Bellringers @ Hampstead Theatre
A masterclass in expositional dialogue. ★★★★★
At Hamspstead Theatre Downstairs until 2nd November.
Tickets from £10.
Rating: ★★★★★
Bellringers is an absolutely unique play, truly like nothing I’ve seen before. It is staged in real time with only two actors, and takes place entirely within the belltower of a church. Very little happens, it is almost exclusively dialogue between two best friends, Aspinall (Paul Adeyefa) and Clement (Luke Rollason). The dialogue swings naturally from banter to reminiscing to deep emotional connection, but the real skill is in what it reveals about the setting. The villages are in crisis of biblical proportions, hopes pinned on the bells to save them while everyone must continue to live out their regular life despite all the deaths.
It is no surprise this was written in part during Covid. It speaks powerfully to the role of hope in crisis, to continuing rituals we know will do nothing, to becoming desensitized to death. While Daisy Hall (writer) artfully creates an image of an apocalypse so strange we are sure we wouldn’t ignore it, it’s hard not to imagine a plague in it’s stead. Even without the specific context, it stands on it’s own as a fantastic piece of writing, pleasingly toying with themes of community, survival, self-sacrifice, friendship and religion. There is some truly fantastic discussion of the bible through a very human lense, ranging from silly banter to deeply sad.
The actors have excellent chemistry, and are well cast. Rollason’s clown background is used particularly well, the physical comedy plays well into an awkward, slightly robotic character, and makes it totally clear that we’re watching an odd character not poor acting. Both avoid any direct audience addresses or unnatural delivery when key exposition is delivered, making the whole play feel much more intimate and real.
The set is clever and efficient, though I unfortunately was told not to photograph it. Audience is seated on each side, the stage treated naturally as a small hexagonal room in the belltower. The bell ropes hang ominously, brightly coloured next to a muted set and costumes, drawing our minds just as much as that of the characters. The costuming plays pleasingly into the general sense of timelessness in the play - they could be dressed appropriately for any time from about 1850 to 2024.
Bellringers is a wonderful, timeless yet timely piece of writing, and an absolute must-watch for anyone loosely interested in ritual and religion.
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