Enthusiastic audience participation and a winsome storyline lands a critical hit and sparks joy in the crowd.

Theatre doesn’t always have to be a serious affair, as proven by GAME PLAY, an immersive experience that played as part of the 2024 SMU Arts Fest last weekend. Creative producers Jo Tan, Edward Choy and Terrance Tan came together to bring Dungeons & Dragons to life, with their show Dungeons & Distractions, transforming the popular tabletop role-playing game into a mass, participatory and theatrical experience.

For a show that is meant to appeal to anyone and everyone, regardless of whether they’re old hands or newbies, the experience itself is streamlined and simplified, and quickly introduced by host and Dungeon Master (DM) Edward Choy. The instructions are simple – watch what happens in front of us, let the storyline unfold, and respond when prompted to do so. The excitement then, comes with being allowed to make decisions that determine the flow and order of the story, along with some elements of luck and chance that add unpredictability and variation to certain scenes.

As with any good RPG, our story takes place in a fantasy world where magical creatures and spellcasting is all around. We follow a motley crew of travelers, each with their own dreams and backstories – a bard (Jo Tan) wishes to become a superstar in spite of her age, a monk (Melody Faith Ng) clad in a hot pink jumpsuit seeks to rescind her citizenship in order to be accepted by her peers, a paladin (Faith Sim Jia Rui) wants to be strong and pure while in denial of her sexuality, and a powerful halfling mage (Megan Sierra Chan) struggles with her diminutive stature.

The answer to their problems lies in their next adventure – a trip to a South Korean-inspired city, where dealing with a sudden fog of forgetfulness surrounding the city promises them any wish granted by the local monarch. But as our heroes soon find out, solving the mystery is going to be much harder than they first think, with enemies at every corner, clues to be gathered from the citizens, and their own inner demons to contend with.

Much like the original game itself, Dungeons & Distractions hinges heavily on participation and immersion, with its success based on how invested its audience becomes in the story and experience of play. Thankfully, the team knows exactly how to do that, with simple but effective gameplay that ensures everyone feels like a part of the show. At various checkpoints in the show, audience members are given a choice between several options, and can yell out their preferred course of action, from selecting an area to explore, to outright deciding to sit around and rot (this option inevitably leads us to circling back and making another choice).

The most exciting part of Dungeons & Distractions are the battle sequences. While this could be a tedious affair, the sheer energy and enthusiasm from the cast allow us to get equally hyped and feel the adrenaline pumping as we engage in turn-based combat. In essence, the audience is divided into four main sections, each taking charge of one of the party members. During each turn, audience members are given an opportunity to decide an action to take from each characters’ skillset, and roll a massive D20 die to determine outcomes, from successfully landing an attack or spell, dodging, or critical hit. It may sound overwhelming, but the cast is always present to give suggestions or prompt the audience for a response, allowing the battles to flow relatively quickly, and keep up a brisk pace that keeps us on our toes.

Of course, once locked in, the cast then performs each of these outcomes, often exaggerated and over-the-top. Jo, as the bard for example, can sing inspirational ditties to buff teammates, and results in hilariously badly rhymed lyrics as she strums her ukulele. Meanwhile, when Faith, as the paladin, successfully casts smite to empower her sword, she becomes surrounded by a revolving circle of light that adds a strong visual element and sense of believability. A multimedia screen behind the characters also keeps track of stats like hit points and available actions, featuring a meticulously designed display that is updated in real time without distracting from the action onstage – at times, it even acts as the medium to showcase fireballs being shot from wand to enemy. There is always a sense of progression, from characters levelling up and getting stronger, to the endgame becoming clearer as it goes on.

If anything, beyond audience participation and good design, Dungeons & Distractions also owes a lot to its cast for their commitment to this make-believe world, taking it seriously enough while also giving little winks and moments of levity when breaking the fourth wall or cracking a joke. Each character is an archetype, yet developed and human enough to remain grounded in some reality, flawed to some degree but always endearing. Melody impresses as she maintains a ditzy, valley girl accent throughout the show, while Megan easily switches it up between cutesy and ferocious. Jo delivers plenty of humour in her facial expressions, body language and deadpan line delivery, but it is Faith that winds up the MVP, with her painfully awkward attempts to hide her desires, balanced perfectly with her winsome attempts to experiment with out-of-character actions, from a dance-off to using her charm to land cheesy pick-up lines.

Dungeons & Distractions is ultimately super effective because of how it plays to its cast’s strengths and allows them all to shine. Even when it comes to minor characters, unique talents are on display, from acrobatic flips and landings, to even drumming to the beat of a song (Luke Lee Kei Jin). By its end, the show climaxes with an epic, extended fight with the big bad, and neatly wraps up all of its unresolved threads, giving each of our party members the happy ending they’ve been searching for all this while. It’s not easy to keep to the timing or maintain both the energy and crowd control in a show so reliant on improvisation and reacting to live elements, but Dungeons & Distractions manages to do just that, resulting in an exciting, fun experience that we feel very much involved in. Perhaps the old adage is true – the geeks will inherit the Earth, once they convince enough people of the inherent power of play to both move and entertain.

GAME PLAY ran from 6th to 7th September 2024 at the SMU Arts and Culture Centre (ACC). More information available here

SMU Arts Fest 2024: PLAY runs from 30th August to 13th September 2024. Tickets and full programme available here

Production Credits:

Creative Producers Edward Choy, Jo Tan, Terrance Tan Cast Ang En Wei Azel, Faith Sim Jia Rui, Joshua Sanjay Das, Law Ke Yun, Shannon, Low Gah Mung, Luke Lee Kei Jin, Megan Sierra Chan, Michaela Leong, Shayanne Chang, Melody Faith Ng, Lucas Lim, Edward Choy, Jo Tan Crew Avni Sharma, Jamie Tan JiaHui, Jeannie Eileena Effendi, Poo Yin Xuen, Ariel Ong, Isabella Faith Lew, Justus Chan, Nicole Long Lingli, Adelei Tock Kai Lun, Gabrielle Ong Yue Ning, Muhammad Nur Izeyar Bin Yazid, Lai Qian Huay, Lynn, Brian Lim Kuan Hui, Tong My Linh Sound Designer Sandra Tay Multimedia / Set Designer Joanne Ho Lighting Designer Tai Zi Feng Fight Choreographer Lucas Lim Stage Manager Anne Lee, Sharlene Lim Costumer Advisor Tan Jia Hui Assistant Director Guillermo Caryl Kristine Co Assistant Stage Manager Fanetar Lo Yoong Yung, Ellyzse Marcee Fampulme Magdadaro