Writer: Hannah Walker
Director: Paula Penman
The thought of losing £100k to gambling seems extremely doubtful – absurd even. Yet Hannah Walker demonstrates that it is more likely than one might think. Gamble examines the realities of gambling addiction, from its cruel causes and devastating consequences to its prevalence in society today.
Walker’s personal experience, as the partner of someone with a gambling addiction, drives the main narrative. Mixed media – flashy lights, catchy music, a glitzy host – mimic the seduction tactics of gambling companies. Walker’s message is clear: everyone is vulnerable.
Walker is undoubtably funny and charismatic. Both herself, who performs the play, and Faye Alvi, BSL Integrated Interpreter, have dynamic stage presence. Their comic mocking exposes the sinisterness of the industry’s marketing ploys. “Don’t go,” she sultrily tells the audience. This attractive enticement soon reveals itself to be an onslaught of offers near-impossible to turn down – “We can offer you a free fifty-pound bet.” Walker’s initial struggle to master the American accent provides humour. However, following this, it would be better perfected or discarded. The jolting in and out of voice is off-putting.
Despite engaging with such an urgent subject, Gamble lacks cohesion and substance. Many of the dance tracks are repetitive and lacklustre, only serving to stunt the narrative. Most significantly, despite being a true story, the show feels disengaged from personal experience. The characters are narrated through Hannah’s American accent, with scarce individualised detail. Whirlwind, scatty comic bits inhibit satisfactory engagement with real pain. The most informative and poignant section is the end. Interviews about real-life cases of gambling, including with Walker, are shared. Yet this is all done on back screens, with the people blurred out. So, although they are the most personal stories shared so far, the overall effect is still relatively detached. What’s more, the screens alone are an uncreative and unengaging technique for storytelling within the theatrical space.
There are practical difficulties too. The open and close of the show are difficult to see from the back. In addition, each seat is laid with an intriguing gold envelope; a mere distraction as they appear to be, but are not, a participatory element to the show.
Despite its faults, Gamble is inspiring in its unflinching exposition of a complex and taboo issue. The nightly post show discussion synthesises the overall message; gambling addiction is a serious national problem. Ultimately, Walker tackles shame and stigma. She argues that the industry, not the individual, is to blame.
Runs until 21st May 2022.
