You might not have heard of Dabbers, as it’s a fairly London-centric organisation, but if you try to imagine a bingo hall in the middle of Pride week you won’t be too far off.
It’s chaotic and celebratory and loads of fun, with dancers, DJs, lip synching battles, and absolutely tons of glitter.
It’s not too dissimilar to Bongo’s Bingo if you have heard of that, but more about light hearted fun and outrageous outfits, and less about rebellion and throwing cereal.
If you have never heard of either of these you will no doubt be wondering what on earth I am talking about, but not to worry, there are some images below that should clear things up.
Anyway, much like there is a National Bingo Caller of the Year competition for more mainstream bingo callers, Dabbers hold their own annual competition for those who like to take things a little bit further, and the final is nearly here.
Who are the Finalists?
It’s a highly talented final four, who have beaten off plenty of competition in the previous rounds to get to this point.
First off is Amy Webber, a comedian, singer, and songwriter with a degree in Opera! Oh, and she has won awards for her comedy and also been heard on BBC Radio 4. She grew up in Japan and as well as entertaining adults also uses her performance skills to educate the next generation. Wow.
Next on the list of finalists is Mathew Ali, a Londoner born and bred, and a story telling, dancing, stand up comedian with enviably good teeth. If you need someone to bring the energy, this is the guy.
Moving on, and the third finalist is Ric O’Brac (great name). This guy is a comedy writer for Newsjack and Have I Got News For You, but also does his own stand up routine and has won awards for it. A great all rounder.
Last but not least, is Siobhan. If she has a second name she’s keeping it to herself, but she is more than happy to share her character comedy act in which she plays a garage rapper with a secret love of pop music. Another finalist who also works with youngsters.
As you can tell, the final is going to be full of laughs with four stand up comedians taking the stage!
When is the Final Taking Place?
The big night is on the 2nd of July, and tickets are going to go very quickly indeed.
It promises to be an amazing night, and the callers will be giving it everything they’ve got, because the winner gets a 12 month contract with Dabbers, £1,000 prize money, and a stay in a luxurious hotel.
The runner up gets a year’s supply of Malibu courtesy of the event’s exotic sponsor.
Although this is bingo very a very sharp twist, traditionalists might enjoy knowing that the bingo is played with a real bingo machine and real balls, so there is a touch of nostalgia in there too.
Dabbers bills itself as ‘social’ bingo, which all bingo is really, but what they mean is that they encourage interaction in as many forms as possible.
A night at Dabbers is underpinned by the bingo, but is also something of a variety night with cabaret, comedy, quizzes, singing and more – so if you plan to turn up on the 2nd of July, expect the unexpected!