How do you guys handle *diplomatically* those grownups that use kids parties as networking and social events for themselves?

I havent had many hecklers (just one but he was trying to be funny - it didnt work and he kept quiet from then on).

Here's what I do:

The birthday fairy (thats me) sits ona chair next to the birthday girl/boy who sits on a big golden throne. Their guests all sit around us on the floor as they would at school during storytime. I read a short 5min story about the birthday girl/boy. The story is peppered with personal details such as their name, their birthday age represented as the number of candles on their cake ie "Princess Claire was blowingout the 5 candles on her birthday cake when the wicked wizard flew intothe castle".

Each time the story is read the kids are spellbound they love it! sadly someof the adults just wont shut up, their overlyloud chatter and rude laughter makes someof the kids loose concentration abit and on occasion ive been unable to throw myvoice as far as i wouldhave liked.

I would prefer not to use a mic at this point as its not very personal and the effect im going for is lost behind a mic.

Any ideas? I tried duct tape but it kinda scared the kids ;)

Have you sent an itinerary of sorts to the host parents. If so you could put a reminder in there of what your expectations are of courteous adults during your performance. If they have it spelled out before time that might help some. You could also hang up some big sign before you begin to the same effect and also announcing your beginning you show as of sorts.
Sara K.

This is a subject very close to my temper cracking! It drives me nuts. I often think the host parents have hired the entertainer to keep the kids out of their wine/beer swilling way at their child's event. I couldn't hear myself think at an event just last week and after the show when I put the music on for the dance along part the host parent had the cheek to ask me turn the volume down as they couldn't hear each other speak...AAAARRRGGGHHH!

I do this...I get all the kids together and tell them that today is the day they can tell the grown ups to be quiet..They all shout Be quiet if your a grown up. It doesn't usually last very long though and I am also looking for ideas to shut them up...Sorry to sound rude but if you can't beat them, then join them

I'll be closely watching this thread to see if there are any good solutions to this problem. At a recent party I couldn't complete the "Vanishing Banana" trick because the adults were so loud that we couldn't hear the audio. Grrrr. :cry:

Keeping adults quiet is indeed sometimes very difficult. Here some things I use to keep them to sort of shut up.

First off all don't only see the children as your audience even when you are hired for only entertaining the children. Try to be entertaining for the adults as well. Interact and communicate with them while performing. Try to put a second layer in your show that is entertaining for them. Have parts in the show that are entertaining for all ages. For instan; children (and not only the children) love it when the man of the house has to be a volunteer (and is taken the piss of in a funny manner).

Make sure that you are very present! Show that you are there to everybody! The clown has arived and will start a show! For instant; I like to start up by coming up from the opposite site of where they want me to do the entertaining so I have to go all the way throught all the people present. This way I can interact and communicate with (also the adults)everybody up close directly from the start. It makes me present. When arrived at my spot I start up with something big and very visual. Sort off; "Hello everybody here is where it all happenes".

Use noise and silence. Let the children regurly make different kinds of a lot of noise. First off all of course laughter, but also shouting, klapping, stamping etc. etc. I also have point in my show I need complete silence. And also from the adults off course. That are the great moments to make wicked remarks towards those adults who are not paying attention. Also kind of funny shock effects build in your show that are focused on those who are not paying attention can help to keep the focus off the adults on your show instead of towards eachother.

Just my two cents

rope and duct tape.

"All right, everybody. Now it's time for a little story. Would you like to hear it? GREAT! But, first, we all have to be verwee verwee quiet. So take your finger just like this and hold it up in front of your lips. Good! Now, turn to EVERYONE around and LOUD as you can go "SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Repeat as necessary until the parents get the message.

("Hey, I think that there are some big people in the back who need to hear you, too!")

Sometimes a kid's birthday is really just an excuse for an adult party, and in those cases, I'm not sure that one can do anything about this problem. In the case I cited above, the birthday child was a one-year-old, and the parents had rented an entire restaurant for the event. There were clearly more adults at this event than children, and the clown was merely something to keep the children occupied while the parents chatted. We were assigned one small section at the end of the restaurant, and there was a balloon arch separating us from the adults. It was very difficult to perform a magic show in these circumstances, so I opted to cut it short and focus on balloon sculpture instead. How one handles noisy adults is going to differ in each situation.

Sometimes a kid's birthday is really just an excuse for an adult party, and in those cases, I'm not sure that one can do anything about this problem. In the case I cited above, the birthday child was a one-year-old, and the parents had rented an entire restaurant for the event. There were clearly more adults at this event than children, and the clown was merely something to keep the children occupied while the parents chatted. We were assigned one small section at the end of the restaurant, and there was a balloon arch separating us from the adults. It was very difficult to perform a magic show in these circumstances, so I opted to cut it short and focus on balloon sculpture instead.

I definitely wouldn't want to embarrass/annoy/tick off the person who is going to pay me --and hopefully tip me -- at the end of the night. How one handles noisy adults is going to differ in each situation.

that's why i always bring my hammer...

This happens to me sometimes during my magic show, when there are many people in attendance and the back of the room gets noisy from the parents.

I simply explain to the kids that I need their help to "make the magic work" because it doesn't work in a noisy room and then I have the KIDS IN UNISON turn around and help me *Shuush* the parents. This empowers the kids as a whole, gets the message across strongly and diplomatically, and takes the pressure off of me to be the sole disciplinarian.

Works everytime.

lets play a quick game! i want all of you to go run to your mommys and daddys and tell them to keep quiet because your trying to watch the show. first one to do so will get a special prize!!! ready, get set, GO!!!

but i still prefer the hammer...

Ever noticed how quiet they get when you ask a bunch of adults to volunteer? I try some where along the middle of my act to do "oh Ms Sally had a farm". I don't tell the adults but I can use as many as 7-8. I get them to line up with their backs to the audience have them draw a nose from my bag and as we sing they must turn around and make the animal noise. Of course I warn the other adults they'll want pic. of this events. The kids go nuts, the parents are now all involved and usually fairly quiet til the end of my show.