Roe McDonnell
In the last chapter of these characters’ stories, they were the bards, Shakespeare’s to be exact. Now in this new production by The Best Medicine and Shelby Bond, these stories are twisted on their head and into a D&D campaign. Determined by the audience’s giant dice rolls it is them who decide who lives or dies, if the villains are slain or run. ‘All the world’s a game, and we are but players’.
Every show is different, with characters being enacted by audience volunteers, with the specific character being pulled out of the hat. For this performance it was A Midsummer Night’s Dreams’ Beatrice as our central protagonist, played by a willing spectator.
Dungeons and Shakespeare is only sixty minutes long, so the extensive mechanics of D&D are not fully explored but simple, clear explanations are given of the basics. With an audience full of gamers and non-gamers alike, it is an incredible adventure.
We meet more Shakespeare characters along the way: Don John, who remains a villain in this story, Romeo, who is trapped in a cabin and saved by Beatrice alongside popular D&D monsters, Goblins, vampires and many more.
As we learn, the heroes don’t automatically win at the end. It is the dice alone which decides their fate. Villains can win and heroes can still lose but as many players know, it is the adventures themselves that turn into a great story.
Bond is an incredible Dungeons Master and facilitator, guiding the audience throughout and getting the energy of the room going before we begin. He wants us to feel comfortable, safe and is not afraid to have a laugh. He has done the show 825 times and the enthusiasm still soars. This is one unique performer and one unique show, if you love Shakespeare, TTRPGs or both!
You can catch Dungeons and Shakespeare at Gilded Balloon Patter House from August 19-27 at 13:35 (60 Mins). Tickets are available to book through the Edinburgh Fringe Box Office website.
Salvador Kent
Romeo Lau
Shay Mace
