If you came along to Car Man expecting a straight dance version of Bizet’s classic opera you would be disappointed but instead buckle up for a dark and raunchy ride through lust and murder.
New Adventures Artistic Director Matthew Bourne, who devised and directed this piece, says Car Men was inspired by Carmen’s heady blend of lust and revenge, but the only real connection was the use of the opera’s familiar 40-minute Shchedrin arrangement as the basis of a dynamic longer score composed by Terry Davies. Instead, this was a production heavily influenced by James M Cain’s 1934 classic noir novel, The Postman Always Rings Twice, later made into a similarly seamy movie starring Jack Nicholson and Jessica Lange.
Not surprisingly Car Man started off in a 1950s small garage in the sleepy midwest town of Harmony as the ensemble set the scene with a vigorous routine showing how the town was a happy, if rowdy, place. Then drifter Luca arrived and all hell broke loose as he started a torrid affair with garage owner wife Lana who hates her bullying husband Dino with tragic consequences. Along the way bisexual Luca seduces naive garage hand Angelo who helped provide the twist in this dark and often homoerotic tale.
This was clearly a labour of love for Bourne as his choreography was expressive and vital throughout, helped by a uniformly strong ensemble, of which nearly three quarters had come through the company’s talent development programmes. Bourne constantly tested the limits of their technique throughout as they negotiated sweeping group dances, or a brilliantly devised mime sequence that proved a rare moment of levity in what was a very heavy piece. The ensemble powered round with precision and passion on Lez Brotherson’s epic set that switched from a grimy garage to a seedy nightclub in the second half, and then into a dingy jail where Angelo is languishing.
As Luca, the charismatic Will Bozier had exactly the right amount of dangerous sensuality that Nicholson brought to the movie. It was impressive to watch him soar over tables, but his dancing offered genuine insight into what made sociopath tick. Equally strong was Cordelia Brathwaite as Lana, and the way she danced with some of the garage hands in the early group dances allowed us to see a desperately lonely and frustrated woman. Their often emotionally raw duets were full of sensuality and power as they wrestled with their feelings and a joint descent into depravity.
Leonardo McCorkindale was impressive as the patsy Angelo, and his moving solo expressing the pain of false imprisonment was the best of the night. Company veteran Adam Galbrairth in a pretty much non dancing role brought an extra dose of machismo to the piece.
Car Men made a very welcome return to the stage after a decade long hiatus with plenty for hardcore ballet fans to admire, and if you’re not a dance fan then this was a very good place to start.
Car Man is at Alhambra Bradford until Saturday 24th October. To book 01274 432000 or www.bradford-theatres.co.uk
Reviewer: Paul Clarke
Reviewed: 20th October 2026
North West End UK Rating: