a theme. Although a princess party may seem pretty self-explanatory, there are still decisions to be made! Will this be a fancy dress party? Or maybe centred around your daughter’s favourite princess? There are lots of options to choose from! Talk to your princess to find out which theme will work the best for her.

Your next step will be to set a date. Check your calendar and try to find a date that works for the birthday girl’s friends and family. If nothing conflicts with her actual birthday, you’ve got yourself a date! If not, try to pick a day as close to your daughter’s birthday as possible and make it an extended celebration.

Finding the Castle​

Now that you’ve got a theme and date, it’s time to find a perfect venue for your party. A budget friendly option for location is to transform your home into the princess castle. If you’re looking for a change of scenery, start the search for a local venue that is large enough to accommodate all of your guests and free of commitments on your party date. Keep in mind your potential decorations when choosing your location to make sure set up will be as easy as possible.

The Royal Announcement

With the major details in place, you’re ready to announce the royal event by sending out invitations. These will get your guests excited about your theme even before the party begins! If crafting isn’t your thing, order custom invitations. Whatever your method, be sure to include the basic event info, including the date, time, and location. If you’ve decided on a fancy dress and would like the guests to arrive in their princess gowns, add this information to the invitation. Give it the royal touch by using language such as, “Princess Sofia invites you to attend her 6th birthday party” or “Join us in celebrating a royal affair…the birthday of Princess Sarah.” Send the invitations well in advance (around 3-4 weeks) to give your fellow parents time to RSVP between helping with homework and driving to soccer practice.

Decorating the Castle​

Now for the real fun, decorating your princess castle! Make a list of supplies you’ll need and start shopping early to make sure you’re able to find everything you need. From balloons and streamers to piñatas and tiaras, the decorations ​make the party. Talk to the birthday girl or take her shopping with you to find the perfect decor for your ideal princess atmosphere!

Entertaining Royalty​

Treat your guests like royalty with princess-themed activities! To really wow your guests, have your daughter’s favourite Princess attend the party. Set up a craft table or the princesses to make their very own tiaras. If your guests didn’t arrive in their own princess attire, having a dress up area with gowns and accessories is a great addition to the party! For the full princess transformation, have a royal makeover station complete with faux jewellery, makeup and, of course, glitter! To take the makeover to the next level, book a Makeup Artist or Face Painter to run the station. A favourite babysitter is another great option and budget friendly!

If your location allows, bring in the big guns with a castle bouncy house, princess carriage rides, or pony rides. You could also look for a local farm that hosts pony parties with carriages, as this will generally be a cheaper alternative. Whatever the activities, priceless memories will no doubt be made. Be sure to capture them with lots of pictures! If you’d rather not be on photo duty, book a photographer so that you can kick back and enjoy the fantastic party you’ve put together!

Party Bags

Send your guests home with princess-themed treat bags to remind them of your amazing party! Fill them with everything a princess could need, from tiaras and wands to a makeup or jewellery sets. Bring the birthday girl in on the party bag fun and have her pick out all the treats she’d love to receive at a party.