Picture: Johan Persson
New Adventures has announced the world premiere of Matthew Bourne’s The Midnight Bell at the Cheltenham Everyman on 9 September 2021 at the start of a UK tour of 13 venues.
Inspired by the distinctive work of 20th century playwright and novelist Patrick Hamilton and set in London’s Soho, the new production has been created by Bourne and his long-time collaborators and Olivier and Tony Award-winning team of Terry Davies (music), Lez Brotherston (set and costume design), Paule Constable (lighting design) and Paul Groothuis (sound design).
Unveiling details of the production, Bourne said: “Patrick Hamilton’s literary world could be seen as the flip-side of his close contemporary, Noel Coward, whose witty and glamorous world of cocktails and high society made him so fashionable and successful. Hamilton, on the other hand, wrote about the lives of everyday people, full of pathos, comedy and thwarted romance. Indeed, his own personal setbacks and increasingly serious drinking problem became the source from which he created his finest and most individual work. More than any other author of the time, Hamilton’s characters speak with the authentic voice of the era and it’s the raw passion and secret lives that lie beneath the conventional exterior that appeals to me so much.”
The cast will feature 12 of New Adventures’ most accomplished performers – Paris Fitzpatrick, Glenn Graham, Bryony Harrison, Daisy May Kemp, Kate Lyons, Michela Meazza, Andrew Monaghan, Liam Mower, Danny Reubens, Christopher Thomas, Richard Winsor and Bryony Wood.
Including performances at Sadler’s Wells from 4-9 October, The Midnight Bell tour will visit Brighton, Sheffield, Dartford, York, Leicester, Liverpool, Oxford, Truro, Warwick, Inverness and Bath.
The tour combined with the previously announced return of the crowd-pleasing Nutcracker! which will play its 18th Christmas season at Sadler’s Wells from 7 December 2021 until 30 January 2022 will mark New Adventures’ return to live stage performances by visiting 26 mid and large-scale venues across the UK.
During the pandemic New Adventures delivered online workshops to over 3,000 young people, emerging artists and community participants. Professional Company classes have been made available via Instagram Live and YouTube, attracting 65,000 views and the Dance Ventures educational YouTube series for primary school age children has reached 5,000 homes. Support for the Company’s ‘family of freelance artists’ through a series of initiatives including the Spring Forward programme has to date awarded bursaries to over 60 dance artists.
Angela Thomas
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