Microtheatre and micromeals

Last night Grette and I went to see "Microtheatre for money" which is a theatre venue in the middle of the Madrid red light area with a bar and five small performance spaces in which small theatre groups perform 15 minute shows for four euros each.

After a drink and a bite to eat we saw an entertaining take on youthful ambition in Madrid, (with us the audience being variously colleagues, housemates and city buildings) and then after a cup of tea we saw a gritty street corner dialogue between jazz musicians who didn't play music and who we couldn't quite understand.

It is a great format for the modern market , with the youngish evening out theatre types almost always prepared to spend money on food and drink, and like most of us fairly happy to risk a small amount of money and fifteen minutes (if no more!)  on a piece of theatre.  It's hard work for theatre makers but they'd be used to that.. five shows a night would be sorts fun but really tiring, and they'd make  - maybe -100 euro a performance night.

The secret, as in all these innovative settings, is to make good piece of theatre.

Then tonight in Salamnca we went to great tapas bar called Tapas 2.0 which had some new takes on the tapas format (a Chinese dumpling of pigs tail; wok fried veg with caramelized goats' cheese; tempura asparagus and prawns; before a chocolate, pepper and coffee log with raspberry sorbet) which goes to show what focussing on a short concentration span can do.

Tapas are a Spanish invention, and "Microteatro por dinero" (to give it its Spanish title) is kind of tapas theatre. It still allows people the chance to talk and drink as well as appreciate something inventive and even profound.

It might just work in Australia. Well, during a summer of festival season, at least.