Why settle for a traditional Michelin-star meal when you can enjoy a bit of theatre with your finely wrought dinner? That’s the premise behind Restaurant Absurdities, which, as its name implies, is more immersive theatre than restaurant; a wild and much-needed romp for guests at time when most of the country hasn’t seen the outside of our diminutive borders for the best part of two years.
“Absurdities is a fun, anti-fine dining experience. It’s the most absurd restaurant in the world.” – Stuart WeeFROM THE GROUND UP Earlier this year, Wee was invited to speak at the Immersive Industry Home Coming Summit in Area15 Las Vegas, a gathering of the world’s best creators of immersive experiences including big names such as Disney, Meow Wolf, Broadway, and David Byrne’s Theatre of the Mind. Suitably stoked, Wee said, “That’s kind of cool because it recognises the work we’ve been doing for the past eight years. That really helped and encouraged us.
“We were like, ‘how’??” Png recalled. “[While the business was on shaky ground], I had to deal with the grief of my dad’s passing. But we chose not to give up because we thought there would be a light at the end of the tunnel.”As the pandemic wore on, what was initially a bane slowly untangled into a boon. With people seeking new and novel experiences at home, Around The World became an easy sell.
“[While the business was on shaky ground], I had to deal with the grief of my dad’s passing. But we chose not to give up because we thought there would be a light at the end of the tunnel.” – Emily PngEMBRACING THE ABSURD This success has been hard won. The last two years have brought unprecedented challenges for the couple and their company, which now employs eight full-time staff and almost 70 part-timers.