Reviewed at Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield, by Michelle Rawlins
Matthew Bourne never fails, and the Midnight Bell is a testament to his ability to use dance to say so much, without saying anything at all.
His latest touring production is a masterclass in evocative choreography and atmospheric storytelling.
Inspired by the English novelist Patrick Hamilton’s trilogy, Twenty Thousand Streets Under the Sky, Bourne explores the very real complex nuances of love, sex and loneliness.
The show is based around the clientele of a smoky 1930’s Soho pub, who become entwined in a series of intense and sexually needy encounters; each one desperate to either feel wanted or selfishly lustful.
Despite not a single word being spoken, the complexities of their longing and desire are ever present.
There’s the reserved and isolated barmaid, Ella, (Hannah Kremer) who doesn’t feel seen, the lonely spinster, Miss Roach (Michela Meazza) who is quickly picked up by a cad (Edwin Ray) with only one thing on his mind, alongside the puppy-eyed waiter (Dominic North) who falls for a young sex-worker (Ashley Shaw).
Interwoven are the two gay men who are desperate to show their love for one another, set against the fear of being arrested. Will Bozier puts in a compelling performance as the tortured (and terrifyingly sinister) romantic, George Harvey Bone, who becomes obsessed with the confident and sexually alluring out-of-work actress, Netta Longdon (Cordelia Braithwaite).
There isn’t really a plot to speak of, but that does not distract from the intricacy of this powerful and passionate piece of dance, which highlights the realities of human behaviour. As bodies entwine and looks are transferred, the cast expertly move to create one intimately charged exchange after another.
The two-hour performance is subtle yet simultaneously sexually charged; the voyeuristic undertone cleverly working in well-crafted tandem with the simple human desire to be loved.
The intimate and clever set, designed by Lez Brotherston, allows the dancers to seamlessly move between a dimly let pub, to the maze-like Soho streets and ultimately to a much-used bed, adding necessary pace to the show.
Lighting by Paule Constable in intrinsic to the moody and sexually charged atmosphere, as is the musical score by Terry Davies. The characters aptly lip-sync moody songs from the 1920’s and 1930’s, including Cole Porter’s What Is This Thing Called Love and Irving Berlin’s Maybe It’s Because I Love You Too Much.
The Midnight Bell is reaching the final leg of a country wide tour, but I hope this won’t be the last we see of Sir Bourne’s sultry sensation.
Showing at Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield, until Sept 27 2025, then at The Alhambra Theatre, Bradford
Tickets here
Photos by Johan Persson