This may be titled ‘A Bedtime Story’, but it’s way too funny and entertaining to have you drifting off to sleep. I’m intrigued by the idea of being able to “get rich quick” utilising Dungeons & Dragons podcasts and then sharing that with sell out audiences. I thought Dungeons & Dragons and mainstream popularity was an oxymoron…
SAT: Thanks for your time, Dice Paper Role…So it seems that Dungeons & Dragons is pretty popular! Is this something you’ve had an interest in for a long time?
Ben: I actually started playing Dungeons & Dragons when I was about 10 years old, but the biggest hurdle was always finding other people who were into it or knew how to play. Fast forward 10 years to when I met Greg (also a member of DPR), and he ran my very first proper game. We’ve been playing together for almost 20 years now, and the members of our original group still make up the core of our inner circle of friends. When Greg left Queensland for Melbourne in 2016, we started playing with a new group who had never played before. That group ended up as the cast of Dice Paper Role.
SAT: What inspired you initially to create a podcast?
Emil: Playing for the first time I had no idea what to expect. Turns out D&D is heaps funnier than I anticipated. Our first adventure as a group was so well written and the vibe around the table so good that we decided to share it with the world. Dice Paper Role was born, which is still a very very silly name…who decided to include two puns in a name?…ridiculous, not to mention that every 3rd follow is someone looking for Vietnamese cooking podcasts.
SAT: How did you promote your podcasts? Were they well received?
Ben: Word of mouth and social media gets DPR out there. Luckily we are blessed to have Jack Kirby Crosby in the group. He is not only an extraordinary improviser but an incredibly talented artist to boot. He has drawn two new pieces of artwork for every single episode.
Emil: you’ve gotta have a look at his work, it’s sensational. Make sure you check it out at www.dicepaperrole.com
Ben: It gave us some unique content to attract audiences over social media too. Over time we got more and more followers, and more and more listeners. Then the 2018 Melbourne International Comedy Festival helped us grow our audience locally, some of whom listen to the show, some who just come cos it’s such a damn fun live show.
SAT: From podcast to Fringe show. How did that happen?
Emil: We’ve always had a good time at the table and when we started the show we hoped it was going to be funny; it was important to pitch DPR as a comedy podcast as well as a D&D show to appeal to a non D&D crowd too. The real test of that came last year when we tried our format live at the Melbourne Comedy Fest. We ended up selling out the two shows we had planned, adding a 3rd and then performing monthly with the same format for the rest of the year! The demand was there, people came, bought merch, and laughed a hell of a lot. Now it’s time to bring the good vibes to Adelaide and the world’s 2nd largest Fringe. We want to grow our audience by introducing new people to D&D and our style of comedy.
Ben: What better way than a late night improv jam at the A Club?
SAT: Could you tell us more about the show? What can audiences expect?
Ben: We really wanted a late night spot for our Bedtime Story concept – each night we take a different well known story, fairy tale or myth, and then use that as the basis of an improvised game of D&D. We’re going to insert our characters from the podcast into the narrative, which means that things are likely to get pretty silly. Who knows how each night will end up?
Emil: I reckon they can expect to laugh a lot and have a pretty ridiculously fun time. One of the reasons that people like our show is that we have such a good connection as a group. That vibe really comes across in the show, and on stage. We trust each other to make offers and build on jokes using the golden “Yes and” rule of improv. What it really means is that really, anything could happen. Think you know how Goldilocks and the 3 Bears goes? Think again.
SAT: Do people need to have prior knowledge of Dungeons & Dragons to enjoy the show?
Emil: Yep, there’s a password at the door, if you can’t tell us the attack bonus of a goblin, it’s no entry. Kidding, absolutely no prior knowledge whatsoever is required. The joy of the show is the pure improv and role play.
Ben: We use the D&D rules as a guide, so our dice rolls determine the character’s success or failure, but that’s all you really need to know.
SAT: Your trip from Melbourne to Adelaide to perform at WOMAD sounds interesting. Tell us about this fancy car.
Emil: ha! Harry the Hiace? If only he were real. We’ll actually be travelling by magic tigerair portal…very advanced Dungeons and Dragons stuff, you wouldn’t understand. Believe it or not we weren’t quite what WOMAD was looking for…no Djembes…
SAT: Is Greg really as bad at improv as you say on your flier?
Ben: worse if anything, but he always brings heaps of snacks to our games so we keep him around.
SAT: Who is your show ideal for?
Ben: Comedy fans, improv fans, fantasy heads, role players, Hans Christian Andersen aficionados, and D&D fans of course. It’s also a late night show so… I probably wouldn’t bring the kiddies.
SAT: Is there any message or what can audiences expect to take away from seeing your show?
Emil: That D&D will cure your cancer. Nah it’s not quite as good as that, but it is bloody great and doesn’t deserve the bad rep it gets. It’s more social than a movie, more creative than a night at the pub, and you get all of the other benefits of a movie and the pub. Lotsa drinks, lotsa laughs, and a wicked storyline.
SAT: Do you have more podcasts planned?
Emil: A Vietnamese Cooking show. Clearly it’s what the people want.
Ben: Ha! So far, Dice Paper Role is the only pod we’re working on at the moment. We create heaps of content for the show, and release our episodes every fortnight on a Sunday. We do have some pretty great ideas for other podcasts for when DPR eventually takes over the world, but for now we’ll keep those in the vault!
SAT: What else is planned for you for the rest of the year?
Emil: Back to Smelbourne for the comedy festival, finish recording our second and some of our third seasons, release season two, drink a beer, have a nap. We’re hoping to connect with some big gaming festivals too both in Australia and overseas, so who knows where DPR will take us next?
A Bedtime Story with DPR is on March 8-16 (excluding Monday)
Loft at A Club Adelaide
109 – 111 Waymouth St, Adelaide
Tickets can be purchased here:
https://adelaidefringe.com.au/fringetix/a-bedtime-story-with-dpr-af2019
Follow Dice Paper Role:
http://www.dicepaperrole.com
https://www.facebook.com/dicepaperrole/
https://www.instagram.com/dicepaperrole/
https://twitter.com/dicepaperrole
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCK0V7KUo-migIZ4BLnewNjg/videos
