The Midnight Bell
If you have ever seen a Matthew Bourne production, you will understand a certain expectancy the audience has before the performance begins, and anyone waiting with anticipation to see the latest of Bourne’s creations will not be disappointed.
Originally created as the country was emerging from a pandemic and back into some form of normality, The Midnight Bell not only tells the stories of relationships in the 1930’s, but also the stories of loneliness and isolation which are as present now as they have ever been.
As we step inside The Midnight Bell, a place where lonely hearts gather, where love affairs begin and where heartbreak ensues, we see new relationships begin. It is London in the 1930’s. Ordinary, everyday people arrive nightly to share their passions and hopes with other ordinary everyday people.
This is Bourne at his best, each, and every character is relatable. We may have been transported back to another era, but our human characteristics remain the same. Whether it’s the older man who is smitten by the young female bartender or the forbidden gay encounters, these characters are instantly real to us, and we instantly want to see them fulfilling their dreams.
The piece is inspired by the work of novelist Patrick Hamilton, his most recognised work possibly being Gaslight, written in 1938. It is said that Hamilton’s characters were created from his observations and social interactions within his favourite London pub. Taking these characters and their interactions and interweaving them creates the performance and the stories of The Midnight Bell.
If you are not familiar with the style of a Bourne piece, it’s something else altogether! Combining distinctive styles of dance (ballet, tap, modern, classical, ballroom) to create his own genre. The movements and choreography are flawless and in this piece in particular each couple’s movements and stories are played out in one space. As one couple moves from one place to another, the other’s move themselves out of that space and into another, creating three individual pieces within one big picture, its truly mesmerising.
Lez Brotherston’s set and costume design is delightfully sublime and captures the era perfectly, combined with Paule Constable’s lighting and Paul Groothuis’s sound the scenes are captivating.
It’s impossible to pick out individual members of the cast as all the performances were just so clean and flawless. It is truly an ensemble piece, no ‘couple’ would work without the others, but in the moment of each individual story, the focus is undoubtedly taken up by them.
This is an exemplary performance, relatable storytelling, and pure perfection in a production.
This production as reviewed on the 24th June 2025 at the Curve, Leicester where it runs until the 28th June 2025. Get your tickets here: The Midnight Bell - Curve Theatre, Leicester
Review written by Rachel Louise Martin
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Photo credit : Johan Persson
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