Review of ‘A Role To Die For’: “007-themed comedy fails to bond with its audience”

The Marylebone Theatre hosts the London transfer of this filmmaking parody targeting Britain’s most recognised secret agent. Guillermo Nazara shares his views on the show to let us know if his discerning goldeneye has led him to say never again.

He might have a licence to kill, but surely nobody will be dying of laughter upon witnessing the least successful mission MI6’s most popular agent has ever embarked on. This is no Ian Fleming work — nor does it intend to be. They’re not presenting us with a parody adventure starring a clownish doppelganger of the sexiest officer in the British Secret Service. No — instead, this is a quest to find the next man to play the tuxedo-advocating gallant triggered (or perhaps, stirred) by the way they make his martinis.

Nobody is complaining about a new piece depicting the madness of filmmaking — the term “new” perhaps should be taken as a bit of license. It’s a premise we’ve all seen before. But in all fairness, we wouldn’t mind seeing again. After all, who could resist the titillation of some behind-the-scenes gossip? Add a good dose of sharp, edgy humour to it, and the recipe for a triumphant cocktail writes itself. The issue, however, is that both key ingredients seem to be missing in this bland, predictable, and ultimately tedious attempt at comedy.

Centered around a group of producers desperate to replace their latest James Bond, following recent allegations of sexual misconduct, the script tries to deliver a clever, tongue-in-cheek portrayal of showbiz — serving as a comment on the destructive, scavenging toxicity of an industry where dog eats dog and everyone would do anything (and surely, anyone) to cover their backs. Again, not the most original concept, but the opportunities for an enjoyable, entertaining, and even thought-provoking farce are by no means out of hand. Sadly, though, I wouldn’t bet any money or penny on them meeting the expectation.

It isn’t funny at all, with only two or three jokes landing through its almost 2-hour performance. Many punchlines are exceedingly predictable — and when they are not, they hardly come off as amusing. The narrative is also rather messy. The structure is flawed, with both acts’ endings lacking enough climactic strength and conclusiveness, while the characters’ arcs are sketchy at best and nonexistent at worst. The dialogue doesn’t flaunt too many redeeming features either — that is, if it ever puts any on display. There’s a consistent lack of flow and naturalness throughout — often clunky and pushing too hard for the jest instead of letting it emerge organically.

The cast tries their best to bring more life to quite an inert text. Yet, their absence of chemistry and flair only accentuates the writing’s shortcomings, which, combined with their overly exaggerated approach, makes the whole thing look heavy-handed, dull, and uninspired — relying on unnecessary and generally ineffective hyperbolic tools that bear a wistful resemblance to a declining sitcom on the verge of cancellation.

Despite exploring a few compelling and resonant topics such as Hollywood’s typecasting of LGBT+ people and systemic racism, A Role To Die For struggles to create more substance than several underdeveloped and unfulfilled promises, offering a stagnant storyline with next to no thrills throughout.

Although it parts from an enticing idea, its poorly executed finish comes across as a comedic skyfall, building an uninviting world that is never enough for viewers to invest themselves. The most devoted fans might be pleased to see a stage work paying tribute to the spy they love. But as much as they may find themselves amused by a show that homages the legend who defeated the man with the golden gun, this play is still a long way ahead from finding its silver bullet.

All pictures credit to Steve Gregson.

A Role To Die For plays at London’s Marylebone Theatre until 30 August. Tickets are available on the following link.

By Guillermo Nazara