Big Bingo Night @ Royal Vauxhall Tavern, Vauxhall

The Royal Vauxhall Tavern is a rather inconspicuous pub right near Vauxhall Station and every Monday night they hold a bingo night. Sounds pretty dull right? However, the RVT was the winner of Best Cabaret Venue 2012 by the London Cabaret Awards and just for the record, Big Bingo Night at the RVT is not your average bingo night. I had heard many stories of this night since moving to London and went there for the first time in my first year of university. Ever since then, I've been desperate to go back as, like I said, this is by no means your normal bingo night. So, I gathered a few friends of mine and we boldly travelled to Vauxhall on a Monday night to see what we would find...


And this, ladies and gentlemen, is what we found. Bingo at the RVT is hosted by Timberlina who has been labelled "the queen of alternative style" by Time Out and is honestly one of the funniest people I've ever come across. Unfortunately he was suffering from a broken ankle this week, so the usual spontaneous dance routines and jigging about the stage weren't on the menu - but go any other time and I'm sure you'll get to see some!

Be warned, if you're after winning big money - this bingo night probably isn't for you. The prizes last night included such delights as a Harry Potter VHS tape, a Britney Spears biography, Brillo pads and a 'grow your own carrots' kit. Tacky and wonderful.

The fact that bingo at the RVT is run by Timberlina isn't the only unique thing about it, Big Bingo Night also includes spontaneous singalongs, dances and "live" phone conversations with Britney Spears (just go there and you'll see what I mean...). The RVT is a LGBT-friendly venue so expect a warm, welcoming environment where just about anything goes. A pub where screaming along to Lady Gaga at the top of my lungs (when sober) is totally acceptable and totally not-as-embarrassing-as-you-would-have-thought, well, that's my kind of pub.

As it's a normal pub, it's free entry to the RVT on Big Bingo Night and only £1 per round of bingo so you definitely won't break the bank here! However, from a poor student's perspective, drinks are quite pricey - the cheapest bottle of white wine I could get my hands on was £14.50, but trust me, you really don't need to be getting the drinks in in order to have fun here! A couple of my friends weren't buying drinks in order to save money, and they probably had the most fun out of all of us!

Our team getting stuck in on the final quick-fire round!

Overall, I really don't think I can do this place justice. It really is one of my favourite nights out and I honestly think it's impossible to have a rubbish time here. A few of my straight, slightly blokey, male friends have gone to the RVT for bingo with a few misconceptions and doubts in their mind, but have reported back to me that it was one of the funnest nights they'd had in a long time. Success!

If you don't fancy a big night out but are bored of "just going to the pub" then Big Bingo Night at the RVT is for you. Wit, audience participation, singalongs, and a very sore throat the next day from singing and laughing is guaranteed here and I cannot recommend it enough!

Tips

• Big Bingo Night is every Monday apart from Bank Holidays, so become a regular!
  
• Doors open at 7 and the bingo starts at around 8:30. I would recommend getting there a bit earlier, maybe around 7:30 so you can make sure you have somewhere to sit. The RVT is quite small and playing bingo standing up can be pretty tricky!
• If you don't have cash on you then it's £10 minimum on card at the bar.
• The Royal Vauxhall Tavern is less than a 5 minute walk away from Vauxhall Station (make sure you come out of the exit which goes to Vauxhall Bridge) and plenty of buses are nearby.
  
• Like I said, be prepared to have a very sore throat the next day. You'll laugh, you'll shout, and if you're anything like me, you'll be (attempting) to sing the whole night long.

Nearest station: Vauxhall

Website: http://www.rvt.org.uk/event/big-bingo-night-7