Bells and Spells, The Coronet Theatre

A coat hanger starts to walk, a dress takes on a life of its own, a doormat becomes a dance partner… This is Bells and Spells, a surreal physical theatre piece starring French theatre performer Aurélia Thierrée. After a European tour, the production makes its London premiere at Notting Hill's Coronet Theatre this December.

Thierrée is joined on stage by dancer Jaime Martinez in a magical, dreamlike spectacle. She portrays a petty thief whose stolen objects come to life. The elaborately designed set is full of unpredictable props as puppetry, illusion and physical comedy combine.

Bells and Spells is the latest collaboration between Aurélia Thierrée and her mother Victoria Thierrée Chaplin. Daughter of legendary comic performer Charlie Chaplin, Victoria was born into the world of theatre and circus performance. She and her husband, French actor Jean-Baptiste Thierrée, founded the contemporary travelling circus troupe Le Cirque Imaginaire, which has since been re-branded as Le Cirque Invisible. The young Aurélia grew up touring with her parents' circus, which shaped her own performance style.

Victoria Thierrée Chaplin is the director and costume designer of Bells and Spells, which builds on the previous projects of the mother-and-daughter team. The pair created Aurélia's Oratorio in 2005 and Murmures des murs in 2011, both of which straddled the boundaries between theatre, dance, circus, clowning and mime.

In partnership with The Coronet Theatre