Otherplace at the Basement

The Theatre in the Basement is one of those Edinburgh-​Fringelike ideas that have recently made it to Brighton, going on the idea that theatres can be crammed into the most unusual of spaces, the back rooms of pubs, the attics of galleries, and in this case, what appears to be the basement of Wagamama’s. It’s a modern concept, and I like it. Too little is made of the space available for so many businesses, and it’s good to see that someone enterprising really has made the absolute most of what they’ve got. They’ve even squeezed a little bar in down here, about the size of my sitting room.
For a place with its exposed concrete and ‘edgy industrial feel’ as the website has it, it’s actually a very welcoming and comfortable place. The bar is low lit and busy, and the clientele is a wide cross section of Brighton — despite its reviews and reputation as the place for cutting edge, modern theatre in Brighton, you’re still as likely to find grey heads in the audience as black and blue streaked ones. Its programme of events is magnificent and munificent. For a mere £8 you can see the fantastic «My Arm» here in April, an innovative one man show that will slot perfectly into this space. It will also play host to the work-​in-​progress event «Scratch», to which entrance will be free. The music side of things looks promising as well, with folk, blues, country and jazz all cited as influences by various artists performing here. The only thing I can really fault with this place is that the chairs aren’t that comfortable, and if that’s all you can find wrong with a place, it’s worth more than a cursory glance. Just take a cushion with you.

The basement is an intriguing and vibrant venue that holds local art and cultural performances from singers, comedians, to visual art, story telling and poetry about sex! There are plenty of tables and seats and a few different choices of food on the menu (it varies from show to show). The bar is reasonably pricey but not over the top. The venue itself is an interesting layout with a bar area, the main stage area and a smaller room near the back, it is what it says it is — a basement, although it’s very clean with laminated flooring and smells of fresh wood!
The event I experienced is known as the ‘Supper club’ — a monthly show that contains various performances that can only be described as somewhat eccentric. There was a visual art performance using helium balloons, some acoustic musical performances and photocopier at the back where people could photocopy their body and then pin the pictures up next to their suitable category — ‘non rude’, ‘rude’ and ‘explicit’. Need I go on?! The basement might not be everyone’s cup of tea but it’s certainly something different, a little quirky and light hearted but rather enjoyable if you’re interested in the visual performance and art that Brighton has to offer, it’s unquestionably a relaxing evening of entertainment.

I’ve only been here once and it was to see a performance artist that I like.
I liked the space, which is literally in the basement. It was intimate and relaxed.
The people on the door and the bar staff were polite and friendly and seemed to be enjoying the buzz going on amongst the punters.

The Basement is exactly the kind of Arts organisation you’d expect to find in Brighton. That’s not to say it’s predictable, but it certainly reflects some of the city’s flair and eccentricity. They make it their mission to support innovative and exciting performance art that is socially engaged and challenges ideas about what exactly art is. What I think this results in is a pretty successful programme of performances that really challenge the viewer to engage and that can often be read in a variety of ways. As is often the way with experimental art, not everyone will be a fan. Traditionalists be warned– a performance at the Basement will probably not comply with your idea of ‘normal artistic convention’ or ideas of narrative. But this is precisely the point and if you’re interested in experiencing a visual treat that will really get you thinking, this is the place for you. I once went to an adult puppetry show here– I couldn’t necessarily tell you what happened, but I know I had a really exciting and unusual evening! The bar is also cheap, which is always appreciated!

The Basement is situated in the North Lanes and offers an alternative venue for a variety of delicious performance art and exhibitions., offers an array on unique experimental theatre and ‘Live Art’.
One of the regular nights ‘SUPPER CLUB’ is making a name for itself, it involves going along for food and a show but with no idea what you will be watching or eating, ‘art chaos’ is a word they use to describe it.
If your an artsy type or just looking for something completely different then check out what the Basement are showing. Its fabulous ridiculousness.