I have a Public Entertainment Licence and would like to book a hypnotist to perform on a regular basis during the summer. Are there any special regulations that I should be aware?
The local authority has wide-ranging powers regarding hypnotism which were first introduced by the Hypnotism Act in 1952. The vast majority of Public Entertainment Licences contain conditions stating that no hypnotism can take place without the local authority's prior consent. You will have to contact the local authority in question to establish exactly how to obtain its consent. It is likely that you will need to make an application giving it at least 28 days' notice of the performance. The local authority will also require information about the proposed performance, such as the hypnotist's names (including both real name as well as any stage name), details of his/her last few performances and a statement confirming whether the hypnotist has ever had consent to carry out hypnotism withdrawn or refused. The local authority will also want a copy of this information to be sent to the police and possibly the fire officer. The local authority may also impose conditions upon the performance itself, such as statements to be made at both at the beginning of the show and on any advertisements. It may impose conditions relating to the actual hypnotism, for example any person to be hypnotised must be a volunteer and must be able to stop at any time. It would be advisable to contact your local authority regarding the hypnotist in the near future so that all the information can be provided in plenty of time for the performance.