Dabbing Out First Season
Join WhichBingo’s Charlie Shakespeare as he explores London’s ever-evolving bingo scene and visits the events appealing to a new generation of bingo players.
Dabbing Out TrailerEpisode 1 – Bongo’s Bingo
Bongo’s Bingo offers a unique and immersive bingo experience that combines raves, audience participation, dancing and wild partying.
Bongo’s Bingo was founded in 2015 when Jonny Lacey, otherwise known as Jonny Bongo, and his friend Joshua Burke decided to take on a new challenge: to breathe new life into traditional bingo and transform the UK’s nightlife. Since that first event in Liverpool in 2015, Bongo’s Bingo has brought the perfect mixture of playing and partying to every corner of the globe, with bingo events taking place in nearly 50 locations; everywhere from Dubai to Ibiza, and from Amsterdam to Australia.
Episode 2 – Dabbers Bingo
Dabbers Bingo has reinvented bingo with permanent residences in Aldgate and Hackney.
It’s the second episode of Dabbing Out and WhichBingo’s Charlie Shakespeare visits Dabbers Bingo at their home in Aldgate. Charlie interviews founder Jonny Unknown, before meeting the Dabbettes and being welcomed on stage.
Dabbers Social Bingo was created with the aim of catapulting the game of bingo into the 21st century and creating extravagant experiences that would draw in new audiences.
Episode 3 – Bogan Bingo
Bogan Bingo celebrates its 18th year in 2023 and remains one of the capitals favourite bingo events
London may as well be down-under in Episode Three of Dabbing Out, as Charlie Shakespeare visits Aussie-themed Bogan Bingo at The Redback in Fulham. Charlie meets ‘the boys from Bogan’ before taking to the stage for an Air Guitar Battle!
Bogan Bingo is an experience unlike any other, in which a pair of Australian hosts with wild haircuts and a penchant for classic rock music turn the game of bingo into something altogether louder and more raucous than it has ever been before.
Episode 4 – Dreamballs Bingo
Charlie Shakespeare visits PowerHaus in Camden Lock for The Dreamboys’ new daytime event, Dreamballs.
It’s gettin’ hot in here with the steamy fourth episode of WhichBingo’s Dabbing Out. Charlie chats to Jordan about the show before being taught a signature Dreamboys dance move.
Dreamballs is the latest unmissable offering from the Dreamboys. It’s an exclusive Dreamboys daytime event with a brunch and bingo game! At Dreamballs, they know how to make sure everyone is having a ball as it were (oo-err madam), and Britain’s favourite game has been supersized in more ways than one. Bingo like never before with gigantic prizes, competitions, classic tunes, and an afternoon of indulgence.
Episode 5 – Ginger’s Big Drag Bingo
Ginger’s Big Drag Bingo helps you grab life by the balls!
Charlie Shakespeare is at Looking Glass Cocktail Club in Shoreditch for Episode Five of Dabbing Out. He meets show host Ginger Phlappage, before enjoying the entertainment with a lively group of friends.
Ginger’s Big Drag Bingo help you kick off your wild weekend by playing bingo with the biggest baller in the game, Ginger. She’ll have you on your feet and dancing quicker than you can say HOUSE! Bring your besties, bring your date, bring your office mates- it’s a raucous night of fun and outrageous campery with something for everyone.
Episode 6 – Mecca Bingo Hall
Yvette Price-Mear has probably been to more bingo clubs than anyone in the United Kingdom.
In this episode of Dabbing Out, Charlie meet’s Yvette Price-Mear at Mecca Bingo’s oldest bingo hall in the country, in Rosehill, South London.
Yvette visited 60 Mecca Bingo clubs to mark her 60th Birthday and to raise funds for charity. As an ‘expert’ of traditional bingo, Yvette and her friends teach Charlie how to play.
Episode 7 – Mecca Bingo
In the previous episode,
Charlie Shakespeare met Yvette Price-Mear at Mecca Bingo’s oldest and most traditional bingo hall in the country.
But what about Mecca Bingo’s newest hall?
Charlie travels just outside of London to Luton, where he explores Mecca Bingo’s newest and most state-of-the-art venue.
Episode 8 – Hijingo
In Episode 8, Charlie meets the creator of Hijingo, James Gordon, before entering their truly unique Bingo Hall at their permanent home in Shoreditch.
The first and only permanent, immersive bingo experience in the UK, Hijingo is the future of bingo, complete with bright lights, great music and theatre-like drama.
Founded by Adam Breeden of Social Entertainment Ventures and James Gordon of Rebel Bingo as the best social concept bingo in the country, Hijingo promises to have players’ adrenaline pumping as they become immersed in a high-stakes game of bingo that is out of this world.
Episode 9 – Blingo Hip Hop Bingo
It’s Charlie Shakespeare’s final bingo night of the series, and they don’t come more ‘2023’ than at Blingo!
Blingo Hip Hop Bingo offers a mashup of bingo, bangin’ hip hop/RnB beats, lip sync battles, dance off’s and more.
Join Grandma Flash and the Blingo crew for a hilarious night of bingo, beats and bling.
Expect lip sync battles, dance offs, more bling than you can throw a zimmer frame at and an out-of-your-seat bingo experience driven by an all killer, no filler Hip Hop, RnB soundtrack.
Episode 10 – Recap
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DABBING OUT NEWS
As we are right in the middle of planning Dabbing Out Series 2, we caught up with presenter Charlie Shakespeare to find out some behind-the-scenes info from the first series…
THE IDEA
Since I joined the WhichBingo team in early 2021, the idea of visiting the exciting world of bingo party events was high on our agenda. At WhichBingo we love the traditional game, both online and in land-based halls, but over the past decade there has been an undeniable movement within the industry.
Bingo party events are cropping up everywhere. Some resemble club nights, some are as heavy as a rave, some are comedy themed, and others are technically advanced, but they all share one thing in common: they’re bringing bingo to the next generation of players.
I set myself a mission to find out how and why.
BINGO IN 2022
Bongo’s Bingo, Dabbers Bingo, Bogan Bingo, Musical Bingo, Gingers Big Drag Bingo, Hip Hop Bingo and all the other bingo nights have one thing in common… they’re all bonkers! But bonkers in different ways.
At Bongo’s Bingo I was close to winning a cardboard cut-out of national treasure Sir David Attenborough, before it was crowd surfed around the room. At Dabbers Bingo, I found myself dressed in a blue wig dancing in front of 300+ people. And that’s only the tip of the iceberg.
Some of these events lean heavily on clever comedy by seasoned presenters, others feature music as an integral part of the night, but they’re all absolutely crazy in different ways.
THE PAST
Halfway through the series we wanted to explore traditional bingo as a juxtaposition to the nights we’d visited prior. I visited Mecca Bingo’s oldest hall in Rosehill, South London.
THE FUTURE
One bingo event I was looking forward to attending was Hijingo. This bingo night has a permanent home in Shoreditch and offers a multi-sensory experience. It is the future of bingo!
What I noticed was the similarities between Hijingo and Mecca Bingo’s new Luton club which we visited in the previous episode. Mecca Luton has been designed to bring traditional bingo halls into the 21st century. Hijingo is a party/club night, whereas Mecca Luton still offers the traditional game, but the presentation of both halls is very similar. Mecca Luton boasts state-of-the-art screens, motion graphics and a far greater sensory experience than you’d ever expect in a traditional hall.
It seems the future of bingo isn’t just for the younger generation to enjoy. I learnt the classic ‘bingo goers’ can also experience the future of bingo today.
FILMING
We were in the safe hands of Joe Kaufman from Red Kite Films, the incredible film production company that captured, edited and produced the series. I’ve worked with Joe on countless projects in the past and his eye for documenting events is brilliant.
WHAT I LEARNT
Rather than write what I’ve learnt, it’s easier to watch the final episode of the series, Episode 10: Charlie’s Recap. After being on this journey, I have a few theories as to why bingo is still so popular – and with a new generation – but I’ll save them for the video!
Other WhichBingo’s Video Series
As a mum of 3, my nights out are far and few between, so I need it to be an absolute all rounder of a night,
I love the whole video! It is so good seeing everyone having such a good time, everybody needs a bit of cheer….
The whole place was absolutely buzzing. What a great night out for all ages and it’s nice to see younger people mixing with the older generation.
I’m loving the retro bingo machine we used to have one of those And the Fancy dress is cool I need a night out like this for sure
