Dungeons and Shakespeare - Shelby Bond on bringing Dungeons and Shakespeare to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Mixing the worlds of Shakespeare and Dungeons & Dragons, Dungeons and Shakespeare arrives at the Edinburgh Fringe with an interactive comedy where audience choices shape every performance. Hosted by dungeon master Shelby Bond, the show sends iconic Shakespeare characters on unpredictable fantasy quests, driven by live improvisation and giant dice rolls. Having already played more than 700 performances across North America, no two adventures are ever the same. We caught up with Shelby Bond to find out more about the show.

For anyone who hasn’t seen it, what can audiences expect when they walk into Dungeons and Shakespeare for the first time?

You can expect to see me welcoming you to the adventure. I won’t be hiding behind the curtain, I’ll be prepping the game floor and greeting the audience. I have to build up some trust before I kill as many of you as possible. 

What drew you personally to both Shakespeare and fantasy roleplaying in the first place? 

I grew up in a small Texas town, which was a difficult place to be weird. When I was in grade seven a friend gave me the DND Players Handbook and it changed my life as it was a portal into other worlds. That same year I was cast as Lysander in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the gateway drug into Shakespeare. These two things showed me there was way more to the world than that little town. 

This is an interactive show. How do you make participation feel exciting rather than intimidating for people who might be shy?

Don’t feel like you must sit in the back of the audience if you don’t want to be chosen to come onto stage. I will NEVER pick anyone to come up that doesn’t want to. You can even sit in the front row if you like, I’ll never pick on you. I create a safe container for the adventure, and I love it when drama nerds get up and rock the stage, but I’m thrilled when people who don’t usually do this kind of thing feel comfortable enough to play a character or a monster. 

No two performances are the same. Do you have a favourite character quest or audience suggestion from previous runs?

In one performance, two random cards were chosen: Iago and Lady Macbeth. They made a pact to fight and upon winning, to rule as King and Queen. They defeated a Hydra then Iago reached out his hand to honour their pact. She accepted her place at his side and the audience cheered. BUT with his other hand he raised a dagger behind her back and stabbed her. Audience members were so caught off guard some of them actually screamed. He maniacally laughed as she fell onto the corpse of the beast and he began his rule of darkness.

After more than 700 performances, what still surprises you when you step on stage?

I love doing this show BECAUSE of the surprises and chaos. I love seeing a bear of a man playing the role of Ophelia, or a seven-year-old as a Vampire Spawn. It’s the insane choices and disastrous rolls that make the show electrifying.

What is the biggest challenge in building a show that relies so heavily on improvisation and audience energy?

The biggest challenge is creating trust with the audience quickly so that they know I am creating a safe sandbox of play. People are weary of being “singled out” or “picked on” with audience participation. Once they know I’m on their side and will do everything to make them look great, the show is a blast. 

Edinburgh Fringe audiences are famously varied. Are you expecting the show to take on a different energy there?

The show takes on the energy of the players. I expect audiences to be savvy and for a good amount to know some Shakespeare. If they end up riffing in iambic pentameter, I’m here for it! They may speak with it eloquently tripping off the tongue, or they may speak it as if the town-crier calling out the lines. 

If someone says they know nothing about Shakespeare or roleplaying games, what would you say to persuade them this show is still for them?

I’d say to the uninitiated, “Be brave! Cowards die many times before their deaths; the valiant never taste of death but once. Tonight could be that time!”

Dungeons and Shakespeare will be performed at 1:35pm at Gilded Balloon Patter House from 5^th – 27^th August.

Booking link: https://tickets.gildedballoon.co.uk/event/14:6697/