When and where is it?
Thurs 17th Nov, Weds 14th Dec and Weds 11th Jan at Colab Tavern, from 7.30pm-10.30pm each night. These are standalone events – you can come to one or all of them!
Ticket-holders should arrive by 7.30pm. We will try to accommodate latecomers but cannot guarantee admission.
How much is it?
A ticket will cost £15.00 (this is just for one date rather than all three). They are available here.
Is there a cloakroom?
Unfortunately not; we have no dedicated space to store coats/bags. If you leave any items around the venue this is done at your own risk.
When will tickets go on sale?
They are currently on sale and available here.
How many people will be there?
There will be maximum 40 people present each night (including 5 performers)
Can I dress up?
Absolutely! You simply need to dress up with the following in mind: the world of The Shield and Torch has no fantastical creatures, beasts or species, so everyone present is role-playing as a human. Make-up or prosthetics to change your skin colour or features is not permitted.
Feel free to get in touch with the team via our contact page if you have any questions about costume.
Is it suitable for children?
Everyone coming to The Shield and Torch must be over 18 years old. (As our ticketing system does not have a means of confirming individuals’ ages, people may be asked for ID when purchasing drinks)
How does making a character work?
You’ll decide a few things about your character – what their job is, how well-known they are, what they’re hoping to gain from being at the tavern, and so on. There’ll be a performer present to help with any questions and fleshing them out a little! You’ll likely find out more about your character during the evening – it’s led a lot by what’s fun for you to role-play.
Is this like immersive theatre?
The Shield & Torch is very different to the kind of immersive theatre where you move around a world and watch stories unfold; it’s got a little more in common with the kind of immersive theatre where you’re getting stuck in, making decisions and affecting what happens.
However, the big difference is that The Shield & Torch is a lot more freeform than most immersive theatre; performers aren’t making sure events happen or working to a ready-made structure (they’re there to help you discover what stories you want to tell, and then tell them!). There’s no pre-planned ‘A-plot’ – it’s all about what comes out of the combination of characters people play on the night.
Is the venue physically accessible?
Colab Tavern has a few steps across the different interior spaces (around 5-6 in all) so unfortunately it is not suitable for wheelchair users. (Colab Tavern does have a basement space but we will not be using this area)
The Colab Tavern does not have an accessible toilet.
Is there any distressing or adult content?
None of the pre-written content for The Shield & Torch (postings on the tavern noticeboard, fortunes given by magical items, messages from otherworldly portals) contains distressing or adult content. Elements of the experience do touch upon themes of death (through a fantastical lens: magical means of talking to the dead, celebrations in ghosts’ honour and suchlike).
A lot of The Shield & Torch is what people create on the evening, but the tone set is one of a fun evening in a tavern rather than a darker one of triggering content.
Can I read up on things like making a character before coming?
We understand that some people will feel more confident getting involved if they’ve looked over materials beforehand; in that spirit, they’re available here. Please note that these might get tweaked a little in the run-up to the shows.
However: the evening is run on the assumption that people have not read anything beforehand. We’re not asking people to do homework! These materials are purely available should they reduce anxiety or suchlike for anyone who’d like to get involved.
Can I bring LARP weapons?
LARP weapons are not allowed at The Shield & Torch (as we do not have the time & resources to both check the condition and safety of all weapons brought, and ensure all attendees have been given a thorough briefing on LARP weapon safety).
Anyone arriving with a LARP weapon will be required to hand it in when entering the venue (to be returned at the end of the night). In-world, The Shield & Torch is a ‘no weapons allowed’ tavern.
How does this all relate to last year’s Alongame project?
Good question! To be honest, The Shield & Torch is connected to The Alongame Shelves thematically more than anything – it’s about exploring fun and interesting ways for people to tell stories together, and to foster communities through communal storytelling.
The Shield & Torch isn’t bound by any of the worldbuilding done in last year’s project; think of it as being part of the same overall world, but a different country – it’s more of a classic fantasy tone, albeit still in a heavily rural world with ritual-based magic.
If you have a question that isn’t covered above, you can get in touch with us here and we will reply as soon as we can.
Alongame 