The Midnight Bell - Review

Sadler's Wells, London

***

Directed and choreographed by Matthew Bourne

The company of The Midnight Bell

Inspired by the novels of Patrick Hamilton, The Midnight Bell plunges us into the murky, world of 1930s Soho. And there, thanks to Paule Constable’s gloomy lighting, it remains for one hour and fifty minutes (apart from a twenty minute interval). While Lez Brotherston's set design is atmospheric, the action is not always visible. That the follow-spots sometimes fail to light their intended subject doesn’t help matters. 

The titular Midnight Bell is a pub where various people – lonely, listless, cocky or whatever – meet. Most are looking for love or sex in some form or other, with some of the encounters working out better than others.  

Of course the choreography is sensitive, imaginative and very watchable. Some of the gestures are witty too and it’s all very human. This is Matthew Bourne, after all, and he’s a master of his own form of body language.  But the story telling is too vague and given the shadowy lighting it’s often hard to distinguish one character from another although each is, apparently, drawn specifically from the novels. 

Terry Davies’s evocative music, pre-recorded by an eleven piece orchestra with a singer, fits the mood of the piece perfectly. He deploys an effective use of voice, sailing over the top of the musical texture, to create mystery, sadness or wistfulness. Like Bourne, Davies is very good at evoking mood with, for example, a minimalist percussion rhythm accompanying a sex scene in a seedy hotel that is aurally arresting. Less successful is the use of characters miming 1930s songs which simply feels lazy. Dance in general, and ballet in particular, is a non-verbal medium and the songs are a jarring interruption. 

This revival of The Midnight Bell, first seen in 2023, is reasonably enjoyable theatre, athough the second half drags. Not Matthew Bourne’s finest.

Runs until 21st June, then on tour.

Photo credit: Johan Persson

Reviewed by Nicola Klein

Just For One Day - Review

Shaftesbury Theatre, London

****

Book by John O'Farrell

Directed by Luke Sheppard

The cast of Just For One Day

Forty years on, Just For One Day is more than a musical — it’s a time machine, a call to action, and an electrifying reminder of what’s possible when people come together for something bigger than themselves. 

The cast of Just For One Day are nothing short of exceptional. Their talent radiates from the stage, bringing both laughter and emotion in perfect balance. One moment you’re laughing out loud, and the next, a single tear slips down your cheek — such is the emotional range of this production. Every performer brings depth and nuance, but a special mention must go to Julie Atherton whose portrayal of Margaret Thatcher manages to be the most endearing version of Thatcher one could imagine. It’s a testament to the show’s clever writing and bold direction that even such polarizing figures are given surprising humanity.

From the very first note, the musical direction is nothing short of phenomenal. The band delivers a sound so rich and immersive, it feels like Live Aid has been reborn on stage. The energy, the urgency, the sheer volume — it’s not just heard, it’s felt. 

Just For One Day doesn’t shy away from the complexities of its own history. Modern issues — such as the common misconception of Africa as a single country, the predominance of white acts on the Live Aid stage, and the now-controversial lyric “Thank God it’s them instead of you” — are all addressed with both sensitivity and humour. The show skilfully acknowledges that while the messaging and representation reflected a very different era, the heart behind it was genuine. It honours the intention to help the people of Ethiopia, while also exploring how the event was shaped to resonate with the British public of the time. This balance of self-awareness and compassion gives the show a powerful layer of depth, reminding audiences that doing good is often messy — but always worth striving for.

One of the most striking moments in the show is when Craige Els's Bob Geldof asks: Where’s God? And in that question lies the heart of Just For One Day. The answer, subtle but powerful, echoes through the music and the movement: when people work together, when they believe in something greater, they become the miracle themselves.

“Who’s going to pay attention to your dreams?” the song asks of us. In 1985, the world did. And watching this today, it feels like it still can.

Reviewed by Suzie Kennedy

Booking until 10th January 2025

Photo credit: Evan Zimmerman

Fiddler On The Roof - Review

Barbican Theatre, London

****

Book by Joseph Stein

Lyrics by Sheldon Harnick

Music by Jerry Bock

Directed by Jordan Fein

Raphael Papo

Jordan Fein’s revival of Fiddler On The Roof first seen at London’s Open Air Theatre last year, returns to the city’s Barbican Theatre before a nationwide tour to last the rest of the year. As Tevye and Golde, Adam Dannheiser and Lara Pulver remain in their leading roles with both having matured from 2024.

Dannheiser always commanded the essentials of a Tevye . A big, bearded, Bear Jew of a man devoted to both family and faith and convincing as he deploys both humour and perfectly pitched pathos in his wrestling with life’s challenges, Dannheiser’s performance is one of the evening’s delights.

Pulver has grown in the last 12 months. Her role is now fully formed and be it gossiping with Yente, nagging Tevye, or just being the all-caring matriarch to her family, hers is a great Golde. While Tevye gets most of the juicy singing numbers in the show, Pulver, who’s musical theatre credentials are impeccable, makes fine work of the duetting balladry gifted to her by Harnick and Bock. Natasha Jules Bernard steps up to the role of Tzeitel, with Georgia Bruce returning as Hodel and Hannah Bristow as the clarinet playing Chava continuing to give Tevye one of the toughest challenges that can face an orthodox Jew.

Fiddler On The Roof is a Broadway classic and this production’s details are a treat. Beverley Klein’s maturely considered Yente and Raphael Papo’s enchanting Fiddler are fabulous. Julia Cheng’s choreography excites, while Tom Scutt’s ingenious design has beautifully translated the shtetl of Anatevka from the elements of Regent’s Park to the conventions of traditional theatre.

This musical remains a story of hope interwoven with never-ending tragedy. The show is set in Tsarist Russia around the turn of the 20th century when state-sponsored antisemitism was the norm, and the dark clouds of the Holocaust that was to befall European Jewry hadn’t even begun to form. Playing out in 2025, as calls for the destruction of the Jewish state echo around the world, the United Nations spouts blood libels that are echoed by governments and the media and murderous Jew-hate is manifest from Washington DC to Colorado, it feels like little has changed. 

This is a beautiful production playing to a very ugly world.

Runs until 19th July, then on tour

Photo credit: Marc Brenner