It was by some happy coincidence that I landed myself a
ticket to see Matthew Bourne’s ‘The Car Man’ at the Wycombe Swan last night. In
truth, I wasn’t really quite sure what to expect – I knew Bourne was a famed
choreographer but my knowledge didn’t extend much further than a few references
from like-minded individuals and the clip of his 1995 Swan Lake at the end of
the Billy Elliott film. Poor knowledge aside, I went into the evening equipped with
an open mind and a high level of anticipation.
Set in a greasy garage-diner in 1960s America and put to
the renowned score of Carmen, the production promised to be a loose interpretation
of Bizet’s famous opera. Bourne maintained the original themes of immorality
and tragedy through a rather thrilling, erotic tale of infidelity and
lawlessness, portrayed seamlessly through some flawless choreography and acting.
Not a word was spoken on stage throughout, but the action could not have been
more edge-of-your-seat nail-bitingly-gripping – I sat there entirely in awe
with my heart racing.
The facial expressions of the dancers were utterly compelling
and I spent much of my time not knowing where to look for fear of missing
something. The choreography was accompanied
by an epic orchestration that rung through the auditorium and a set that seemed
to seamlessly transform before my eyes. With greasy mechanics outfits and
stunning 1960s dresses, the costume and set seemed to perfectly marry the
contemporary setting with the opera in ways that gave a new meaning to the
music.
It was a rare occasion when my expectations were completely
smashed, not to mention back home by 10.30pm on a school night, all in all it
was a win win! Touring all across the UK until August, I’d urge you to go and
watch (or re-watch) this if you get a chance http://new-adventures.net/the-car-man
– Steph
