York Theatre Royal – until Saturday 7th June 2025
Reviewed by Michelle Richardson
5*****
Matthew Bourne’s, The Midnight Bell, returns to the York Theatre Royal after a successful debut in 2021. Described as “intoxicated tales from the darkest Soho” and based on the novels of Patrick Hamilton. Set in the 1930’s, all the action centres around The Midnight Bell, a public house in Central London.
The stage is dark and misty, a lone figure dancing across the floor. Dropping onto a single bed, where he awakens, to find out he was only dreaming. He’s a bartender at The Midnight Bell, a local establishment frequented by an assortment of characters, longing for a connection, something more. In the bar we meet several characters, staring at the bottom of an empty glass. The barmaid, agrees to marry am older man after being spurned by the bartender, whose head is turned by a prostitute, an older lady, wooed by a dashing scoundrel, a tortured soul is tormented by an out of work actress, who has a wandering eye and a couple, whose attraction can’t be contained, all whilst trying to hide their secret, illegal relationship in a time when homosexuality was illegal.
Through the captivating choreography and expressive storytelling, the performance draws the audience into the moment. No words are spoken during the performance, the dancers’ movements convey the complex emotions and turbulent relationships. You can’t help with being enthralled with each step, each gesture, speaking louder than words ever can, as each artist moves effortlessly across the stage. The dancers weave together themes of hope, love, desire, anguish and heartbreak, the intertwining relationships exposed before our eyes.
The soundtrack is meshed with songs from the 30’s, which are mimed and completely depicts the era. The high-pitched sound, depicting the anguish of the tortured romantic whilst he is writhing on the floor, is very effective, though quite ear piercing.
On the stage table and chairs, a park bench come and go, as does the bar, the props are moved about with ease by the dancers, choreographed within the story. The use of window frames, a sign for a phone box being lowered and raised, lit up signs depicting rooms, dance hall and cinema, flicker on and off come in to play as the story unfold. The set design and lighting, casting shadows that evoke the mood, bring to life the sleaziness of Soho.
The Midnight Bell is a powerful piece of storytelling, especially the first act. The world class dancers, Cordelia Braithwaite, Glenn Graham, Michela Meazza, Andy Monaghan, Liam Mower, Bryony Pennington, Edwin Ray, Danny Reubens, Ashley Shaw and Alan Vincent, are thoroughly mesmerising in their physicality. The depths of their, skillful and graceful, performances negated the need for spoken words. I could hear the words beautiful being spoken after at least one dance, I couldn’t agree more.
This superb, contemporary dance, production from Matthew Bourne is playing in York until Saturday 7th June, before continuing its countrywide tour.