In January 2013, writer Declan Dineen decided, more or less on a whim, to see what would happen if he tried to meet as many of his Twitter followers as possible. This show is a product of the unusual meetings and quirky connections he made throughout this journey, and the bizarre consequences this led to.
It becomes a philosophical look at the purpose of social media in today's society: less comedy show and more public address.
Coming across as halfway between a really cool university lecturer and that one deceptively hot techie friend everyone has, Dineen is charismatic, excitedly knowledgeable and doesn't take himself or what he's achieved too seriously. He is very likeable and his whole show, which is impressively styled, is well-rehearsed and very slick. It is accompanied by a very flashy multimedia presentation and electronic theme tune that adds to the tech-friendly feel of the show. Dineen has clearly put much thought into how to present his material and it all fits together very well.
It becomes a philosophical look at the purpose of social media in today's society: less comedy show and more public address. That's not to say that it's excessively formal: Dineen is friendly and casual, with the aura of a wise, techie guru. Although it's a show based on a specific Internet site, non-technophiles need not be worried; there's a quick Twitter 101 to start the show and an in-depth knowledge of social media is not needed. Ultimately, it's a show about people and connections, rather than Twitter, and the leaving motto is to go out, do ridiculous things and be ok with perhaps looking stupid, rather than to go out and gather as many followers as possible.
It seems totally unfair to review Declan Dineen's show as a comedy show in the context of the Fringe, as I think it delivers something more rounded and worthwhile than that classification implies, even if it isn't as entertaining as other shows in that category. This is like nothing else on the Fringe, and a fascinating insight into the Internet and modern society.
