All to make the magic show brilliant and the party super fun and stress-free based on Ritchie’s experience entertaining at over 1500 birthday parties 🙂
Ritchie’s birthday party entertainment is for 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th birthday parties.
Unless specifically booked for walkabout magic, Ritchie requires approximately 2 x 2 meters for the performance space, then space for the children to sit on the floor in front of him and chairs put out behind for adults. If you judge the floor to be too dirty to be sat on by children then something (non-slip) to cover it will need to be provided. Cushions should not be put down as they will get thrown around.
Sound
Ritchie uses audio equipment; a microphone, music, and some bubbles in his shows. If the show is in a venue like a restaurant, make sure you have permission for this noise and that the management is aware. Ritchie does not leave a bubble machine on continuously causing slippy liquid on the floor; it is just a little blast at a couple of points in the show.
In the magic show and particularly the shark game; the children are loud and the music and microphone have to be a reasonable volume to cut above that. Children who are very senstive to noise are advised to bring ear defenders.
Ritchie (and all other entertainers) are not childminders, and there must be at least three adults per 10 children in the room supervising children (i.e. not with their chairs turned around) at all times during the entertainment to lightly assist in wild behaviour.
- 10 children = 3 adults
- 20 children = 6 adults
- 30 children = 9 adults
Although we do recommend having more than this as drop-off parties are chaotic.
If any children attending the party have special educational needs (SEN), which means they are likely to be very disruptive, their parents will need to be present with them.
The secret to entertaining children is having their full attention.
Food
Food, snacks, sweets and lollipops must not be served to children or adults during the magic show or shortly before. If you see someone giving out food/sweets to children during the show, please stop them. Please don’t put out bowls of crisps/trays of biscuits “for the adults” as the kids will get them too and adults will give them to their children.
Please keep food and goodies until the food break in the middle of the party 🙂
Adult Food
Food for adults must not be given out until the food break or in the second half of the two-hour party during the games part. If you serve food during the magic show, it will cause disruption, distraction, and noise in the room and make the show way less successful and enjoyable for the birthday child, the other children and the adults.
Balloons must be tied up on the walls and out of reach of children i.e. not on the floor/loose. They will be flying around, played with/chased. Ritchie will not be able to start the entertainment if balloons are flying around and they must be put away 15 minutes before the entertainment commencement. Toys must not be given out during the party. Please put anything like party blowers, clown noses, in party bags to take home at the end.
For birthday parties in halls, due to health and safety issues, and disruption of the entertainment, Ritchie is not able to entertain at children’s birthday parties with:
Soft play = madness
Bouncy castles or similar such as bubble house. = madness and common injuries
Facepainter = disrupts entertainment
Pinata = dangerous, common injuries
Several Rooms
The entertainment needs to take place in one room if possible. If children are running from one room to another or a garden, it will become chaos.
Parking
Ritchie requires parking for four hours for a two-hour party and three hours for one hour. There must be parking at the venue or very near. If the nearest suitable parking is several streets away, such as parts of Central London, it may not be logistically possible to get the large amount of equipment I bring in and out.
Summer (outdoors)
For summer events, the show can be in the lovely outdoors, but Ritchie will need to be in a shaded area or you will need to provide a suitable cover for the show such as a gazebo due to the sun overheating the electrical equipment and arrange the area for children and adults so that they are not facing the sun. You will also need a backup space in case of rain or wind. If the day has a chance of rain, the show will have to be indoors because of the risk of damaging thousands of pounds of electrical equipment. Ritchie is not able to do birthday party shows in public parks due to licensing laws unless you have permission. He also needs one power socket to plug into.
Payment
The booking fee payment is non-refundable. The balance must be paid the week before the party, or at the party by Square link (cards, ApplePay, etc) or cash, please.
Themes
Ritchie is not able to customise parties to particular themes due to all his routines, tricks, and games being meticulously planned.
Pinata
Ritchie strongly advises against having a piñata, but if you do, it must be done on the other side of the room to Ritchie’s equipment when Ritchie has finished and is packing up. He will not be able to be involved in the piñata.
Ritchie requires 45 minutes to load in/set up (he can do it in 30 minutes at a rush) and 20-30 minutes to pack away/load out.
Stopping
It’s only happened twice in 15 years of magic shows, but if the show becomes too disrupted through for example food been given out, then Ritchie may need to stop the show and revert to playing music and doing close-up magic tricks. The second half games part is much more informal and easy peasy to manage 🙂
All these things are so that the entertainment is great. Sorry for the boring, serious stuff! Boring first, then FUN!
We are going to have lots of fun!
Children’s Magician & Party Entertainer – Ritchie Rosson | Surrey, Kent & London 