A bard, a wizard and a barbarian walk into a tavern . . ..
No, this isn’t the start of a joke – though laughter is imminent. It’s the premise of the first instalment of The Roll Players – a riotous new monthly show at Comedy Bar Danforth.
The Roll Players is “real Dungeons & Drangons played by the best improvisers in the world”. Yes, that’s right. In this show, the impish Kris Siddiqui leads six other razor-sharp Second City Mainstage alumni in playing the infamous role playing game – and acting it out – right up on the Comedy Bar stage. From the moment the dice hit the table during the January 28 inaugural instalment, the audience was transported to a world of engaging epic fantasy laced with improvisational hilarity.
The show boasted a full house that seemed to be equal parts D&D neophytes and veterans. I’m in the first group, and my daughter, who joined me at the show is in the second, having played D & D a few times. Neither of us knew quite what to expect, but we both found ourselves captivated by the show’s irresistible mix of high-stakes storytelling, irreverent silliness and side-splitting comedy. And we agreed that – the Schedule Gods willing – we would return to see the next instalment of the show’s year-long “campaign” on February 25.
Here are 5 reasons we made this decision – and why you should think about booking the last Tuesday of each month to come see The Roll Players for yourself.
1. Improv and D&D are an inspired marriage
Here’s my super-quick overview for D&D newbies: Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) is a collaborative tabletop role-playing game where players embark on imaginative adventures, guided by a Dungeon Master who builds the world, sets the scene, and oversees the narrative. Players first create their own characters, each with unique abilities and backstories. Then they go on quests, in which they make various choices – for instance, whether to investigate or move past an overturned wagon, or whether to fight or flee attacking goblins. They roll bizarre 20-sided dice to determine the outcomes of their choices.
It turns out that D&D and improvisational comedy go together incredibly well. Both require quick thinking, creativity and collaboration. And in an improv setting, the unpredictable nature of D&D scenarios provides a rich tapestry for comedians to weave spontaneous, character-driven humor. And this the Roll Players most certainly do: feeding off one another in real time to spin inadvertent comments into the comical core of one another’s characters.
The result is a performance that’s dynamic and engaging – and as unpredictable as the outcomes of those 20-sided tumbling dice. These seven improvisers go to town mining organic humour . . . well, wait. Actually, their quest takes them out of town.
Let me explain.
2. The Lost Mine of Phandelver provides an engaging frame for the show
For their inaugural campaign, The Roll Players have embarked on Lost Mine of Phandelver, a classic (and Siddiqui let us know, a Toronto-created) D&D adventure. The journey commenced with the “Goblin Arrows” segment, in which the game’s three players – Level 1 bard Silvia Parsons-Dantee (Sarah Hillier), Level 1 wizard Hagassis Barton (Sharjil Rasool) and level 1 barbarian Aldorius Starcaster (Andy Hull) met dwarf Gundren Rockseeker (Siddiqui, doing double-duty) at a bar.
At the bar, Gundren tasked the trio with escorting a wagon of mining supplies to the frontier town of Phandalin, where Gundren and his brothers believe they have discovered the location of Wave Echo Cave, the long-lost site of some big-time ancient magic. The trio reluctantly agreed to take on the mission, and then embarked on their journey. While en route to the destination, they were ambushed by – gasp – goblins! After a battle, the episode culminated in our inexperienced players’ difficult — and ultimately hilarious –destruction of their three goblin attackers . . . plus a nice little cliffhanger ending.
The quest is fun and high-stakes. It’s moving along nicely. And it easily has the legs to support future shows – and pull new audience members into the show’s narrative.
3. The 7 improvisers are rock-solid – and the comedy is organic, not forced
The Dungeon Master: The charismatic Kris Siddiqi does double duty as the show’s genial comedy emcee and Dungeon Master. Garbed in a brown hooded robe, he began the show with an unflinching display of his D&D bona fides: yup, he’s a self-proclaimed geek who has been playing D&D for years. He then stepped into the role of the Dungeon Master, orchestrating the tale with quick wit, clear storytelling, and lucid explanations to support D&D neophytes like myself.
The 3 players: Hillier, Rasool and Hull used a lovely comedic synergy to craft richly detailed and hilarious backstories for their characters on the fly. Hillier’s bard Silvia Parsons-Dantee repeatedly stressed that her hyphenate name was not conferred by marriage, as we were most likely assuming. She also let us know – in the most melodramatic ways possible – that she is haunted by the tragic fate which befell her missing fellow musician sister. And she busted out her lute at every moment possible to improvise sundry silly songs.
By dint of one errant comment mercilessly massaged by Hillier and Hull, Rasool’s wizard Hagassis Barton became an almost (but not quite) creepily love-starved book nerd, who is desperate for real-world wizarding and relationship experience. And Andy Hull’s barbarian Aldorius Starcaster revealed himself to be a dimwitted dropout of the same wizarding school Barton attends – one who literally sees red when he goes full barbarian (thanks to cool stage lighting). He is on this mission because he is desperate to prove that he can accomplish something – anything – meaningful to his dismissive family.
The improvisational chemistry of these three adventurers is rich and palpable. They feed off each other, drawing us into their personalities and motivations as they squabble over who gets to drive the cart of supplies . . . or where they “draw the line” (you had to be there – but Rasool brought down the house with his quip on this topic).
The 3 Non-Player Characters (NPCs): Complementing the three players was a second trio of versatile improvisers. Their job is to play every other member of this fantasy world, from major villains to incidental bystanders. With the simple addition of a dress, cape or hat – or by grabbing a sword or a staff from a costume rack at the back of the stage — these three non-player characters (NPCs) transformed themselves into barmaids, birds, and bystanders – and even the brothers of Gundren Rockseeker. In real time, they both built out the world and spun incidental comedy gold.
Aurora Browne was wonderful as a chatty barmaid who – hoisting an upside-down chair which doubled as a tray of drinks — welcomed each player individually to the opening scene’s bar, then walked them in a superfluous, improvisationally conversational trip around the bar . . . before leading them right back to where they first entered, so they could sit with Gundren. Paul Bates was the ultimate in versatility, but never better than as “Random Bystander or Walker-by” – who found a way to always be right there, doffing his invisible hat to the players on whichever street, avenue or bramble-encrusted path they were passing by in their wagon of mining supplies. And Lisa Merchant shone as a baldcap-wearing dimwitted Rockseeker brother hoping to get their band (who knew they had one?) back together.
But nowhere were the intrepid three NPCs better than as attacking goblins – swaying side-by-side on the balls of their feet, and talking trash while cradling random weapons (one of which, in an uncredited cameo, was Lucille from The Walking Dead). In accordance with the players’ dice rolls, they attacked or were attacked, and manifested melodramatically all “damage” suffered – which included acting out their own comic death scenes, as narrated by the three winning players (narration by the victor is a Siddiqui rule).
4. The show works brilliantly for all audiences
The Roll Players operates on multiple levels, ensuring there’s something for everyone:
- For D&D enthusiasts: The show is a treasure trove of inside jokes and familiar tropes. Fans will revel in the clever nods to game mechanics ,and appreciate the improvisers’ daring (or foolish) choices and their inventive twists on classic scenarios.
- For newcomers: Even those unacquainted with D&D (like myself) can quickly grasp the basics of the game through Siddiqui’s explanations and the performers’ storytelling. The blend of adventure and comedy provides an accessible and thoroughly enjoyable experience.
- For all: You become invested in the journey of flawed adventurers Sylvia, Hagassis and Aldorius, with their imaginative quirks and shared gift for observational mockery. And the episodic structure – complete with a premise, a major conflict, and a tantalizing cliffhanger, leaves you anticipating the next installment.
5. There’s lots more to come in 2025.
As the curtains fell on the premiere instalment, it was clear from the thunderous ovation, copious whistles and foot stomping that The Roll Players had struck a chord with the audience – as it had with my daughter and me.
It seems that the show’s inspired blend of structured storytelling and spontaneous comedy left everyone wanting more. And happily for them – and for you, if you missed the debut – there is much more on the way. The adventure continues on February 25, 2025, at Comedy Bar Danforth – and thereafter, on the final Tuesday of every month up to December, when Siddiqui promises the Roll Players’ Lost Mine of Phandelver campaign will wrap.
So whether you’re a seasoned D&D player, or just someone in search of laughs and a novel experience — or both – fear not. With The Roll Players, you won’t be rolling the dice: you’re in for a great evening.
The Roll Players’ campaign runs the last Tuesday of every month in 2025 at Comedy Bar Danforth. You can find ticket information here.
© Scott Sneddon, Sesaya Arts Magazine, 2025
