There’s several bingo shows during Fringe World 2025. The variations on bingo are well known, drag queen bingo, bogan bingo, and in this case Nanna Bingo, it’s hosted by Nanna.
We arrived at the North Perth Town Hall, dubbed The Granny Flat, where we were met at the entry and air-kisssed by the host Nanna. “Come on in darl,” she beckoned, “Find yourself a spot.”
I grabbed a glass of white from the bar and found a seat with a freshly minted bingo card. Neary three girls on a night out grabbed some seats, one reached over and switched her marker for the pink one opposite. “It’s luckier” she smiled. I looked down at my bingo card, I already had a pink marker, luck was with me – I could feel it.
The room quickly filled up, three long rows of trestle tables with all seats taken, the pace in-between each row created a runway that Nanna zoomed up and down.
She explained we would simultaneously be playing six bingo cards, so pay attention. Soon the games begun and Nanna began calling out the numbers, flirting with the crowd, and dropping jokes. A soundtrack of 80s hits and disco classics kept the atmosphere lively.
Being of another generation Nanna’s jokes were not entirely PC, and as an older person she’s maybe long lost that filter that most of us have. Equal to the laughs were the gasps of “Oh no she didn’t”, and “You can’t say that!”
A joke about tennis great Margaret Court and her opposition to marriage equality got a lot of laughs.
As the numbers rolled by, I scribbled out the ones that corresponded on my card. 24, 54, 7, 19, and on it went. There was fun banter from Nanna, and the long table set up encouraged interaction and laughs with fellow participants on either side.
There was a spot prize for best dressed of the night, quite a few people had come as nannas, while a few older audience members just nailed the look without any effort.
36, legs 11, all the fours 44, 3, 82…
Nanna explained we were in the running for a first prize of box of Cadbury Roses, or a runner up prize of a pair of her knickers. I’m diabetic, and don’t have an underwear fetish, so as I looked down at my six bingo games that were not going so well and didn’t feel so bad.
86, 21,… an hour raced by. It was simple old-fashioned fun, and many laughs and groans were had.