IS JAMES Bond the epitome of masculinity? Suave, handsome, irresistible to women, brave, cool under pressure, an array of gadgets at his disposal, and a licence to kill.
Des Bishop does not think so, for the Irish-American comedian, the qualities that make a man are something else entirely, and this is what he will explore in his new show My Dad Was Nearly James Bond.
“Before I was born, my father had another life,” explains Des. “As a boy I thought it was the coolest thing ever that my father was a model and appeared as a blind pilot in Day of the Triffids and had one line in Zulu.
“His biggest claim was that he was very close to getting the role of James Bond. George Lazenby got the part, and we never watched James Bond in our house as it reminded my father of his regrets about the career he left behind to raise a family. But in all the scrapes Bond got through, he never had to raise a family and there is no gadget that Q could ever have created to help with that.”
Inspired by his father’s recent diagnosis of lung cancer, My Dad Was Nearly James Bond tells of a remarkable life tinged with regret. In championing the real heroics of fatherhood, Des challenges many common regrets and the ridiculous ideals of manhood that real, un-slick, men try to live up to.
The show has enjoyed international acclaim abroad and you can see Des performing some of the show at the Sydney Comedy Festival go to www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzzEwE6Ccik
Des Bishop will perform My Dad Was Nearly James Bond at the Town Hall Theatre from Thursday February 10 to Saturday 12 at 8pm. Tickets are available from the Town Hall on 091 - 569777 and www.tht.ie
