Lust, jealousy, and murder as The Car Man turns up the heat

Devon is sweltering through another heatwave.

But just when you thought it couldn't get any hotter, Matthew Bourne returns to Theatre Royal Plymouth this week with The Car Man.

Set in a sun-baked American backwater where lust, jealousy and murder simmer just beneath the surface, Bourne's reimagining of Bizet’s Carmen turns up the heat in every sense.

His productions have become regular visitors to Plymouth over the years.

The Car Man’s world premiere was at TRP in 2020, since when it’s won awards and nominations, and it’s been seen in Japan, the United States, various European countries and Tel Aviv.

Now The Car Man is back on UK tour for the first time in a decade.

Plymouth’s affection for Bourne’s work is clear - so much so that former ballerina and Strictly judge Darcey Bussell was seen enjoying Tuesday’s opening night, as the audience gave the production a long, standing ovation.

The Car Man tells the story of small-town Harmony, where a drifter, Luca - played majestically by Will Bozier - walks into town, everyone notices, and nothing is ever the same again.

The production is classic Bourne - at times, so much is happening simultaneously on stage that you get motion sickness keeping up with the wonderful choreography. He’s called it his ‘dance noir’, after the films that inspired him, including The Postman Always Rings Twice.

And like the best film noir, The Car Man leaves you exhilarated, unsettled and wanting to talk about it long after the lights come up.

The Car Man is at Theatre Royal Plymouth until Saturday July 18