Key decisions are left up to the audience in this playful live theatre interpretation of the fantasy game

What better way to celebrate 50 years of Dungeons & Dragons – the fantasy tabletop roleplaying game that’s inspired pop culture, moral panics and your local dramatic nerd (it’s me, hi) – than by stepping into its worlds of heroes, villains and on-the-fly dice-counting mathematics while enveloped in the warm hug of live theatre?

Culturally speaking, it’s a good time for D&D: live actual-play shows such as Dimension 20, the jewel in the crown of indie streaming platform Dropout, are selling out stadium tours. Oz Comic-Con this year was drenched in custom dice sets and how-to-play sessions, and Dungeons and Dragons The Twenty-Sided Tavern has been running off-Broadway to warm reviews since April this year and will embark on a US tour in 2025.

It’s easy to understand why this onstage adventuring party has steam – and why it’s travelled all the way to Australia. It’s an uncomplicated and boisterous good time that isn’t afraid to be silly. Our Dungeon Master (William Kasper) introduces us to the world, and the audience votes on which warrior, spellcaster and trickster characters the actors (Atlas Adams, Tribune Dylan Smith and Eleanor Stankiewicz) will be playing that show. The options are too wonderfully ridiculous to be spoiled, but expect big choices, dubious accents and charmingly lo-fi props.