Hello from the Magic Tavern

Some time ago, Arnie Niekamp fell through a dimensional portal behind a Burger King into the fantastical land of Foon. He’s still getting a slight Wi-Fi signal, so he uploads a weekly podcast from the tavern, the Vermilion Minotaur, sending information of this amazing discovery back to Earth. Along with his co-hosts, Chunt the Shapeshifter (usually a badger) and Usidore the Wizard, they interview adventurers and creatures passing through the tavern. Arnie is content to do his podcast while his guests soon leave on great adventures, but perhaps, in the end adventure shall find Arnie.

Hello from the Magic Tavern is an improvised narrative podcast where everything that is said becomes canon. In each episode, the cast of improvisors use the chat show format to interview guest characters and add to the ever-growing mythos of the magical world of Foon. One part improvised comedy and one part fantasy world building make for an experience much like being at a pub with your friends, talking about the events of the day. It just so happens that the events of the days in Foon include kings, goblins, and witches.

Meet the Cast:
Arnie Niekamp
Arnie Niekamp is a writer, improviser and one of the creators and hosts of Hello from the Magic Tavern. He’s also a video game designer by day, having directed the games Drawful and Trivia Murder Party as well as writing for YOU DON’T KNOW JACK, Fibbage, Quiplash and many more for Jackbox Games. You can follow Arnie on twitter @misterarnie, and the show @magictavern.

Adal Rifai
Adal Rifai has been performing and in Chicago since 2007. You can see Adal at iO with the house team Revolver and in the weekly show Whirled News Tonight and around the U.S. with Pudding-Thank-You. Past iO credits include Swim Buddies, Our Feature Presentation: The Improvised Movie, Radical Concept and Hunter Family Crest. He has performed at Second City as a member of Twisty, HouseCo. and SketchCo. Along with performing Adal also coaches and teaches at iO and around Chicago, directed the Incubator and coaching program at the Playground Theater and has taught and performed improv all over the U.S. Adal also voices the character Chunt on the improvised podcast ‘Hello, From the Magic Tavern’ and is the host of the Jackbox Party Pack 3 game Guesspionage.
Twitter (personal): @adalrifai
Twitter (character): @chuntttttt
Instagram (personal): adalrifai
Instagram (character): chuntbaby

Matt Young
Matt Young is an actor, improviser, producer, director, and writer based in Chicago. In addition to performing as Usidore on the Hello from the Magic Tavern podcast, Matt is also a proud member of the world-renowned Improvised Shakespeare Company. He is a founding member of Whirled News Tonight, the long-running improvised satire at iO Chicago.
He leads the crew of the U.S.S. Sisyphus as Captain Baxter in the Improvised Star Trek podcast, and he’s also one of the co-creators and talents behind of the podcast-news-magazine parody The Probe (think Serial meets Waiting for Guffman). He has done voiceover and commercials for companies such as Honda, Sears, Long John Silvers, YouTube, The Getty Villa, Old Style, CashNetUSA, and Cameron’s Coffee and has appeared in the independent films, Fools and Speed Dating. He is currently represented by Paonessa Talent. Follow him on twitter: @morepeoplehappy
Twitter (personal): @morepeoplehappy
Twitter (character): @usidoretheblue