A bittersweet multimedia show about addiction and its effect on families, friends and communities, says Jeremy Welch.
★★★
This play is dealing with a weighty matter, the consequences of gambling. Not the Grand National once a year flutter gamble but the compulsive, corrosive and ultimately destructive result of gambling addiction.
It’s difficult to get the tone right on this subject, too realistic and the full horrors of addictive gambling can be a turn off for an audience, too flippant and the result will be dismissive by the audience.
Hannah Walker’s production brings something unusual as it is about her personal experience, her life living with a gambling addicted partner.
The consequences of such a relationship are laid bare: the breaking down of relationship trust, dishonesty, duplicity and the fiscal hell of living with an addict.
Aside from the personal ramifications to gambling addiction Walker tackles the marketing techniques used by on-line gambling companies to seduce player to use their platforms.
Credit Christa Holka
These methods are seductive, subliminal and in many instances these marketing ploys are The Song Of The Sirens for many. Too many.
The performance is multi media based. The play flits between video, audio testimonies, song and dance.
Walker is trying to get the balance right but the song and dance routines depicting the false glamour of casinos and betting websites doesn’t add much to the desperate narrative of the video and audio evidence of the destruction from gambling addiction.
There are two defining moments in this production, the narration from an NHS expert on gambling addiction and a poignant video recording of Walker telling of her journey to where her and her partner are now in their fight to cure his addition.
Gamble is an enthusiastic production, made personal due to Walker’s situation, I just feel it could have been improved by more directorial guidance.
Summerhall – Cairns Lecture Theatre
Aug 8-11, 13-18, 20-26.
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