Matthew Bourne’s most heartbreaking show yet hits Newcastle Theatre Royal for the first time

STEP INTO 1930S LONDON

Picture this: the smoky streets of Fitzrovia, pubs buzzing with stories and hearts longing for connection. That’s the world of The Midnight Bell – a poignant and passionate dance-theatre piece set in the backstreets of 1930s London. 

Here, a cast of lovelorn characters gathers in a shadowy tavern to chase dreams, spill secrets and weather the storms of the human heart. It’s gritty, romantic and utterly compelling.

The production is inspired by the novels of Patrick Hamilton, the master of London’s literary underbelly. His stories captured the hopes and heartaches of ordinary people, and Matthew Bourne brings them to life with a signature twist of magic, movement and raw emotion.

BOURNE’S BACK AND HE’S FEELING SENTIMENTAL 

“The Midnight Bell, with its entangled tales of lonely souls looking for love, was rather appropriately the piece that brought us back to national touring after nearly two years away due to the pandemic,”

says Matthew Bourne

“At the time, audiences and company were masked and socially distanced, but immensely grateful to be back… So, I’m particularly thrilled to be bringing this heartfelt piece to more people, and to be presenting it in many venues for the first time,” he adds.