Bonding (Pickle Studio at Greenside @ Riddles Court) sets out to explore whether James Bond can be a role model for a 21st-century man. Through the medium of James Bond—arrived at via drama school’s now ubiquitous ‘pretend to be an animal’ induction—Cyril Blake, dressed to kill in his tux, expounds his theories through tales of a northern working-class upbringing.
The Pickle Studio is small, and the show was a sell-out. Plus one, who was able to use the tech desk seat, as there is no tech. And it doesn’t really need any, because the intimate setting really works for this somewhat confessional tale.
It begins with banter about who in the audience knows what about Bond—some not so much! But that really doesn’t matter, because the story is about a northern lad coming of age and learning about communication. Blake is a consummate communicator and soon had the audience drawn into Stephen’s struggles with his dad’s ‘tough love’ and lack of being able to say anything of real importance, especially in times of crisis. But the love was there nonetheless. There is an undercurrent of not all being quite well though, and Blake’s ability to shed tears on stage is charming.
I wasn’t wholly convinced of the authenticity of the claim that Stephen had grown into a much more understanding and inclusive 21st-century man and found some of the dialogue still quite unenlightened. Apologies if that was meant to show how hard the transition has been for Stephen, but if this is your version of being a ‘new man’, Cyril, then I think you must try harder.
Bonding is such a clever title. We expect it to be about Bond and of course it is—or at least about a portrayed version of manliness. But it is also about bonding with male friends—what you have to do and say to fit in—and bonding with parents from, of course, a different generation, with different expectations.
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So strong is Blake’s portrayal of Stephen Lewis that the audience clearly knew and loved him by the end of the show, shaking his hand as they left and, in some cases, asking if they could give him a hug. That’s real bonding.
