Presented by Sydney Opera House, Showpath Entertainment and David Carpenter
An introduction to Dungeons and Dragons for novices, and a hearty love letter to the game for long-time fans. It’s a must for fun and adventure!
Reviewed by Bradley Ward
The Studio, Sydney Opera House
Until 8th March 2025
Tickets: https://www.sydneyoperahouse.com/theatre/dungeons-dragons-twenty-sided-tavern
There are few hobbies that have undergone the global renaissance that Dungeons & Dragons has enjoyed over the last 15 years. In 2010, the only real estate it held in the public consciousness was as a cliched punchline in primetime sitcoms. Jump forward to 2024 and the landscape for tabletop roleplaying games has shifted dramatically: starring roles in shows like Stranger Things and Community; a slew of podcasts ranging from comedic to the genre-defyingly inventive; live-play series across a range of platforms; multi-season animated streaming series; an award-winning video game; celebrity endorsements; and a Hollywood movie.
We find ourselves in a gold rush for D&D content, with every theatre kid or emerging comedian with a microphone and camera running to the river in hopes of finding success (including this reviewer, admittedly). Dungeons and Dragons: The Twenty-Sided Tavern has landed at Sydney Opera House for a 2024/2025 summer season, and they have undoubtedly panned the D&D river, striking gold.
Twenty-Sided Tavern comes to us from New York, where it has experienced a successful extended run as the first live show officially licensed by Wizards of the Coast – the owners of Dungeons & Dragons. It follows the story of three fledgling adventurers who accept a seemingly simple quest from a wizard to pay off their bar tab, only to be thrust into a world of unstable magic and betrayal. At least, that was the story on opening night.
The story of Twenty-Sided Tavern is subject to change, with the characters shifting between shows and the narrative beats being influenced by a plethora of unpredictable stimuli. Which is all part of the fun, as the story isn’t what you’re here for. No, what Twenty-Sided Tavern is about is the sharing of a space. It’s about the relationship between the five performers and the audience. It’s about the communal playing of a game. There’s improvisation, dice and audience interaction. There are unexpected comedic beats that cause the performers to corpse en masse; heckles from the audience that become crucial lore; moments of inspired sensitivity emerging from absurdity. It is the greatest approximation of the experience of playing Dungeons & Dragons I’ve ever seen committed to stage, and represents the highwater mark for D&D live experiences in Australia.
Twenty-Sided Tavern offers flawless visual communication
What this show does better than any other live D&D show – and perhaps any theatrical experience in Australia right now – is its technical design. While the Dungeon Master has planned a loose plot prior to the performance, the details are determined by the audience. For this to work, a huge amount of information needs to be succinctly transmitted to and from the audience. It’s a monumental task and one that could have easily self-destructed in a dozen different ways.
Instead, what Twenty-Sided Tavern offers is flawless visual communication. The website the audience uses to vote is responsive and intuitive; the multiple live-stream cameras used for the dice rolls provide crisp, readable images without any lag; the ever-changing background projections bring the world to life with stunning vistas and grotesque characters. Most importantly, the multitude of complex rules that comprise D&D are simplified and given eye-catching graphics that even the most inexperienced audience member can follow. It is a technical triumph from beginning to end.
Dungeons & Dragons is, of course, a roleplaying game and as such requires a cast of competent role-players to bring the world to life. Thankfully, the producers behind this show have assembled some of the best improvisers and role-players Australia has to offer to helm this production. At the centre is the Dungeon Master, William Kasper, who brings a steady and confident leadership to the proceedings. Fitting an entire session of D&D into two and a half hours, complete with a satisfying climax and characters arcs, is no easy feat. Kasper achieves this admirably, walking the fine line between giving the rest of the cast the space to play while also ushering them onwards to the next plot point. He is assisted by his Tavern Keeper and Rules Lawyer, Zoë Harlen, whose infectious positive energy and eagerness to embrace the unexpected are highlights of the show. This whole show hinges on the audience feeling safe to contribute. They need to know they can vote on outcomes or yell out jokes without derailing the show. Kasper and Harlen are unflappable. They are quick witted and handle each audience interaction with welcoming smiles.
No quest is complete without adventurers, and this show features several wonderful characters to choose from. Trubie-Dylan Smith shines as the seductive and roguish Trickster, quickly setting the tone of mischievousness that one would expect from such a character. There is a brilliant creativity at play in his work, never taking the obvious route in his improvisational tangents and often surprising his fellow performers. Eleanor Stankiewicz impresses as the bookish and reserved Spellcaster, equally captivating in both absurd and grounded scenes. Stankiewicz is a phenomenally talented character improviser, bringing a touching sincerity to characters that could easily be a one-note joke in a lesser performer’s hands. Rounding out the cast is Atlas Adams as the kind-hearted if a little dim Warrior, who Adams makes as loveable as ever. He shows nothing less than complete commitment on stage, transforming small comedic beats into extended physical sequences that takes the audience through several waves of laughter.
I found myself unabashedly screaming with excitement
There is a real generosity and respect on display between the three performers that infects the entire theatre space. A great adventuring party should be a joy to spend time with. Smith, Stankiewicz, and Adams are a great adventuring party.
Within the world of D&D, the tavern is an inclusive space. It serves as the beginning of so many adventurers because its inclusiveness gives it an infinite capacity for stories. It is an open door for all to enter and feel welcome. It is also a wonderful metaphor for everything that D&D can be at its best. The creators of this show should be proud to know that they have done well in creating an authentic tavern space. By intermission, strangers were chatting in the foyer over their shared connection with the characters. By the end of the second act, audience members were calling out the cast to prevent them from making mistakes that would disadvantage their characters. In a climactic life or death moment, I found myself unabashedly screaming with excitement. I wasn’t alone. I was screaming alongside the rest of the audience and the cast themselves. We were all in the tavern together.
EVENT DETAILS:
WHAT: DUNGEONS & DRAGONS The Twenty-Sided Tavern
WHEN:Â From 15 December
WHERE:Â Studio, Sydney Opera House
PRICES:Â From $59.00 + $8.95 booking fee
CAST:
William Kasper as Dungeon Master
Zoë Harlen as Tavern Keeper
Trubie-Dylan Smith as Trickster
Eleanor Stankiewicz as Spellcaster
Atlas Adams as Warrior
Davey Seagle as Player Swing
Emma Throssell as Player Swing
Sonya Kerr as Dungeon Master and Tavern Keeper Swing
