With some tweaking I think this could be Fringe cult hit.
Paul Flannery starts the show with some Dungeons and Dragons inspired standup which serves to be the best bit of the show. From there it is a comedy pen and paper game played live with audience interaction and mixed results.
The structure of the show impedes the concept. It's improvise so it's going to be different every night but there is either too much or not enough audience interaction. Flannery often asks the audience for suggestions but instead of rolling with what is offered he’ll wait until he hears something that suits him. With this he wants to stay clear off Tolkien like tropes for reasons that are not entirely clear. This accumulates and all the characters encountered on the adventure are ‘whacky’ animals and soons becomes tiresome.
It will be different every night but on my viewing it was the closing chapter of a three part campaign. So, the first half an hour was basically a recap and it was neither entertaining or engrossing for newcomers and returners alike.
When the game is actually being played it works much better and at its best does a good job of recreating the feeling of playing some tabletop RPG with some mates. There is something inherently wonderful with watching a room full of people hold the breath as a giant d20 die is thrown.
With some tweaking I think this could be Fringe cult hit. It’s enjoyable enough but it’s not likely to entertain anyone that doesn’t know what a Drow is.
