The Car Man

Loosely based on the James M Cain classic novel The Postman Always Rings Twice and not to be confused with Bizet’s opera Carmen, although the music is well-known, in Matthew Bourne’s ballet The Car Man’ the familiar 19th Century Spanish cigarette factory becomes a greasy 1950s garage diner in the American Midwest, and it is here where the dreams and passions of a small town are shattered by the arrival of a handsome and enigmatic stranger. Fuelled by heat and desire, the inhabitants of this small town are driven into an unstoppable spiral of greed, lust, betrayal and revenge.

Harmony with a population of three hundred and seventy five is a depressing place where Dino (Danny Reubens) an unlikeable character, operates a run-down garage and diner. It is not a happy place to work as the mechanics tease and bully the susceptible Angelo (Leonardo McCorkindale), mercilessly but everything changes when Luca (Harrison Dowzell) arrives into town. Luca, a charismatic bi-sexual, is hired to work in the garage and before too long proceeds to seduce not only the mechanic’s girl friends but the mechanics themselves as well. Unfortunately for all, his seduction includes Dino’s free spirited, independent and much younger wife, Lana (Cordelia Braithwaite) which, when discovered by Dino leads to a murder for which Angelo is mistakenly arrested. Rita (Kurumi Kamayachi), the fifth main character, works in the diner and is Lana’s sister and Angelo’s sweetheart.

The five main characters excel in their roles, creating both tension and chemistry in equal measure. Luca’s bisexuality and challenging personality are clear from his first appearance, blending masculine virility with jaw-dropping mid-air splits juxtaposed with more gentle and playful interactions with all of the mechanics, testing their masculinity and discovering their availability. Luca positively exudes sexual chemistry, whilst Lana, boldly shimmying around the stage, enchants all with whom she comes into contact with! She poses provocatively under the ‘Man Wanted’ sign, and when she and Luca first meet, the action freezes momentarily. The first tryst between Luca and Lana is incredibly passionate and steamy, almost enough to make one blush! And talking of steam, the mechanics taking a shower raised the temperature in the auditorium by several degrees!

As you may expect with any Matthew Bourne production, the choreography and the quality of the dancing are superb. The mechanics' macho culture is perfectly depicted by their choreography, and there is a perception that the town offers little by way of entertainment for its inhabitants as the girlfriends flirt and cavort with abandon among all of the men, regardless of their boyfriends.

The lighting design by Chris Davey greatly adds to the emotion being enacted on the stage – the use of red lighting to depict the feelings of despair, anger and revenge in the prison scene is particularly effective. The set and costume design by Lez Brotherston effectively reinforces the setting of a small isolated American town.

Human nature never seems to change, and the themes of lust, passion, revenge and murder are all too familiar, but in ‘The Car Man’ there are additional themes of bisexuality and bullying. ‘Tis a dark story well told, but more importantly, it is a fabulous not-to-be-missed ballet.

Sheffield Lyceum Until 25th July