One of the UK’s leading comedy clubs, Top Secret Comedy Club, has become the world’s first to BAN guests with Botox at its Central London venues.
The drastic move to inject more emotion back into the club comes after stand-up acts’ shared concerns that Botoxed-up Brits’ frozen faces aren’t reacting to their jokes.
The club’s shock decision to BAN guests “up to their eyeballs” with the popular beauty treatment was announced as Britain’s love of Botox soars. Almost 1 Million Botox injections are administered each year in the UK, with Botox and Dermal Fillers now accounting for a staggering nine out of ten cosmetic procedures.
Mark Rothman, owner of The Top Secret Comedy Club, claims the eyebrow-raising ban, which comes into force today, was the “last resort” to help liven up the crowd or risk losing comedians performing at the club.
Rothman commented:
“Our incredibly talented comedians are fed up with performing to reactionless faces. I’ve had numerous complaints from performers who find it increasingly challenging to gauge audience engagement and bounce off their reactions.
Comedy thrives on connection, and facial expressions play a huge part. We want people to laugh, cry, frown, sneer, but frozen faces from Botox impact the entire atmosphere. We hope trialing this ban will help move the needle and get facial reactions back into the room – for the benefit of our comedians and the audience.”
What is Botox?
Botulinum Toxin (Botox) is used to temporarily reduce the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines in the face, “freezing” the muscles to prevent them from tensing up. But the quick procedure can leave people with a “frozen face” unable to express emotions like frowns and smiles, which are central to comedy, with the effects sometimes lasting up to 12 months at a time.
The Top Secret Comedy club, which has two locations, Drury Lane and Kingsway, London, has hosted some of the biggest names in comedy, with star acts Jack Whitehall, Amy Schumer and Dave Chappelle, gracing their stage.
Andrew Mensah, one of the venue’s regular stand-up acts, commented:
“Performing to an audience with frozen faces can be incredibly tough. Comedy is a two-way street – we feed off the energy and reactions of the crowd. Mark and the team are always devising new ideas to support us comedians – this must be his best one yet.”
The trial ban aligns with The Top Secret Comedy Club’s commitment to fostering lively, interactive shows. From today (5th March 2025), audience members will be vetted on entry, with door staff trained to ID Check and “Expression Test” to detect Botox.
The venue has a plumped-up schedule this month, including Paul Chowdhry, soon to perform at the O2, as part of his U.K. tour.
Commenting on the Botox ban, Chowdhry said:
“My face barely moves on the stage – I wouldn’t want to see the same thing staring back at me.”
The trial ban will be monitored closely, with feedback from audiences and performers helping shape its future, according to
