Inspired by the novels of Patrick Hamilton, Matthew Bourne and New Adventures have added another crown jewel to the company's repertoire. This dance narrative set in the streets of Soho and centring around the denizens of a local pub, The Midnight Bell, is wonderfully evocative and beautifully executed. Bourne's ability to delineate character through the smallest of gestures is once again demonstrated, and the cast who comprise the regulars at The Midnight Bell all take on unique personalities which we instantly recognise and can identify with. Set in the 1930s, this is an artfully atmospheric piece conjuring up foggy streets and smoke-filled rooms populated with lost souls who are looking for love: the lonely spinster and the con man exquisitely danced by Michela Meazza and Glenn Graham; the chorus boy and the stranger portrayed by Liam Mower and Andrew Monaghan whose superb pas de deux explore a forbidden passion; the romantic pub employee and the worldly-wise prostitute flawlessly interpreted by Dominic North and Ashley Shaw; the barmaid and her bashful suitor charmingly played Bryony Pennington and Reece Causton; and, the hard-boiled actress and her hopeless pursuer deftly depicted by Daisy May Kemp and Alan Vincent. The stories of this complex set of characters intertwine and overlap, but thanks to their brilliant individuation, we never lose the narrative thread. The music of Terry Davies which references such great old classics as "The Man I Love," "The Nearness of You" and "Maybe it's Because I Love You Too Much" is the perfect counterpart to Bourne's choreography which captures the elegance and grace of the era. The Midnight Bell is a polished and poignant invocation of a time and place that will ring true to the experience of all those who might have posed the question, "What is this thing called love?"
Rated: ★★★★★
Reviewed by J.C.
Photo by Johan Persson
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