Review: Hamsters, Hamilton House – ‘A tale of love, friendship, dysfunction, and the tiny animal at the centre of it all’

Hamsters is a new play written by University of Bristol English student, Rosalie Roger-Lacan and performed by newly formed female-led theatre company, Talkers and Doers.

The narrative follows the central characters, Francine, Emma and Hannah, as they navigate the thorny nature of love and friendship, all the while circling around an unusual, furry focal point.

“It’s alive,” Francine mutters in quiet disbelief, as if saying it aloud will make it more than a ball of fur. The “it” to which she’s referring is Peanut, a birthday gift she’s gifted by her two best friends – who are in a relationship.

Peanut is our anchor in the story. Without the necessity of words or direction, this little furball cleverly sucks in the characters surrounding him, and inevitably the audience, too.

Hannah is the happy-go-lucky character in the gang, and her giddy excitement for this hamster is infectious.

But while the story begins with a celebration of life, set against small, colourful party props, in the case of Emma and Hannah’s stories, it quickly transitions to an altogether bleaker scene.

The final blow comes over a dish that’s been “soaking” for days. Emma is fed up with Hannah’s “careless” behaviour, and they decide to end their relationship. The heartbreak conveyed by Emma is poignant, and you can see this isn’t easy for her.

This fracturing of the once-close girl gang is all too much for Francine, who is obsessed with stability. Once more, Peanut seems to represent the symbolic centre of this now apparently former-unit.

One particular night, perturbed by the noise of her neighbour’s evening dinner party ruining her regimented 12 hours of sleep, Francine summons him to her apartment for words. Frank, or “the embodiment of seatbelt” (the ultimate stability), as he is later coined, brings a sense of restraint to the conversation.

Whether it’s sexual or awkward, the tension between them is palpable. The seeming mismatch between Frank’s constrained demeanour and Francine’s often overflowing energy doesn’t prevent them from falling for one another. Nothing better sums up their relationship than when Francine screeches her way through Edelweiss with unadulterated childlike joy, forcing the resistant Frank to sing it with her (which he indicates is a regular occurrence).

The actors inhabit their roles with verve, thoroughly bringing Roger-Lacan’s play to life. Although their characters all have distinct quirks, imagining a more dysfunctional group is difficult.

And yet, into this troubled context comes Ernie, the rodent shop owner. Socially awkward and desperate for therapy to resolve his nanny issues, he finds himself flung into the middle of the group, wielded by Hannah as a tool against Emma to stir up jealousy.

This descends into chaos, with each couple running off into corners to rant and rave about their respective situations. As audience members, what’s wonderful about this is that we all hear different things. It’s almost as if we’re involved in the drama and gossip.

Throughout the play, Peanut becomes an incredible cypher into which each character can pour their repressed emotions. It’s an effective, recurring trope – as inanimate objects are often referenced as metaphors for feelings of love and conflict.

Aside from their interactions, the elegance of the writing allows us a window on the internal conflict that all our protagonists are experiencing. And it’s a satisfying, full circle resolution, as we say goodbye to Peanut – while peace is finally restored.

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To keep in touch with news and future events from Talkers & Doers, follow @talkers.and.doers on Insta.

All photos: Henry Gunningham

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