Carlos Sandin’s one-man show Pull My Goldfinger starts before the lights go down, as he lightly commentates on the incoming audience, warning several in jumpers and coats to take them off and promising to restart if someone comes in late.

We are here for a one-man show about James Bond – hence the title – with our fully naked actor initially performing as a caveman being bequeathed a traditional black briefcase and becoming the famous spy. It’s not particularly groundbreaking as a set-up, but it does the job, although his nudity is more distracting than an addition to the scene or character. He makes good on his promise to restart – fortunately only five minutes in – which gets the audience giggling away, and we begin on a chaotic journey of Bonds, adventures and set pieces.

The narrative is minimal and shepherded mainly by the offstage interventions of a God mic in the tech booth – no knowledge of the canon is required, and the most familiar features of the character are present without interrogation. Sandin is a compelling performer, with large expressive eyes and impressive physicality. There are some genuinely inventive and witty moments; his recreation of the famous title sequence with white frisbees, a frenetic chase sequence in which he drives, rides a horse and swims away from his attackers, and his playing of both Bond and his love interest as they seduce each other in a bar. Sandin never wavers in his commitment to his characters and set-ups, despite often breaking the fourth wall to acknowledge the ridiculousness of what he’s doing. His background in clowning is evident throughout the show, exploring the dynamics and relationship between performer and audience – giving them beanbags and frisbees to throw at him, taking an audience member offstage, out of the theatre and all the way back to the entrance – and reacting with mock shock as he watches the audience reel, titter and laugh. Some set-ups work less well than others, such as a martini making scene while he plays a melodica, which feels a little undeveloped.

We culminate in a prolonged interrogation scene, mimicking Daniel Craig’s in Casino Royale. Sandin is once again naked, which again feels distracting and unnecessary – in the original film, it reflects the vulnerability of the situation but on stage the suspension of disbelief (and strategic camera angles) aren’t possible. At times like this, it feels like his clowning background creates the need to break this taboo for the sake of it, not necessarily because it enhances the action.

I left impressed by his chutzpah and commitment to the role(s), but the show ends somewhat abruptly, and for me the lack of a strong narrative and a peak in momentum meant it felt ultimately somewhat insubstantial – despite Sandin’s outstanding charisma.

Pull My Goldfinger at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival available here.