The Tartan Tabletop gang are back after their second sold-out run at the Edinburgh Fringe. Get ready for improvised comedy at the roll of a dice as four heroes blunder their way through an adventure like no other – aided by the weird and wonderful Noblin the Goblin, played by a different guest star comedian every night.
The concept of Tartan Tabletop‘s show is relatively simple and familiar for any fans of DnD, as the show does feel like watching a live recording of one of the many DnD podcasts or YouTube series that exist out there. What makes Tartan Tabletop stand out from the rest though, is that they improvise comedy live as they do it; they’re not just playing DnD, they’re coming up with incredibly funny stuff on the spot. Each night of this show is different, so you’ll forgive me for going into some specifics here.
The hour of geeky, fantasy fun is DM’d by Josh Aitken. Aitken brings flawless energy & charisma and his improv skills are apparent right from the off. He is likeable, easily controls activities and delights as he weaves the well thought out, yet doable within an hour campaign. Feeling always at-home at the head of the story, and bringing not just the players, but the audience along with him shows how meant for this Aitken really is. Clever story & setting touches like “Goth Street” full of cans of monster and MCR songs and around 10 minutes of audience interaction at the start to get things warmed up show that Aitken really is in his element.
The guest star for this evening is Alex Hopes. Hopes springs right into action, deciding to portray Noblin the Goblin as Mr Worldwide himself; Pitbull. Instantly donning shades, a big smile and enough Pitbull-isms to put his best impersonator to shame, she manages to speak almost entirely in Pitbull quotes and squeezes in as many jokes as she can, making Noblin immediately hilarious and someone for the rest of the table to play off of. Hopes fits right in here and her specific, yet appropriate sense of humour works perfectly.
Alex Bathe is also at the table. Bathe plays Bert Boyd, the “knocker Upper” (yes that was a real job in Victorian times). A Cockny lad (in Edinburgh) bathe bounces off his cast mates effortlessly and brings a comfort on stage and playing DnD that screams that he’s been doing this for a long time. His jokes were instantaneous and his character en pointe. His inclusion of a song specific to his character is a lovely touch. There’s clear preparation but still feels off-the-cuff enough to thoroughly impress and natural circumstances need to occur for it to happen.
Niall Curran is Rimmy Lickit the author. Curran adds lots of nicely timed comedy and some hilarious moments, all players possess a strong instinct for the game, but Curran helped things along nicely. Curran’s vocal work and character is strong, adding to the immersion present throughout.
Lauren McColgan plays Eliza Do A Little. A Jazz singer before jazz even exists, so she’s very ahead of her time. McColgan adds layer after layer of astute and effective jokes; skat singing and speaking in a silky tone make Do A Little a stand out here. Keeping to ‘accurate’ timelines of jazz, and singers that don’t exist yet but Do A Little still knows about creates lots of laughs, being in on the joke and almost always acknowledging its absurdity always makes for a funnier hour of entertainment.
Overall, Tartan Tabletop bring to the Fringe a show that ticks lots of boxes. Their show is accessible for people who know the ins & outs of DnD and for those who may have never played, or seen the game played before. With the rules of DnD being briefly and effectively explained in the first few moments, it allows for proceedings to begin as quickly as possible. With the setting of our story being Edinburgh, there was plenty of room for poking fun at the Fringe itself and all of the hysterical stereotypes and intricacies that come with that. With musician’s jumping in to add yet another layer of immersive, fantasy fun and 4 hilariously witty and experienced performers to watch for 60 minutes, this show proves to be a nerd’s happy place and is all audiences could ask for from an excellent Fringe show.
https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/tartan-tabletop-a-dungeons-dragons-comedy
Theatre Scotland 
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