Dennis's character can be a little difficult to pin down, because he varies from play to play; the Dennis of The Play That Goes Wrong, for example, feels a little more capable than the later Dennis of The Goes Wrong Show, which is admittedly a low bar to clear. There are aspects of him that feel consistent, though! Here's my attempt to note down Dennis's character traits:
- Forgetful.
- Tendency to misunderstand things or mess them up.
- However, does have some degree of competence. In The Christmas That Goes Wrong, Chris and Robert entrust him with booking guests for their radio show, and Dennis succeeds in finding skilled people to do something Christmas-related and getting them into the studio; he just doesn't consider whether their acts will be any good for radio. He has a job, although it seems to entrust him with very low levels of responsibility; he mentions in the stage version of Christmas Carol that he's been promoted to being 'in charge of the pens'.
- Follow-on thought: although Dennis sometimes comes across as a little childlike in some aspects, I think it's important to bear in mind that he is an adult and has as much right to make his own decisions and have his own relationships as any other adult.
- Very low confidence, gets nervous when anyone has any expectations of him.
- Focuses completely on delivering his lines; his goal is just to say the correct words, that's it. Doesn't think at all about what he's actually saying, and doesn't follow the story of the play; consequently will deliver lines without any attempt at inflection, or will deliver the wrong line without realising it's wrong.
- Gets upset and sometimes a bit snippy when people snap at him, but might not notice subtler disapproval, e.g. passive aggression.
- Generally struggles to pick up on what other people are thinking or feeling, tends to take anything others say at face value.
- Craves friendship.
- Admires the other members of the drama society, I think.
- A sweet guy, nothing scheming or malicious about him. I can't see him ever intentionally hurting anyone.
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