The best clowns in Melbourne
A Melbourne clown booking is usually one of two jobs, and they need different performers. There is the birthday party show in a lounge room or a hall, an hour of structured comedy, games and balloons for one age group. Then there is roving work at a fete, a shopping centre school holiday program or a community day, where children come and go at their own pace and the whole thing is gentler.
The pool of clowns taking bookings here is small, so the diary fills early for school holidays and for Saturdays either side of Christmas. Ask four or five of the performers below in the same sitting. Working down a list one reply at a time is how a January party arrives with nobody booked.
Top picks in Melbourne
Top picks are the acts in this category in Melbourne, with premium listings first (no visible client reviews or ratings in this list).
Questions people ask about clowns in Melbourne
How long does a clown perform at a birthday party?
An hour is the standard Melbourne party booking, occasionally ninety minutes for an older group, and it is sold as a show rather than by the hour. The content varies a lot though: some performers fill it with comedy and simple magic, others build most of it around games, and balloons or face painting may or may not be part of the deal. Ask for the running order before you compare two quotes, because that is usually where the difference between them sits.
What if a child is frightened of the clown?
Some will be, particularly under about four, and that is a stage of development rather than a failing in the performer. Ask how they handle it and listen for a real method: a hello without the makeup on, staying at the far end of the room early, waiting to be approached instead of approaching. Then set aside a quiet spot indoors where one parent and one unhappy child can sit out ten minutes without the whole party stopping.
Do clowns in Melbourne do fetes and community events?
Plenty do, and roving is easier on small children than a seated show because they can approach at their own pace or walk straight past. The performer works the queue at a jumping castle, poses for photos, hands out balloon pieces and keeps moving. The thing to pin down is the style: a loud, broad character is right for a primary school fete and completely wrong for a neighbourhood house open day, and the word clown covers both.
Booking tips
Sight the working with children card yourself
Victoria runs its own scheme, and a performer who works across the border may carry clearances in two states. A yes over the phone is not proof, so ask for the card. Nobody listed on this site has been screened by us.
Melbourne weather makes the indoor plan the real plan
A backyard party here can lose four seasons in an afternoon, and a clown cannot run a show in a downpour. Decide before the day where the hour moves to, and make sure the room is big enough for a game.
Give the ages, not just the headcount
Fifteen three year olds is a completely different show from fifteen eight year olds, and the smallest ones often find the painted face frightening. Ask how the performer handles a child who wants out.