Terry Costello supplies all sorts of theatrical acts, from lookalikes to a Bollywood string quartet – and may be supplying strippers to Big Brother, writes Ben Bentley.

The phone goes at Terry Costello’s place near Oswestry. He answers it. It’s Big Brother – the reality television programme.

“They want to do a TV show in the house – looking for male stripper aged under 40 who can talk,” he says.

Yes, it’s just another ordinary day in the life of the Shropshire man who supplies entertainment acts to stage, screen and nightclubs to help make our lives that little bit lighter and more bearable. 

His agency, Ace Entertainments, has a book bulging with talented performers that Terry can supply: a Blofeld lookalike, with stuffed cat; Baron Samedi lookalike, with real snake; contortionist, who enjoys flexi-work and can easily fold her own body into a small box.

Who says the recession has hit the big night out? Terry may be the only man whose livelihood has benefited from the credit crunch and global crisis – because acts are now beating a path to his door to get bookings.

Terry, a telecommunications bod for 30 years, gave up his work to follow his passion for playing music on the live circuit and he admits he only got into being an agent because he was a “failed musician”.

He says: “I first got into agency work because I was not getting much work and folk music is difficult – it’s seen as old fogeys’ music and I thought I would get much more work if I started an agency and divert all the work to myself.”

That was three years ago, but it didn’t quite work out as Terry had planned. In fact the agency work took over and Terry now spends his days on the phone booking jobs for the keepy-uppy man, Elvis impersonators, kissograms and contortionists.

Oh, and singers of course. In fact there is very little type of act he doesn’t book. 

If people want it, Terry gets it.

“People were phoning me up, asking ‘Do you do comedy, do you do strippergrams’. I used to say no but now I source them. So now I’ve got the keepy-uppy man, steel bands, a contortionist who can squeeze into a box 2ft by 2ft and even a one man band. . .”

Terry, 55, adds: “He’s done work for Stella McCartney, but he says he’s not allowed to use the word ‘Heather’.”

Not in any context, he says. Not even in terms of flora. The word is banned.

The thing with Terry, though, is that you never know if he’s joking. But in showbusiness it’s funny how things work out. Someone phones up for a Bollywood string quartet and Terry hasn’t got one. The next phone call is from a Bollywood string quartet looking for work.

Everyone is happy.

Someone wants a strippergram and a stiltwalker. Fortunately Terry knows a strippergram who happens to also be blessed with stiltwalking skills. Two for the price of one.

But the recession is beginning to hit – at least it’s hitting the acts. Terry first realised this when he was putting on a beach party with a Caribbean steel band and a jerky chicken, and he had to drop the price.

“I had to halve the price to get people in – it’s difficult,” he says. “But I’m getting more people contacting me. The work is not going their way so they are looking for plan B.”

One form of popular entertainment which suits the iGeneration and the recession generation perfectly is the iPod disco. Terry now runs them regularly in Bridgnorth and partygoers bring their own iPods, plug them into his sound system and lights, and away they go.

Says Terry: “I put the gear down and the lights on and disappear for four or five hours and do another gig. It’s the modern way.”

Of course, in the world of entertainment, sometimes it’s the job of an agent to let people down. It’s then that Terry has to put on his Simon Cowell head and speak the truth for everyone’s benefit.

He admits that artist agents aren’t seen as the most popular people in the industry.

“It’s seen to be the material man who gets all the money – you are the estate agent of the industry,” says Terry. 

“They don’t always see the hard work, they don’t see the work on the contracts.”

Weird requests? Of course. 

But nothing surprises Terry in this game. 

If you want Laurel and Hardy who also do magic, no worries. 

And by the way, if you are a stripper under 40 who can talk, right now there might just be a job out there in TV land right now.

• For further information on Terry’s business, visit the website www.entertainmentinshropshire.co.uk