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There is no doubt that pirates are as popular today as ever. The idea of dressing up as a pirate appeals to all ages and both male and female alike. You can’t escape the fact that pirate mania is infectious. We all love it. Pirate theme parties or pirate themed events are great fun and perfect for children’s entertainment or adults too.

Of course real pirates were extremely unsavoury characters who roamed the high seas preying on ordinary sailors and shipping. Those who fell victim to these villains were likely to receive harsh treatment which might mean beatings, torture enslavement or death. Pirates were ruthless in their pursuit of booty. They were rough, lawless criminals for whom drunkenness, robbery, murder and debauchery became a way of life.

Given the shocking nature of pirates it seems strange that we in a civilised society should want to emulate them when they represent the very worst aspects of human nature. How can this be?

Today we are more familiar with the fictional pirates we have come across in books, TV or film. As children we read Treasure Island and discovered the fiendish Long John Silver. We were captivated by the adventures of Peter Pan and his battle with the notorious Captain Hook. More recently we were introduced to the character of Captain Jack Sparrow created by actor Jonny Deppe in Pirates of the Caribbean. All of these fictional pirates are rascals but can do us no harm and because the stories are so exciting they do make for great children’s entertainment. We know that the characters inhabit an imaginary world where no one really gets hurt. We can enjoy the swashbuckling from the comfort of an armchair or in the warmth of a cinema. There is excitement, thrills and spills but its all totally harmless.

So the truth is that being a pretend pirate is great fun. We can look like a pirate, sound like a pirate and act like a pirate without doing any harm and without fear of retribution ( real pirates were hanged if they were caught – a sobering thought ).

Organising a pirate party is easy to do. Costumes, props and accessories are readily available or easy to make. You don’t need to go to a lot of trouble if you don’t want to. Every fancy dress shop has pirate costumes for hire but you can easily make your own. It just depends how elaborate you want to be. Party shops sell pirate balloons and pirate flags with the skull and cross bones on them or you can make up your own flags using black card for the back ground and white card or paper for the emblems.

For larger events such as council fun days or corporate entertainment there are many companies that hire out authentic props and backdrops for pirate themed events. Many professional entertainers offer speciality acts which they have created for pirate events.

Pirate “Ron” leads a pirate crew on a surprise attack.

If you are organising a pirate party or a pirate day and need children’s entertainment then our own pirate puppet show is ideal. The set is a pirate ship and there are some brilliant characters. All of the puppets are custom made and there is a great story with lots of audience participation.We also provide face painting on a pirate theme. Children love our superb pirate faces. Usually this runs concurrently with the show. We also do pirate stilt walkers who can walk around the show field interacting with the public.

Ship Ahoy! This is the pirate ship from our show.

If you are stuck for ideas for your next party or event and you haven’t tried this one yet then why not “ Hoist the Jolly Roger ” splice the main brace and set course for piratical fun. You won’t be disappointed!

Got any ideas you want to share about pirate theme parties?  Are you a supplier of pirate costumes, props etc or do you have any tips on where to find great pirate stuff ? If so please leave your comments / details below.

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