What Does Surprise Entertainment Bring To Your Event? Awesome, Unique Entertainment!

When you're planning an event, you want to keep your guests entertained throughout, so the energy and enjoyment never dips. Giving them something new just when they are least expecting it is a great way to create a buzz, and to give guests something to talk about apart from the food or the football! And nothing fits the bill quite like a surprise entertainment act, be it singing waiters, firemen, chefs or 'planted' guests! As Shaun from The Singing Firemen says:

It's a unique way of introducing top class entertainment in to an event, and making your event the most talked about for years to come!

Sara at The Fabulous Singing Waiters agrees:

We give people a fantastic way to make their events unique and memorable.

What do surprise entertainment acts do?

The idea is really simple; your guests have no idea that the waiter who has been serving them, or the fireman who seems to be worried about the smoke alarms, are in fact highly talented opera or West End singers, ready to grab a microphone and burst into song. As one waiter starts to sing, another suddenly joins in, and then a 'guest' can't seem to resist joining in either. It's particularly effective during a formal dinner, says Sera of The Superstar Waiters:

It’s a great way of breaking up a meal and giving your guests something hugely entertaining when they are least expecting it!

Before the audience have had time to work out who might be part of the act, they are being royally entertained by superb singers performing anything from famous opera arias (songs) to the latest West End hits, often close up to their tables. As Sara at The Fabulous Singing Waters explains:

The voices, the energy, the performance, they are all something that you just can’t duplicate in any other way. The ‘singing waiters’ introduction is a light way to create a surprise and add a great deal of fun.

How do surprise acts prepare for my event?

What the guests see, of course, is just the end product of a great deal of planning and preparation. Professional surprise entertainment acts make sure that everyone behind the scenes is in the know and fully prepared, while the real guests haven't a clue what's going on! It's also about preparing a scenario that is perfect for your event, your venue and you, as Sera from The Superstar Waiters reveals:

We work closely with the client to develop the scenario and characters together, depending on the details of your event. So we've had not just waiters but bar staff, event planners, firemen and even guests who attend the event and pretend they know you! This can be great fun and we love working with the client to creatively design the best scenario we can.

And it doesn't just have to be waiters, guests or catering staff, as Shaun from The Singing Firemen explains:

The Singing Police Officers is made up of three top West End singers disguised as police officers. We ask the client to provide a photograph of one of the guests that we are going to pretend to "arrest" for non-payment of a parking ticket! Once the 'policemen' start singing, they perform an amazing act containing everything from opera to Rat Pack and Grease.

How does a surprise act keep themselves a surprise?

The secret is that the performers totally integrate themselves into the event; they'll actually wait on tables, serve wine, dress in the staff uniform and being accomplished actors, ‘walk the walk and talk the talk’. 'Planted' guests might sit throughout a dinner and talk 'shop' if required, while 'firemen' and 'policemen' dress in authentic uniforms and learn about safety regulations so they (initially) look and sound like the real thing.

Since most surprise singing acts perform with backing tracks, they simply amplify themselves through your venue's sound system, or bring their own PA system that just looks like a microphone set-up for speeches or announcements.

What if my guests have seen singing waiter acts before?

No worries - every event is different, and with many acts drawing members during rests between West End shows and opera performances, the chances of seeing the same person sing the same thing twice is reduced. No two company does exactly the same thing either, and no two events are exactly the same, so this kind of surprise entertainment comes up fresh and exciting every time! Sara at The Fabulous Singing Waiters totally agrees:

Even people who say they’ve seen this style act before say they enjoy it just as much each time.

And as Shaun at The Singing Firemen says:

To have leading West End singers burst into song is a phenomenal addition to any event!

For more help and advice on surprise entertainment that will delight and engage your guests, call the Alive Network team on 01782 740 839 anytime, and we’ll serve you up a surprise your guests will talk about for month afterwards!