The Midnight Bell – Leicester Curve and Touring

The Midnight Bell was reviewed at Leicester Curve and continues touring until 27 November 2021.

Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩

Matthew Bourne’s highly-anticipated premiere graced the Leicester Curve for its thrilling spin (pardon the pun) on Patrick Hamilton’s bittersweet novel The Midnight Bell (or rather, taking elements from his entire trilogy 20,000 Streets Under the Sky).

It’s delightfully wistful. Under the cheery glow of the Bell, the night entrusts its most tormented children to gather and tease each other. Yearning, melancholy and infatuation reign as they toss their hearts between bourbons and bedsheets, and Bourne’s cinematic noir-esque choreography is the perfect vessel for these tales.

Players appear caught in a constant waterfall of movement all doomed to fail but with no power to escape the torrent. What’s so incredible about Bourne’s direction is the precision of each transition – nobody moves superfluously, not one single gesture is without motivation. This plays out best in the infinite detail of the crowd scenes, the only criticism of which could be that it’s impossible to take in everything that’s going on without several re-watches.

Standout performances then, from Paris Fitzpatrick as Bob, the infatuated waiter, with a lithe felinity to his expression that perfectly encapsulates the heady, all-consuming love he feels; from Michela Meazza as ‘Lonely Spinster’, Miss Roach – a heartbreakingly vulnerable tango of passion and restraint, and from Daisy May Kemp as an out of work actress tossed between self loathing and grandeur. Kemp handles the power-play expertly, allowing her form to dodge between control, resistance and dominance with masterful discipline.

The problem with naming the tragedies of each character so soon, of course, is that the stakes then feel low throughout. Those who part, part with resignation, those who darken were always dark and those who emerge victorious are hollow in their victory. Most remain (in emotional terms at least) back where they started, and there isn’t something to root for when you see no motivation for any of them to change.

There are also, despite the exquisite detail of the crowd scenes, some issues with clarity. The climax of Act II, for example, bears checking – was it? Did he? Which doesn’t necessarily feel deliberate – in fact, despite a great performance, Richard Winsor’s Schizophrenic character feels more like a melancholy alcoholic than someone tormented by their own visions.

It cannot go without recognition that Lez Brotherston’s exquisite set provides the perfect backdrop for our action – at once stylishly naturalistic while versatile enough to suggest a myriad moments, it functions beautifully.

Absolutely worth the ticket price – see it immediately where you can.

Aura Simon