Review: Don’t Shoot the Messenger, Lion and Unicorn Theatre

Don’t Shoot the Messenger is exactly the kind of production the Fringe exists to showcase: concise, original, expertly acted and utterly hilarious. Over the course of just one hour, this three-hander delivers a tightly constructed office comedy set in the surreal confines of a Shakespearean mailroom, where lowly messengers must break bad news to some of the Bard’s most intimidating characters.

The brilliance of the piece lies in its combination of sharp observational writing and finely honed comic timing. Co-writers Daniel Camou (also directing) and Sam Plumbe have created a world that perfectly satirises the banal absurdity of “bullshit jobs”: the petty hierarchies, the hollow pep talks, and the way employees twist language to justify both the pointlessness of their roles and their own worth in performing them. It’s all there: the soul-crushing rituals, the faux professionalism, and the misplaced pride, filtered through a lens that makes it as funny as it is painfully recognisable, judging by the belly laughs coming from its appreciative audience. 

While the company’s press release cites influences like The Office and Shakespeare, this is no lazy homage. The play’s originality is one of its strongest assets. Yes, there are shades of those references in its corporate absurdity and references to the Bard’s work, but the writers have built something entirely their own: a workplace comedy of Shakespearean proportions, with a gleefully inventive approach to character and scenario.

All three performers are superb, but Plumbe’s Gavin is particularly magnetic. Plumbe inhabits the role with the ease of a writer who knows the rhythms, tics and insecurities of his own creation, balancing deadpan delivery with bursts of physical comedy that land every time. Ewan Bruce as Clint and Henry Calcutt as Brian match him beat for beat, their rapport giving the piece a constant, energetic flow. The pace never dips, not for a second, and the one-hour running time feels perfectly judged.

Visually and technically, Don’t Shoot the Messenger is also more sophisticated than many fringe shows of its scale. Lighting designer Maddy Whitby uses sharp, bright backlighting to create the effect of video calls, a device that is both instantly recognisable and very funny. Sound designer Joe Hurn punctuates the action with well-timed cues and music that heighten the humour, while the props – from in-trays to utility belts – are handled with a playfulness that underscores the show’s central theme: the futility and self-importance of meaningless work. This is a well-prepared production from all concerned.  

There’s even a sprinkling of slapstick and dance, adding variety without ever feeling like filler. The combination of physical comedy, linguistic precision and theatrical invention makes the piece feel dynamic, unpredictable and consistently engaging.  

Don’t Shoot the Messenger is a gem: clever, fast-paced, and laugh-out-loud funny while still managing to say something about the little fictions we live by. Underneath this there is a deeply affecting pathos about work relationships that makes this play resonate on so many levels. This show deserves a life beyond the Camden Fringe Festival for sure. 

Directed by Daniel Camou
Written by Daniel Camou and Sam Plumbe
Sound design by Joe Hurn
Lighting design & technician: Maddy Whitby

Don’t Shoot the Messenger plays at the Lion and Unicorn Theatre until Saturday 16 August.