This fizzing comedy is based on an idea that came to playwright Jordan Waller during a moment of crisis—provoked by an actor dropping out of one of his previous plays. That idea? What would it be like to find yourself without a new James Bond the day before you’re due to announce the name to the world?
It’s fast, foul-mouthed, and very funny—and has more than a kernel of real controversy about who is “fit” to portray a macho hero on the silver screen. As with all the best comedies, some serious issues lurk beneath the surface.
Co-producers Deborah (Tanya Franks) and Malcolm (Philip Bretherton) have chosen a new Bond. But the day before the public announcement, it emerges that he is embroiled in a major scandal. A replacement must be found—fast.
Deborah’s son Quinn (Harry Goodson-Bevan), currently interning at the company, suggests an actor he recently met in a restaurant. Theo, the waiter (Obioma Ugoala), is Black. After some soul-searching, Deborah persuades a reluctant Malcolm to go along with Quinn’s suggestion—but at the last moment, it’s revealed that Theo has another characteristic that may make him “less of a Bond” than some audience members might wish. Chaos ensues until a deus ex machina descends to bring a resolution—of sorts.
Given what we know about the Broccoli family’s Bond franchise, it’s tempting to search for biographical parallels—but the writer insists that all characters are “total figment(s) of his imagination.” Waller certainly has a fertile imagination. Deborah, as played by Tanya Franks, is a memorable comic monster. It’s a bravura performance—full of fire and fury, yet with enough heart to win the audience’s grudging sympathy.
Her efforts to lure her confused gay son into the business and make him a co-producer are both domineering and touching. Despite the comic tsunami, there’s a real core of maternal love. Harry Goodson-Bevan makes an ideal Quinn—constantly wrong-footed by circumstance and his mother’s changes of direction. But even within the tight framework of a two-hour comedy, he hints at a young man learning hard lessons in a family shark-pond.
Malcolm is more ‘old-school’ and struggles to imagine a ‘non-Connery’ Bond. In many ways, he brings a dose of realism to the maelstrom, though he’s always one step behind Franks’ alpha-female energy.
As the lucky waiter who thinks he’s about to become the next Bond, Obioma Ugoala is splendid—even if it’s a stretch to imagine his face alongside those of Connery, Brosnan, and Craig. Still, he delivers some brilliant comic moments—especially when it turns out he’s public school, Cambridge-educated, and an Aston Martin enthusiast.
The play closes with one of the best final lines I’ve heard—brilliantly delivered by Franks.
Director Derek Bond keeps the pace high, the language sharp, and the tension tight. The action is set in Deborah’s claustrophobic office, adorned with images of former Bonds—and featuring an important window through which things are regularly thrown. Entrances and exits are timed with comic precision. It’s hard to over-praise how well Waller and Bond mine humour from both situation and dialogue—and keep it coming.
This play began life five years ago—why it’s taken so long to reach London is a mystery. But now that it’s here, it deserves to stay.
Marylebone Theatre
Writer: Jordan Waller
Director: Derek Bond
Performers: Tanya Franks, Philip Bretherton, Harry Goodson-Bevan,
Obioma Ugoala
Running time: 2 hours
Dates: until 30 August
Photo credit: Steve Gregson