What is variety? - Slightly Fat Features answer
Published: Wednesday 7th June 2017
There are lots of genres of comedy performance. Not everyone understands the 'Variety' label though, and some people are put off by it. Goronwy from Slightly Fat Features is ideally placed to talk about this topic...
We are Slightly Fat Features, a comedy troupe touring this year. We are doing a variety show for the 21st century.
But what do you think of when you hear the word "variety"?
From what I have gathered from audiences over the years, the word variety often puts people off. They don't want to go and watch it - this especially applies to comedy audiences.
I once had a discussion about the label with Gerry Cottle, the renowned circus owner and performer. We decided that, when using it in a title of a show nowadays, it was probably lower down the ladder of respect than even the word Circus!
Yet, proudly, that is what we do.
Our troupe Slightly Fat Features does variety shows and we are not ashamed. We can use whatever term we want to try to describe it, or we can try clever wording - but in the end what we do is variety.
It's variety for the 21st century... funny, off-the-wall variety... but it's still variety.
Variety generally means that there is a range to what happens on stage - live music, circus, magic, dance, songs, specialty acts and, crucially, lots of laughs. We follow that rule and try to hammer in as much stuff as we can into every show.
In years gone by, huge venues across the country were packed with bills stuffed full of weird and wonderful acts. I am sure the appetite is still there for this kind of show now. The worldwide success of Wherever's Got Talent proves it. The response we get from audiences across the globe makes us believe that this form of comedy should become cool again at some point. And we hope it will relatively soon!
Some people confuse Variety with Cabaret - but they're not the same. There has been a very successful resurgence of cabarets and burlesque across the UK, but on the whole they tend to be sexy and adult in content.
Like variety shows at the seaside many years ago, our show is suitable for all ages; and that can be a difficult sell. What we do isn't a kids show, but it is suitable for kids. In fact we often have three generations of the same family in the audience; all laughing and clapping together. But, to get to that point, we need to convince those three generations to be part of our audience in the first place.
When we get it right in terms of selling the show, we can have a packed theatre laughing together with an audience made up of all shapes and sizes from comedy aficionados to families of all ages.
We believe if it's funny, then it's funny.
Funny on different levels... for different reasons... but laughs for everyone.
Every night anything can happen, and usually it does. We do the same show most nights, but with different mistakes.
The "live" nature of our shows means we won't easily find ourselves doing TV, but it does mean that the laughter we cook up every night is fresh and unique.
Variety might not be cool, but we are trying it none the less.
People say it is impossible to describe our shows unless you see them live. So when you see "variety" on our posters, don't be put off! Come and see for yourselves.
To find out more about Slightly Fat Features and see their tour dates visit slightlyfatfeatures.com
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