Bonding: An Intriguing Commentary on Masculinity(ies)
By Raisha Jesmin, Bristol Women’s Voice Intern
Cyril Blake stars as Stephen in this witty and moving play that centres on the iconic James Bond franchise.
Although cinema reveres Bond as a figure, critics have long scrutinised the franchise for its sexist, misogynistic, and racist elements. Feminists have voiced particular criticism of the Bond films, pointing to how the films sexualise and objectify female characters and create uncomfortable intimate scenes between Bond and his ‘leading ladies’. ‘Bonding‘ acknowledges the franchise’s flaws and uses the franchise to craft an introspective journey of an avid Bond fan, Stephen, the main character of the play.
Each James Bond era parallels an important stage in Stephen’s life as he grapples with identity crises, family discord, grief, and personal growth.
Negotiating Masculinity in the Household
Stephen’s dad introduces him to the Bond franchise as a child. Unlike his dad, who worked in a garage fixing cars, Stephen’s heart increasingly longs for theatre and acting, as he develops a fascination with the Bond films. But Stephen struggles to gain his dad’s approval, as traditionally male activities and interests at the time do not draw him. Contrastingly, his mom indulges his interest in acting and theatre, even roleplaying as Judi Dench who played Bond’s boss, when a young Stephen would act out scenes from Bond. Stephen finds inspiration in Bond actors like Sean Connery, Pierce Brosnan, and Roger Moore, who people held as exemplars of ideal masculinity during that period. As a teenager, Stephen dons suits like his favourite Bond actor, Pierce Brosnan, and tries to woo girls like Roger Moore.
The demands of manhood and traditional masculinity, however, holdsStephen’s dreams of acting captive. His dad does not simply inculcate him with narrow ideals of masculinity, such as ‘boys don’t cry‘, his peers would also denigrate theatre as a ‘homosexual‘ interest. For Stephen who cannot find joy in traditional masculine activities like other boys his age, such gender norms begin chipping away at his self-esteem and eventually halt his acting dreams. To become a ‘manly‘ man like his dad, Stephen tries following in his dad’s footsteps by briefly working in his garage.
Although the period brings him no happiness, he grows closer to his dad after hearing his dad narrate stories of Stephen’s coal-miner grandfather who also disapproved of his dad pursuing an apprenticeship and becoming a mechanic. Stephen and his dad’s relationship reveals two very important things about masculinity: masculinity always evolves, and masculinity exists in the plural.
For Stephen’s grandfather, being a man meant working in physically demanding and risky jobs; for Stephen’s dad, being a man means securing stable employment and providing for his family while remaining unemotional. However, these notions of masculinity do not resonate with Stephen who did not simply want to ‘exist’ but ‘live’. He seeks adventure, fleeting moments of romance, and wants to become a ‘man‘ like the Bond actors. If theatre and acting are manly enough for the likes of Brosnan and Moore, certainly they can be manly enough for Stephen.
Trials and Tribulations
Following the death of his mother, Stephen and his dad connect even more as they continue to bond over Bond. During their mourning period, the Bond film ‘Skyfall‘ starring Daniel Craig premieres. Stephen witnesses his dad cry for the first time as Judi Dench’s character, who represents a maternal figure in the franchise, breathes her last . Dench’s death in the film evokes strong feelings in the two men, as they themselves navigate grief.
Despite this, Stephen continues to attend drama school and pursue his acting dreams. Although his father initially disapproves of his interest in acting, he eventually accepts that he just wants his son to be happy. For Stephen who grew up with traditional notions of masculinity, drama school marks a significant turning point in his life as instructors now expect him to express emotions and engage in self-reflection; drama school also makes him more critical of his beloved Bond.
His first play involves him playing a highly misogynistic character, a role he excels at, as sexist and misogynistic peers surrounded him growing up. When supervisors reprimand him at a part-time job for behaving inappropriately with a female co-worker, Stephen learns that he now has to shed those narrow ideals of masculinity and grow as a person; he becomes more self-aware, as times are changing and those who had once lacked power, such as women and minorities, now possess the power to push back against injustice and discrimination.
The final scenes focus on Stephen’s realisation that Bond represents a highly lonely figure and his questioning of whether he too will end up lonely if he continues to revel in an adventurous lifestyle; after all, Bond remains a fictional character who could not possibly reflect the realities of being a man in a complex world.
Once more, Stephen turns to his dad, trying to understand why he chose to become a father and ponders if he could become a parent himself. At this juncture, producers have just released the final Bond movie starring Daniel Craig, in which viewers discover that Bond had a child all along; as Bond passes away in the movie, leaving behind his daughter, the two men can not help but tear up. Stephen’s dad, who once disapproved of him pursuing acting, ends up attending all his plays, demonstrating the pride and love he holds for his son. As Stephen’s dad passes away, Stephen continues on his journey of self-reflection, healing, and personal growth, with the hope that he can become a good man.
Concluding Thoughts
Stephen’s development from being a boy who thought crying showed weakness to a self-aware, emotional man who breaks free from sociocultural norms demonstrates that masculinity always remains in flux. Far from representing a fixed identity that individuals acquire at birth, masculinity reshapes itself over time as men manage diverse relationships, endure hardships, engage with cultural mediums, and learn more about the world around them.
Change and evolution indeed constitute a core theme of the play, which Stephen echoes multiple times: ‘As society moves, we move with it‘. The world certainly differs far from what it was when producers released the first Bond films.
Society has made significant progress, but it seems that forces are undoing that progress as sexism, misogyny, and other forms of discrimination and hate increasingly encroach on every sphere of society. Nevertheless, Bonding reassures us that the world rarely stays stagnant or only regresses.
Things can always change for the better, but are we willing to self-reflect and drive that change? Do we stand ready to accept change? As the curtains closed, I found myself ruminating on these questions.
Find out more about Bonding here: https://tobaccofactorytheatres.com/shows/bonding/