Edinburgh Fringe comedy review

American comic Seaton Smith has a magnetic energy on stage, a commanding presence, fluid delivery and a quick-thinking, playful manner in his many interactions with the audience. 

He likes to provoke, kicking straight into abortion gags as soon as he’s finished saying hello, followed by material on his trans cousin. Nothing’s too likely to offend a liberal audience, mind, but he likes to tease the tension, especially with the white folk.

Smith’s father is a political science professor specialising in race, and some of that’s rubbed off on the comic, though any social points are thrown out casually. He’s a conversationalist and a storyteller, not a polemicist. 

At their heart, the anecdotes don’t always amount to much, and hang more on his charisma than their content. The Alabama-raised 42-year-old is a better comedian than this is a show, upselling each barely connected tale to its maximum effect.

We get introduced to his mother, who just happens to have a framed slave auction poster on her wall, learn about him attending a Jewish school, taking up motorcycling and MMA training, and the obvious benefits of dating rich woman. 

However, a routine about Leanna Lenee fell flat because, let’s face it, you probably don’t know who she is (the girlfriend of NFL player Travis Hunter, who allegedly slept with another man, should you need to know)    

A press release for Trauma Bonding mentions several stories that didn’t make the cut, reflecting perhaps his relaxed approach to just going with the flow on the night. In this performance, a woman on the front row – a booker of comedians for corporate events who should really have known better – brought an odd energy to the room, but Smith rolls with the punches, dealing with her with grace, wit and charm.

The result is a fun hour in excellent company, though if Smith could deploy his very obvious talents into something that felt more substantial than an extended club set, then, man, would he be on to something.

Review date: 12 Aug 2025
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett
Reviewed at: Pleasance Courtyard