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22 July 2025
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5*****
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There is a scene in the first half of Matthew Bourne’s The Midnight Bell which rather sums up the show; two young men meet on a park bench, coy, guarded, attracted to each other, they indulge in a routine of extraordinary complexity and intimacy, it is like a speeded-up film, telling so much in a few minutes – it is done with beauty, invention and humour.
Based on the tremendous stories of Patrick Hamilton, this production just underlines the supremacy of Matthew Bourne as a stage storyteller. This has something of the portmanteau films of the mid-20th Century – several independent stories told against the same background. With the focus on the pub of the title, we follow the interactions of some of the clientele; a disparate group of individuals each with their own issues, desires and ambitions.
Matthew Bourne’s team is out of the top drawer and they deliver in every department. Lez Brotherston, once again, offers a clever set design; suggestions of locations which flow on and off stage. Along with the incomparable lighting designs of Paule Constable and Paul Groothuis’s tremendous soundscape, the audience is immersed into London of the 1930s. Brotherston’s costumes too are stylishly created to match the setting and worn with poise and elegance. The sepia tones of the production add to the cinematic feel to the whole.
Unlike many of Matthew Bourne’s productions, this one has a far more intimate feel with just ten dancers employed to tell the stories. Wide-eyed and innocent, barman Bob becomes obsessed with Jenny a local prostitute; the highly experienced Dominic North is so appealing as Bob and Ashley Shaw exudes sex as Jenny. Meanwhile, barmaid Ella, who is in love with Bob, is serenaded and seduced by the elderly Mr Eccles; there is great sensitivity in Bryony Pennington’s Ella and Reece Causton well-meaning, but misguided as the eventually rejected Eccles. Glenn Graham plays the vile cad, Gorse with relish and there is almost a cheer when he gets his comeuppance from the vulnerable Miss Roach, played to perfection by Michela Meazza. George Bone is deeply romantic with patent mental health issues; this is no superficial performance from Danny Reubens, the pain is more than obvious in his pursuit of the actress, stylishly portrayed by Cordelia Braithwaite. Maybe the most complete story is that of Albert and Frank – in an age where homosexuality was illegal, their story is played with looks, suggestions, the brush of the cheek; in the hands of Liam Mower and Andy Monaghan, this is a particular triumph; the connection is tantalising, sensuous and full of beauty.
The dancing throughout is full of invention and creates pictures to enhance the narrative. Bodily contortions are effortlessly presented as something entirely natural, it is astonishingly refreshing and inspiring. All is played out against, an often pulsating, score by Terry Davies which combines beautiful melodies with discordant sounds, but also with songs, mimed by the performers, in the manner of Dennis Potter television plays. It is a fascinating device; the chosen songs include ‘The Man I Love’ and ‘What Is This Thing Called Love’ and enhance the storyline with each performance just spot-on. Loved this.
All in all, this is just another example of how the creative brain of Matthew Bourne works and how he constantly seeks to entertain new possibilities and offer audiences originality without ever diverting attention from the story.
Mesmerising, eloquent and enlightening.
Cast
BOB, a waiter – Dominic North
JENNY MAPLE, a young prostitute – Ashley Shaw
MISS. ROACH, a lonely spinster – Michela Meazza
ERNEST RALPH GORSE, a cad – Glenn Graham
ELLA, a barmaid – Bryony Pennington
ECCLES, a regular customer – Reece Causton
GEORGE HARVEY BONE, a tortured romantic – Danny Reubens
NETTA LONGDON, an out-of-work actress – Cordelia Braithwaite
FRANK, a new customer – Andy Monaghan
ALBERT, a West-End Chorus Boy – Liam Mower
Creatives
Director and Choreographer – Matthew Bourne
Composer – Terry Davies
Set and Costume Design – Lez Brotherston
Lighting Designer – Paule Constable
Sound Designer – Paul Groothuis
Associate Artistic Director – Etta Murfitt
Photo Credit – Johan Persson
