The crowd is gathering at the doors of The Studio at Bats to watch veteran Game Master Morgan Davie and four local comedians play Dungeons and Dragons – live! We are each given a piece of paper to write down a trinket which will be given out to players to help them in their quest. 

Dungeons and Dragons was the first of many roleplaying games developed in the last forty years. The players create characters who adventure through a world created by a dungeon master. It’s table-top improvisation with dice in a world of high fantasy. 

Once seated the audience is asked to volunteer to play ad-hoc voices for the characters including the voice of a god. There are plenty of volunteers for the roles and Stage Manager Fraser Peat deftly picks each one.  

The theatre is set with the players’ table at the front and a screen for the Game Master to create his world for the players. I am excited that there is a dice camera to see the players’ dice rolls.

The idea of public performances of Dungeons and Dragons has been growing over the last decade or so and the introduction of improvising comedians is inspired and has worked well in other cities.

There is a rousing round of applause for Game Master Morgan Davie and without much further ado he is joined by the troupe.

Randy ‘The Hill’ Dwarf is played with hearty abandon by Steven Youngblood. Thom Adams plays Jackwick Gambleson, a halfling wizard, who’s deadpan delivery reminds me of ‘The IT Crowd’s’, Richard Ayoade, which adds a lot of humour to the show.

Frun Grothilde, the atheist priest, is wonderfully portrayed by Jarrod Baker struggling to deal with the fact that while he might not believe in gods, at least one certainly believes in him. And finally Julz Burgisser is reinvented as Mascara Stormfire, a half-elf rogue, who provides the glue that brings this motley crew together and delivers puns to boot.

The adventure is quickly sketched out as a chance to find the Lost Bucket Fountain of Doom, which will sound oddly familiar to anyone who’s walked down Cuba Street. The action is a blend of light froth, dark humour and occasional moments of pathos. The humour flows and the crowd gets into the spirit of the action by cheering on dice rolls, adding to the pantomime feel.

Darryn Woods as the ‘Wizard of Light and Sound’ helps encourage this mood with an evocative sound track and some spot on incidental effects. 

The ending delivers and is tied up in two hours under Morgan’s expert touch. If you love the art of improvisation, the humour of Terry Pratchett, or just want a unique night out – give it a go.  I’ll be keeping an eye out for more adventures from Diceratops in the new year. 

Copyright © in the review belongs to the reviewer