Described as ‘part storytelling, part stand-up, part dream’, When The Fun Stops, Try Again? is an interactive, audience-controlled show devised by Nathan Charles and Brightmouth productions. Drawing on his own experiences of gambling, Charles has created a show where the audience, guided by a PowerPoint presentation, goes through a series of stories and tasks exploring different forms of gambling and what it means to win or lose.
The audience entered the space to see a screen at the back of the stage, various items on a table on one side, a microphone on the other side and what looked like rubbish covering the floor at the back – on closer inspection, this was made up of things like discarded lottery tickets and packs of cards. The audience waited in their seats in silence when the lights went down, until instructions appeared on the screen, requiring audience members to read them out before the next instruction appeared. And so began almost an hour of different audience members choosing numbered balls, reading out stories, and winning or losing prizes. There were no actors or performers, just the screen of instructions as the audience members took it in turns to become the show. From a Deal or No Deal-style choice, to a story about a child in a seaside arcade, and a tense game of Connect 4 that had a £10 bet riding on it, the stories and challenges explored different aspects of gambling and our relationship to it. What would you buy first if you won the lottery? Can you beat the system? What drives us to gamble, even in small ways?
The interactive concept of the show was surprisingly entertaining, as audience members gradually became more confident to go up to the stage and see what they would be instructed to do. The atmosphere in the room was a mixture of curiosity about what would happen and support for the brave person who was taking a turn at the microphone. There were some drawbacks, however.
The nature of the Studio space at the Pleasance meant that the bulk of the audience couldn’t easily get out of their seats, so the people who participated were the ones sitting on the aisles or at the front. Also, the random nature of the stories that unfolded meant that there wasn’t much cohesion. It was definitely fun to watch what was happening, but if there was a message about gambling, then it was lost in the lucky dip. The first story we heard was about the dangers of addiction, but that was the only story like that. And although the tasks audience members had didn’t all go well for them, the main feeling as we left the show was that it had been good fun. So what was the message? Gambling is fun or dangerous? Or both? Except most people know that already. The concept of the show was an interesting and clever one, but without any overall conclusion, the idea itself felt unfinished.
Reviewer: Charlotte Mansfield
Reviewed: 17th October 2026
North West End UK Rating: