Matthew Bourne's
The Midnight Bell
The Midnight Bell
Photo credit: Johan Persson
The Midnight Bell is a production by Matthew Bourne, widely hailed as the UK’s most popular and successful choreographer and director, renowned for reimagining classic stories through contemporary dance.
The Midnight Bell is inspired by the works of Patrick Hamilton, a British novelist and playwright known for his vivid portrayals of 1930s London life. The production takes its name from Hamilton’s 1929 novel The Midnight Bell, but it also draws on several of his other books, including: Twenty Thousand Streets Under the Sky, Hangover Square and The Gorse Trilogy.
Last night’s press performance at Theatre Royal Bath was nothing short of spellbinding. From the moment the lights dimmed on the atmospheric set - an impressive recreation of a 1930s Soho pub - to the final, heart-wrenching tableau, Bourne and his gifted ensemble transported us into the murky, yearning world of Patrick Hamilton’s London.
The Midnight Bell is inspired by the works of Patrick Hamilton, a British novelist and playwright known for his vivid portrayals of 1930s London life. The production takes its name from Hamilton’s 1929 novel The Midnight Bell, but it also draws on several of his other books, including: Twenty Thousand Streets Under the Sky, Hangover Square and The Gorse Trilogy.
Last night’s press performance at Theatre Royal Bath was nothing short of spellbinding. From the moment the lights dimmed on the atmospheric set - an impressive recreation of a 1930s Soho pub - to the final, heart-wrenching tableau, Bourne and his gifted ensemble transported us into the murky, yearning world of Patrick Hamilton’s London.
Photo credit: Johan Persson
Hamilton’s writing, particularly in novels like The Midnight Bell (1929) and Twenty Thousand Streets Under the Sky, is steeped in loneliness, longing, and the gritty glamour of interwar London. And this production honours that literary legacy without ever drowning in nostalgia: the dancers become Hamilton’s characters - drifters, drinkers, dreamers - each step and gesture revealing the unspoken ache at the heart of their stories. As artistic director Matthew Bourne says himself; “this cast of lonely hearts yearn for connection, affection and even love in the unlikely setting of the classic English pub.”
Terry Davies’s score and Paul Groothuis’ sound design underscored every twist of emotion, from jazzy riffs in the pub’s smoky corners, the birdsong and footsteps and car engines that make the city hum even in the early hours, to mournful strings as hope flickered and faltered. Bourne’s genius lies in his ability to take a literary text so reliant on internal monologue and transform it into vignettes of desire and despair that speak directly to the heart.
A highlight for me and arguably one of the most powerful central threads in the show is a tender and poignant gay love story between Bob, a shy and gentle man who works as a barman played by Andy Monaghan, and Frank, a young soldier played by Edwin Ray. Their storyline is quietly powerful, unfolding in a time when homosexuality was criminalised and deeply stigmatised. Their connection grows slowly, filled with cautious hope, vulnerability, and an underlying tension brought on by societal repression. The dancers handle the romance with care and nuance, creating moments of real tenderness and sadness that leave a lasting impression.
Terry Davies’s score and Paul Groothuis’ sound design underscored every twist of emotion, from jazzy riffs in the pub’s smoky corners, the birdsong and footsteps and car engines that make the city hum even in the early hours, to mournful strings as hope flickered and faltered. Bourne’s genius lies in his ability to take a literary text so reliant on internal monologue and transform it into vignettes of desire and despair that speak directly to the heart.
A highlight for me and arguably one of the most powerful central threads in the show is a tender and poignant gay love story between Bob, a shy and gentle man who works as a barman played by Andy Monaghan, and Frank, a young soldier played by Edwin Ray. Their storyline is quietly powerful, unfolding in a time when homosexuality was criminalised and deeply stigmatised. Their connection grows slowly, filled with cautious hope, vulnerability, and an underlying tension brought on by societal repression. The dancers handle the romance with care and nuance, creating moments of real tenderness and sadness that leave a lasting impression.
Photo credit: Johan Persson
As someone who loves both books and the theatre, I was completely drawn in by the way Bourne brought Hamilton’s moody, character-driven stories to life so beautifully through dance. It’s a masterclass in nonverbal storytelling, yet it feels distinctly theatrical rather than pantomime, breathing new life into Hamilton’s world for a contemporary audience.
Perhaps the greatest strength of Bourne’s work is his fearless inventiveness, and The Midnight Bell is no exception. It’s a lush, haunted love letter to Hamilton’s novels and to the power of dance-theatre to carry big ideas.
Theatre Royal Bath has once again proven itself a great home for adventurous storytelling, and I can’t recommend this production highly enough. Whether you come as a devoted Hamilton fan, a dance enthusiast, or simply in search of a night that will stir your imagination, The Midnight Bell rings loud and true.
The show now appears at the Theatre Royal Bath until Saturday 24th May.
Perhaps the greatest strength of Bourne’s work is his fearless inventiveness, and The Midnight Bell is no exception. It’s a lush, haunted love letter to Hamilton’s novels and to the power of dance-theatre to carry big ideas.
Theatre Royal Bath has once again proven itself a great home for adventurous storytelling, and I can’t recommend this production highly enough. Whether you come as a devoted Hamilton fan, a dance enthusiast, or simply in search of a night that will stir your imagination, The Midnight Bell rings loud and true.
The show now appears at the Theatre Royal Bath until Saturday 24th May.