"We came up with this show at the end of last year and it's been a great success so far, " said Mark Staunton of Sonix Entertainment. "It's kind of a mixture of the Fear Factor and I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here shows, and it offers a really different type of night out for companies."

The show, which lasts for two hours, is brought to a venue of the company's choice and kicks off with volunteers being invited on to the stage. "We often try to avoid the type of people who are overly-keen and looking to prove themselves and instead go for those who think they want to volunteer, but aren't sure, " said Staunton.

The task is not easy: volunteers are blindfolded and invited to stick their hands in a number of perspex boxes that include hamsters, rats, mice, cornsnakes and locusts, to name but a few.

"Not many people make it to the end, but the one who does is declared the bravest and then the real fun begins, " said Staunton. This winner gets to pick out one of his colleagues from the audience and this person is placed into a series of three coffin-like boxes with a lantern and a set of keys.

A 16-foot python is then placed in the box with the unsuspecting victim. "It's really very frightening, and made all the better because the audience can see the person in the box, but they can't see out, " said Staunton. "Even the bravest people get freaked out by that."

The python (of which there are two for the show) is kept in check by two animal handlers, who are on hand at all times during the show.

"They are seriously impressive creatures, but they don't bite, like many people think, " said Staunton.

"Guests love having their photo taken with him and it's quite funny to see girls in Vera Wang dresses being photographed with a massive python around their neck."

For guests who are too scared to go near the more frightening animals and reptiles, there are owls, cockatoos and turtles at the show to act as a calming influence.

Although this doesn't always work out.

"We did have one guest who had a bit of a panic attack, " said Staunton. "But our handlers make sure the animals never pose a threat and these are casting animals, who are used to being around people.

"All the same, if anyone has a serious phobia, it's probably not a good idea for them to come along."

Staunton is based in Wexford, but is available for corporate shows all around the country and can cater for parties of all sizes.

"We have done shows in Citywest in Dublin which have had thousands of people, and shows for just 47 people, " he said. Shows cost around 2,950, but this varies depending on the size of the party.

"How many people go to office parties and go away thinking how forgettable it all was?" said Staunton. "This is one night that they're not going to forget."