Mumbai performance venues that are all set to usher in 2021

Representative Image. Pic/iStock

2020 has been tough on our social spaces. The unprecedented lockdown saw restaurants, bars, gyms, performance venues, museums, and much more being shut down. As this year comes to an end, many of our beloved spaces are reopening with measures in place. Over time, consumers have become less fearful and more equipped as venues have adapted to the new normal. We've rounded up a list of Mumbai performance venues that are all set to usher in 2021.

Bandra

A mainstay of the Bandra stand-up, That Comedy Club started welcoming guests this November. Currently hosting the Mumbai Comedy Festival (December 28 - January 3), the venue will see popular comedians, Urooj Ashfaq, Prashasti Singh, and Azeem Banatwalla taking the stage. Founder Sumendra Singh shares, "It was challenging yet exciting when we reopened. Very few people came for the shows initially and pulling audiences was fun because only people who really wanted to watch stand up came out. We ended up with an attentive audience even if there were two to four people. Over time, the audience has grown as there is an increasing sense of comfort and safety." The 50-seater theatre is running on 50 percent capacity and they've adapted to touch-free entry and switched to assigned seating among other measures. Keeping in tune with curfew timings, the 10 PM weekend shows have been moved to 6 PM.

CALL: 9535862899
LOG ONTO: Book My Show

Khar

The Habitat is a home for all performers that promotes collaboration between artists, musicians, stand-up comedians, poets, and improvisers. Post reopening in October, they've hosted solo and line-up comedy shows and have received an overwhelming response from the audience and artists. Elaborating upon the safety measures they've set in place, founder Balraj Singh Ghai shares, "We sanitize the room before and after every show, conduct temperature checks at the gate, ensure everyone is wearing a mask and sanitizes their hands while also making prior phone calls to guests reconfirming their travel and illness history of the past two weeks, ensure permissible distanced seating, and limit the capacity of the venue to 50 percent." They will continue hosting double bill shows with Karunesh Talwar and Siddharth Dudeja all through January and February and are eager to resume their open mic events once the situation improves.

CALL: 983358490
LOG ONTO: https://indiehabitat.in/

Thane

Backspace is known for hosting comedy, poetry, and music shows alongside workshops at its charming venue. Following safety measures such as temperature checks and thorough sanitization, they've hosted a bunch of stand-up comedy, poetry, and music shows after reopening in November. Founder Waquar Rehman, said, "We are limiting audience to 30 percent capacity to ensure that the audience feels safe. We've started hosting gigs regularly now and the response is getting better every week for our poetry sessions as we gear up to increase our music and stand-up performances. We're also scheduled to host Aditi Mittal on January 16." Backspace's fun Karaoke Nights have been drawing a dedicated crowd every Sunday and workshops including guitar, piano, digital marketing, and much more are also poised to make a return soon.

CALL: 9920493191


Juhu

Mumbai's legendary Prithvi Theatre has also reopened its doors with an enviable calendar that's a hearty mix of comedy and drama. Motley's Ismat Apa Ke Naam, starring Naseeruddin Shah, Ratna Pathak Shah, and Heeba Shah, is surely not to be missed while seasoned shows such as The Vagina Monologues, Kabuliwala Laut Aaya, and Shatranj ke Mohre will also make a return to the stage. With precautions in place and audiences that comply with said precautions, Prithvi is all set to leave theatre goers enthralled in 2021.

CALL: 6149546
LOG ONTO: https://www.prithvitheatre.org/

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