By: Cathryn Macey
What do screen legends Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman and Harrison Ford all have in common? Well, apparently they’re huge fans of Matthew Bourne’s “The Car Man.”
Originally performed at TRP in 2000, the show went on to enjoy stratospheric levels of success internationally and soon became a treasured jewel in Matthew Bourne’s crown. Celebs, critics and dance fans alike raved about the show so much that its revival this year is somewhat inevitable.
But 26 years on from its explosive debut, can “The Car Man” still pack a punch mighty enough to engage a modern audience?
The answer is hell yes! This reignited version of Bizet’s “Carmen” keeps you on the edge of your seat for the entirety of the show. The pace, the performances and the plot are all driven by a wild and animalistic energy that seems to build and build until its tragic but thrilling conclusion.
Elements of and influences from Bizet’s original opera exist and the easily recognisable score is the soundtrack for the production. However, the story line itself seems to have been completely decimated by Bourne and rebuilt to appeal to a 21st century audience.
Indeed, some themes such as toxic masculinity weren’t as widely explored in 2000 and so feel even more relevant today.
Jealousy and love are still at the production’s core, but the more traditional heterosexual romantic aspects of the original opera are thrown out of the window in favour of more modern twists. Carmen’s seductive role is given to a character called Lana (Ashley Shaw). She is married to a cigar smoking, grey haired garage and diner boss (Dino Alfano played by Alan Vincent) but falls in love with a new mechanic in town called Luca (Will Bozier).
However, Luca is a promiscuous and passionate young man, so he also decides to have a dalliance with the local underdog, Angelo (Harry Ondrak -Wright). But where will Luca’s loyalty lie when Angelo is cruelly framed for a murder he didn’t commit?
The extraordinary plot is complemented and enhanced by the equally extraordinary choreography, costume, set and lighting. Its opening section is phenomenal. American culture is celebrated as vintage cars roar into life, ra ra skirts swing seductively and semi clad blue jean wearing male dancers pivot and pirouette across the authentic set. Part garage, part American diner, the attention to detail in the show’s set (Lez Brotherston)
brings this fictional small town to life. We’re transported to a time where cigarettes, Budweiser and Coca Cola were luxury items for blue collar workers just trying to make a buck and have a good time.
Bourne’s love of classic cinema really comes to the fore in the first half and influences from films like West Side Story are easy to spot. There’s a girl gang that flaunt their femininity with elegance and grace and then there’s a male gang that playfully explore what it is to be a man. Be warned or be excited…. the opening does feature some rather raunchy moments that get the audiences’ heart rates going!
The smell of youth and rebellion hangs dangerously in the air as the pack mentality of the garage and diner workers becomes increasingly apparent.
Against this cinematic back drop, over twenty dancers appear. Each dancer has their own story and we zoom in and out of each story repeatedly. Some couples’ duets deliberately stand out. Lana and Luca’s first dance is hypnotic and erotic as Lana aggressively asserts her assets to entice a horny young Luca into action.
Whilst this dance is comical and overtly sexual, it is Rita (Anna-Maria De Freitas) and Angelo’s duets that stand out. Angelo is the epitome of a young man who is not quite sure of his feelings. Rita reaches out and he pulls away, seeming ashamed and unsure. Their tug of war emotional dance is teeming with uncertainty; will they or won’t they get together and what is holding him back?
The soft and tender way they eventually fold into one another is beautiful and at odds with their final duet which is fraught with a more violent type of tension. Possible lust and love are discarded for despair. Rita’s physical representation of her uncomfortable emotions is particularly chilling. She looks as though she might crawl out of her own skin as a desperate Angelo clamours for her love and protection.
Its ending is highly impressive. The clan’s potential for out and out violence is fully realised after one of their men is accused of murder. Like wolves surrounding their prey, they congregate together and howl with delight as a full on brawl between Angelo and Luca begins.
An immediate heartfelt and prolonged standing ovation is the justifiable audience response tonight. One by one, the company appear for the curtain call. They’re dishevelled, covered in blood and bruised from head to toe but the smiles on their faces say it all; this is a bloody good show and they’re delighted to be a part of it.