+1 Sword
Dragons. Dungeons. Not necessarily in that order.
In 1974, a pair of idiots invented Dungeons & Dragons, the first roleplaying game. 35 years later, a different pair of idiots will polish the twenty-sided dice, sharpen the +1 swords and open a bag of holding full of tales of adventure, danger and laughs. Those idiots are Richard McKenzie and Ben McKenzie, and after a year working together in the Anarchist Guild Social Committee ('sketch maestros' - Adelaide Advertiser), they've decided to really get their geek on.
Dungeons & Dragons has captured the imaginations of nerds around the globe for 35 years. Now, you too can find out why millions of people enjoy sitting around a table imagining they're elves, wizards or fighters, battling the forces of evil with sword and sorcery. Is it the adventure? The old-fashioned storytelling? The thrill of chance as you roll the dice? Or maybe it's just another excuse to muck about with friends over beer and pizza.
Whether you're a diehard gamer who owns several twenty-sided dice in case the luck runs out of one, or a layman who doesn't know alignment from armour class, +1 Sword will take you on a whirlwind tour of the critical hits and failures of "probably the world's most popular game".
+1 Sword - the only comedy show that grants you a bonus to attack and damage rolls.
When: September 24-27 and October 1-4, 6:30pm (Sundays 5:30pm); running time 60 minutes
Where: The Vault @ Caz Reitops Dirty Secrets, 80 Smith Street, Collingwood (see map)
How much: $15 full, $10 concession
Tickets: 03 9660 9666, Fringe box office, melbournefringe.com.au or at the door
Who are these idiots?
Richard McKenzie has been a comedian since 2002, and a hardcore nerd since waaaay before that. He has performed stand-up, sketch comedy and impro across Australia, both solo and with his brother, fellow comedian Adam. He's hosted a bunch of comedy rooms, and is currently the man in charge of both Grumpy Trivia and Comedy at the Green at Grumpy's Green in Fitzroy. His awards include Best Comedy in the Melbourne Fringe Festival 2004 (Super Happy Robot Hour) and a Moosehead Award in 2006 (Digger). His previous nerd shows include Zombies 101, or, Why Grandma Had to Die and Mint Condition, and this year you can also catch him in Robot vs. World.
Ben McKenzie is an actor, scientician and Graeme Garden look-a-like who's worked in theatre, comedy and short film for over a decade. He's best known as the "Man in the Lab Coat", in whose guise he has performed numerous one-man science shows and public speaking appearances. He was also one of the brains behind hit Channel 31 show Planet Nerd, and in 2007 wrote and co-starred in A Record or an OBE, a dark "what if" play about 70s British comedy stars The Goodies. OBE was "highly commended" in the Comedy category at the 2007 Fringe awards. Ben is currently working on a science show for kids about dinosaurs and a cabaret about astronomy, and works as a voiceover artist for educational videos.
Karin Muiznieks deserves very special thanks for her hard work assisting with the props for the show. She drew all the amazing pictures, went above and beyond the call of duty to secure the services of Toby the wyvern, and yes, she really did make the spectacular cloak that Ben sports during the show. Thanks Karin!
The "idiots" who invented Dungeons & Dragons are the late Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. They have been followed by a lot of other idiots, all of whom are most excellent nerds and geeks. You can find out about the current version of the game at the official web site of publishers Wizards of the Coast.
Reviews of +1 Sword:
'*** plenty of laughs...very silly, and definitely enjoyable regardless of whether or not you've ever rolled a d20' - Richard Watts, arts critic, on his blog Man About Town
'an hilariously geeky journey...highly entertaining...I laughed so much my jaw hurt' - Andrew Erlanger, Buzzcuts (audio review)
Previous praise for Richard and Ben:
'geekfest love-in' - The Age
'smart, funny and educational' - The Age
'I couldn't stop laughing' - 3RRR
'charming and unique' - Herald Sun