Matthew Bourne’s The Car Man has been around for more than 25 years, but judging by last night’s performance at Nottingham Theatre Royal, it certainly hasn’t lost any of its ability to shock, entertain and raise a few eyebrows.

Loosely inspired by Bizet’s Carmen, Bourne transports the action from 19th-century Spain to 1950s America, where a mysterious drifter arrives in the small town of Harmony and promptly causes absolute chaos. That drifter is Luca, played last night by Harrison Dowzell, and he is quite possibly the most attractive troublemaker to walk into a garage. Within minutes of arriving, Luca has caught the attention of pretty much everyone in town, and Dowzell brings a fantastic combination of charisma, arrogance and physicality to the role. You can completely understand why the people of Harmony are so fascinated by him.

There is certainly no shortage of heat. The production wastes very little time establishing its raunchy tone, with the mechanics' shower scene near the beginning immediately setting the temperature of the evening. There are plenty more steamy encounters to follow, including some rather unexpected pairings, and yes, there is full-frontal male nudity. It is all deliberately provocative, but there is also something quite playful about the way Bourne uses sex and desire as part of the storytelling. The audience certainly seemed to be enjoying themselves, with plenty of laughter and some very enthusiastic reactions.

The staging is another highlight. Lez Brotherston’s multi-level garage and diner set creates a brilliantly grimy world which constantly shifts around the dancers. Cars, stairs, balconies and the garage itself become part of the choreography, while Chris Davey’s lighting adds to the sweaty, almost cinematic atmosphere. I particularly enjoyed how much was happening across the stage at once. Even when you weren't following the central story, there was usually something going on somewhere else.

At the centre of all this is Luca's rather impressive ability to cause trouble. He begins an affair with Dino's wife Lana, played with plenty of attitude and sensuality by Ashley Shaw, but that isn't the only relationship he manages to complicate. Luca also becomes involved with Angelo, the much more vulnerable mechanic played by Leonardo McCorkindale. I really enjoyed this element of Bourne's reimagining because it gives the story a surprisingly modern edge. Luca isn't simply having an affair with a woman; he is simultaneously attracted to a man, creating a fascinating triangle of desire, jealousy and betrayal.

McCorkindale's Angelo provides a particularly effective contrast to Dowzell's confident Luca. Initially bullied and pushed around by the other mechanics, Angelo gradually develops confidence after Luca takes him under his wing. What begins as admiration develops into something much more complicated, and McCorkindale handles that transformation really well.

Anna-Maria de Freitas is also lovely as Rita, Angelo's devoted girlfriend, particularly in the earlier scenes where her relationship with Angelo provides a much sweeter counterpoint to the increasingly chaotic behaviour surrounding them. Danny Reubens' Dino, meanwhile, is suitably unpleasant as Lana's controlling husband, making the eventual breakdown of the marriage feel inevitable.

There is something wonderfully bonkers about The Car Man. It combines ballet, contemporary dance, 1950s Americana, murder, sex, jealousy, violence and a modicum of nudity into one gloriously over-the-top package. The first act in particular is an absolute riot of bodies, movement and barely concealed desire, while the second becomes considerably darker as the consequences of Luca's arrival begin to catch up with everyone.

For me, it is the staging, the physicality and the sheer theatrical audacity that make The Car Man work. It is sexy, occasionally shocking and at times completely outrageous, but underneath all of that is some seriously impressive choreography and storytelling. Harrison Dowzell makes for a particularly magnetic Luca, and it is easy to see why the audience took to him so quickly.

A very entertaining night at the theatre, although perhaps not one to take your Nan to unless you are prepared for some awkward questions afterwards!

The Car Man plays at Nottingham Theatre Royal until 26 September 2026 as part of a UK tour until 21 November.

★★★★

Written by James for Theatre and Tonic, September 2026.

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