Experienced Licensed Child Chaperone and Administrator

27 September 2025

We had the privilege of working with Denise Smith during a 2025 Summer production at the The Globe, where our son was playing a role in The Merry Wives of Windsor. From the word go she was professional, clear and fair in all her communications with us and with our son. This led to him having the most enjoyable run imaginable; he felt safe, happy and had very clear expectations throughout the production. Denise was caring, thoughtful and so easy to approach with everything that was on our minds as parents, from practicalities to sensitive personal matters. I would love our son to have the chance to work with her again as, from extensive experience of the industry, working with a strong chaperone can make or break the experience. Denise is definitely in the former category and made this experience a life-lasting fond memory for us all.

[ Sue Shaw - Mother ]

08 September 2025

Reference for Denise Smith – Senior Chaperone for Children in Theatre.

Denise has worked extensively as a Senior Chaperone for children in theatre. Her professionalism, dedication, and depth of knowledge make her an outstanding asset to any production.

Denise is exceptional in every aspect of her role. She has an in-depth understanding of child licensing and the legal frameworks that govern working with young people in performance settings. Her ability to manage these responsibilities with precision and calm authority ensures that both the children and the production team are always in safe, compliant hands.

She is consistently professional in her dealings with producers, company members, parents, and - most importantly - the young performers themselves. She maintains a calm, approachable manner under pressure, and always brings a smile and a positive energy to every situation.

Her communication skills are second to none. She is clear, concise, and kind, ensuring that everyone involved feels informed and supported. Her scheduling and logistical coordination are meticulous, and she leads her chaperone teams with both humour and authority, earning their complete respect and commitment.

Denise always creates an environment that is safe, nurturing, and highly efficient. Her ability to balance the emotional and legal responsibilities of her role is a rare and invaluable quality in this industry.

I recommend her without hesitation for any production requiring a Senior Chaperone. She is, quite simply, brilliant at what she does.

[ Ruth Morgan - Freelance Stage & Company Manager ]

30 October 2012

Denise chaperoned my son for six months and I truly can not fault the service she provided, she was perfect in every way.

[ Antonia Enthoven - MOTHER ]

30 October 2012

I was very lucky to have Denise chaperone my son at the National Theatre last year.  I can say without shadow of a doubt, that Denise is professional, trustworthy and very easy to communicate with.  She was like a second mother to my son, kind and caring, yet strong and in control.  She also knows how to look after the parents!  It was a pleasure to spend time with Denise.

[ Susan Fritsche - MOTHER ]

17 November 2011

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 ]

6 October 2011

Denise Smith has been the main chaperone at YAT Management for over 4 years, and is always reliable, professional and flexible; vital attributes for a professional chaperone and qualities that have made our role as agents so much easier. She is a personable and likeable, hardworking individual with a wealth of experience and knowledge and a positive can do attitude.  I would have no hesitation recommending Denise whatsoever.

[ Dyana Daulby - Child Actors Agent at Young Actors Theatre Management ]

Autumn 2010

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) ]

2010

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) ]