Fantasy Roleplaying has been incredibly influential in the creative space. Gaming permits us to play, let’s pretend, with the dice being used to keep things interesting. TTRPGs have become a tool to express wild ideas in a forgiving space. So it comes as no surprise that improv comedy, which can be very tough, has embraced the fantasy gaming format wholeheartedly.
Side Quest is a fantasy game-inspired improvised comedy show; flyers for the show double as ‘character sheets’, and the audience is invited to invent a character for the show. These sheets are used throughout the show as prompts for an improvised narrative.
This is a very well-done, family-friendly, and silly comedy improv. Things are simplified to make the show as accessible as possible; for example, the audience is invited to roll a big inflatable six-sider die to add a touch of chaos and chance to the performance. The four have a big question mark on them, denoting something super quirky happens. This is a clever move; similar shows try to stick to the more traditional twenty-sided die, which is essentially a football – chaos ensues.
The team are well balanced in terms of roles and comedy, thanks to a wide and varied roster; different voices increase the potential for hijinks and humour. Side Quest is a solid, professional and, most important of all, fun show that is accessible to everyone. If you aren’t into fantasy storytelling, it’s a fun comedy show, and for the rest of us hobbit-botherers, it’s another trip to fantasy land.
The Side Quest team is clearly at the start of a long and fruitful adventure, and we hope to see them at many of the geeky conventions that will come. Go see Sidequest if you get the chance.
You can find out more about future SideQuest appearances here.
