Reviewed by: Hi Fi Way
Review by Peter Lanyon | 03 March 2024
The Regal Theatre is one of Adelaide’s most beautiful cinemas and it seems serendipitous that it should provide the backdrop for one of this Fringe season’s most cinematic shows, 007 - Voices of Bond. Presented by Night Owl Shows, this amazing sextet of "00" agents, performed near on a two hour show, highlighting the very best themes from the James Bond movies, along with tantalising tidbits about the series, production composers, stars and so much more. As the lights dimmed, the band took to the stage before treating us to a rousing rendition of the classic James Bond Theme, the perfect show opener and completely as expected, setting the mood for the show ahead. The opening strains of Diamonds Are Forever followed, as agent 004 (aka Ella McReady) walked down the centre aisle of The Regal in a stunning classic Bond girl style evening dress, to deliver an incredible vocal on this Shirley Bassey 007 staple. Matt Monroe's From Russia With Love took us back to an earlier entry in the series next, as agent 006 (Angus Monroe) set aside his saxophone to handle vocals, and a powerhouse performance it was. From there, we took a chronological trek through the series, as we were treated to theme after theme of classic Bond moments, from crooners to full on rockers and everything in between, all delivered to perfection. The band were incredible (in particular the keyboardist, who also juggled trumpet and synth programming simultaneously) along with vocalists 004 and 006, who never once faltered. In fact, some of the themes were performed so well they actually translated better to a live setting than their original celluloid moments, perhaps none more so than Sam Smith's Writing On The Wall, performed here it felt every bit as epic as the most powerful best Bond themes. Whether you're a Bond aficionado or just a movie buff, make sure you catch 007 - Voices of Bond, you won't be disappointed.