Ten Men – The Lives of John Bindon by Franklyn McCabe

“London’s nothing more than a million doors, the trick is to walk through the right one.”
John Bindon, Ten Men

Ten Men is a gritty, funny, one man play based on the infamous life story of the actor, gangster, ladies’ man and alleged lover of Princess Margaret – John ‘Biffo’ Bindon.

Discovered by the film director Ken Loach in a Chelsea pub; Bindon (Matthew Platt) was a charismatic ‘larger than life’ character; a well-connected raconteur who transcended London’s swinging ‘60s and decadent ‘70s.

This beautifully crafted memory play, which made its Edinburgh Fringe debut in 2022 to 5-star reviews, takes the audience through key episodes of Bindon’s life from his criminality and association with the Krays on the streets of 1960’s London, film career with big break in Loach’s film debut, Poor Cow, to his alleged affair with Princess Margaret.

At the height of his fame Bindon appeared in iconic British films of the time including – Get Carter, Performance and Barry Lyndon mixing with the likes of Caine, Jagger, Bowie, Keeler, Kubrick and Zeppelin alongside a circle of high-society friends.

Playwright Franklyn McCabe captures the tumultuous life and times of this intriguing and multi-facetted man, in a way that is both poignant, engaging and laden with Bindon’s quick-witted one-liners and a soundtrack studded with classics from each era.