A new Christmas play comes to Edmonton With Bells On

By Vickie Laliotis

EDMONTON — Although a drag queen and a mild-mannered accountant trapped in an elevator might not exactly conjure up images of Christmas in one’s mind, With Bells On has captivated audiences throughout the province.

Written and directed by Darrin Hagen, this hour-long comedy features two polar opposites — played by James Hamilton and Paul Welch — who are forced to band together in order to escape.  After all, one of them has a title at the Christmas Queen Pageant to defend.

“I think Darrin Hagen shows us that in our cities we are disconnected from each other, and that although in appearance it may seem like we are far apart, we are actually going through the same fears,” said Theatre Network artistic director Bradley Moss.

“We can find connections to each other through our vast differences.”

The play debuted last year at Calgary’s Lunchbox Theatre, which presents one-act plays for patrons during their lunch breaks. With Bells On was their first performance featuring a drag queen.

“I have the feeling that Calgary was finally ready to meet one of my drag characters, otherwise it would have happened earlier,” Hagen said.

“Although Calgary tends to be a little conservative, it ended up being a huge hit— after all, old ladies love their drag queens.”

After 25 years of doing drag in Edmonton, Hagen began writing a drag epic in 1996 called The Edmonton Queen, which was based on his experiences as a drag queen coping with the effects of HIV and AIDS on his community.

“I didn’t actually start writing until I got tired of drag,” he said. “There’s only so much lip synching and impersonations you can do.”

Nominated for best new play at the Betty Mitchell Awards last summer — and taking home the best actor award for Welch’s performance — With Bells On has received praise for its ingenuity and originality.

“Writing plays is like having children,” Hagen said. “They don’t always turn out the way you want, but they all turn out the way they’re supposed to and you love them anyway.”

In this case, the play turned out to be inspirational.

“It’s a story about how life is about attempting something you were afraid to do, and that overcoming your fears sets you free,” Moss said.

To Hagen’s mind, With Bells On is more about making people feel accepted for who they really are than anything else.

“Holiday entertainment tends to be cliché, and because I don’t necessarily fit into its perception of the norm, I’ve always felt left out by it,” he said.

“That’s why I chose to put these two outcasts together; I wanted to make drag very accessible and create a really fun experience for the audience.”

With Bells On will run until Dec. 11 at the Roxy Theatre, located at 10708 124 St.

The Roxy is part of the Theatre Network, a non-profit organization that produces works meant to challenge people’s perceptions of the world.