Review by Julia Chamberlain

It’s unfair to review this as comedy, as is an excellent piece of comedy theatre with simple, beautifully realised stage effects.  Although there are, of course, laughs to be had as the Tripodeans achieve a nicely understated level of sarcastic bantering and matey insults that add zip and zest to the cod-solemnity of the Dungeons and Dragons quest  story they perform.

Starting with a Wagnerian blast appropriate to the subject matter, this is a comedy show with proper narrative, not mates just pissing about. They tell a knightly tale with a mysterious map, descent into a mountain, shipwreck, a battle with a dragon and a redemptive romance, all in an hour – Eat Your Heart Out Andrew Lloyd Webber. 

They cover a range of musical styles without ever falling into cheap parody. They can harmonise beautifully without sounding  camp or cheesy and the fourth member of the cast, Elana Stone, has an astonishing voice that is at once, pure, smouldering, soulful and belting. She makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, unusual in a comedy show.

The staging is great, including dramatic shadow puppetry, a screen that becomes a sail, and all run off old technology, an overhead projector.  There were gentle laughs throughout, and the audience, spellbound by music and storytelling gave the most intense and rapturous applause.  This was not the usual Knockabout offering from Tripod, but complex, funny and achieved a geeky beauty.

Review date: 22 Aug 2010
Reviewed by: Julia Chamberlain