Based on Patrick Hamilton’s novels from the early 20th century, Matthew Bourne’s The Midnight Bell follows the intertwined lives of ten 1930’s working men and women who are all either frequent or work in the Midnight Bell, a typical London pub. We watch them navigate the highs and lows of love and desire in an environment that is far from the glamorous world of the inter-war years’ high society. What is most striking about this setting is that the characters feel very realistic and relatable, almost to the point that I wouldn’t be surprised if I crossed them in the street tomorrow!
As a piece of dance, the quality of the dancers’ acting in The Midnight Bell was absolutely outstanding. I easily followed each storyline throughout the performance, despite the complete lack of dialogue. Personally, I thought that Hannah Kremer (as Ella) and Cordelia Braithwaite (as Netta Longdon) delivered stand-out performances, with their respective characters maintaining lots of depth throughout the show.
The 1930s atmosphere was very well established through the well-thought-out set and costumes. The constantly changing set increased the energy of the show and reminded us of the separate, yet intertwined, lives that the individual characters were living. Both the costumes and the set were faithful to the 1930s setting, with the costumes working especially well to define each of the characters and their role within the story as a whole.
The most interesting storyline that we follow in The Midnight Bell was the blossoming relationship between Albert, a West End chorus boy played by Liam Mower, and Frank, played by Andy Monaghan, who is a new costumer to The Midnight Bell at the start of the story. This particular storyline is Matthew Bourne’s creation and is a nod to the fact that, as Bourne says himself, “the homosexual ‘underworld’ was not as hidden as you might expect at this time.” What I really liked about this storyline was that it was complicated as the show went on by the grand reveal of Frank’s job, as it showed just how blurred the lines around sexuality and ‘proper behaviour’ were in the interwar years.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed The Midnight Bell and I would recommend it not only to people who already love going to the ballet, but also to people who have never thought about going to see a theatrical dance performance before. Thanks to the strong storytelling and acting that is displayed by all of the dancers, The Midnight Bell is a very accessible piece of theatre, in spite of – or, perhaps, because of – the complexity of the feelings it expresses. The Midnight Bell tells the stories of an emotion that simply doesn’t change with the times: love.
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
The Midnight Bell is at the Lyceum Theatre from Tuesday 23 – Saturday 27 September. Tickets can be booked through the Box Office in person, over the phone on 0114 249 6000, or at sheffieldtheatres.co.uk.
