Based on a true story, BLACKJACK! is a darkly funny solo play about optimism, risk, and the stories we tell ourselves to keep playing, written and performed by Tom Stilwell. Part late-night infomercial, part confessional, and part theatrical fever dream, the show invites audiences into a live television segment where our host Tom, a charismatic self-proclaimed Blackjack expert, promises to teach them how to beat the house… and maybe even win a life changing jackpot of their own. Tom enthusiastically walks audiences through the fundamentals of Blackjack, sharing casino strategies, improbable success stories, and the mindset required to become a winner. But as the evening unfolds, the sales pitch begins to fracture. Customer call-ins become confessions. Demonstrations become memories. The basement transforms into an increasingly immersive casino of Tom’s own making as the line between performance and reality disappears. BLACKJACK! explores what happens when resilience, ambition, and relentless optimism become indistinguishable from self deception. Through stories of startups, relationships, childhood card games, and late-night online casinos, Tom reveals a trajectory shaped not simply by gambling, but by an unwavering belief that the next hand, the next idea, or the next chance might finally change everything. Filled with razor-sharp humor, a surprising tenderness, and imaginative theatrical storytelling, the production transforms the audience from spectators into willing participants in Tom’s increasingly impossible pursuit of a lucky break. By the final hand, the show has become something far larger than a story about Blackjack, it’s a portrait of the risks we all take while chasing futures we’ve always wanted. Age 16+

Description supplied by the event organiser.