Matthew Bourne’s THE CAR MAN – Mayflower Theatre until 19th September 2026 then touring

Review: Pat Hayward 16th September 2026

It was 26 years ago that Matthew Bourne’s The Car Man first opened at the Old Vic in London. Its initial UK tour was in 2007, but Southampton has had to wait until this week for it to visit Mayflower Theatre. But it has been worth the wait. If you are one of the many that expect a straightforward dance interpretation of Bizet’s classic opera, put those ideas behind you – the nearest you will get is the music – and by nearest I mean that Matthew Bourne, working with composer Terry Davies as a starting-point, they used the 40-minute Bolshoi Ballet version Carmen Ballet and then Davies composed additional music based on the original score. The result is astonishing – gone is Spain and it’s hello Harmony, a small American community in a fictional mid-western town, where the story develops and in a very different way from the opera.

This production may surprise many dance enthusiasts with its frank depictions of violence and sex, including a touch of homoeroticism. But as a couple of guys near me were discussing in the interval what was happening on the stage was very similar to their own experiences as apprentices, one who had worked in a Southampton garage and the other in a Southampton factory – the bullying, rough and tumble and gay undercurrents, they seemed very real to them.

The story takes place around the 1960s and is centred on Dino Alfano who owns the garage and nearby ‘Dino’s Diner’. Danny Reubens plays Dino, and what a challenge that must be – central to the whole story, swaggering around, ensuring his men are working hard and having to protect and keep an eye on his wife Lana who, played by Cordella Braithwaite, catches the eyes of most of the guys in the garage and the diner. What a pair these two make and Reubens and Braithwaite are brilliant at getting the audience to question the depth of their relationship.

The story begins when the mechanics at Dino’s Garage are repairing cars in the early evening. The mechanics tease and bully Angelo, innocently portrayed by Leonardo McCorkindale, one of Dino’s hires. A siren goes off, marking the end of the work day. The mechanics head upstairs to shower and change and what follows is the dream of everyone that has seen ‘The Full Monty’ but didn’t quite. As the townsfolk gather at the Diner, Luca, a drifter, arrives in town with a rucksack on his back. A billboard reads: “Welcome to… Harmony. Population 375. Drive safely!” Harrison Dowzell is Luca and its obvious from his swagger that he is going to be a key part of this story. It’s here we get to meet Lana’s sister Rita, another important character and love interest, played by Anna-Maria de Freitas who catches the eye every time she moves.

Enough to say that the story develops in a very different way from the opera and what follows is a real rollercoaster of emotions both for the characters and the audience as we get taken away from the township to city clubs and the county jailhouse before returning to Harmony for celebrations and the inevitable conclusion.

This is a dance production like no other. It is a mesmerising experience from beginning to end. Matthew Bourne’s choreography is pure magic, every movement, every touch, every look delivers its own element to the story. For me, never have I witnessed a danced production that conveys the story so well, without a single spoken word. Absolute sheer brilliance especially, as this is not the story of Carmen (the opera) – this is a new tale, new to every one of us that is seeing the show for the first time.

You have until Saturday to get your tickets (assuming there may be some left) – this is a show that will leave you speechless, amazed and wanting to see again.