News: Matthew Bourne’s multi-award winning The Car Man dances into the Royal Albert Hall

Fasten your seatbelts! New Adventures and Matthew Bourne’s multi-award winning dance thriller The Car Man arrives in London as part of the celebrations for the 150th anniversary of the iconic Royal Albert Hall, in a spectacular new staging.

The Car Man will play 14 performances at the venue from 17 to 27 June 2021, with casting to be announced soon.

The production will be presented in a unique collaboration and for the very first time and will utilise the expanse of the stunning Royal Albert Hall with a cast of 33 dancers, a 25-piece live orchestra and an epic new design by Olivier and Tony Award-winner Lez Brotherston.

Lucy Noble, artistic director at the Royal Albert Hall said “We’re so incredibly excited to welcome The Car Man to the Royal Albert Hall as a highlight of our anniversary celebrations. This is one of modern dance’s most thrilling shows, and to see it specially adapted to the scale and grandeur of this spectacular space promises to be an unforgettable experience.”

Matthew Bourne said “The Car Man may have found its perfect setting in the epic and spectacular surroundings of Britain’s favourite venue, the Royal Albert Hall. This unique and iconic landmark will only heighten the visceral thrill and emotional highs of a piece already regarded as a classic favourite in the New Adventures repertoire. As a lifelong lover and supporter of the Royal Albert Hall, I am delighted to be a part of its 150th birthday celebrations! it is a real career highlight for me to present my work here for the first time and create what will no doubt be, an important moment in New Adventures history. Whether you have seen The Car Man before or not, you will not want to miss this re-imagined “event” production of the show in an expanded staging that will also be a celebration of our return to live performance after more than fifteen months – We cannot wait to welcome you back too!.”

Based on Bizet’s beloved Carmen, The Car Man sees a 19th Century Spanish cigarette factory transformed into a greasy garage-diner in 1960s America, where the dreams and passions of a small town are shattered by the arrival of a handsome stranger. Fuelled by heat and desire, the inhabitants are driven into an unstoppable spiral of greed, lust, betrayal and revenge.

Matthew Bourne’s The Car Man features Rodion Shchedrin’s Carmen Suite, and new arrangements of Bizet’s legendary score, by New Adventures associate artist Terry Davies. The production is directed and choreographed by Bourne, with music by Davies, design by Lez Brotherston, lighting by Chris Davey and sound by Paul Groothuis.

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