Crudi Dench talks about winning Next Top Bingo Caller 2022
Your nans' favourite game has had a full-blown boozy glow up thanks to Hounsditch's Dabbers Social Bingo. Cheeky calls, disco balls, big laughs and plenty of prizes are all on the menu at bingo's most eclectic, inclusive and entertaining show in town.
After a three-month-long hunt for talent, Dabbers recently crowned Brighton-based drag queen Crudi Dench their Next Top Bingo Caller 2022. Crudi will now get the opportunity to reinvent, transform and revamp the sought-after and glorious position of Bingo Caller.
Crudi is the drag persona of Matt Stallworthy. Originally from Liverpool, Matt started drag in York while at university. When not on stage as Crudi or as part of the improv troupe Any Suggestions, Doctor? The Improvised Doctor Who Parody, Matt works as a university event coordinator.
Let's find out more from Crudi and Matt...
Congratulations on winning the competition - how did you come to start this journey?
Thanks love! Well I was busy picking out bits of ketchup from my wig and scrolling through Instagram when I saw that Dabbers were looking for their next top bingo caller.
I knew the numbers 2 and 47 at the time and thought I could learn the numbers in between before the first heat, so I went for it!
There was a lot of tough competition along the way, especially in the final, they knew all the numbers dead well! But with my silly games and stunning beauty I managed to win the audience vote and am now queen of the UK (bingo scene).
How do you plan on revamping the role of Dabbers' Bingo Caller?
Alongside the glamour and gorgeousness that will naturally consume the venue with my very presence, I hope to bring a bit of good old Northern charm to proceedings. I'm talking free flat caps on entry, Yorkshire air pumped into the venue, and gravy on tap. But to be honest, Dabbers is already ahead of the game when it comes to revamping bingo, it's got flashy lights, DJs, delicious food, cocktails, it's such a dreamy place to have a fabulous time!
How would you describe your drag style?
Crude by name, crude by nature! I'm absolutely a classic comedy queen through and through. A Yorkshire cross-dressing clown! I like to smash up gender binaries with my drag, I'm a big hairy lass so the beard stays on and is incorporated into my gorgeous makeup.
Performance wise, I love a lip sync mashup, taking viral clips and old comedy sketches and mashing them up with modern pop hits seems to be a winning formula for me so far.
Have you always loved performing?
Of course! Right from a tot. But I properly started out at the University of York in their fantastic Comedy Society which despite being fairly young in comparison to your Footlights and Revues, has managed to produce some fantastic names such as Jay Foreman, Mary O'Connell, Ali Woods, Andy Watts and Caitlin Powell.
It's there I really honed my improv comedy skills with The Shambles before joining the team at Any Suggestions, Doctor? The Improvised Doctor Who Parody. I get such a buzz from performing, particularly any audience interaction, it's such a blast!
Which drag queen inspired you the most before the creation of Crudi Dench?
Has to be Lily Savage, a scouse icon and so quick witted, everything I aspire to be in life! I can remember watching her when I was little on Blankety Blank thinking "Wow this tall lady is very funny!" That classic, camp British drag I absolutely adore.
Which drag queen is the funniest to you, and why?
I am a little biased here as she is my drag daughter but Kate Butch is tearing it up at the moment! The right levels of camp, witty and downright silly. Her show Kate Butch: Wuthering Shites is an absolute tour-de-force in drag excellence and made me laugh so hard I was wheezing like an old accordion!
How important is comedy to the drag world?
I think a lot of drag has shifted to the looks and the fashion, but at its heart British drag thrives on comedy. Our latest show Drag Queens vs. Zombies (At Edfringe 2022, Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose at 22:20; thanks for asking!) I think really encapsulates that. It's a commentary about how 21st century Rupaul influenced drag sits in with a more traditional view of British comedy drag (while being a laugh out loud zombie apocalypse comedy horror of course!)
You can follow Crudi on Twitter and Instagram
Dabbers Social Bingo is open most nights in Houndsditch (nearest tubes: Algate and Liverpool Street).
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