Review: THE MIDNIGHT BELL at Sadler’s Wells

The pub which served as the title of Philip Hamilton’s original novel, is the meeting place and starting point for a multiplicity of plot threads — stories of Londoners existing in the years between the wars. The real tavern was closer to Fitzrovia but for the purposes of this work, is transposed to Soho. There, it becomes an institution which entices the lonely, the needy, the confident and the shy. Spivs seemingly mingle with lovelorn spinsters, whilst other mismatches are of a generational nature. Bob is a young barman at The Midnight Bell who is utterly besotted with local prostitute Jenny. Meanwhile, Bob’s fellow bar worker Ella secretly yearns for a closer understanding between them, but is instead surreptitiously accosted by a pub regular, the much older Mr Eccles with whom she eventually agrees to go on a dinner date during which he proposes marriage. In a nod to the history of Soho, two gay characters are introduced. Albert is a typically dapper but fey West End chorus boy who notices and catches the eye of a new patron, Frank. They covertly flirt and signal one another and as the interaction builds, we eventually learn the reason for Frank’s reticence to be physically demonstrative.

Supporting the choreography is Terry Davies’ original musical score which lends a swirling contemporary pace to the 1930s era, whilst never veering into pastiche. As a nod to the themes of the time, several well-known songs of the period are played, during which characters mime to the lyric. Whilst on paper, this idea sounds potentially incongruous, in practice the stylised result works remarkably well, most notably Bob’s mouthing of (Chuck Bullock’s?) early recording of Hoagy Carmichael’s The Nearness of You. Every actor contributes nuance and subtlety to their timed movements, down to the simplest act of cigarette smoke exhalation (as Jenny strides assuredly along the footlights). The cast are simply marvellous, possessing a unified and hypnotic symbiosis redolent of the camaraderie and deeply rooted collaborative ethos enshrined in New Adventures’ work.

Undoubtedly cognisant of the need to keep the playing/dance area as clear as possible, Lez Brotherston’s inventive sliding set pieces are pulleyed into position overhead and depict various elements, notably an inferred telephone box. In one moment, a seedy guest house bedroom appears, on and around which, two pairs of lovers perform simultaneously, oblivious to each other. Tables and chairs, lampposts and gates all disappear and reappear effortlessly, ensuring the eye is constantly kept in a state of flow. This rhythm which runs throughout the production, is truly beautiful to experience.

Being an ardent admirer of Matthew Bourne’s work is not difficult, but the act of adulation comes with an inherent risk and an ever present question uncomfortably corralled at the back of one’s mind, “Will the next piece, somehow disappoint?” For a creative who has enjoyed such an extraordinary level of commercial success and critical adulation, it feels somehow inevitable that some work or other, may one day, not quite measure-up. Thankfully, Philip Hamilton’s between the wars novel THE MIDNIGHT BELL demonstrates that the master of dance theatre continues to possess a mercurial insight when it comes to selecting material ripe for adaptation, and the end result confirms that there is still plenty of gas left in the tank.

The Midnight Bell tickets

The cast performing parts during the run, include:
Bob - Andy Monaghan, Dominic North.
Jenny - Hannah Kremer, Ashley Shaw.
Miss Roach - Cordelia Braithwaite, Michela Meazza.
Earnest Ralph Gorse - Reece Causton, Glenn Graham, Edwin Ray.
Ella - Hannah Kremer, Bryony Pennington.
Mr Eccles - Reece Causton, Danny Reubens.
George Harvey Bone - Danny Reubens, Alan Vincent.
Netta Longdon - Cordelia Braithwaite, Daisy May Kemp.
Frank - Andy Monaghan, Edwin Ray.
Albert - Glenn Graham, Liam Mower.

The production running time is just shy of 2 hours (including 20 min interval) and you’ll feel bereft when it ends.