On Sunday September 10th, Realms of Peril & Glory performed their first ever live show at the London Podcast Festival at Kings Place.
For those unfamiliar with Realms, they are a group of Actual Play performers. For the uninitiated, this means they produce shows through the medium of Tabletop Roleplaying Games (TTRPGs). Their biggest series so far has been Vael, a campaign set in the game, 13th Age. Their live performance was the latest installment of Vael featuring all the original cast, plus guest star, Naomi Clarke. As their shows normally come out in podcast form, it was an extra special treat to be able to witness events unfold in person.
If you want to find out more about Realms of Peril & Glory, be sure to check out their website. You can listen to their shows by searching ‘Realms of Peril & Glory’ wherever you listen to podcasts or by heading to their YouTube channell. For extra exclusive content, including the filmed version of this performance, you can support them on their Patreon.
The core cast of Realms of Peril & Glory. From top left to bottom right, we have Zack, Liz, James, Naomi, Maddy, Pip and Laura.
Story: A Surreal Madcap Tale of Love and Longing
As with previous Vael performances, Zack Fortais-Gomm was the Game Master in this show. He worked closely with James Barbarossa who voiced the non-player characters the players encounter. Together they guided the players and the audience through a bizarre story featuring an arranged marriage and a surreal love-themed pocket dimension.
Most Vael episodes have a good blend of intrigue, heartfelt drama and interpersonal comedy. This performance, however, leaned heavily into the comedy and the truly bizarre, making me question whether the following sentence actually happened.
This live performance was a continuation of Realms’ epic Vael series.
In this pocket dimension, the party encounter a cartoon heart with teeth called Carole and an imperious figure known as the Lord of Marriage! Both beings were hellbent on making this marriage happen by any means necessary.
All this said, this absolutely bonkers plot did allow other more grounded plot points to develop as the characters reflect on their own romantic situations.
Performances: Character Roleplay at Its Finest!
Realms of Peril and Glory have an amazing cast of players. Playing the noble Dwarf Paladin, Torbrennan, was Pip Gladwin who reacted beautifully to the bizarre situations he find himself in. Riling him up no end was guest player, Naomi Clarke who played Pickleberry, Torbrennan’s Halfling husband to be. Naomi’s chaotic characterization and inexhaustible list of pick up lines vs. Pip’s bewilderment and indigency was character play perfection!
This bizarre tale of unrequited love is just getting started!
Liz Campbell played the group’s Orc Rogue, Zongroff, who brought her usual gruff and endearing world weariness to the role. Her outrage on behalf of Torbrennan’s treatment was a very satisfying counterpoint to continuously building madness of the show.
Maddy Searle played Half-Dark Elf Necromancer, Isadora. Maddy’s character brought some measured realism to the performance as she deals with drama with her in-game partner. Isadora’s attempts to have this important conversation whilst being interrupted by the madness around them felt strangely grounded and personable.
Laura Girling played High Elf Bard, Maerydyth. Laura’s performance of a sassy, authority fighting teenager was uncanny as always! Laura’s defiant backchat against the love-crazed villains was hugely satisfying and responsive. As ever, Maerydyth came across as a character you’d want to have fighting in your corner
Everyone just having the best time with this bonkers plot!
Sound and Pacing: Enjoying the Unedited Chaos
In the Realms of Peril & Glory podcasts, the drama and player interactions are finely edited during production. It also features featuring sound effects and an original musical score by James Barbarossa. With this being a live show, we got the full uncut, unedited mayhem of this unhinged story! With a cast such as this, seeing their genuine reactions to the story, on the spot improvisation and times where they just lost it with laughter was wonderful to behold. There were a few moments where plot points got lost, but most of us were having too much fun to care.
It was great to sill have James’ musical score on speakers throughout the performance, adapting to whatever scene it was in. That said, the dominant soundtrack in this performance was definitely the sound of laughter!
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- So much storytelling, so little time!
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- Maddy and James try and keep a straight face through all of this
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- A touching moment amongst the madness
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- Just how many petals did Naomi bring?!
Realms of Peril & Glory are an excellent example of the blossoming medium of Actual Play performances. Keep an eye on KeenGamer for more articles like this that explore the wider world of Actual Play.
