The Experience
West Coast Interactive LLC is proud to be partnering with Pedro Rodríguez Marin to produce the 5th run (sonnet) of "The Bard's Tale" and first to be produced in the US.
The Bard's Tale is a LARP exploring how Shakespearean characters would exist and interact with each other outside of the plays we know them from. Would Puck and Ariel team up to play pranks on Hamlet? Would Viola decide she wanted to be 'the man'? What would happen if Romeo and Juliet actually despised each other?
The Story
The Bard's Tale is a two-day LARP that begins with characters from several of Shakespeare's plays not only becoming aware of themselves, but no longer bound to be who they were as written. In fact, some may regain memories of their past inceptions, their drafts, and more. We aim to explore what will happen when 35 famous characters suddenly gain free will. These characters will go from words on a page, to living, breathing, complex individuals with varying wants and needs.
It's a type of story you would find in a world like Cornelia Funke's Inkheart, or Jasper Fforde's The Eyre Affair. It's a 'What If' story, and the concept as described by Pedro is:
What if Shakespeare’s characters from several of their plays actually become not just self aware, but different from their original personalities, and no longer constrained by the boundaries of their text?
Things to expect to be able to do at The Bard's Tale:
-
Read Scenes from your and potentially other Shakespeare plays 'on-stage'
-
Form relationships (good and bad) with all characters within the house
-
Play on dynamic plot suggestions (Blue Notes) to create interesting story and scenes
-
Take charge of your own story and explore the threads that seem interesting to you
Themes
Main and Unavoidable Themes:
These themes will be hard to avoid entirely. We are able to cast you as a character who is less affected by a particular theme, but they will appear in game and in other characters' play.
-
Death of someone close (a family member or lover for example)
-
Definition of Self
-
Gender Flexibility
-
Romantic Love
-
Key themes from any of the represented Shakespeare Plays (so long as not excluded below)
Possible Themes:
These themes may be present and should be roleplayed with care as some may be distressing to other players. Please be sure to use our safety mechanics to discuss any of the following themes before playing on them with others.
-
Consensual sexual contact
-
Discrimination on the basis of IN-CHARACTER attributes: age, class or social status, nationality, sex and/or gender identity, or relationship choices.
-
Infanticide (i.e. the intentional killing of an infant - aged 12 months or less - should a player choose a character from The Winter's Tale)
-
Mental illness
-
Physical abuse (i.e. during a relationship, should a player choose a character from Taming of the Shrew)
-
References to real-world religions and cultures
-
Self-harm and suicide
We will discuss meta-techniques for roleplaying around consensual sexual contact and physical abuse in workshops before the game.
Unacceptable Themes:
These themes should not appear in the game in any way. They will not be in backgrounds or briefs, and players must not make any reference to them as part of their roleplay.
-
Abortion
-
Discrimination on the basis of any OUT-OF-CHARACTER attributes including but not limited to: age, physical appearance, sex and/or gender identities including transgender status, race, culture, disability, neurodivergence, nationality, religion, parental status, breastfeeding choices, class or social status, sexuality or relationship choices. (Many of these themes are in one or more of Shakespeare's plays, but will not be included in our game)
-
Eating disorders (such as anorexia, bulimia, etc)
-
Miscarriage and stillbirth
-
Non-consensual sex (This is a theme in some of the plays, but will not be included in our game)
-
Sex involving minors (This is a possible theme of Romeo and Juliet, but it will not be included in our game)
-
Slavery, particularly around the Atlantic Slave Trade
These lists of potentially distressing themes are not exhaustive and are based on our experiences. If there is something not listed as a Main/Unavoidable or Possible theme you would like added to the list of Unacceptable Themes to make your game more comfortable, please e-mail us at support@westcoastinteractive.com
Special thanks to Harry Harrold, larpx.com for contributing this list and more, and sharing it.
Content & Safety
Being Read & The Passage of Time: There will be moments in the LARP where your Thespian's book is opened and read. Almost like a sixth sense, the characters will feel they are about to be read, and therefore have time to prepare and go to the stage where they will play their parts as needed. [GMs will tell you when you are about to be written and you will have 15 minutes at least to prepare] Each Thespian will be provided a physical copy of their own play available to read, and knowing lines by heart is NOT expected or necessary. The reader [a physical person who will participate with the characters while they are reading] will end the Reading by closing their book with an audible thump.
Time in the Bard’s House isn’t linear. It moves in strange ways that match the pace of the story, not the real world. Characters can live lifetimes in the blink of a real-world moment, or stretch a short scene across days. This is also why characters have time to prepare for their readings.
Opting Out: Players who do not feel comfortable acting out a scene publicly will have an opportunity to say a phrase to opt-out of the reading or scene. This serves as a safety mechanic for players. In-game, the character will have played and read their scene correctly.
Blue Notes: These are in-game prompts written on special blue paper, delivered to players as surprise thoughts, realizations or secrets from their character's perspectives. They act as gentle nudges to steer the story, offer unexpected twists, or deepen character development.
These notes are completely optional (you can always ignore them with the mechanic known as "Shyte on the Plot" described below) and may come with special instructions, like where to read them or how to react. They add spontaneity and mystery to the game, keeping even your own character development unpredictable.
"Shyte on the plot": This mechanic allows players to completely ignore any storyline that doesn't feel right for them - emotional, personally, or creatively. Whether driven by real-life triggers or simple disinterest, you are free to walk away from a plot at any time, so long as you are respectful and communicative with others involved so they can adjust their play. It is not a command or code-word, but built-in permission to prioritize your comfort and enjoyment during the LARP.
Thespians Vs. Roles: You are both actor and character. Each participant exists as both their Shakespeare character (the Role) and as their in-game personality playing that character (the Thespian). These identities are layered rather than separate—your real self and your character influence each other. Roles can change over time. With each retelling or performance, a character might evolve or shift. Over time, the way a character is remembered or portrayed can become more powerful than how they were originally written and alter the world in interesting ways.
'Play to Lose' & 'Play to Lift': These LARP principles aid in the collective storytelling that is this kind of LARP. If everyone played only to ensure their characters had the best and happy lives, even at the expense of others, the story we are aiming to tell would be lackluster and boring. The Bard's Tale is not a competitive game, meaning that there aren't any 'winners' in the end. Playing to lose is to allow and participate in situations where your character is the 'losing' party in an interaction. Playing to lift is shifting your play in subtle ways that enhances the story and experience of those around you. This can be as simple as being an active audience to someone else's argument, or to encouraging someone to get involved in your own tasks and scenes.
Safety Mechanics: The Bard's Tale has a variety of safety mechanics with a strong emphasis on calibration to ensure that players know what is expected and appropriate at the LARP, how to calibrate with fellow players before and during a scene, and if necessary, how to de-escalate and disengage from play. These will be discussed in our workshops and available in our Safety Document that everyone will have access to before the LARP. Some of the highlighted mechanics are:
-
Off-Game Discussion: Key phrases such as, 'Is that all you've got?', 'Armin will do it', 'Are you sure this is in your book?', "Can we re-read this?" will all aid in players having agency to encourage, discourage, re-direct, and even completely remove themselves from scenes and situations.
-
Exit Stage: Players who chose to remove themselves from a scene or situation for any emotional or physical reason will use this phrase or the word 'Red' or 'Tap Out' (a physical touch to indicate leaving the situation) and the game will be stopped without discussion or prevention so that staff can ensure that everyone is healthy and prepared to continue.
-
Intimacy at The Bard's Tale: Real Intimacy (beyond kissing) is not allowed at The Bard's Tale, regardless of how close or comfortable you are with your co-players. Representation of intimacy with theater techniques and implied actions (moaning behind closed door, ruffling clothing and hair) is allowed, and players can also tell others what they might have walked in on if need be.
-
Code of Conduct: By signing up for and participating in The Bard's Tale, you are agreeing to abide by this code of conduct, and with West Coast Interactive's interpretation and implementation of it.