Theatre Review: Bonding, Tobacco Factory Theatres

Summary:

Bonding takes audiences on a journey through the history of Bond via the character Stephen and his relationship with his father and the confines of masculinity.

Rating: ★★★★★
Running Dates: Tuesday 15th July 2025 - Wednesday 16th July 2024 (Bristol, but on your until 26th August 2025)
Where to see it: Tobacco Factory Theatres, Bristol
Duration: 1 hour (no interval)
Keywords: James Bond, Family, Masculinity, Humour, Sentiment

Review

It’s a fun and emotional show that mixes fact with fiction in a kind of cocktail formula…perhaps a cocktail that is shaken not stirred…! I’ll see myself out.

BONDING is the sell-out show all the way from Edinburgh Fringe which follows Stephen (played by Cyril Blake), a man who has always wanted to be Bond after his father shared his passion for the film franchise with him when he was younger and Stephen realised it was the best way to connect with him. He wanted to be just as cool and suave as Bond, to be a ladies man, and to be all things masculine so he could live up to his fathers image of what a man should be…he wanted to have a Licence to Be A Big Strong Man And Win Daddy’s Approval. Because You Only Live Once, I mean Twice. Okay, I’ll stop it now! 

The show opened in a big dark room, the set was very bare, just a chair and a rack of jackets. Stephen (Cyril) comes onto set and warms up the crowd by asking everyone who their favourite Bond is. We are used to this in the UK, audience participation in theatres is our bread and butter come panto season, so a few people shout out their favourites. “Connery”, many people cry, “Craig” some others proudly proclaim, “Moore” I sheepishly say…But to get a better idea of who is the audience's favourite, here is where the rack of jackets comes in. We are told that each one is there to represent the different Bonds; it includes a crisp white tuxedo jacket for Connery, a cool leather jacket for Dalton and a slightly-too-small-jacket for Craig. Stephen picks each one up and asks us to shout when our favourite is shown to us and Connery is the clear winner among the crowd…no surprise there although I emphatically do not agree. But this show isn’t about me, it’s about Stephen, his father and the Bond they have between them…! 

The history of James Bond and the people that have played him is interwoven throughout the play with the story of Stephen and his father, a relationship that is commonplace between many people of a certain age (your standard Boomer parent / Millennial child trope) where the child continually strives to suppress their real desires in order to appease their parent. In this case, Stephen is trying to be The Man, the Bond archetype, masculine, strong, brave, funny, and a total lethario. Stephen's father showed him the Bond movies and reinforced the messages of masculinity throughout his life, demanding he not be such a “wet blouse” and “to man up”. But as the Bond franchise has grown with each passing decade

and each new actor, so too do Stephen and his father, changing with the times and coming to understand themselves and their dynamic more deeply. 

Photo by Steve Ullathorne

I wasn’t sure what to expect with this show, I was given the opportunity to review it and I have a friend named Sam who is absolutely obsessed with James Bond so thought it would be wonderful to take him along for the experience. I don’t think either of us knew exactly what it would be, but we definitely were not anticipating just how emotional and poignant it was. I won’t give too much away, but it covers some very important and emotional topics; toxic masculinity, loss, growth, and familial relationships. And it is such a clever mechanic to explore these topics through the character of James Bond, a character who is seen as the pinnacle of masculinity but ultimately has to change with the times for fear of being stagnant and oppressive.

One of the most impressive things in this one-person show, other than the performance from Cyril Blake, is the lighting and production. It felt almost worryingly plain at the start, this big empty room with a few jackets in it, but with the use of some very clever lighting and James Bond sound effects and songs, stories were conveyed beautifully and scenes changed simply but effectively. I think to capture an audience and make them cry (I shed many tears) with so little in front of them, is a big testament to how well produced the show is. And of course regarding the performance, it was brilliant. I’m not sure if there is any cross-over between the stories of Stephen and Cyril, but I didn’t read the programme before I went in to the show as I like to have as little information as possible before seeing something, and he made me believe that this story was about him, Cyril. It was very captivating and brilliantly acted. 

If you are able to catch this one in Bristol, I would highly recommend it, otherwise Bonding is on tour until August 26th so head to the website and grab yourself some tickets. It’s a fun and emotional show that mixes fact with fiction in a kind of cocktail formula…perhaps a cocktail that is shaken not stirred…! I’ll see myself out.

Standout Moment: There is a scene between Roger Moore’s Bond and Miss Moneypenny where both characters are played by Cyril and it is so well done, the switching up between the two characters and the humour is great!

Similar Plays/Musicals: Buffy Revamped

Last Impressions: Meaningful show that makes you nostalgic for Bond and for your childhood.

You can find last minute tickets for the show on the Tobacco Factory Theatres website

We were kindly gifted these tickets in exchange for a review.

Written by Amy Evans