Review: Matthew Bourne’s The Midnight Bell

There may be no Peggy Mitchell, but the setting of Matthew Bourne’s award-winning dance production has plentiful supplies of drama, intrigue, romance and frustration.

The Midnight Bell, inspired by the works of novelist Patrick Hamilton and set in Soho, is a dance exploration of the lives and loves of a collection of couples.

Bob is a waiter who forms a hopeless attachment to Jenny Maple, a young prostitute – failing to notice the affections of lovelorn barmaid Ella.

Meanwhile, the character Albert forms an emotionally fraught and, at that time forbidden, romantic entanglement with local police officer Frank.

As these stories play out, the audience also watches as Miss Roach is seduced and deceived by local cad Ernest, while hard-drinking Netta plays a dangerous game of cat and mouse with George Harvey Bone.

The Midnight Bell is a beautiful and thought-provoking dance performance which tugs at the heart strings and shows some of the darker sides of love and passion.

I’ve been lucky enough to have seen several Matthew Bourne productions and I adore how he is able to take storytelling through dance to a whole new level with the originality of his approach.

The cast were incredibly talented dancers, but all managed to combine their physical capabilities with beautiful acting skills. The power of movement was underlined by wonderfully and sensitively played emotions.

The accompanying score by Terry Davies was the perfect backdrop, boasting a cinematic quality which added tension and drama when it was most needed.

One of my highlights was the atmospheric use of street scene soundscapes, including everything from flapping pigeon wings to the striking of a clock, which helped emphasise the quieter and more intense scenes.

A brilliant study of love at its most vulnerable, The Midnight Bell will run at Royal & Derngate until Saturday, July 19.

For more information see, www.royalandderngate.co.uk