TAKE A PUNTON THIS GREAT YARN
Gambling addict tale rings seriously true
Punt New Theatre, until July 14 HHHH
Afew weeks ago, an English Sunday paper had a front-page advertisement for an online gambling company that offered a very attractive 50/1 bet for just a £5 stake to open your betting account. That meant you had a great chance to win £250 for a mere £5 risk. In smaller writing, it said your winnings would be paid, not into your bank, but into your online betting account. It’s typical of the slippery slope that entices people into the fantasy-land of gambling, that has not alone destroyed individuals, but has presented a serious challenge to the integrity of professional sport.
This 75-minute one-man play by Pius McGrath and Tara Doolan, about the mental and moral disintegration and selfdelusion caused by gambling is one of the best one-man shows I’ve seen in years, and it rings absolutely true.
McGrath plays Jack, an ambitious country lad who gets an early taste for gambling when he attends a race meeting with his uncle. Jack’s father was a drunk, but Jack, as a smart lad, won’t go down that boozy route. Gambling, the skill of playing the odds and making easy money, he finds much more attractive. And they eventually bring him into the deadly sphere of sharp poker players, where one exhilarating win is an inspiration to win more and get into debt with guys whose demands quickly become threats. McGrath, pictured below, does a fine job of getting across the self-assurance mixed with self-hatred that blind Jack to the risks he’s taking. He attacks banks who give out money like confetti; but he believes he knows better. The mental and physical battle that he endures is reflected in the electronic scenic backdrop that almost seems to reflect the torment in his brain as logic and intelligence are overcome by the lure of yet another delusional big win. The throbbing bass to his life is those insistent TV advertisements that tell you to bet sensibly while enticing you to do the exact opposite. Good use is made of flashback recordings, and co-writer Tara Doolan directs with a good eye for detail and for keeping activity relevant without being intrusive.