Review: Improv DND at State Theatre Centre of WA
Improv DnD at Rehearsal Room One @ State Theatre Centre of WA
Wednesday, January 25, 2023
8/10
There was a feeling of bubbling excitement arriving at the State Theatre Centre. From the eager chatter, it felt like Improv DnD was the kind of show people saw, and then roped their friends into coming to see again. Following a trail of patrons of all ages in nerdy shirts, colourful hair, and eccentric fashions down the stairs, a small stage of smoke and rainbow lights appeared. Then in the State Theatre’s very own dungeon, Rehearsal Room One, began a night of fantasy and fun.
Improv DnD takes Dungeons and Dragons, the hugely popular table-top roleplaying game and transforms it into a lively theatrical improvisation skit. Instead of sitting around a table with books and dice, the team pared back the rules and brought a dungeon crawl adventure to life with brilliant physicality, accents, and props.
The cast consisted of a Dungeon Master who was the storyteller, three actors as adventurers and an actor who played all of the side characters they met along the way. The talented team of actors rotate the roles on different nights, which adds to the dynamic nature of the show and ensures no two nights are the same.
The improvisation had a sense of ease and willingness that was envious to watch. The explanation? The assuring presence of the Dungeon Master, suavely dressed in a waist coat and suit, commanded the space. He ran the story with a clipboard and a giant fluffy twenty-sided dice, weaving a story with what the three adventurer’s came up with, and making it look easy. He took command without stifling the creativity of the improvisers, a complex balance to strike. And even with the silly shenanigans and snaking story tangents, he managed to finish the performance, exactly on time.
Another almost invisible glue of this performance was the music – the keyboard was by far the highlight of the night! The pianist managed to play an improvised score composed in real time that perfectly matched the action on stage. Her fingers flowed on the keys, reading the peaks, troughs, tension and tone. This nuanced touch elevated a group of comedy improvisers to a quality befitting the choice in theatre. Supported by the confidence of the Dungeon Master and cleverness of the pianist, it’s no wonder the actors shone.
It is one thing to think of dialogue and movement unscripted, but the ensemble took it a step further. The bard of the group, devised impromptu songs, sometimes getting all three actors singing. The songs had a sense of bumbling joviality that made the audience recognise them as unscripted, yet it was easy to forget the songs being performed didn’t exist a second ago. Confidence and risk-taking: the ensemble excelled at it.
The fact that this game so effortlessly slid from table-top to stage is testament to the creativity and quick thinking that is cultivated in the game. The director is to be commended for their genius. Perhaps actors should dust off their icosahedrons if they are looking to improve their improvisation skills.
A well-crafted piece of improv that will tickle the DnD enthusiast, while still keeping it light and untechnical for the newbies in the crowd, it’s no wonder the show sold out. They picked the perfect size of theatre, large enough to get the audience roaring with laughter and small enough to feel like you’re at the table with your friends, Improv Dnd is a perfect night out for your adventuring party or anyone looking for a laugh.
NINA DAKIN