Matthew Bourne’s ‘The Midnight Bell’ to play at Sadler’s Wells

The national tour begins in Cheltenham, and will include a week in London.

The world premiere of Matthew Bourne's The Midnight Bell will tour the country in late 2021. As part of the tour, The Midnight Bell will run at Sadler's Wells from 4 - 9 October.

The Midnight Bell is inspired by Patrick Hamilton's twentieth-century novels, where people came together at Hamilton's favourite location — the London pub.

Speaking about his new work, Bourne said: "Hamilton wrote about the lives of everyday people, full of pathos, comedy and thwarted romance. Indeed his own personal setbacks and increasingly serious drinking problem became the source from which he created his finest and most individual work. More than any other author of the time, Hamilton's characters speak with the authentic voice of the era and it's the raw passion and secret lives that lie beneath the conventional exterior that appeals to me so much."

Set in 1930s London, ordinary people socialise at The Midnight Bell, a lonely hearts tavern where individuals fall in love, hopes and dreams are realised and a pint can cause an argument. The cast of 12 is completed by Paris Fitzpatrick, Glenn Graham, Bryony Harrison, Daisy May Kemp, Kate Lyons, Michela Meazza, Andrew Monaghan, Liam Mower, Danny Reubens, Christopher Thomas, Richard Winsor and Bryony Wood.

Matthew Bourne is an eight-time Olivier Award-winning choreographer, whose credits include Mary Poppins, The Red Shoes and an all-male production of Swan Lake. The creative team includes music by Terry Davies, scenic and costume design by Lez Brotherson, lighting design by Paule Constable and sound design by Paul Groothuis.

The Midnight Bell is at Sadler's Wells from 4 - 9 October.

^{Photo credit: The Midnight Bell (Photo by Johan Persson)}