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https://www.theguardian.com/games/2025/sep/30/games-master-brennan-lee-mulligan-interview-dungeons-dragons-endless-dungeon-live-show>
"“If anyone were to tell me that getting a job as a full-time cast member on a
sketch YouTube channel would lead to playing
Dungeons & Dragons at Madison
Square Garden, then that person is either a time traveller or the biggest liar
on the planet,” says Brennan Lee Mulligan.
The comedian, professional games master and host of the popular streaming show
Dimension 20 is speaking ahead of his first trip to Australia, where he will
be touring a live game of
Dungeons & Dragons at huge venues around the
country, including the International Convention & Exhibition Centre in Sydney
and Margaret Court Arena in Melbourne. Titled
Endless Dungeon, the show will
see the LA-based performer teaming up with local comedians including Tom Cardy,
Demi Lardner and Jordan Raskopoulos to create an improvised game of
D&D.
Diehard fans of the tabletop role playing game will revel in “the absurdity and
depth” of the show, Mulligan says. And for everyone else, there’s “absolutely
wild hijinks”.
D&D has been around since the 70s, previously considered either a nerdy
pursuit for basement dwellers or a scapegoat for satanic panic, depending on
who you speak to – but in recent years it has exploded in popularity. “Actual
play” series – where hosts and guests record the entire, often lengthy process
of gameplay for audiences – have burgeoned across podcasts, YouTube and Twitch,
becoming a genre in their own right.
Critical Role – the show which Mulligan will be helming for its fourth
campaign – has a fanbase of millions and its own Amazon Prime spin-off. It has
helped make Mulligan a tiny king of
D&D: another one of his actual play
shows,
Dimension 20, recently toured around the world with sold-out dates at
the Hollywood Bowl and Madison Square Garden.
“It feels crazy. It all just feels so crazy. And I hope it stays feeling crazy
because it should,” Mulligan says, describing not only the insanity of playing
a tabletop role playing game in front of 20,000 people, but also the general
success of his career. “We stay bewildered out here. Bewildering gratitude … as
long as I get to do this.”"
Share and enjoy,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
