COMPANY GAVIN ROBERTSON
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Performances in 2023 still booking ... After Covid it's taking longer than usual to both book and confirm dates.
Confirmed 2023 dates are below -
AUTUMN TOUR DATES 2023:
Sept 7 The Mill, Banbury TGOAS
Sept 23 - Oct 16 FLORIDA - USA FRANKENSTEIN
Oct 18 The Core Theatre, Solihull BOND
Oct 19 Quarry Theatre, Bedford DTDBJ
Oct 20 Quarry Theatre, Bedrord BOND
Oct 27 Armagh, NI DTDBJ
Oct 28 Lisburn, NI DTDBJ
Oct 30 Caerphilly TGOAS
Oct 31 Tunbridge Wells TGOAS
Nov 10 Rochester (Applause) DTDBJ
Nov 12 Acorn, Penzance TGOAS
Nov 14 Hastings TGOAS
NOV 15/16/17/18 ON RURAL ARTS DTDBJ
Nov 21 Thetford DTDBJ
Nov 22 The Core Theatre, Solihull TGOAS
Nov 23 Old Laundry, Bowness BOND
Nov 24 Rutland TGOAS
Nov 25 Duxford DTDBJ
Dec 7 Yetholm TGOAS
Dec 8 Alnwick TGOAS
2024 DATES:
Feb 1 Bury St Edmunds TGOAS
Feb 8/9/10/11 Via ArtsReach
Mar 20 Hereford - Susan Of Narnia (SON)
Mar 21 Bowness SON
Mar 22 Bath SON
Mar 27 Harrogate SON
Mar 28 Barton-On-Humber SON
Mar 30 Alnwick SON
Apr 5 Bath GREG BYRON
Apr 6 Lighthouse, Poole SON
Apr 10 Buxton SON
Apr 11 Dorchester SON
Apr 12 Oxford SON
Apr 13 Eastleigh SON
Apr 18 Mansfield SON
Apr 19 Hemel Hempstead SON
Apr 25 Barton-On-Humber GREG BYRON
Apr 26 Stavely GREG BYRON
Apr 30 Bracknell SON
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."