More than just a game

10 April 2012

For those who think bingo is the terrain of grannies wielding pension-books, a trip to the Riverside may prove an enlightening demonstration of what it can offer to the pre-pacemaker generation. A male striptease, a bloody brawl, images of the Virgin Mary, and a large stuffed bassett are just some of the eccentric components in an evening that leaves you uncertain whether to keep your eyes on the "play's" characters, or on your bingo card.

This is one of the few occasions when it is not a cruel jibe to say that it is advisable to have a couple of drinks before going into the theatre.

Although Bingo is classified as a play, it would be more accurate to describe it as a game from which a wonderfully demented international cabaret erupts - and the way to enjoy it is with a crowd of friends who are up for a session of chaos laced with the odd bit of soft gambling.

The audience members begin the game by obtaining bingo slips from a kiosk where the woman in charge resembles a scary cousin of the Addams family. Her blonde hair is gelled stiffly into a point above her head, her eyes are outlined with kohl in the best film-noir fashion; even when she is simply giving out tickets, she exudes the charisma of a tragic dominatrix.

It is no surprise, then, to discover on entering that she is also calling the numbers, in a sonorous doom-laden voice. Soon she starts to add her own mournful phrases: "Fifty-six - more than half a century of loneliness, 90 - longer life than expected."

The idea is that the bingo house is run by a crazed international staff - her Italian husband Ricardo is in charge, while the waiters, ranging from an Egyptian to a transvestite Pole, begin to set their own agendas.

After a phone call from a hostile outsider demanding debt repayment from Ricardo, a series of disruptions provide excuses for spontaneous outbursts of belly dancing, stripping, and other drunken displays.

The cabaret can be slack, but this show also boasts its gems. Perfect for those who go in a mood to party.

Bingo!

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