COMPANY GAVIN ROBERTSON
Performances in 2024/25 still booking ...
2024 DATES:
Sept 19 Barton-On-Humber METTLE
Sept 20 Much Wenlock METTLE
Oct 8 Courtyard, Hereford METTLE
Oct 9 Alnwick TGOAS
Oct 10/11/12 Arts Out West, METTLE
Oct 17 Quarry, Bedford METTLE
Oct 18 Hemel Hempstead TGOAS
Oct 19 Ferriby TGOAS
Oct 23 Quay, Sudbury METTLE
Oct 24 Old Laundry, Bowness METTLE
Oct 25 Valley Arts - Bishop Sutton DTDBJ
Oct 26 Tealby METTLE
Nov 1 Quatt DTDBJ
Nov 2 Courtyard, Hereford TGOAS
Nov 8 Old Laundry, Bowness ITAWIYH
Nov 9 Slimbridge TGOAS
Nov 13 Hemel Hempstead ITAWIYH
Nov 15 Sale, ITAWIYH
Nov 23 The Core, Solihull ITAWIYH
Nov 27 Ely TGOAS
Nov 28 St Neots TGOAS
Nov 29 March TGOAS
Nov 30 N. Nibley TGOAS
Dec 5 Warwick DTDBJ
Dec 6 Ledbury TGOAS
Dec 13 Andover TGOAS
Dec 14 Rutland Museum ITAWIYH
Dec 27-31 CHINA (Teaching)
Do check back for updates ...
BOND:
Here are a few extracts from reviews both in the UK and abroad.
“Using his signature style of precise, never over-fussy, and always clever physicality, Robertson, is Bond, Bond-girl, arch enemy and a fair few other characters as a classic Fleming story unfolds.
Parody lies at the heart of this hour and Bond Fans will delight in the many homages to the movies. That's part of the cleverness of the piece - we have parody, but also tribute. It is a testament to Robertson's ability as a performer as well as a creator of solo theatre that he immerses us so quickly and thoroughly in the feel and facts of a Bond film we've never seen, yet all recognise immediately.
Interest never dips for a second. The time flies by as the audience laugh in recognition at their favourite Bond moments, given neat and unexpected twists by Gavin Robertson.
Staging is simple and Robertson makes excellent use of hardly any props, manufacturing most out of his own hands and other limbs. He is a performer from head to toe, and nothing is an accident. Pure skill”.
FRINGE REVIEW (UK)
“There is real pleasure in seeing Robertson use his low-key physicality to tell a high-gloss story. A shimmer of his hands cuts from one scene to another, or suggests the soft-porn sensuality of a title sequence. One moment he’s a faintly Roger Moore-like Bond, the next he’s a slimy foreign hitman, the next he’s lathering up in a shower as the gorgeous Honeydew Melons. Without any lighting changes or sound effects or catchphrases, his gestures are precise enough that we always know who’s who.
Robertson knows which clichés to capture. He nails the films’ fragmented structures, too, as he sends our man from London to Hollywood to the Caribbean to outer space. And when his time-travelling plot calls for it, he dishes out a decent Sean Connery impression too. Robertson’s physicality ensures that Bond ! is good fun for the fond”.
THE TIMES (UK)
“The name’s Robertson…Gavin Robertson and this versatile and energetic performer slips on the mantle of Britain’s finest spy, as he embarks on his latest mission with a licence to make you laugh along the way.
Yet when I was first investigating the prospect of going to see “Bond” I wasn’t exactly sure what was going to be presented to the audience. I had the half-expected notion that it would turn out to be a rather lamely written effort, with a rather desperate actor prowling the stage with a water pistol, and then offering up some very dodgy impersonations of Sean Connery & Roger Moore! Although during the course of the plot, the raw distinctive vocal tones of the esteemed Sir Sean does eventually make a brief cameo appearance, this production is a most original and highly enjoyable experience that leaves you “shaken & stirred”(oops!) with entertaining amusement.
I must admit that this is the first time I have ever encountered the talented Mr Robertson and his “theatre of the imagination”, but I departed the show greatly impressed”.
EAST COAST FM RADIO (UK)
“This is English comedy at its best, clever, subtle, intelligent, but combined with great theatrical skills so that the comedy is not just on the surface but resonates in numerous ways, far beyond the Bond films. I did say that this was clever, as well as extremely funny. Those who catch on to the references and make the connections will simply realise just how clever Robertson's script really is, and add a knowing nod of approval to their laughter”.
BROADWAY WORLD
“Each step is perfectly timed, each change of direction fluid and purposeful. In fact, his physicality is what this entire show is about, with a large proportion of it involving no dialogue at all. It’s a joy to watch him morph from character to character, to embody the blank stage space and make it seem full with just the aid of three skeleton doorways.
There are specific shout-outs to certain Bond books and films throughout, which may tickle the fancy of aficionados, but the majority of the references are broader, encapsulating the overall attitude of the series – its recurring themes and well known devices – and ensuring that the show is accessible to all who have even the vaguest exposure to the series.
As a take on the Bond franchise, this is a thoroughly enjoyable night out, and as an example of physicality, it’s an impressive offering”.
KRYZTOFF (AUSTRALIA)
This review of BOND from the shows in Kansas City, USA
December 13 2013
By ROBERT TRUSSELL
The Kansas City Star
"The James Bond mystique has been parodied so often and in so many different ways — even by the movie franchise during particularly dreary spates — that you’d think there’s nothing left to spoof.
You’d be wrong.
Actor/writer Gavin Robertson proves that creative performers can still come up with fresh takes on the most familiar material in his one-man show called, simply, “Bond!” It’s a consistently funny romp through Bondlandia. This show, which is part of the annual British Invasion produced by Central Standard Theatre, stands in sharp contrast to “Crusoe,” that show he brought to the 2012 invasion. That piece, although sharply comic at times, was a philosophical reflection on our place in the universe. This show is strictly for laughs.
And laughs are what Robertson delivers as he dives into the 007 imagery. Robertson, performing in a black suit over a black shirt, is such a skilled physical performer that he can paint images in the viewer’s mind and has no problem playing two characters in one scene. His only props are three rectangular metal frames that he employs inventively in various ways, and two miniature cars.
He opens the show with his own version of elaborate movie credits we’ve come to expect from the Bond films and then launches into a delightfully convoluted story about the title character being brought out of retirement to prevent a madman from detonating a small nuclear device in Los Angeles on the night of the Academy Awards. There’s a scene at a casino gaming table, a car chase and some business involving a time machine in which novelist Ian Fleming travels back in time in an effort to erase his famous creation from existence.
The most clever aspect of Robertson’s show is that he never identifies himself as James Bond — his version of the character’s signature line is, “The name is Bond … just Bond.” We recognize M and Q and Moneypenny, but they are never identified by name. Robertson himself described the show as “fluff” in a post-performance conversation, but his artistry is so impressive that he keeps you constantly engaged. His performance also stimulates the viewers’ imaginations, which is always welcome during a night at the theater."