Ring That Bell!
★★★★☆ Eternal
theSpace on the Mile (Venue 39): Mon 19 – Sat 24 Aug 2024
Review by Rebecca Mahar
Welcome to hell! Please be seated and give your attention to the orientation presentation on your eternal stay in the centre of the earth.
Ring That Bell! finds fallen angels Lucy and Bubs ready to guide the audience through their descent into hell and the various rings to which they might be destined (determined by which random object you’re handed on the way in the door). There are warnings about insects, diseases, fire doors, not petting the cats —all dogs go to heaven— and, like any meeting that definitely could have been an email, a large flipchart.
Grace Baker and Eleanor Tate in Ring That Bell. Pic: Not So Nice.
It all seems straightforward enough, with Lucy and Bubs detailing the “fun, fresh, and funky” circles of hell in overly upbeat (Lucy) and downbeat (Bubs) fashions. But things go sideways when our hosts accidentally turn an audience member into a gelatinous blob (you’ve been warned), and have to hatch a plan to stop Satan from finding out.
Lucy, still the dreamer, is played with frenetic “gaslight, gatekeep, girl-boss” energy by Grace Baker, who perfectly balances the character’s drive to make the best of her situation with the unaddressed trauma of her fall. On the opposite side of the stage, Bubs balances Lucy, with Eleanor Tate executing an exemplary, Eeyore-like, “let’s just try being honest with them”, hellish coworker vibe— occasionally interrupted by uncontrollable bursts of slightly crazed frustration.
unexpectedly poignant
Together they are a brilliant double act, hilarious throughout the onboarding section of the show, and honest in the unexpectedly poignant heist section that follows. Resident playwright at Not So Nice! Theatre Company, Kira Mason’s script is a cracking devilish comedy with angelic heart— or maybe that should be the other way round? Humans do love our categories.
Skilfully directed by Matthew Attwood, Ring That Bell! gives full time to both its jokes and its heartfelt moments, without any sags or drags.
Is Hell other people? Or is it “violent criminals, misogyny, and astrology girlies”? You’ll have to attend the orientation to find out. Don’t be afraid – Hell is just a place.
Running time: One hour (no interval)
theSpace on the Mile (Space 3), 80 High Street EH1 1TH (Venue 39)
Monday 19 – Saturday 24 August 2024
Daily: 6.05 pm
Details and tickets at: Book here
Website: www.notsonice.co.uk
Facebook: @NotSoNiceUK
Instagram: @notsoniceuk
ENDS
