Bell and Bullock are Karen Bell and Dafe Bullock (see what they did there?). This street theatre duo bring you gentle comedy and creative nonsense with their highly participatory shows and walkabout acts.
They have built a reputation for entertaining the crowds at events and festivals all year round – including at Glastonbury Festival where they return to the Theatre & Circus fields for 2025.
We caught up with Karen to find out more about their plans.
Q&A with Karen Bell from Bell and Bullock
Can you tell us a little about your act?
Bell and Bullock is a street theatre double act comprising of myself, Karen Bell and my partner Dafe Bullock. We founded our company in 1991 so next year will mark 35 years of us performing together! We are proud to be still going strong and feel as engaged and passionate about our work as ever. We make static and walkabout acts for a whole range of outdoor settings so whether we are in a town centre or at a festival we try to use our experience and flexibility to respond to the spaces and audiences that we find there. Using gentle comedy and playful audience interaction we aim to coax even the shiest of children (and adults) to join in and have an enjoyable experience.
How did you get into live performance?
My route was through school plays, amateur dramatics groups, youth theatre and a drama degree at Newcastle Poly. After becoming a self-employed performer I did further training at Fool Time Circus School in Bristol and also lots of courses in Clowning. So I’ve never had a “proper job” so to speak.
Dafe’s route was more exotic because he left school at 16, joined the Merchant Navy and travelled the world. On being made redundant in the mid 80s he learned to juggle at the Elephant Fayre in Cornwall then used his redundancy money to attend the first circus and performance course to run at Fool Time Circus School.
Although our paths had already briefly crossed in Bristol, it was during the last year of my drama degree that we met properly and discovered our shared love for circus, clowning, street theatre and yes each other! (In case you were wondering).
Incidentally whilst at Fool Time we were both taught juggling by a certain Mr Haggis Mcleod, Theatre and Circus area organiser.
I lured Dafe up north to join me and we started our company with help from the Enterprise Allowance Scheme. His background in marine engineering (8 years below decks) has enabled us to turn our creative ideas into 3D reality. Dafe likes nothing more than chopping up old mobility scooters and then re-welding them into fabulous chariots and contraptions.
We now regularly collaborate with other skillful makers and designers as well, to help realise our visions. For example the sunflower costume I will be wearing was made by talented young maker Rosie Bristow whilst Dafe constructed the rest of the set and props. My role is to come up with the scripts, character ideas and the theatricality of how we are going to interact with the audience.
What’s it like to be performing at this year’s Glastonbury Festival?
We are super excited! It’s one of our favourite places to be in the whole universe. I’ve been coming since I was a teenager and it was seeing acts in the Theatre and Circus Fields especially that really opened my eyes to the performing arts as an actual career. I remember seeing street theatre companies like Mummer & Dada as well as huge French Flying Trapeze acts and mad Spanish Pyrotechnic troupes thinking, I want to do that! It really did expand my horizons as to what a creative and wonderful place the world can be. We have had the good fortune to perform here numerous times and count it as a real privilege to get the booking.
What can you tell us about your plans for the shows?
At 10.50am and 1.50pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday we will be spreading some “flower power” around the T & C fields. Gardener Hugh will be showing off Saskia his prize winning psychic Sunflower. With a little audience participation we will use her mind reading powers to deduce peoples favourite vegetables and miraculously raise a dropping rose from almost certain death! Think feel good vibes with dance music pumping out of the potting shed and lots of Sunflower selfies!
How do you approach performing at a festival like this?
We pretty much bring everything, including the kitchen sink and try to be prepared for all eventualities and weathers! Come rain, shine or mud we will be out in the fields spreading a little sunflower magic. By Sunday we often notice that people are a little bleary-eyed, but its our job to be an uplifting, playful presence and get the party started again!
Will you be checking out any other acts across the weekend?
We sure will! Its a total perk of the job and we will try and pack in as much as is physically possible. It’s a chance to catch up with old friends, see some of our favourite performers then be blown away by new acts and discoveries. We come away buzzing and inspired every time. The Theatre & Circus fields are chocka full with goodies and that’s even before venturing out to experience the wonders of the rest of site. Now we are off to download the app and see what can be squeezed in without cloning ourselves.
