Matthew Bourne’s 'The Midnight Bell' to visit the Theatre Royal Bath

New Adventures make a welcome return to Bath to perform world famous choreographer Matthew Bourne’s award-winning The Midnight Bell, bringing intoxicated tales from darkest Soho to the Theatre Royal from Tuesday 20 to Saturday 24 May.

Matthew Bourne’s The Midnight Bell is inspired by the work of the great English novelist Patrick Hamilton (Twenty Thousand Streets Under The Sky, Hangover Square) who created some of the most authentic fiction of his era; stories borne out of years of social interactions with the working man and woman at his favourite location - the London Pub.

In 1930s London, ordinary people emerge from cheap boarding houses nightly to pour out their passions, hopes and dreams in the pubs and fog-bound streets of Soho and Fitzrovia. Step inside The Midnight Bell, a tavern where one particular lonely-hearts club gather to play out their lovelorn affairs of the heart; bitter comedies of longing, frustration, betrayal and redemption.

Image: Matthew Bourne's The Midnight Bell 

The cast features fourteen of New Adventures’ finest leading actor/dancers: Cordelia Braithwaite, Reece Causton, Glenn Graham, Daisy May Kemp, Hannah Kremer, Michela Meazza, Andy Monaghan, Liam Mower, Dominic North, Bryony Pennington, Edwin Ray, Danny Reubens, Ashley Shaw and Alan Vincent. For nearly 30 years, these dancers have between them performed leading roles to critical acclaim in every production in Matthew Bourne’s repertoire, in the UK and internationally.

Matthew Bourne said: “This is, without doubt, the finest company of quintessential New Adventures actor/dancers ever assembled for a single production! Together they represent nearly 30 years of critically acclaimed performances and created roles in my work. In fact, it would be hard to imagine a cast more perfectly suited to the challenging world of Patrick Hamilton and his exploration of the darker reaches of the human heart. I’m thrilled to welcome back many of the superb original cast, Reece Causton, Glenn Graham, Daisy May Kemp, Andrew Monaghan, Liam Mower, Bryony Pennington and Michela Meazza, who won a National Dance Award for her role in this production. Making their debuts in The Midnight Bell are some of New Adventures most beloved stars of the last 25 years, Cordelia Braithwaite, Dominic North, Edwin Ray, Danny Reubens, Ashley Shaw and Alan Vincent. They are also joined by rising star Hannah Kremer, most recently seen as Juliet in my “Romeo and Juliet”. I urge you not to miss this never to be repeated opportunity to join us for an evening at The Midnight Bell and raise a glass to the very best that New Adventures has to offer.”

Matthew Bourne (director and choreographer) once again joins forces with the Olivier and Tony Award-winning team of Terry Davies (composer and orchestrator), Lez Brotherston (set and costume designer), Paule Constable (lighting designer) and Paul Groothuis (sound designer).

The Midnight Bell premiered to great acclaim in 2021, including a week-long visit to the Theatre Royal Bath that November. The Midnight Bell received five nominations at the 2022 National Dance Awards, with Matthew Bourne winning the award for Best Modern Choreography and Michela Meazza for Outstanding Female Modern Performance.

Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures is an iconic, ground-breaking British dance-theatre company, famous for telling stories with a unique theatrical twist. Since 1987, New Adventures has changed the popularity of dance in Britain, creating works that have altered the public perception of what is possible when it comes to telling stories without words.  

Sir Matthew Bourne OBE is widely hailed as the UK’s most popular and successful choreographer and director. Since 1986, he has been creating and directing dance for musicals, theatre and film, as well as his own highly successful, award-winning companies. Matthew is the creator of the world’s longest running ballet production and has been recognised by numerous international awards. He was knighted in the Queen’s New Year Honours 2016 for services to dance and awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Award – one of the most coveted honours in the world of dance – in recognition of his outstanding services to the art of ballet.