SPANISH comedy clubs are bringing in ‘pay-per-laugh’ technology to charge punters based on how much they are enjoying the show.

Teatreneu, a small arts club in Barcelona, has already implemented the technology and it is now set to be rolled out across the country.

Each laugh costs €0.30 with side-splitting shows capped at €24 or 80 laughs.

A monitor is installed into the back of each chair and measures the enjoyment of each onlooker through facial-recognition systems.

Tight-fisted onlookers hoping for a free night have so far failed in their bid to blag a free night, with average ticket prices up by €6.

The system was launched in partnership with advertising agency The Cyranos McCann, after audience numbers tumbled following the Spanish government’s decision to increase ticket taxes from 8% to 21% in 2012.

So far the system seems to be a hit, with the Teatreneu reporting a 35% increase in audience numbers since the ‘laugh-o-meters’ were installed.

 

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2 COMMENTS

  1. 21% tax on comedy club tickets?
    its like a bad joke isn’t it? This country needs to sack 90% of its civil servants, fully open up the auctioning of contracts, and stop with blatant corruption and nepotism.

    hey spain, how about a walking tax, and faster walkers (the foreigners) will have to pay more…

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