Review: Bellringers
Debut play about evoking the modern climate crisis
Bellringers
Photo by Alex Brenner
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Published 06 Aug 2024
Set in an apocalyptic, seeming future that yet retains strong, folksy links with the village heritage of England, Daisy Hall's Bellringers evokes the modern climate crisis but in terms of Old Testament plagues of perpetual storms, fish falling from the sky and fungi beginning its creeping dominance of the land. Survivors take turns to gather in churches and ring their bells, in an unconvinced effort to placate the wrath of their persecution, risking death by lightning strike at every peal.
In this damned situation we find Clement (Luke Rollason) and Aspinall (Paul Adeyefa), neither particularly superstitious or filled with hope but clinging to their friendship and a sense of duty that this night, they need to take their chance with the elements. The pair are very good, capably conveying their fond mutual feeling and lingering humanity, even as their resolve flickers between acceptance and terror. Yet the tone of the piece is uncertain, the gallows humour that the noose-like ropes appear to signify never fully loosed. Meanwhile, the sense of impotency at the unfolding catastrophe leaves one questioning if you're meant to admire this approximation of faith that is barely sustaining, or condemn the decisions that have brought the world to this brink.