Matthew Bourne is one of the UK’s most successful choreographers and directors with signature works including Spitfire, Nutcracker, Swan Lake and Cinderella. The Car Man was first shown in 2000 and has won many accolades, including an Olivier Award nomination for Outstanding Achievement in Dance. It is loosely based on both George Bizet's opera ‘Carmen’ and the film noir ‘The Postman Always Rings Twice.’
It is set in the fictional town of Harmony within an Italian American community in Midwestern America. The storyline has elements of lust, fate, revenge and murder and has been described as in the ‘dance noir’ genre.
Award-winning Lez Brotherston’s clever set and costume designs transport us back to 1960’s Harmony. The stage settings highlight that this is a high-quality production and depict a garage, prison and French nightclub amongst others. The dancers are at home in their surroundings and use the stage to full effect.
The props are just as impressive, in particular when the cars are racing around the stage in scenes reminiscent of the James Dean classic ‘Rebel Without a Cause’. Chris Davey’s lighting helps the transitions between the dance scenes and completes the stage illusion. The music score by Terry Davies and Rodin Shchedrin’s Carmen Suite (after Bizet's Carmen) is suitably dramatic.
As a dance thriller, there is no direct dialogue, with movement and choreography responsible for delivering the narrative. It can be difficult to keep track of a dance-driven story as it develops, but not in the case of the Car Man. The story is simple, which enables the audience to relax and enjoy the show. The choreography is clever and succeeds in developing the story and characterisation in unison. The show
starts with a few steamy dance scenes in the men’s locker room, culminating with a‘Full Monty’ style flash of nakedness.
Harrison Dowzell plays the role of Luca, the enigmatic and mysterious drifter, who arrives in town and seduces Lana (Cordelia Braithwaite), the beautiful young wife of his employer and garage owner Dino (Danny Reubens). This dangerous liaison has deadly consequences that result in murder and the framing of an innocent man.
The choreography and movement are breathtaking and executed with precision and beauty by a cast full of exceptionally talented dancers. The storyline is fast-paced with much of the dance action in a similar vein. There are also scenes of poignancy, like when Luca dances with the spirit of the man he bludgeoned to death. On the face of it he has got away with murder, but internally he is racked with guilt carrying
demons. His internal struggle is brought to life with these scenes of dance and movement, with the clever use of light.
There is a dramatic ending to the story to bring the curtain down on a passionate, dramatic and exhilarating masterclass in dance theatre. This is a high-quality theatrical production rich in storytelling and visual drama, which I would highly recommend.
Production run (The Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield): 21st July – 25th July 2026.
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