As hard-hitting as it is funny
One part dystopian game show, one part freaky fairytale – Gamble, co-created by Hannah Walker and Rose Postlethwaite, is a sharp and witty look at the world of commercial online gambling. Walker, who leads the show, is charming and bursting with energy. As we settle in, those who were expecting one more one-woman show about self-destructive behaviour have those expectations flipped immediately on their head.
With the use of very snappy and quite jarring projections, Walker launches into multiple monologues rattling off modern gambling jargon that we, as audience members, recognise from breaks in daytime television, and have normalised in our minds. It’s interspersed with forays into a fairytale that is definitely NOT about Walker and her partner, and their struggle to build a life together when their addiction to gambling is working precisely against that.
The multimedia elements are really the highlight of this production – part way through, Postlethwaite is drafted in to start betting on online slots live as the show progresses. This remains a constant reminder to the audience as to the obsession and tension associated with gambling addiction, and adds a bittersweet tinge to the funnier elements. Paula Penman’s direction keeps the story moving as much as possible, but there are moments where the action tends to drag.
There is also a fine line between a rehearsed chaos, and a narrative that can seem disorganised – there were points where I wasn’t quite sure what Walker was trying to express to the audience; however, all becomes clear at the emotional climax, which is as hard-hitting as it is funny. This is not a show that ties everything up in a pretty bow – my feeling, upon leaving, is that the problem it discusses is far from over.