Review: BELLRINGERS, Hampstead Theatre

In a small village located in an indeterminate part of the British countryside some time in the past, the world is ending. Thunder roars and the sky is so gloomy that candles make very little difference. As per tradition, the bells ring in the hope of breaking the storm and avoiding further disaster. The severe weather conditions make being at the top of the bell tower a dangerous task. The shift is assigned to childhood friends Clement and Aspinall, two young lads who are now battling against a nagging fear surrounded by impenetrable clouds. 

Daisy Hall’s debut is already a decorated piece of writing, having been a finalist for the Women’s Prize for Playwriting last year and a huge success at the latest edition of the Edinburgh Fringe. It’s a play of tender humanity. The very generous setting and chatty script offers an almost Beckettian development of its concepts, which are hilariously convoluted but wrapped in sensible vernacular. Starting from an inventive idea, Hall explores a gripping concoction of metaphysical theory and bleak banter, holding up a mirror to reality. The caustic sarcasm that’s idiosyncratic to a zillennial inflection results in a pair of comic performances that are exquisitely intense in their subtlety.

Paul Adeyefa and Luke Rollason (of Extraordinary fame) complement one another’s trajectory. Rollason’s quirky aloofness might find a grounded figure in Adeyefa’s Aspinall at the start, but the latter’s loaded naivety is soon met by a careful wariness in Clement. As they discuss the pragmatism of religion and their mortal role in life, the actors establish a paced tempo with random humour. Hall’s comedic style is dark and sometimes indelicate, but maintains a steady whimsy and remains amusing even at its most nuanced state. But Bellringers is, at its core, a collection of philosophical tangents where every spoken tidbit or anecdote is a chance to explore a different side of being human. 

The constricted enclosure of the belfry combined with the restless psychological situation allows director Jessica Lazar to add movement that feels natural and justified. Their stillness focuses our attention and their nervous pacing betrays their anxiety. Natalie Johnson’s set is marked by a wooden minimalism: gothic rampant arches and slatted benches with ropes hanging off the ceiling are everything Hall’s project needs. Lights dim and rise to build the storytelling tension, with David Doyle’s design working in harmony with Holly Khan’s soundscape. 

Lightning flashes and we enter total immobility; the rain momentarily stops until a thunderclap revives the action. It adds to the suspense and practically resets the scene in the absence of textual breaks. A suffused melancholy permeates the atmosphere, aided perhaps by the warm hues, while a profound sadness is concealed by the comedy. Ultimately, the wacky outlook of the characters becomes a coping mechanism in a story of endurance against the cruelty of nature and the relentless transformation of generational conventions and beliefs.

If we were to be excessively fastidious, the production could be slightly trimmed for the sake of the plot, but it’s a quick 80-minute show, nonetheless. As a full-length debut, Bellringers is solid and original. It entertains without being OTT; the bond between Aspinall and Clement doesn’t exist for the benefit of an audience - the crowd just happens to be there while they entertain themselves and ease their nerves. What could have been a simple curiosity turns into an investigation of the psyche. It may be kooky on the surface, but the subtext is observably well-accomplished.

Bellringers runs at Hampstead Theatre until 2 November.

Photo credit: Alex Brenner

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