In the week leading up to Halloween, you’ll see the gamut of ghoulish critters roaming the streets, from zombies to Mad Hatters to giant purple people eaters.
For some of them, it’s all in a day’s work – a growing army of costumed actors is being employed to attend everything from greyhound races to private parties.
Margaret Caddy, dressed as Wednesday Addams from The Addams Family as one of eight actors strolling the main street of Preston on Thursday, said she couldn’t believe she was being paid for doing what she was doing.
“It’s just having fun,” said Caddy, who charmed five-year-olds and handed out lollies. But she also said the two-hour gig was not as easy as it looked. “It requires a lot of energy.”
“It definitely improves my confidence,” Caddy said. “I studied acting at uni, but it’s different physically walking up to people and asking them if they want to dance or sing with you.”
Caddy said reactions to characters were usually positive. When dressed as Spider-Girl at a recent greyhound race meeting for an all-abilities community, a man asked her, “Will you sign my hat? You’re my best friend in the whole world.”
“It made my day, and I still think about it,” Caddy said. “It makes my heart full to be able to give experiences like that to people.”
Aaron Smith, head of the agency Caddy works for, Xlent Events, said that when he started the agency eight years ago Halloween was a novelty with three jobs booked.
This week, however, Xlent has 30 gigs around the state – 20 of those on Halloween itself this Saturday, from a teenager’s party in Templestowe to a children’s festival in Melbourne’s south-east.
Smith played the Joker in Preston on Thursday, going full immersion on a colourful but deranged character that sparked smiles from passersby.
Preston Central Business Association marketing manager Stavros Zikou said it was the second year actors playing spooky characters had appeared on a four-kilometre stretch of High Street before Halloween.
Children in ghoulish costumes ticked a box when they met each character, were given lollies and posed for selfies.
One of Smith’s employees is going to five gigs on Saturday alone.
“Halloween has gotten bigger every single year, and this year it’s the biggest; it’s a whole season,” Smith said.
Emma Kenyon, founder of another agency, Entertainment Emporium, said the first week of December remained her busiest time, but Halloween ranked second in demand for performers.
Entertainment Emporium has about 25 Halloween-related events this year in Melbourne, including a potion-making workshop at a Halloween festival for 700 children, and gigs for roving zombies at parties. And Kenyon said demand for face painting was massive.
The number of Halloween-related bookings had doubled in the past 10 years, she said.
Sally Lewer, from Fly By Fun agency, said, “Halloween is getting bigger in Australia for sure, and I’ve noticed a rise in events, especially our corporate clients booking events for their customers and the public.”
Lewer said shopping centres found that using the Halloween theme worked well to draw a crowd.
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