Evolution of secret agent reflected in family bonds

THE name’s Bond, James Bond… but do you prefer Sean Connery or Roger Moore and do you know your Pierce Brosnan from your Timothy Dalton?

The role of Bond has been played by several actors, each with their own take, but special agent 007 always has a licence to kill, a special martini — shaken, not stirred — and drives an Aston Martin.

A new production, Bonding: The Myth, Legend and Legacy of Bond, directed by Matthew Parker and written and performed by Cyril Blake, comes to the Kenton Theatre next week.

The show follows the character of Stephen and the impact that James Bond has had on his life. It explores topics such as toxic masculinity, what it means to be a modern-day man, and the bonds between father and son.

Matthew, who is from Stockport in Manchester and has lived in Streatham, South London, for two decades, says: “If you’re a casual Bond fan or even an avid Bond fan you’re going to enjoy it because there’s lots of Bond trivia and a celebration of the different actors.

“There’s loads of Bond references and lots of little Easter eggs and surprises.

“However, it’s also a very funny and surprisingly touching coming-of-age story about a child bonding with a parent, which everyone can relate to.

“There are universal themes about the TV and the films and the culture that connect us all as we grow up.”

As dramaturg and director, Matthew developed the original concept with Cyril.

“Its first iteration was last summer at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

“Cyril wrote and acted his first version of Bonding and it was a sellout show, it did really well.

“Then the lovely James Seabright Live saw the show and thought they would like to develop it so that’s where they brought me on board.

“At the start of this year, Cyril and I worked in the room and also brought in a sound designer.

“We just started to expand and develop the piece and make it slightly more theatrical. We made sure we’re looking at each of the actors that have played Bond and impressions of those and how we can bring those to life.

“We looked at how we could relate the story of Stephen to Bond and how much he has influenced that character’s life.

“It’s a coming of age story. Stephen, who has a working-class, Northern background, is approaching middle age.

“As a child, he was taken to see a James Bond film by his dad.

“Then it looks at how Stephen’s life developed over the years, how much he’s been influenced by Bond and how each of the different ways in which that franchise shifted affected Stephen’s life and his relationship with his dad.

“So, it’s all about male bonding and bonding with your father through James Bond.”

The Bond books were written by Ian Fleming, who lived at the Joyce Grove estate in Nettlebed. The role has been played by eight actors and Bond was only married once, briefly, in the 1969 film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, when he was played by George Lazenby.

Earlier this year, in the spring, Matthew and Cyril’s version of the show premiered at the Adelaide Fringe.

“George famously only appeared in one Bond film,” says Matthew.

“Really interestingly, he’s Australian, so when we were opening in Adelaide, it got a slightly better reaction than we were expecting.

“He wasn’t an actor, famously he was a model and had quite an unenviable task because he followed Sean Connery.

“Every Bond is different and I think that’s what so interesting.

“They all get mentioned, they all get their respect for what they brought to this beloved franchise.

“In the show, we do ask the audience to cheer for who their favourite Bond is as we’re working through them and it’s really interesting the responses we get.

“Connery is very popular because he is the archetypal Bond, he is what set the mould in the white tuxedo and with the little red carnation.

“However, Daniel Craig is very popular as well and he really turned the franchise around, I think, in that Bond started to become a little bit more introspective and feel and think and I think he cries.

“Obviously you’ve got the relationships that develop with the other characters as well, particularly for example the character of M, who was played by Dame Judi Dench for many years and how that affects James Bond and that parental bond there.

“Then there’s things that stay exactly the same in the film.

“There’s always a sequence in Q’s lab where things go wrong.

“You obviously have the car, there’s always the martini, and of course it’s in an interesting place now for Bond fans, because we don’t know what’s going to happen and we don’t know who’s going to take over. We look at that in the show as well.

“It’s been a sell-out show, it’s got some gorgeous reviews already from Adelaide and we’re just really looking forward to Henley, then it goes to the Edinburgh Festival in August.”

l Bonding is at the Kenton Theatre on Thursday, July 17 at 7.30pm. Recommended for ages 12 and over, the show has a running time of one hour. For more information, call the box office on (01491) 525050 or visit thekenton.org.uk