Paisley Opera has released a hilarious promo video for their upcoming production using a number of “Gen-Z” catchphrases.
Titled “When Gen-Z writes the marketing script,” the video features Paisley Opera co-founder Simon Hannigan promoting upcoming show Faust: The Devil Went Down To Paisley, in language “younger viewers can relate to.”
Simon himself would appear not to be a member of Generation Z - roughly defined as those born between 1997 and 2012 - making his use of the TikTok-influenced language rather funny to watch.
“Hey besties!” he starts. “Brat summer is over,” referring to pop sensation Charlie XCX’s recent album.
“So what better way to start spooky season,” - the run-up to Halloween - “than with an opera about a man who sells his soul to the Devil?”
“No cap,” he adds, meaning that he is not lying.
“It’s giving drama,” Simon says. “It’s giving intense vibes.
“Faust is low key having a menty-b, before the Devil pulls up with main character energy.”
“Slay!” he exclaims.
The Devil apparently gives Faust “mad rizz to slide into Margarita’s DMs,” seduce her in other words, but “he girl-bossed a bit too close to the sun, and now he’s in his ‘damned for eternity’ era.”
Faust: The Devil Went Down To Paisley is a reworking of the classic opera Faust by Charles Gounod. It’s been translated into a “Paisley dialect,” and loaded with jokes for a local audience.
The revamped production and the Gen-Z promo both form part of Paisley Opera’s mission to show that opera is “about passion, not posh.”
Eilidh Riddell, who performs with Paisley Opera and also looks after their social media channels, helped produce the amusing vid.
“I'd love to say it was an original idea, but it's quite a trend on social media right now,” she said.
“The idea was to do a promo for our upcoming show in language that our younger viewers can relate to, with the humour coming from the fact that it's read out by our slightly more mature co-founder, Simon.
“Simon confessed that he didn't understand the majority of what he was saying, but he was a great sport nonetheless, channelling his inner David Attenborough.”
Eilidh emphasised the message that opera can be enjoyed by anyone.
“Paisley Opera aspires to be a company that the people of Paisley can truly take pride in, and prove that opera is for everyone and doesn't have to be posh,” she said.
“The show may not be in Gen-Z slang,” she added, “but we are singing it in a Paisley dialect English translation - so all us Buddies can keep up with the story and understand the countless jokes we've thrown in.”
Watch the full promotional clip:
Performances will take place on October 6 and 9 at 7.15pm at Methodist Central Hall, Paisley.
Tickets are available at: renfrewshireboxoffice.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows/1173658739, or by phone on 0300 300 1210, with £5 tickets for anyone currently unemployed.
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