Robert Finn: Dear Dan Brown...

Review by Bernard O'Leary | 18 Aug 2012

Having a pop at Dan Brown might seem like shooting fish in a barrel, but Finn manages to put an interesting spin on it with a episotolary show that's structurally rooted in Eminem's song "Stan".

A disillusioned haulage driver, Finn reads a series of letters addressed to the bestselling author in which he solicits advice for completing his own blockbuster. As the show progresses, Finn's own dodgy novel begins to take shape while his one-sided relationship with Brown grows increasingly strained. It's a neat little structure that allows Finn to build up an atmosphere before launching into the jokes about just how awful Brown's writing is.

This is a really interesting piece with writing that puts Brown to shame, and a really well-rounded performance from Finn. The laughs are sparse but when they do come, they're worth waiting for and Finn manages to get as good a reaction to his own wordplay as he does to Brown's deathless prose. It's perhaps more of a curiousity than an unmissable event, but it's definitely well worth a watch.

Robert Finn: Dear Dan Brown..., Dragonfly, until 24 August, 21:00, Free http://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/comedy/dear-dan-brown