Where: York Theatre Royal
When: Until October 2
What:
The glitter ball sparkles and the same sex couple begin to dance beneath. No, it's not Strictly, but it is strictly Matthew Bourne, master of storytelling dance.
The Midnight Bell in question is a dingy pub in Soho in a London of the 1930s. We meets its regulars and during the mesmerising performance their love stories play out with moments of pleasure, terror, torment and lust.
Nobody does storytelling choreography like Matthew Bourne. His characters arouse warmth, sympathy, contempt and familiarity at every turn. He adds edge to anger and humour for delicious drama.
Sets are always as much of a character as the performers - in this case dingy London backstreets and skylines with action moving from raucous bar to seedy rooms and an illicit members' club.
Characters span class, age and sexuality. The lonely sex-seeking spinster, Miss Roach, mimes the words to The Nearness of You (one of many wittily mimed songs performed throughout) after she falls into bed with the cad Ernest Ralph Gorse.
The lovestruck Bob is captivated by prostitute Jenny, while the forbidden love of chorus boy Albert and new customer Frank is played out as tender, erotic and dazzling to watch - whether beneath the glitterball or in the shady bedsits.
We see troubled schizophrenic George Harvey Bone grapple with the intensity of passion for flighty actress Netta London and empathise with the doomed relationship of regular customer Mr Eccles with barmaid Ella, who longs for Bob.
It is such a compelling watch thanks to clever staging, lightness of touch and mingling of characters - played out to a brilliant soundtrack which reflects the era perfectly. We have Gershwin, we have Irving Berlin, we have Cole Porter.
This is a thoroughly haunting and memorable evocation of all human life - and the messiness of love.
