by Ed Fortune
A game of Dungeons and Dragons (or, indeed, any fantasy tabletop RPG) needs a good Dungeon Master to be excellent. This is very true when it comes to a stage version of fantasy gaming, as the DM needs to be a host, a comedian, a dungeon master and a master of ceremonies rolled into one. It is a very tough gig for a seemingly simple format.
With all that in mind, it’s with no small amount of praise that we have to say that comedian Sasha Ellen is one of the best Dungeon Masters we’ve ever seen, balancing the creative chaos of her players with audience expectations whilst blending in an actual narrative and actually using dice rolls and rules in a way that’s both fun and fair.
The set-up is pretty standard for a fantasy gaming improv show; similar in format to the likes of Oxventure/Questing Time , we have Sasha as the Dungeon Master and then three guest comedians.
Each one was well briefed with a fun but well-thought-out character. These included fun takes on fantasy tropes, such as a sorcerer who commanded the element of Butter and a cowardly knight who used the power of mansplaining and poorly thought out arguments to fight monsters.
The real magic here is the sense of fun Sasha brings to the whole affair. D&D (and similar games) are fun to play, and a comedian’s talent is to share their joy with the audience. In the TTRPG format, a DM can either amplify or control this anarchic fun and somehow Sasha does both, which makes for a really good show.
The show did suffer a little bit from the venue being quite so crowded. This can’t be helped, and though having plenty of bums on seats is a good thing, it was a little warm, and everyone was flagging toward the end. Credit to the performers for keeping a quite sweaty audience enchanted all the way to the end of the show.
Character Building Experience doesn’t have much in the way of fancy gimmicks or clever stage design; it’s just solid, nerdy fun. A total joy.
Character Building Experience runs at the Edinburgh Fringe until August 27th. Get tickets here. And you can find out more about the show itself (and possible tour dates) here.
