You take your life in your hands being too slow at the bingo in Glasgow, agrees actor and writer Gayle Telfer Stevens, with a laugh.
“I have been a couple of times, but I am really slow,” she groans. “The woman next to me eventually just took my card and starting dabbing away at it alongside her own.
“My granny was an avid player – she’d maybe even spend slightly less on her weekly shop so she could get to the bingo.
“People in the west of Scotland take their bingo very, very seriously.”
A bingo hall is the setting for Gayle’s playwrighting debut, Members Only, which is the latest offering from Oran Mor’s lunchtime theatre series, A Play A Pie and A Pint.
It also marks her first project since filming the final scenes on River City, where she has played razor-sharp barmaid with a heart of gold Caitlin McLean for 11 years.
As previously reported in the Glasgow Times, the BBC soap will end in the autumn after more than 20 years.
“This is really exciting, a totally new challenge,” says Gayle, who is also well known as one half of TV sketch show duo Stevens and McCarthy, with fellow star of Scottish stage and screen Louise McCarthy.
“It’s very different from writing comedy sketches, obviously, but I am really lucky to have had Marc at my side.”
Olivier award-winning actor Gayle has written Members Only with Marc Pye, whom she met and worked with on River City.
Marc is a prolific writer, who has written for many shows, including EastEnders and Holby City.
“Marc’s CV is massive, he has amazing talent and I have learned so much from him,” says Gayle. “I have put all my focus into acting since I was eight years old. Being a writer is something completely new for me.
“It’s lovely to be part of PPP.”
Members Only, directed by Maureen Carr, is the story of cash-strapped best pals Linda and Angie (Sandra McNeeley and Julie Duncanson), who live for the weekend buzz of bingo night.
Their daughters, Stacey and Amy (Eimi Quinn and Taya Sian) think it’s just an old biddies’ game until they hear there is a £40k prize up for grabs.
When the two lassies scheme to sneak into the members only club for a chance to win, relationships and loyalty are put to the test. The play runs from May 18 to 23.
“I love telling women’s stories, I love writing comedy for women,” says Gayle. “I am mesmerised by these characters: working class, funny, Glasgow women. Your mum’s pals, who you call auntie even though none of them are related to you.
“I also wanted to explore the difference between the generations.”
She pauses. “Older women are true to each other, they rely on trust and their relationships with each other, almost like sister bonds,” explains Gayle.
“The younger generation seems a bit more cut-throat, maybe, and I am fascinated by that.”
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She adds: “I don’t mean that across the board - I have a daughter, Stevie who is 14 and she is a beautiful human being - but young people, the way they see things is very different to how I see things.
“They think they can do anything, and I love that. I am fascinated by how brave and bold they are.”
In the play, Stacey wants to be an influencer, while Amy has a plan to run her own dog grooming business.
“Younger people are very entrepreneurial,” says Gayle. “We saw a bit of that in Covid, all the young guns leaving their jobs to do something different, and I admire that.
“I don’t think the older generation, generally, is like that.”
She grins. “I mean, I have done the same job since I was eight.”
Gayle, who grew up in Renton and left Scotland to study musical theatre in London, has recently set up her own production company, Patter Productions, with Theatre School of Scotland founder Reece Donnelly.
“I’d love to do more behind the scenes, more writing, acting – I want to do it all,” she says, frankly.
“I will miss River City so much, but we all have to move on.”
Gayle adds: “Eleven years is a long time for an actor to play the same role, and now I’ll have to wear so many different hats – I’ll be on the hustle again.”
She pauses.
“But Caitlin has an amazing ending,” she says, smiling. “I can’t tell you much but I can say – I’m not deid.”
She laughs. “So if they ever do revive River City, there is always a chance Caitlin will be back …”
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