Anna Burnside reviews a production that may work better for gamers than non-gamers.
Wiley is a gaming enthusiast, stuck in their fetid Buffy-postered bedroom, leaping around in endless Dungeon and Dragon livestreams. The latest got 30 views on YouTube.
It’s a bit awkward when their gay best friend, Finn, misses movie night because he met a delightful young man. This was all going swimmingly until the dancing stopped and it was time to move on to the next level. Finn, who has never had sex before, quit the game and ran home.
Wiley, initially hurt that Finn had implied he was vastly experienced in carnality of every variety, comes up with a plan. Finn will be educated in the ways of the flesh via a roleplaying quest—which will be livestreamed, of course. Let the 20-sided dice roll and the games begin!
At least, I think that’s what was going down. For members of the audience not familiar with RPGs and NPCs (that would be role playing games and non-playing characters), the patter was lucid but the specifics of what was actually happening more opaque.
There was a good deal of horsing around. A plastic sword was thrust, dice deployed.
The twist, which approached with all the subtlety of a dragon in a very enclosed dungeon, was that Finn’s admirer was logged in and watching his transformation live on his laptop.
Dungeons and Dragons and the Quest for D*** is the kind of show that can do well at the fringe, attracting a niche audience of gamers who are only too familiar with the terminology and the need to become an alternate character in a different universe.
It was this, rather than the use of sign language and subtitles throughout the show, that made it difficult for non-gamers to follow the minutiae of what was going on. But the characters were well drawn by writer-director Laila Noble, and it was hard to stay cross with bouncy Wiley (Bea Webster) or adorable Finn (Ciaran Stewart) for long. Even without much of a clue about what they were on about.
Dungeons and Dragons and the Quest for D*** performs at Oran Mor's A Play, a Pie and a Pint until May 25, 2024.
Image by Tommy Ga-Ken Wan.
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