Theatre and Dance Reviews

Sex virtually oozes off the stage in this exciting "re-imagining" of Bizet's opera from the man who has changed the face of dance.

In Matthew Bourne's The Car Man, the cigarette factory from the opera is now a garage / diner in small town America where everyone know everybody else's business. Into this world walks a handsome stranger who toys with the feelings of both men and women and sets off a chain of events that can't be halted.

In fact, the good looking guys and girls from that period of time, who dance their way to an inevitable conclusion gave me echoes of West Side Story.

Passion

In this show though, all set to Bizet's familiar score, the result is a tale of passion, betrayal, lust and greed and the story is told so evocatively that you can almost reach out and touch the tension.

The Car Man

Lez Brotherston's set and Chris Davey's lighting perfectly evoke the hot and steamy setting which in turn reflects the feelings that run high throughout as you witness the physical and passionate performances from dancers who also showcase their acting skills in these emotional roles.

As male muscles practically burst out from under vests and tight denims, and long female tanned legs emerge from silk skirts, the exciting and innovative choreography is more than enough to set pulses racing.

Bourne stalwart Scott Ambler plays a greasy sleazebag that you cannot help but hold contempt for, while as Luca, the stranger, Alan Vincent is rugged and handsome and it's easy to see why his charms affect both sexes. Richard Winsor’s portrayal of Angelo, who ends up wrongly accused of murder is at once winsome and angst or anger-ridden and it is hard to take your eyes off the impossibly elegant and beautiful Michela Meazza who commands every scene she is in!

Explicit

Without a word being spoken, they totally suck you in and as such, Bourne's ability just to tell a story and create an atmosphere with characters that you care about, once again opens up the genre of dance to a wider theatregoing audience.

As you go in you are warned about explicit scenes, but while there is no shortage of sex on the stage, even a glimpse of full frontal male nudity, it is highly erotic rather than gratuitous and entirely fitting for the story in which it is set.

If you have been hooked by Bourne since his ground-breaking all-male Swan Lake and missed this production which hasn't been seen in the UK for seven years, then try and catch it on this tour because it's a fabulous evening of storytelling and dance-based theatricality.