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Binding Agent

 
Nicholas Abrams Review by Nicholas Abrams 4 Published: 19 May 2026 The Rotunda Theatre: Bubble Show Dates: 14 May 2026-17 May 2026

Kidnapping someone and then offering them a smoothie is, admittedly, quite a strong opening move. Binding Agent understands this immediately. Harry Smithson’s dark comedy drops us into a hostage situation that is equal parts threatening and absurd, before steadily revealing itself to be one of the sharpest pieces of new writing I’ve seen at the Fringe this year.

A smart, unsettling dark comedy that knows exactly when to stop talking

The set-up is deceptively simple. Simon, a corporate employee of sorts, wakes tied to a chair and is joined by the unnerving Herne, who refuses to properly explain why any of this is happening. Later joined by Annette, a language teacher with strong opinions, the trio spend the evening locked in a bizarre conversational tug-of-war that veers wildly between politics, philosophy, workplace culture, Nixon, smoothies, and increasingly fraught attempts to make sense of their situation.

Smithson’s script is exceptionally well judged. The dialogue crackles throughout, packed with sharp observations and genuinely funny lines that land naturally rather than feeling engineered for applause. One anecdote about Annette’s after-school language club — where students translate poems into their own languages before reading them aloud to an audience who cannot understand a word — drew one of the biggest laughs of the night. The packed crowd responded enthusiastically throughout, with the humour arriving consistently without ever undermining the darker undertones of the piece.

The performances are equally strong across the board. Sam Hill gives Simon an anxious, slightly defeated energy that works perfectly against Matilda Tucker’s more grounded and quietly exasperated Annette. However, it’s Joseph Reed who dominates the room as Herne. He manages the difficult balancing act of being charming, ridiculous, and deeply unsettling all at once. At no point do we fully trust him, yet the show wisely avoids turning him into a cartoon villain.

What impressed me most, though, was the play’s restraint. Many Fringe shows built around mystery eventually collapse under the pressure to explain themselves. Binding Agent resists that temptation entirely. We never receive neat answers about Herne’s motives, but the ambiguity feels deliberate rather than evasive. More importantly, the show actually knows how to end — a surprisingly rare achievement at the Fringe. The final moments land perfectly: satisfying, unsettling, and earned without overexplaining.

A smart, tightly constructed dark comedy that deserves a long life beyond this festival run.

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The Blurb:

“Look. You two need to loosen up a bit, because you might be here for an unbelievably long time, okay? Just a piece of advice. - Do you want a smoothie?” Simon Huxley (corporate hack/ amateur historian), and Annette (Languages Teacher/ yogi) struggle to co-operate whilst trying to escape their unpredictable, health-obsessed kidnapper. Political, blender-adjacent dark comedy written by Harry Smithson. Directed by award-winning director Chris Yarnell. Following a sold out run at the White Bear Theatre, this politically driven piece of new writing explores the difficulty of nuanced discussion, disagreement in the modern age, and how pre-conceptions can blind us even during hostile, bizarre, and life-threatening situations.