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TESTIMONIALS

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My son, Oliver has just finished a 3 month contract at The Globe, with Denise as his chaperone. I cannot speak more highly of her professionalism and abilities.
I was most impressed with her conscientiousness regarding the welfare of Oliver at all times, both during her care and also when we were together as a group. Good manners and conduct are of paramount importance to Denise, this promotes good behaviour in the children in her care, which is also hugely important for them to be successful in the both challenging and rewarding world that they are privileged to work in.
Denise has an ability to treat a child as an individual and listen to their particular needs, but is also attentive to the fact that they are in a work environment. She has helped Oliver to be confident on-stage and off, and to fit in comfortably with the directors, stage management and actors. She is also good fun for Oliver to be around, with limitless amounts of energy!
Oliver and I have developed a lovely relationship with both Denise and Courtney whilst he was working at The Globe, and we are both thrilled that he is working with them again at The Almeida.

Louise & Oliver Whitehouse 

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Denise and her team have chaperoned my son over the past 2 years covering 5 various stage productions/appearances. I cannot praise her enough – she is exceedingly professional, kind, fair-minded and trustworthy. Denise formed a great rapport with my son – he absolutely adored and respected her (and all members of her team). I am what is probably deemed as a “fussy mother” but felt comfortably at ease and happy that Denise or one of her experienced team had full-charge of my son. I would always be updated with necessary information. Denise and her team are great fun to be around and would give my son confidence and support as required. For one appearance a parent-chaperone was required and I had no hesitation in personally employing Denise to cover. I hold Denise and her team with the upmost regard and thank them for being simply the best!

Sarah (Guy’s mother).

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'What to say about Denise - she’s one in a million…..she conveys information immediately and clearly; is unflappable and highly organised but most importantly she is fantastic fun to be with. Daisy has worked with her twice at the National Theatre in 2014 and 2015 , in two very different productions - we’ve seen Denise calm, smiling and utterly professional dealing with a vast cast of children and at the other end of the scale, keeping a trio of girls entertained, interested and laughing for 5 months. Denise is absolutely discrete, experienced and a truly lovely person - I don’t think a parent could wish for anyone better to chaperone their offspring!  

Sarah Jacob

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Incredibly professional, warm and trustworthy, Denise is the Mary Poppins of chaperones. I watched with awe as she
got my daughter to behave impeccably with a mixture of fun and firmness, supported her whenever she needed it, and
managed to cook regular nutritious meals for all the children in her care. Denise looked after my daughter and two
other children during a run of Turn of the Screw in Toulouse in 2014. It was my 13 year old daughter’s first time
away from home for an extended time (5 weeks) and her first engagement for a professional opera house. Denise made
it a fantastic experience for all the children, with an innate sense (and sensitivity) for what was needed to bring
the best out of each child, while ensuring they were always safe and happy. Children, however confident, can need
support while preparing for a performance and Denise has so much experience that she knows when reassurance is needed.
I can’t think of enough superlatives to praise her and would always want her and her team to look after my daughter
should a similar opportunity arise. She is highly regarded in the business by parents, the children she chaperones
and the companies she works with. She communicates well with parents, is open and easy to talk to but never talks
about other parents or children she has worked with. Denise has a great rapport with the children, who quite simply
adore her. To be honest, we miss her.

Luisa Dillner (mother of Lydia. Turn of the Screw, Toulouse, November 2014)

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Denise was the chaperone for our son at the National Theatre and Shakespeare's Globe during 2013/14. We were more than happy for Billy to be chaperoned by Denise - she is fun,friendly and warm and caring whilst also being organised,reliable,attentive and trustworthy. She clearly understands what is required when looking after children and seeks to build a fun and trusting relationship with the child and parents.

Mum of Billy Kennedy (13)

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I can highly recommend Denise & her team at childchaperone.co.uk , I had Denise & another member of her Chaperone team working with me on a youth production. They were not only professional & great with the children but more than helpful in every way. I will be using this company in the future.

Sue West

I am really pleased with the level of dedication that you gave, not only to my son and the other children, but also to me and the other parents.  You were constantly updating us on information and made sure we were all able to catch our last train out of London!  You made the whole afternoon and evening run smoothly, without you we would all have been pulling our hair out. Once again thanks for being a brilliant chaperone.

Kind regards, Emma Young (Kyle & Halle's mum)

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Denise chaperoned my daughter and two other girls for a recent London Theatre Production. She proved to be a totally, competent professional who excelled in juggling the specific needs of the children with the expectations of the theatre team. Denise's loyalities were without a doubt to the children and my daughter always felt safe, relaxed and happy.

Nina Dartford (mother of Polly Dartford) 2013

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As a parent of a young actress undertaking her first demanding role it was a fantastic comfort to have Denise as her chaperone. Ever multi-tasking, Denise kept us clearly in the loop regarding schedules, safeguarded our daughter’s interests in the hectic bustle of the production and managed to be her friend as well as a ‘responsible adult’. A remarkable skillset.

B Devlin (Father) 2013

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Denise was absolutely wonderful from start to finish – I couldn’t have felt more at ease as a parent, she formed such a positive relationship with Nils and had the ability to make him feel special, at ease and revved up at the right moment.

Nick Jones (Father of Nils Jones - Travelling Light Tour 2012/Salford)

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Denise first chaperoned me at the age of 14 when I performed at The National Theatre, and from then she became my 'working mum', as to why I asked her to Chaperone me again in Scotland! Denise is so professional, organised and caring. She effortlessly built a great relationship with the rest of the cast and I. She always made sure I was happy and well looked after, doing exactly what a Chaperone should do; - it's clear that she enjoys her job! I've had many chaperones, and now at the age of 17 both my mum and I agree Denise has been the best to date. I only wish that I were young enough, so I could still be chaperoned by Denise. I could easily write paragraphs on why she's a great chaperone, and would recommend her to every child performer!

Joel Davis - 'Fram' (National theatre) & 'Life of Riley (BBC)

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I would highly recommend Denise. Amongst other productions for the National Theatre she looked after the children for Alan Bennett's The Habit of Art in London and on tour, also for Frankenstein directed by Danny Boyle . Denise always had the children ready in good time, no matter how busy and demanding the schedule. She has a great skill in being able to keep discipline but with great sensitivity, and always with warmth and humour. The children were always happy and settled in her care, no matter how challenging the situation. She also has a great relationship with parents and guardians. I could always trust that everybody was fully informed - which relieved me of a great deal of pressure particularly when meeting lots of new children when on tour. I'm looking forward to working with her again.

David Marsland

Senior Stage Manager

National Theatre

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"I cannot recommend Denise highly enough as a child chaperone. Denise has chaperoned my son for several theatre productions and is one of the nicest chaperones he has ever worked with. Combining the right blend of professionalism, trustworthiness, reliability, flexibility, discipline, responsibility and fun, Denise helps make even the longest or most demanding productions a fantastic and enjoyable experience for the children she looks after. She treats everyone with great respect, especially children, and as a result she is highly respected within the profession, by the young actors and by their parents. Both my son and our family now consider her a great friend. Denise is always accommodating and very supportive. Because of all these great qualities, she is the first person to call when we need a chaperone."

Amanda Farrant (Mother of Otto Farrant)

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I met Denise Smith on set when my 14yr old son, Charlie, was filming Neverland in Dublin in 2010. I observed her taking great care of the children she was responsible for and liaising very professionally with the Production Company and the other parents on set.

During the shoot we needed a chaperone to accompany our son as he travelled between Ireland and London. I had absolutely no hesitation in asking Denise if she would do this. We found her totally dependable and hugely experienced in managing the very many different expectations.

Charlie found her caring, fair and great fun to be around. Just the combination you want when trusting another adult with your child!

We both enjoyed her company and we are still in touch. Denise would be our first port of call if we needed a chaperone again.

Sara Milne Rowe (Mother of Charlie Rowe)

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Denise Smith was one of my son's chaperones on the movie Neverland in Autumn 2010, which was filmed in Italy and Ireland. Unlike some other chaperone jobs, this involved overseas travel as well as being on duty 24 hours living in hotel accommodation in circumstances where pretty much the other children had a parent with them. It was also my son's first job away from home.

I have had experience of a number of chaperones and Denise is one of the best. I could not rate her highly enough. She is a total professional, understands her role, and clearly loves her work. This was a demanding job in so many ways, and Denise instinctively understood that, doing everything to ensure that my son was happy, eating well, working well, getting enough sleep, doing his school work etc. But as an experienced and obviously very good parent, Denise was brilliant as 'loco parentis' - not an easy job when its 24 hours a day with a 13 year old you have only just met. I was totally relaxed when she was chaperoning my son, as he was.

Can we not clone her?

Celia Grace (Mother of Thomas Patten)

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Denise Smith was the chaperone to our son for his two weeks with The National Theatre Company in Salford and Leeds. 

She is a wonderful chaperone, 100% professional at all times, she is caring, dedicated and absolutely brilliant with the children in her care.We had no worries about leaving Owen at all. We knew he was well cared for and entertained when he was not on stage.

Denise kept in contact with us, informing us of exactly what Owen was doing, and finding out the answers to any question we had.

We were thrilled that Owen had Denise to look after him. We would definitely recommend her to anyone who needs a chaperone.

Michelle and Nick Murphy (Manchester)

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Denise Smith was the Chaperone to our son whilst he was performing in 'The Habit of Art' at both Salford and Leeds.

Sam loved his time with Denise. She was always there to care for, organise and talk through any worries that he had with regards to the show. Denise was always informative, professional and very kind to both the children and parents.

Sam still talks about what a fantastic time he had whilst in her care and would love to have the opportunity to have her as chaperone again.

We still keep in touch with Denise and think of her as one of our friends.

Joanne and Nigel Cain

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"Denise Smith was the chaperone for The Habit of Art at the National Theatre in London. When my son Matthew went into the show this summer (2010) I had absolutely no idea what to expect. Thankfully however Denise made everything straightforward, always kept in touch with the parents and treated the boys as her own.

When we went on tour to Belfast, the parents were fortunate enough to go along and we all had a fantastic time. Denise is highly professional, competent and the best balance of mother, friend and chaperone. I couldn't have asked for more, we now count Denise as our friend and I hope Matthew gets the chance to work with her again."

Joanne Shilling

(Mum of Matthew Shilling - Habit of Art & Uk Tour)

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Denise chaperoned our 14 year old son for six months at the National Theatre and could not have been more caring and supportive. She was extremely efficient, keeping us informed and updated at all times and punctual, always there to meet us with a warm and welcoming smile.

She instilled confidence in our son, as well as a real appreciation of the work and a tremendous joy of life. She was a pleasure to work with.

Antonia Enthoven (Mother of Toby Graham - 'Habit of Art')

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Of all the Chaperones I have worked with, Denise Smith is the most professional, caring and extremely well informed of all. Whilst working with her on "My almost Famous Family" for the BBC, she always had my best interest at heart and made sure I had an enjoyable experience on and off set. She is a lovely person to be around who has an infectious smile and positive attitude which rubs off on everyone she comes into contact with. She has remained a good friend of mine, and although I no longer need to be chaperoned, I really hope I get the opportunity to work with her again! I cannot recommend her highly enough.

Matt Morgan - 'My almost Famous Family' BBC.

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Denise chaperoned my son, Timon, during a week's filming for his first television production, Magic Grandad which was shot in Staffordshire. Timon described Denise as a 'second mother' because she was caring, kind and attentive. Not only was Denise lively and great fun to be around, she was also vigilant when it came to overseeing Timon's studies, meal-times and bedtimes. As parents, we felt reassured by her regular phone calls during which she was delighted to regale us with every detail of his day.

Lisa Greaves.

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Denise Smith was the Chaperone to our daughter whilst she was performing in 'Kin' at the "Royal Court" London.
Denise was always caring, professional and trustworthy, Fern felt comfortable and confident in Denise's company as did we as parents.
We still keep in contact with Denise and Fern can't wait to work with her again.

Steve & Emma Deacon