James Hailes

Q1. There are some entertainers quoting really cheap prices like £70 in the local paper. Are they any good?

Answer: Unfortunately, lots of children's entertainers/DJs are cowboys or amateurs trying to make some extra money in a largely unregulated business. Often they're only able to obtain work by charging unbelievably low fees. But don't be fooled. Ask to go see them work and you may discover that cheapness and quality rarely go hand in hand. To ensure your party or event is successful, you should make sure you hire someone who's spent years working on and perfecting their programs – preferably someone's who's performed thousands of times in front of live audiences. Try and avoid part-time entertainers; preferably you want someone who's good enough to work as a FULL-TIME Kid Show Professional!

Q2. Since you work with kids – have you been police checked? 
Answer: Entertainers aren't actually required to have compulsory checks because we're performers and we're not left in sole charge of children (similarly, I guess we wouldn’t expect the cast of Mary Poppins to have CRB certificates just because the audience is predominantly children). However, since it seems to be a concern for many parents, for complete peace of mind I've been voluntarily checked by the criminal records bureau and a copy of my sparkly-clean certificate can be provided if needs be.

Q3. How far to you travel? Answer: James works all over the South East of England. He's based in Maidstone, Kent and much of his work is in Kent and South London. The prices advertised include travel up to around 30 miles. If you’re too far away – no problem – although he may have to charge you a little more for the extra expense.

Q4. How do you come dressed? Answer: James isn't a clown (although that's not what his mum would say!) James will come to your event wearing normal funky clothing appropriate for the age.

Q5. How do we pay for a show? 
Answer: We accept cash, cheques, bank transfers and all majot credit and debit cards.

Q6. What are your cancelation charges?
Answer:  I'm in the business of making customers happy and penalties and cancellation fees generally annoy people so there aren't any! All I ask is that if you do need to cancel, please please give me as much notice as possible. Similarly there are a few scenarios whereby I might not be able to attend myself (very rare). Say for example I lose my voice which would render me pretty hopeless as an entertainer. In those circumstances I trust you'll be fully understanding if I have to send a replacement.

Do you have a question? Click here to contact me and ask away. I normally reply same day - often within hours.

© James The Entertainer 2010, all rights reserved l  Call 01622 858093 l  Email jameshailes@gmail.com  Areas covered include Kent, South London, Sussex, Surrey and Essex