It was a hot and steamy evening watching Sir Matthew Bourne’s The Car Man at Sadler’s Wells with his New Adventures. Emphasis on steamy! The show, first brought to life in 2000, is both hilarious, dramatic and ultimately tragic. Bourne, production genius that he is, makes it more exciting with every revival. The take away – we have a ball, laugh out loud, but are finally destroyed by the complexities, the passion, heartache and the shocking violence.
You don’t need to read your programme prior to the show, always a bonus with Bourne, but you want to after the performance because whatever you have experienced (always dramatic, poignant, moving) you want to be able to justify those feelings. You want to know how to reconcile your fluctuating emotions as you swing from the swooning to the salacious, from lust and lovesick, to horror and disbelief. Bourne’s take on the traditional Carmen is a thriller of sorts. A very attractive, sensual man descends on the small town of Harmony in 1950s USA (365 inhabitants). His arrival tips everything into chaos.
Much of the action takes place at Dino’s (Danny Reubens) diner and garage where a notice indicating that they are looking to hire a mechanic is posted. Enter Luca (Will Bozier), and off we go on a rollercoaster of lust and carnal pleasure, betrayal, raucous fun, dancing and superb choreography.
Luca is the focus of desire by both Lana (Ashley Shaw), Dino’s wife and eventually Angelo (Harry Ondrak-Wright). Angelo is courting probably the most sincere character in the plot, Rita (Anna-Maria de Freitas) before his head is turned. As Dino becomes suspicious of Lana and Luca, so the drama turns into dirty and aggressive, blame is wrongly apportioned and an innocent man ends up behind bars.
The five leading characters had an opportunity to develop those meaty roles over the course of two hours and it is this that makes The Car Man so compelling. Add to it Terry Davies’ music inspired by Rodion Schedrin’s Carmen Suite (after Bizet’s Carmen), Lez Brotherston’s extraordinary sets and costumes, lighting design by Chris Davey, sound design by Paul Groothuis and it was easy to believe that we were actually acquainted with these people and thus, we became personally invested in the outcome.
Each ensemble member is a named character and that increased the feeling that we had been air-dropped into the story – something which provoked the weird sensation that I was not personally doing enough to change the course of the actions.
Danny Reubens is a long standing member of New Adventures and his experience gives him tremendous clout when it comes to confident portrayal – his Tybalt in Bourne’s Romeo was utterly chilling. As Dino, he was mildly repellent but able to prompt a degree of empathy, all the while delivering impeccable comical timing. De Freitas as the innocent, devoted Rita was totally convincing. Her beautiful, open face depicted every expression with heartrending honesty. Whatever she felt, we agonised over. She and Ondrak-Wright danced a fluid, finely tuned duet with exceptional tenderness.
Ondrak-Wright was a bit of a revelation. I had not seen him in a leading role, although he has done the Prince in Bourne’s Swan Lake and Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet. It’s always a real bonus to discover someone who has done the groundwork and who turns out to be someone rather special. And this he most definitely was. His insecure beginnings morphed in front of us into a person deranged by the gruesome betrayal of a person he cared for and his subsequent incarceration for a crime he didn’t commit. It was uncomfortable and disturbing. He’s definitely one to watch.
Ashley Shaw’s Lana was as good as expected. Beautifully danced, sultry and persuasive. She is a consummate artist who always gives a memorable performance. And then there’s Bozier’s Luca. Where to start? He has the charisma, the dance technique, the allure, the look and it fairly smacks you in the face!
What was so affecting is that it was impossible to give up on him. He was essentially a ‘horny loser’. A guy who just couldn’t keep it in his pants. But in the second act, his descent into misery and drink dependency conveyed a semblance of remorse. We were left with the callous Lana. And if all this seems impenetrable or incoherent, then go and see it. You will be in no doubt what has occurred in Harmony.
Bourne continues to thrill. There isn’t a dull moment. The musicality, the choreography, the blatant sexiness of the stories they tell, are untouchable.
