Comedy Club forbid botox guests: “Less on smooth faces”

One of London’s largest standing clubs is now facing a ban on botox -treated visitors.
They believe that expressionless faces make it more difficult for comedians to read the audience.
“They have said that they should train their door staff to be able to do an expression test,” says Petra Nordlund McGahan, foreign reporter in London.

The club, The Top Secret Comedy Club, states that guests who cannot show enough facial expressions are at risk of being denied entry. The decision has triggered strong reactions in London. Some believe that it is discriminatory for those who have chosen Botox, while others understand the club’s decision.

Standup is very much based on how the comedian interacts with the audience. If the facial expressions are completely absent, it can be difficult to decide whether a joke hits right or not.

– Several comedians have said that it is a problem when you cannot read the audience’s reactions, says Petra Nordlund McGahan and continues:

– They are relieved to have a lot of smooth faces on the first row.

Personnel shall perform expression tests

On a sign at the entrance you explain that “If you have made Botox, you will be denied. No expression – no entrance. ” The plan is to train the door staff in making a simpler check.

– They have said that if someone cannot move their face enough, they either get the money back or sit at the back, says Nordlund McGahan.

Can be PR trick

The ban has led to articles in, among others, The Independent and New Post, and the club’s own statements in the media have had a playful tone, says Nordlund McGahan.

-If it was a PR trick, it worked, because we talk about it all the way here in Sweden.