Little Lark of London

“Ale!” “And well met!”

Walking into Dungeons & Dragons: The Twenty-Sided Tavern feels like walking into a Renaissance Faire (and that’s not just because someone from my local Faire is in the cast!), and I have never felt more at home. As someone who is only familiar with the game of D&D because of a podcast (Hell or High Rollers, would highly recommend) and references in Stranger Things, I was a little bit nervous about what to expect from The Twenty-Sided Tavern. Luckily, I had nothing to worry about.

Cast members mingle with audience members, walking around the auditorium and chatting with them, welcoming them to the Tavern and handing out slips of paper, encouraging them to write down an adjective and a noun that will be used in the show later. Audience members are also given a Playbill and instructed to scan the QR code inside, which will bring them to Gamiotics (credited as a creator and developer along with David Carpenter), a browser-based software that makes the show interactive. Each Playbill also contains a sticker that’s either blue, green or red – this will determine which player you make decisions for within the game. I received a blue sticker, placing me in team “Mage.” 

Never played D&D before? Not to worry! There’s an entire section of the show’s website dedicated to introducing people to the game, but there are also explanations done by the players throughout, including a brilliant example of how a D20 die works through chugging a beer, with a 20 being the perfect example and a 1 requiring a thorough cleaning of the stage. Those who have a love for D&D, fear not – there are plenty of niche references throughout the show and even some trivia questions to answer about the game based on the Player’s Handbooks.

Conner Marx takes on the role of the Dungeon Master, guiding the adventurers through their journey and setting the narrative for the story. He is joined by Cassidy Sledge (Bar Swing) as the Tavern Keeper, who, as one might guess from the title, keeps score throughout the game and assists the Dungeon Master. In terms of the players, Diego F. Salinas plays the Trickster, Jasmin Malave takes on the role of the Mage and Erika Ishii guest-stars in the role of the Warrior. The Twenty-Sided Tavern has actually welcomed several guest stars over the past few months including Felicia Day and Aabria Iyengar – Ify Nwadiwe and Jack Lepiarz (“Jacques Ze Whipper”) are actually performing as I write this review!

The show follows our three adventurers, who play as one of three different character options based on how the audience votes that night. Without going into too many spoilers, the Dungeon Master leads the characters through the Forgotten Realms and both the actors and audience make choices that affect the game, whether they’re rolling for initiative, voting on their phone or even playing beer pong on stage. Marx does a brilliant job as the Dungeon Master, guiding both his players and the audience through the show, having to think on his feet as performers and punters alike make unexpected decisions that completely change the path of the adventure. Sledge also gets to join in on the fun, at one point becoming the Dungeon Master to enact revenge!

Salinas as Wondro the “magician” provides some of the absolute highlights of the show, including a hilarious monologue about the art of the Ponzi Scheme and a simply iconic moment of rolling two of the same number twice in a row, leading to both the audience and cast to completely lose their minds, with Salinas running around not only the stage but the auditorium, taking high fives and soaking up the applause. Malave is a delight as the “Magical Meemaw,” an old lady who, for reasons unknown to us (though we may find out later!), is infamous in the Forgotten Realms. Ishii, playing the “himbo-barian,” Chester, fits right in with their fellow cast members, and one could easily believe that she has been a member of the group for years. Something that helps this is a running bit throughout the show in which the other cast members find dozens of ways to slip Ishii money as a way of paying him back after paying for their drinks at the bar the night before. 

Credit must be given to K.C. McGeorge for the brilliant scenic, costume and props design which gives the “tavern” a lived-in atmosphere and allows things to change as needed to adjust to the particular story being told that night. Projections designed by Derek Christiansen and Ruby O’Brien change throughout the show, being able to illustrate a range of places including the Docks, a wizard’s home and Waterdeep’s own tavern, The Curious Hedgehog. The original music by Benjamin Doherty fits right in with the atmosphere of the show, again reminding me of summers spent at the Renaissance Faire listening to street performers and enjoying the world-building around me. 

Ultimately, Dungeons & Dragons: The Twenty-Sided Tavern is a fantastic blend of theatre and gaming that manages to find a great balance of entertaining those new to D&D who can name every musical ever produced, those who have played the game for years and have never seen a Broadway show and all those in between. And one of the best aspects of the show? No two performances will ever be the same – I highly doubt the heroes will be facing a “Bloody Eldritch Magikarp” in the future. Take a chance – this might be “the adventure you’ve been waiting for!”

Dungeons & Dragons: The Twenty-Sided Tavern is currently running at Stage 42 in New York City and has recently begun performances in Sydney, Australia. For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.