A Role to Die for: quick links
Jordan Waller’s clever comedy A Role to Die For takes the much-loved James Bond franchise at a pivotal moment when the film’s producers need to cast a new actor in the all-important role. The pressure is on with just 22 hours before an announcement must be made.
EastEnders star Tanya Franks (Rainie in the long-running soap) is absolutely brilliant as the power-punching producer who inherited this enormous responsibility from her father. And no, this is not supposed to be Barbara Broccoli, as Waller and the team are adamant to insist – that’s all just a coincidence. (Broccoli is currently living in London, producing two shows here, so I’m sure she’s seen this one.)
A Role to Die For: who is the right choice to play Bond?
The simple office-room set is decorated with photographs of the legendary Bonds, including ‘our lord and saviour’ Sean Connery, Roger Moore and Daniel Craig to reinforce the obligation to get it right. There are two actors in the running and there is some dissent in the office about who is the right choice. Just as the decision is made, awful revelations about the actor’s behavior come to light.
This basic storyline nods to many pertinent issues – the pressure of public opinion, questionable stories in the media and the relevance of gender and ethnicity. Can James Bond, the legendary white British spy and inveterate womaniser, all ‘guns and girls’ as they say, actually be played by a charming, intelligent, gay Black man? If he’s as perfect as actor Obioma Ugoala, I’d say yes!
The heavy-lifting here is all done by Franks, as Deborah, and the wonderful Philip Bretherton as her co-producer Malcolm. Their shared scenes are brilliant, with great pacing and a wonderful connection. Ugoala is also superb in the key role of the second-choice Bond. Harry Goodson-Bevan, as Deborah’s rather useless son Quinn, and Peter McPherson, as Richard, round out this strong ensemble.
A Role to Die For: cheeky, high-voltage energy
There’s a cheeky, high-voltage energy running through A Role to Die for that talks to the martini-swirling fun of the Bond franchise. It is full of wit and affection and shows a real understanding for why people so loved the early Bond films.
The script is best in the cut-and-thrust of sharp repartee between Deborah and Malcolm and director Derek Bond (no relation!) keeps a tight rein on these scenes to maintain the comedic tension. The play loses a little momentum in the second half when it tries to say too much about legacy and empire, sexuality and identity. A little less virtuous explication and a little more subtlety would be good.
There are also a few moments that just feel completely alien. Would the polished and professional Deborah really spit on the floor, no matter how angry? I doubt it very much. But these are small issues in a production that otherwise knows how to entertain and does so with a great deal of confidence and self-awareness.
Read: The Diana Mixtape review: a campy love letter to Princess Diana at the West End
This sparkling comedy feels perfectly at home in the charming Marylebone Theatre just off Baker Street. Highly recommended.
A Role to Die For will be performed at the Marylebone Theatre until 30 August 2025.
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