Drawn from the novels of Patrick Hamilton, especially Twenty Thousand Streets Under The Sky, and Hangover Square, Matthew Bourne’s The Midnight Bell has been called a play without words. But that doesn’t really do this remarkable and dazzling piece of theatre justice. What Matthew Bourne has done is something exceptional: taking us on a journey with disparate and separate characters and weaving them together to form a cohesive whole, with more depth and diversity in the journey than you’d imagined could be possible in even the wordiest of plays.
The stage is full of shadows and entrances through which these midnight creatures weave and breathe their individual way, and the scenery flying in or stage moving with the players as part of the scenes ensure a gorgeous fluidity throughout, echoing the fluidity of their moves. It enables us to follow exactly where the story is, be it the frequently featured pub, the street, or seedy motel room. The sky changing backdrop also enhances the mood, as does the pools of light and occasional spotlight. The musical score throughout is the perfect accompaniment, with occasional lyrics used as part of scenes: it all helps to set the time period of the piece in the early 1930s as do the costumes and entire set. It all adds to the sublime feel of the entire piece.
But the piece belongs to the stories they tell, lyrically and fluidly like pouring themselves from one mould to another. The quality of the dancing and choreography is breath-taking. You are taken on a journey with all the different characters, their stories crossing and overlapping and clashing; through the most expressive and beautiful dance pieces you are ever likely to see. This is where dance is worth more than 1,000 words: it allows them to show exactly how they are feeling through every nuance of emotion they all go through, searching for connection and love. The passion, the disconnection: echoed by there only being a single not a double bed, the broken hearts; and lots of different endings through many trials. Everywhere you look there is a story unfolding, it’s more than a feast for the senses, it’s a feast for the soul.
Courtship is sometimes described as a dance and here it is just that. There are some lovely cheeky stolen moments, some lovely humour and dark humour too, as well as happiness contrasted with the sadness of betrayal and rejection. Everything is in balance, and there is a purity in some of the dancing which is so enchanting and sublime to watch, like a little skipped heartbeat of happiness. Patrick Hamilton’s relationship with alcohol also has a place here, drinking representing so many different things such as courage before venturing out, or drinking to forget, or drinking to become numb. Memories surface too, visibly, as well as fantasies: played out in brilliant intersections with reality in clear ways so you instantly know one from the other.
The characters dance straight out of the novels: the waiter wanting more from the prostitute than a hookup; the cad taking advantage of a woman desperate for love; the barmaid persuaded to date a customer she doesn’t want to. The portrayal of the man with health issues is brilliantly accomplished, showing us more without words than could have been achieved with them. Similarly, one story of internalised homophobia portrayed better than anything with words could have done. It’s the tenderest story and fearful searching for love: elegantly balanced and beautifully nuanced, especially remembering this is set in the time where this love was illegal. What’s surprising is how relevant and current all these stories are: we are all searching for connection and love, many of us feeling lonely and isolated.
And let’s not forget the dancing, which is the whole point after all. The cast are so insanely talented with skill and expression. Their timing is perfection and their control is phenomenal. Sometimes it seems as if you are watching something in slow motion, when it really is live in front of you. The shapes they create, the way they move, the extensions and finished lines, the emotion they portray in each movement: the effortless lifts even from men lifting men: the souls of dance fans will be doing little happy dances inside just adoring the spectacle. At the risk of running out of superlatives to praise it: this is absolutely stunning; a must see show.
Theatre Royal Brighton, 30 July 2025
The Midnight Bell runs until 2 Aug 2025
Photos credit: Johan Persson
