I’d been hearing great things about this show called Dungeons & Dragons: The Twenty-Sided Tavern when it was playing in New York City. It’s an interactive improv show built around a D&D-style adventure that’s supposed to take the audience on a wild, unpredictable ride.
I’ve never played Dungeons & Dragons. When I was a kid, a bunch of my friends played, but it always seemed kind of complicated and time-consuming, and I was much more into TV and comic books. But when I saw the show was coming to the Balboa Theater, I knew I wanted to check it out.
And I’m glad I did, because from start to finish, it was super fun.
The show has five cast members: the Dungeon Master, Connor Marx; the Tavern Keeper, R. Alex Murray (essentially the rules master and scorekeeper); and three players who take on the colors Red (RJ Christian), Blue (Jasmin Malave), and Green (Anjali Bhimani, who is only scheduled for two performances in this run).
When you walk into the theater, you get a colored sticker representing your player and a QR code you scan before the show begins. Throughout the night, you’ll be answering questions on your phone, making choices, picking objects, and deciding your character’s fate. The story and even the ending changes every performance, which I can only imagine is incredibly fun for the cast. I used to do an improv show like this, and the thrill of never really knowing what’s going to happen always kept me on my toes. I’m sure it’s the same for them.
This particular story sends the characters on a quest across multiple lands, battling creatures and trying to safely reach the other side.
Like I said, I’ve never played D&D, and after a quick survey at the beginning, apparently half the audience hadn’t either. But it didn’t matter at all. The cast summed up the rules in about two minutes, and the way they explained it made everything feel really simple. And honestly, even if someone didn’t fully get it, it wasn’t a big deal because the show is so interactive and genuinely funny.
Everything is kept moving by Marx, the Dungeon Master, who’s responsible for keeping the story together, making sure the audience knows what’s going on, and even playing multiple characters throughout the night. He was really impressive, able to explain complicated stuff in layman’s terms while still being entertaining and funny.
The entire cast were terrific improvisers, quick on their feet and hilarious in their own ways. Green (Bhimani), who played a goblin in my show, was a standout, though I’m willing to admit some bias since she was “my” character for the night and I found myself watching her a bit more closely.
I’d say about half the audience showed up in Dungeons & Dragons gear or full-on costumes, and based on what I heard throughout the show, they knew exactly what was going on. They’d call out what choices the characters should make (or shouldn’t), cheering them on or groaning when things went sideways. That level of audience involvement is part of what made the whole thing so much fun.
I honestly can’t say enough good things about it. Check it out if you get the chance, even if you’ve never rolled a 20-sided die in your life.
Dungeons & Dragons: The Twenty-Sided Tavern is currently playing at the Balboa Theatre. For more info and tickets: Broadway San Diego
