New Adventures Matthew Bourne’s The Car Man Comes To Milton Keynes Theatre - Review

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Matthew Bourne’s award-winning dance thriller The Car Man will return for a 2026 UK tour, including performances at Milton Keynes Theatre from Tue 7 – Sat 11 Jul.

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Review: Matthew Bourne’s The Car Man at Milton Keynes Theatre

I saw The Car Man at Milton Keynes Theatre and was once again completely overwhelmed by my love for Matthew Bourne and his New Adventures company. Bourne simply gives you the ultimate access point to watching ballet, modern dance, and more. He strips away the intimidating, occasionally elitist barriers that people sometimes associate with classical dance and replaces them with pure, high-octane narrative. You don't need a program translation to understand what is happening on that stage; the storytelling is entirely hardwired into the visceral, theatrical movement.

The Car Man is a perfect example of this genius. Taking Georges Bizet's iconic Carmen score and completely upending it into a steamy, grease-and-chrome 1960s garage-diner in the small American Mid-West town of Harmony is brilliant. It feels less like a traditional dance recital and more like a live, breathing piece of cinematic film noir.

Take our main male character, the enigmatic drifter Luca. He simply rides into town, takes a job at the local garage, and quickly shakes up the local workforce. Among those workers is Angelo, a troubled misfit who is constantly teased, sidelined, and bullied by the rest of the hyper-masculine mechanics. In a display of protector-turned-seducer, Luca steps in to support the boy, taking him under his wing.

Meanwhile, Lana—the beautiful wife of the abusive, swaggering garage owner Dino Alfano—locks eyes with Luca. An instant, dangerous flirtation ignites between them. However, in a brilliant storytelling twist that highlights Bourne's pioneering representation of fluid sexuality and complex, multi-layered characters, Luca doesn’t limit his desires. In a breathtakingly bold sequence, we find our main character enjoying intimate, private time with Angelo as well, leaving the young man completely infatuated.

Of course, in a classic film noir setup, this web of lust and deception is never going to end well for anyone. The tension builds to a boiling point when Dino returns to discover his wife locked in a passionate embrace with Luca. A brutal, chaotic argument erupts in the garage, finishing with a heavy wrench doing the lethal work. In a devastating turn of betrayal, the murder is pinned entirely on the innocent, bullied Angelo. As the curtain falls on a framed and arrested Angelo, Act 1 comes to a staggering conclusion.

Breathe. WOW. Where on earth is this heading?

The sheer quality of the dancing brings each of these flawed characters to vivid life. The storyline is told entirely through physical movement, with Chris Davey’s atmospheric lighting giving immense depth to the stage, and Lez Brotherston’s stunning, grimy set design adding real flesh to every single scene. The physical performances are so expressive that you can practically hear the characters talking. I was completely sucked into the narrative, feeling a genuine sense of dread and worry for them.

Musically, the production is an absolute triumph. The familiar themes from the pen of Georges Bizet are cleverly reimagined by composer Terry Davies, incorporating Rodion Shchedrin’s Carmen Suite. Hearing the variations—including the striking, unexpected use of the glockenspiel—is fantastic. It beautifully maintains its passionate operatic identity while driving the thriller plot forward, allowing this stellar 2026 touring cast to absolutely shine.

It is ballet, but it is 100% more. Huge thanks to Matthew Bourne for bringing this gripping story back to regional stages and giving it such an exhilarating new lease of life.

Loosely based on Bizet’s ever-popular opera, Matthew Bourne’s The Car Man has one of the most thrilling and instantly recognisable scores in New Adventures’ repertoire. The familiar 19th-century Spanish cigarette factory becomes a greasy 1950s garage-diner in the American Midwest, where the dreams and passions of a small town are shattered by the arrival of a handsome and enigmatic stranger. Fuelled by heat and desire, the inhabitants are driven into an unstoppable spiral of greed, lust, betrayal and revenge.

Matthew Bourne said: “I never dreamed when we created this show at the beginning of the new millennium that it would still be around, thrilling audiences, 25 years later! Inspired by vintage movie film noir classics, it holds a unique and special place in the New Adventures repertory as the only piece based on an opera and possibly the first ballet to feature a bisexual anti-hero! I’m particularly happy that we are taking the show “on the road” again after more than 10 years, and I can’t wait to revisit the hot and steamy town of Harmony USA – the best place to be next Summer!”

The title role of the magnetic Luca, “The Car Man”, will be played by Will Bozier and Harrison Dowzell, both former lead Swans in Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake, alongside New Adventures’ much-loved stars, Cordelia Braithwaite and Ashley Shaw as the alluring Lana. Rising stars, Leonardo
McCorkindale and Harry Ondrak-Wright play the troubled misfit, Angelo, whilst Anna Maria de Freitas with Kurumi Kamayachi make their leading role debuts as Lana’s devoted sister, Rita. Danny Reubens and the original “Car Man” himself, Alan Vincent will portray Lana’s jealous husband, Dino.

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1. Matthew Bourne's THE CAR MAN. Nikolas Shikkis, Jack Widdowson, Danny Reubens and Harrison Dowzell. Photo by Johan Persson

Joining them as the other inhabitants of the USA town of “HARMONY” are Jack Frame, Serena McCall, Rae Miller, Jack Widdowson and Karishma Young, who all make their New Adventures debuts in the production, alongside returning New Adventures performers, Tanisha Addicott, Jamie
Duncan-Campbell, Cameron Flynn, Rory Macleod, Callum Mann, Eleanor McGrath, Jarrod McWilliams, Eve Ngbokota, Nikolas Shikkis, Xavier Andriambolanoro-Sotiya and Lyra Treglown

Matthew Bourne said: "...it’s interesting to reflect on how iconic, unique and sought after the leading roles in this show have become since it was made in 2000. We are still the only company in the world to perform this production and yet the roles of Luca, Lana, Angelo, Rita and Dino have
become as legendary as the show itself and a unique part of the UK dance landscape for several generations of young dancers. I’m proud that New Adventures never just “revives” a show; we re-invent, question and grow with each new cast which is why I’m so excited to revisit the small town of Harmony this summer and, much like Luca himself, shake things up a bit!”

THE CAR MAN was first seen in 2000, winning the Evening Standard Award for Musical Event of the Year and the Los Angeles Drama Critics Award for Best Choreography. It was last seen in a unique revival for The Royal Albert Hall's 150th Birthday in 2022. This expanded production received rave reviews and nightly standing ovations. However, this will be the first time The Car Man has toured since 2015.

Directed and choreographed by Matthew Bourne, The Car Man has music by Terry Davies & Rodion Shchedrin’s Carmen Suite (after Bizet’s Carmen), with sound by Paul Groothuis, lighting by Chris Davey and design by Lez Brotherston.

Performances run at Milton Keynes Theatre from Tue 7 – Sat 11 Jul 2026. Tickets are available now. For further information and to book tickets, visit ATGTICKETS.COM/MiltonKeynes.

New Adventures Matthew Bourne’s The Car Man Comes To Milton Keynes Theatre - Review

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