Shelby Bond answers our questions ahead of Dungeons and Shakespeare heading to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Dungeons and Shakespeare is Inspired by the Bard and determined by dice bringing together the worlds of Shakespeare and Dungeons & Dragons in a fast, funny and wildly unpredictable interactive comedy where all the world’s a game, and the audience gets to be the players. Hosted by dungeon master Shelby Bond, each show throws iconic Shakespeare characters into chaotic fantasy quests shaped entirely by audience choices, live improvisation and giant dice rolls. We chat to Shelby about swords, streamlined action and who will leave wanting a set of dice,

What first gave you the idea to combine Shakespeare with fantasy roleplay?

I held a sword for the first time as Lysander from A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the same age when I was rolling dice with friends. I can’t believe it took me so long to put the two together! I was performing Shakespeare professionally then during the pandemic I was stuck indoors gaming online. When we could finally get out with others I didn’t want to just perform, I wanted to play and started doing “one-offs” with crowds and found this show to be the most natural collaboration ever. The Bard and beasts, myth and monsters, it just fits.

The show has now been performed more than 700 times. Has the format changed or deepened at all?

Audiences may not be avid gamers or versed in Shakespeare’s plays, so I’ve learned to present both worlds quickly in a way that emphasizes the story, the iconic characters, and simple rules for gameplay. Over hundreds of shows the flow has been streamlined for action, comedy, and story so it does not get bogged down in complex mechanics or erudite profundity.

Shakespeare is often presented as something serious or academic. What do you most enjoy about restoring a sense of play to the material?

We tend to think of Shakespeare as being cerebral and highbrow, but it was the pop culture of the day; it’s meant to be alive and for the people. The other day at my show I had a kid playing Henry V and leading an army of adults playing Owlbears into battle. I live for moments like that.

Every audience helps shape the story. What have you learned about people from watching the kinds of choices they make in the room?

I love it when a seasoned thespian comes up and takes the stage like a wild boar but there’s something wonderful about someone who has never stepped in front of an audience mustering the bravery to choose to be a player. I consider it to be a personal victory that I’ve created a friendly enough space for someone who might be more introverted to choose a card and become something like a Gelatinous Cube and then absolutely OWN it.

How does it feel to bring it to the Edinburgh Fringe stage now?

It’s going to be epic because Edinburgh has real dungeons! I can’t wait to see the stories that are created by the attendees of the greatest theatre fest in the world. The show welcomes chaos, the dice rolls demand uncertainty, and so many of us need to experience not just the escape of theatre but the kind of self-actualization this kind of show provides.

Improvising a full adventure every day sounds exhilarating but demanding. What does it require from you as a performer that scripted work does not?

For a good adventure, I must listen so well to every way a player steers the rudder of the narrative. I can’t go into a show with an agenda; I need to let the story unfold naturally. With a scripted show you can lean into the text, but in this case, I must keep in mind the threads of our human experience, as Shakespeare himself did - jealousy, love, revenge. We’ve been telling and living the same themes throughout history, and I have to be open to letting the quest discover itself while holding together a container for the tale. It IS exhilarating but demanding.

How do you hope audiences feel when they leave the Gilded Balloon after watching Dungeons and Shakespeare?

The audiences of this show are co-creators of the story. I hope we have become allied on our campaign of revelling in the poor choices, the hilarious deaths, and the epic victories. I hope the audience members who got on stage feel thrilled and empowered, that gamers want more Shakespeare, and that drama nerds want to go get their first set of dice.

Dungeons and Shakespeare will be performed at 1:35pm at Gilded Balloon Patter House from 5th – 27th August. Booking link: https://tickets.gildedballoon.co.uk/event/14:6697/