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Thursday, November 23, 2023
Soho’s new home for cabaret is so slick it’s like countercultural cosplay
Stage | The Guardian: It was one of the birthplaces of alternative comedy. Then it was a sleek new theatre poleaxed by Covid. And, as a long-time sister venue to one-time fleshpot Raymond’s Revuebar, it enjoys a decades-long association with Soho’s seedier nighttime activities.
I really do not understand the modern obsession with the sleek and shiny. Especially within architecture or interior design, people seem to opt for minimalist designs. I feel this way especially towards my old schools. Whenever they renovate a part or add to the building, it never is cohesive with the old building in an attempt to look "new." Unfortunately, this theatre seems to face more issues than just inconsistent looks. Trying to market a newly renovated theatre towards "misfits" while having around $80 tickets feels very out of touch. Especially for tickets that expensive, the shows do not seem worth the money. Of course, I cannot go and see the shows myself and reading this article only gives me a biased take on the offerings. Still, it just feels off that this is the fate of "one of the birthplaces of alternative comedy" as the article says. I hope that going forward Underbelly makes their marketing more cohesive; there is nothing necessarily wrong with expensive shows, but they should not pretend that they are marketing to or trying to amplify the voices of misfits while charging such prices.
1 comment:
I really do not understand the modern obsession with the sleek and shiny. Especially within architecture or interior design, people seem to opt for minimalist designs. I feel this way especially towards my old schools. Whenever they renovate a part or add to the building, it never is cohesive with the old building in an attempt to look "new." Unfortunately, this theatre seems to face more issues than just inconsistent looks. Trying to market a newly renovated theatre towards "misfits" while having around $80 tickets feels very out of touch. Especially for tickets that expensive, the shows do not seem worth the money. Of course, I cannot go and see the shows myself and reading this article only gives me a biased take on the offerings. Still, it just feels off that this is the fate of "one of the birthplaces of alternative comedy" as the article says. I hope that going forward Underbelly makes their marketing more cohesive; there is nothing necessarily wrong with expensive shows, but they should not pretend that they are marketing to or trying to amplify the voices of misfits while charging such prices.
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