A ROLE TO DIE FOR

Marylebone Theatre

★★★★

“A wonderful mix – but guilty of being shaken and stirred, which upsets the balance slightly”

Sean Connery is centre stage, flanked by Pierce Brosnan and Roger Moore. Downstage right, Daniel Craig gazes moodily out into the audience while, stage left, Timothy Dalton does the same but with a more sardonic twinkle in his eye. All of them are brandishing a semi-automatic Beretta. Alas, they are just portraits on the walls of the office of Deborah, the fictitious head of the James Bond franchise. But there lies the catch – they are the only real-life characters in an otherwise fabricated comedy-drama, and are constantly referred to. The juxtaposition doesn’t always work, but what it does do is lure the story dangerously close to the truth. Writer Jordan Waller claims that he has chosen not to base his play, “A Role to Die For”, on real life people in order to be ‘unencumbered by facts’. Whilst he might have succeeded (from the libel lawyers’ perspective at least), there is no disguising the protagonists.

Who will be the next James Bond? Back in real life, speculation is rife. In the play, Deborah (Tanya Franks) is just about to announce Daniel Craig’s successor to the baying public, aided and abetted by her cousin side-kick Malcolm (Philip Bretherton). Deborah’s son, Quinn (Harry Goodson-Bevan) is one step ahead and sufficiently entrenched in the new way of thinking to foresee the impending scandal/disaster/farce* (*delete as appropriate). It is a family affair, and Waller brilliantly explores the dynamics of this high-powered dynasty. Deborah (even the name rhymes and scans with her factual counterpart) shares the Bond legacy with Malcolm, inherited from her father – a legacy she seems determined to pass down to her gay, vegan son who brandishes an ‘eat-the-rich’ slogan on his t-shirt.

On the eve of the big announcement, the star lined up to be the new Bond pulls out (cue some double-entendres). It has emerged that he has been a naughty boy. A predator (‘isn’t that a dinosaur?’ asks Malcolm) of girls, many of them on the younger side (where have we heard that recently?). The question of who the emergency replacement will be kicks up the other, more pertinent, question of how Bond can adapt to modern day values. The play throws the issues around in a wonderfully structured way, drawing laughs from the audience on practically every other line. Yes, the debate might be tried and tested, but the stream of witty one-liners and acute character observation have us grinning from ear to ear throughout.

Franks is simply terrific as Barbara (sorry… Deborah – easy mistake). Full of spunk (don’t blame me – I’m just getting into the spirit of the play), she portrays a woman with a man’s ability to spout profanities, but a woman’s ability to use them to greater effect. Ruthless but vulnerable, Franks rises above her quips and soundbites to give Deborah a quite human quality, especially during the more introspective second act. Goodson-Bevan, as the ‘distinctly mediocre nepo-baby’ is far from mediocre in his depiction of a guy torn between social awareness and family loyalty. Bretherton’s Malcolm is hilariously old school. Less calculating, more pragmatic but equally ruthless despite being accused of being a ‘dithering old timer’. Enter Theo, one of two candidates for the role of Bond, who trashes every stereotype you can think of. Obioma Ugoala shines as the well-spoken, well heeled, Cambridge educated actor on whose shoulders the success of the movie franchise rests. Or does it?

Things don’t necessarily go to plan. Set mainly in the head office, with a brief visit to the casting room courtesy of Cory Shipp’s shifting backdrops, the action moves forward at a pace that borders on farce yet is more grounded in pure comedy. Director Derek Bond (no relation) rightly allows little time for the actors to milk the jokes, which enriches the text’s naturalism and flow. Politics, finance, sexuality, race, diversity, media scrutiny, back-stabbing, trolling, integrity, are all scrutinised but the sheer ambition of the content means that the surface is scratched without getting too deep. Nevertheless, it is scathing of the bygone era of film making, but strangely nostalgic too. It is equally mocking of the new climate, but simultaneously respectful. A feat of juggling that writer and performers seem to pull off without dropping the ball. Even when tripping over the occasional cliché.

“A Role to Die For” is sharp, cutting and satirical. Sometimes shocking, nearly always extremely funny. A wonderful mix – but guilty of being shaken and stirred, which upsets the balance slightly. We occasionally wince, but it does go down exceedingly well, and comes with a real kick. Cue the ‘dum di-di dum dum’ guitar riff.

A ROLE TO DIE FOR

Marylebone Theatre

Reviewed on 31st July 2025

by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Steve Gregson

A ROLE TO DIE FOR

Super Happy Story (About Feeling Super Sad)

The Vaults

Reviewed – 31st January 2019

★★★★

“the delivery and the performances of these dynamic character actors certainly make you stand up and listen”

“If you were affected by any of the issues raised in this programme…” is such a common tagline on our television screens nowadays, that most people have become inured to it. A quick surf online shows that where there is still a reaction to the announcements, they are usually ones of annoyance at their ‘Nanny-State’ superficiality. Understandable perhaps, but unfair and unreasonable. In reality, these helplines do have a significant impact in encouraging people to seek help for a wide range of problems.

“Silent Uproar” adopt the same sense of responsibility by exit flyering their show “A Super Happy Story (About Feeling Super Sad)” with details of where to get support for those struggling with mental health. The award-winning company makes theatre to “make the world a little less shit”. Maybe not the most highbrow tagline, but it is true to their playfully honest approach. And it also helps sweep away the preconception that a musical about depression is going to make for a pretty cheerless evening. “A Super Happy Story…” is anything but cheerless. Written by Jon Brittain with music by Matthew Floyd Jones, it is an uplifting and insightful cabaret about a young woman’s fight with depression.

Sally (played by Madeleine MacMahon) is “fine”, as she repeatedly tells everybody (Sophie Clay and Ed Yelland – impressively playing a diverse roll call of all the other characters). MacMahon brilliantly encapsulates the manic over insistence on having a good time with which Sally embarks on her journey. It begins with denial, then runs the gauntlet of anger, bargaining and acceptance after which she gets better. We think the show is reaching a natural happy ending. But then we are harshly reminded that every silver lining has its own black cloud.

It’s not a ground-breaking message, but the delivery and the performances of these dynamic character actors certainly make you stand up and listen. Clay and Yelland, as Sally’s best friend, boss, mother, boyfriend and much more, are hilarious. Yet they also manage to convey the minefield one needs to navigate when treading the path towards recovery. They understand completely the notion that if you can amuse an audience, you will find that they are far more receptive to what you have to say. The show packs a powerful punch while making you laugh out loud.

The songs slot into the action like interludes between the chapters of Sally’s life, with tight harmonies accompanied by a lone pianist to the side of the stage (it is unclear, though, whether this is Floyd Jones himself or Tom Penn, the credited touring MD). Again, the juxtaposition of upbeat melodies with weighty words shrouds the educational aspects of the show in entertainment.

Depression often feeds on being ignored, which is part of the crux of Sally’s story. This is a show that cannot, and must not be ignored. It is heartfelt and rings absolutely true. Depression might never really go away but, as Sally ultimately declares; “I’m not bad. And not bad feels pretty damn good.”

Tag Archives: Adam Foley

A ROLE TO DIE FOR

★★★★

Marylebone Theatre

A ROLE TO DIE FOR

Marylebone Theatre

★★★★

“A wonderful mix – but guilty of being shaken and stirred, which upsets the balance slightly”