Tabletop Tales: A Wellbeing Quest
A wizard, an elf and a barbarian walk into a theatre, and the result is improved wellbeing.
Following succesful wellbeing courses with West Kent Mind, the Assembly Hall Theatre and The Amelia Scott have teamed up to bring tabletop roleplaying games to the heart of Tunbridge Wells.
We spoke to Games Master and Front of House Manager Mike D’Souza to find out more:
What's the event?
Tabletop Tales is basically an afternoon of immersive storytelling and adventure where people get to step into the story themselves. We’ve got six tables running at once, each with six players, all led by some fantastic Games Masters who really bring the world and the characters to life. You don’t need any experience at all, it’s just about getting together, having a laugh, rolling some dice, and seeing where the adventure takes you.
How did it grow from The Amelia’s original D&D sessions?
We've been so lucky to work with The Amelia and West Kent mind in hosting Dungeons and Dragons for mental health. During our first programme we noticed such a deep and meaningful impact this game was having on people that we had to share it. We hosted a day where the clients were able to play on The Assembly Hall Theatre stage and we invited a few people down to come and watch. The overwhelming positive feedback we had in what good this can do for the community has meant we've been constantly looking at ways to expand our offering of it. Bringing it to the theatre seemed like a great first step.
How did you get into D&D?
I actually got into Dungeons & Dragons around 2015 after discovering a group called Critical Role who were streaming their games online. I’d never seen anything quite like it, the mix of deep storytelling, improv, and amazing characters was just incredible. You could really see how invested the players were, and how the story grew naturally from their choices. I think that’s what really hooked me, the fact it wasn’t just a game, it was collaborative storytelling between friends.
Not long after that, I gathered a few friends who I thought might enjoy it, and we decided to give it a go ourselves. We have been playing ever since and have actually just started our fourth game (yes, our games have spanned several years). I can’t wait to see what type of stories we'll tell in the next 10 years.
What was the process of creating the event?
The idea for Tabletop Tales really came from wanting to share that same sense of adventure and creativity I’ve loved for years to a wider audience. I started by actually setting up a game for some of the team that work across TWBC and we've been playing for a year or so now. We spoke about how we could give more people the opportunity to experience the game, using the theatre’s darker days (when we didn’t have shows booked) to do that.
It’s been a really collaborative process. We wanted it to feel accessible to people who’ve never played before, but still exciting for seasoned players. A lot of it has been about creating an atmosphere, the right lighting, music, and plot to make it immersive but also relaxed and fun. Seeing it slowly coming together has been amazing.
What do you love about D&D?
There are SO many reasons why I love D&D but to save myself rambling like a lunatic I'll give you two: firstly, the unpredictability of the game is one of the reasons I love playing. I can plan out an entire storyline, and within five minutes my players have completely derailed it in the best possible way. Those unexpected twists are often where the real magic happens. I love seeing how people’s creativity takes the story somewhere I never could’ve planned. Secondly, I love getting to make ridiculous voices and bring characters to life. My most recent and unexpected voice was a sentient sword one of my players found, that sounded suspiciously like Christopher Walken. It’s moments like that where everyone’s laughing, improvising, and completely immersed that make D&D so special to me.
Why should people attend?
People should come along because it’s just such a unique experience, there’s really nothing quite like it. You get to step into a story, make choices that actually matter, and share that adventure with a group of people who are all discovering it alongside you. It’s funny, unpredictable, sometimes a bit chaotic, but always a lot of fun. Whether you’ve been playing for years or have never rolled a dice before, it’s an afternoon where you can completely lose yourself in the world and your imagination. Plus, our Games Masters are fantastic they'll each make their table feel like its own little epic.
We'll be hosting Tabletop Tales on 8 November, 10am - 3pm so book your space soon!
