Claire Hainstock, founder of Acting the Party receiving their #sbs award from Theo Paphitis

…and so too your children. If you’d like a party at home, not just to save money but to watch your child interact with their friends and to have fun, this is for you. Cool party games with the structure of something fun to do between the games. No chaos or mess and something just a little different. Plus, of course, to save a small fortune.

We hope you enjoy our parties, we think they’re ace, and very high quality, so they do take a while to produce. If you’re waiting for a new theme expect to be playing it with your teenager, they take us a long while because we want them to be the best they can. However, we can reveal the next party will be… eventually… an adventure based in Space!

Claire with Graham Seed at The Voiceover Gallery studios in Manchester.

Claire with Isy Suttie at The Voiceover Gallery studios in London.

Hi,

I’m Claire, and this is my husband is Chris. Like many parents we’re not too keen on kids parties.

When our children were little we found them stressful, messy and loud. They were also outrageously expensive; we were stunned at the cost of hiring of halls, the food and the entertainment.

However, we also appreciated how much fun children have.

I decided I’d try to find something new. Something smaller, less expensive and enjoyable for all.

My daughter had had a mystery party at home and loved it but the reading out loud bits were a struggle for some of the 7 year olds. How could I keep the good bits – the fun, party games and giggles and chuck out the mad, bad, messy and chaotic bits?  I remembered how, as a child, I’d loved putting on shows and my kids weren’t any different. Then I remembered I had another asset, my husband!

With 24+ years of experience at the BBC, Chris had worked in editing and knew a thing or two about sound editing. So I set about writing a unique script for children – not to read aloud, but to listen and play along to. Using stories that would give help in miming and acting, instruct, and engage their imaginations, plus include many party games and some mystery solving. It was then a case of finding the very best narrators, recording and editing (with a little help from Chris) to make it as professional as possible.

The first attempt was unleashed on our children – it lasted 3 hours, (we’ve learnt a lot since then) even so they had a thoroughly enjoyable time and so did we! So have many children and parents since. That’s what we LOVE about children’s parties, seeing kids have a really super time and knowing we’ve saved parents time and money. We hope you like them too, please let us know, we’re always trying to improve and think of new themes for the future. Some of the best ideas have come from our customers, children and parents alike and we really appreciate your input.

Warmest regards

Claire x

I’ve had a variety of jobs. Firstly working in Special Effects at the BBC for 12 years, much of it in children’s entertainment, on programs such as Get Your Own Back, Bodger and Badger, Mud, and Hanger 17. In light entertainment, such as French and Saunders, Naked Video and Blackadder (I made Baldrick’s dream turnip)!

After our children were born, I worked part-time as a DT technician in a girls school in London while also setting up Acting the Party and after a family move to Grantham at a local garden centre.

I am currently working as a part-time SEN teaching assistant at a secondary school and loving it, along with Acting the Party.

Chris worked as a film editor at the BBC for over 24 years. He is currently a senior lecturer at Lincoln University in Media Production.