Review: THE MIDNIGHT BELL, Sadler’s Wells

In The Midnight Bell, now playing at Sadler's Wells, Matthew Bourne turns his directing and choreographing styles away from fairytale romance and toward the raw, shadowy corners of 1930s Soho to the world of the titular pub, The Midnight Bell. This is a place where strangers gather night after night, together in company but alone in their own ways.

Inspired by the novels of Patrick Hamilton, Bourne's production unfolds not as a single sweeping story, but as a mosaic of interwoven vignettes, each one a glimpse into the lives of the lonely, the hopeful and the heartbroken.

This production doesn't follow a traditional narrative arc. Instead, the characters drift into view in brief, emotionally rich scenes that evoke everything from fleeting flirtation to desperate obsession. It is a structure that mirrors the emotional fragmentation of urban life, where you can be surrounded by people and still feel utterly alone.

There is a sultry, smouldering quality to Bourne's choreography in this production. Intimacy is ever present, but it is laced with risk and sadness. Bodies lean in close, only to recoil and hands stretch toward each other but do not touch. Each one of the dancers brings stunning depth and character to each of the evocative passing interactions.

Lez Brotherston's set perfectly evokes the seedy beauty of Soho's backstreets. His fabulous costumes are a love letter to the era, capturing not only the period but the private aspirations of each character. Paule Constable's lighting cloaks the stage in warm amber and creeping shadow, giving the piece an almost cinematic intimacy.

Terry Davies's score, blending period tunes with original music, deepens the sense of time and place while never overpowering the movement.

The Midnight Bell doesn't aim for big narrative resolutions. Instead, it offers fragments of lives seen in passing and connections that almost happen. This is all about the glimpses into the lives of the strangers you pass on the street but never really know.

The Midnight Bell is at Sadler's Wells until 21 June

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