Review: THE HABITS, Hampstead Theatre

Each Thursday night, the most unlikely of groups meet to play Dungeons & Dragons. A struggling teenager, an overworked trainee solicitor, and an unemployed twenty-something become a Dungeon Master, a Wizard, and a Warrior Princess. Instead of fighting the system that lets them down head on, they work together to defeat the Nightmare King. Protected by their spells and weapons, everything seems fine for a few hours. Reality intertwines with their fantasy to unfold a story imbued with grief, where growing up and letting go lie at the end of a gruesome battle with oneself.

Jack Bradfield’s debut play marries theatre and role-playing in a tender look at who we are and who we wish we were in the face of bereavement. The Habits is captivating. It casts a spell and presents a sweet depiction of geeky life. The collaborative storytelling of the game lends itself to inner exploration through thespian creation, with the actual plot surfacing between the action-heavy sequences where Jess leads the campaign and the intervals rooted in the real world. Suddenly, we’re watching three youngsters grapple with their circumstances. 

Directed by Ed Madden, the production has incredible timing - both comic and dramatic. While the Dungeons & Dragons bits can be a tad self-indulgent in how they brutally take over, Jess - like Bradfield - is a gifted storyteller. It becomes a chance for Ruby Stokes to burst into the scene with a thrilling performance. Setting aside the compelling gameplay she delivers, Stokes introduces a young girl who wasn’t given the adequate tools to deal with the loss of her brother. She finds solace in the fiction he created for himself and the company of his old school friends, as well as a beacon in Dennis (Paul Thornley), the good-hearted owner of WarBoar (the cafe where they meet) and veteran Dungeon Master. 

Joining Jess are the fellow casualties of Matt’s passing, Milo and Maryn. Jamie Bisping and Sara Hazemi are a joy to watch. Him: a lovable underdog who can’t find a job due to his intense leftist feelings. Her: torn between her morals and working towards a high-paying position. The characters call each other out, the performers toy with the dazzling chemistry that crackles between them, establishing a strong piece of ensemble dramedy. The project is equal parts charming nerdy humour and bittersweet family tragedy. While some ideas feel like they’ve been thrown in for the sake of it (like Maryn’s anti-police sentiments semi-shouted at Dennis’s girlfriend, Debra Baker, out of the blue), Bradfield excels at symbolism, which, in this case, though abstract, is substantially characteristic.

Theatregoers might be wary of going into something that markets itself with Dungeons & Dragons at its very core, but fear not! It’s only dressing. While the whimsy of the game translates exceptionally well to the stage, this is a show about grief. The D&D side of it adds suspense and creates a layered dynamic in a play that offers affable, engaging storytelling that’s gripping in the weirdest of ways. The jokes are solid, tongue-in-cheek and delightfully meta in their self-referential nature and the emotional angle is well-curated in its development. Sure, it could act as an introduction to the D&D uninitiated and an endorsement to the players, but, ultimately, it’s just bloody good theatre.

The Habits runs at Hampstead Theatre until 5 April.

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