Demons & Daughters: The Queer, Regency-Era DND Show Mixing Buffy With Bridgerton

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a young lady in possession of a mysterious power must be at odds with a demonic force…

Demons & Daughters is an award-winning D&D actual play show set in Regency England, with a horrific demonic twist. Formed and filmed in-studio in the historic city of Winchester, a stone’s throw from the bones of Jane Austen, by an all queer cast of professional actors, this is an actual play where emotional intensity and historical female rage take centre stage.

From Austen’s enduring classics to the steamy scandals of Bridgerton, the Regency era continues to captivate the zeitgeist with images of bonnets and empire waisted gowns, group ballroom dances, tea in ornate drawing rooms, sweeping romantic proposals. All of which can be found woven through the backdrop of the damsels’ story, which explores the darker side of the era’s brutal class divide, deeply ingrained religious fervour, and the complex personal effects of the heteropatriarchy. Also, bloodthirsty demons.  

Demons & Daughters is the scandalous chronicle of three young ladies' journey to becoming. As they search for their mysteriously vanished fathers, the damsels become irrevocably embroiled in a hidden world of magic and monsters, grappling with their identities, newfound powers and regimented societal roles along the way. 

How does one come of age in a world that refuses to acknowledge one’s existence? How does one conform to a society dictated by God’s grace, when one knows the real gods were annihilated in a demonic war, untold millennia ago? And how does one keep oneself stocked with ribbons when one is undercover and on the run through the slum streets of London?

Joining the table as actors first and DND players second, Taya Campbell Over (she/her), Maijai Hibberd (they/them) and Morne Putman Trimmer (they/them) are redefining intensive roleplay, accommodated by DM Lyndon Rufus Winters (he/him). The boundaries between stage and tabletop blur as the characters lead the narrative, weaving an immersive, collaborative, and urgently personal tale. 

Demons & Daughters airs Wednesdays at 7pm BST at twitch.tv/damselsindicestress. Episodes are available on YouTube Saturdays (youtube.com/@DamselsInDicestress).

Every episode so far is waiting for your next binge, or you can check out our handy 30-minute recap video, covering the events of Episodes 1-25. From Episode 26, which marks the beginning of Act Two, every episodes is an hour or under in length.

An audio-only version of the show is currently being released on Spotify and is soon to hit your other favourite podcasting apps, if you’d rather enjoy your Regency demon hunting on the go.

Don’t just take our word for it: Demons & Daughters shone at 2024’s Rainbow Roll Fest, winning awards for Outstanding Costume and Makeup, and Outstanding Player Performance (Video) for Taya Campbell Over’s work as Rosalind Penhallow. Demons & Daughters was also chosen as a direct selection for New Jersey Web Fest 2024. 

So don your top hats and your bonnets, fair viewer, and journey back in time to the shadows of 1820s London. You'll be needing a trip to the seaside for your health in no time.