The Car Man Matthew Bourne London — Sadler's Wells The Car Man

West End Ballet

The Car Man Tickets

Matthew Bourne's five-star masterpiece. Buckle up for the ride of your life.

Book Tickets From £17

The Show

The Car Man — Matthew Bourne

2000
First seen — Evening Standard Musical Event of the Year
★★★★★
Daily Mail, Observer & Daily Express
4.9
Average audience rating from 34 reviews

Harmony, USA. Somewhere in the sweltering American Mid-West. A greasy garage-diner sits at the edge of town, baking in the heat. Dino runs it. His wife Lana dreams of something more. Then Luca arrives — handsome, magnetic, dangerous — and everything that seemed settled begins to come apart. What follows is one of the most viscerally thrilling evenings in dance theatre: a story of desire, jealousy, murder and revenge told without a single word, in Matthew Bourne’s most darkly seductive work.

“Buckle up for the ride of your life. Gripping, gasp-making, edge of your seat stuff.”
Daily Mail ★★★★★

Loosely based on Bizet’s opera Carmen, The Car Man takes the 19th century Spanish cigarette factory of the original and strips it back to its bones: jealousy, passion, betrayal, and the destruction that follows when those impulses are given nowhere to go. Lez Brotherston’s iconic set — straight out of an Edward Hopper painting, all neon signs, chrome stools and cracked asphalt — wraps around a score of electrifying power: Rodion Shchedrin’s Carmen Suite arranged for the stage by Terry Davies, blending Bizet’s melodies with jazz, funk and cinematic drive.

Matthew Bourne — the most commercially successful choreographer in British dance history, whose Swan Lake has been running in some form since 1995 — has always said The Car Man is his most physically demanding work. The 2026 revival is the first time the show has toured since 2015, and arrives with a thrilling new cast: Will Bozier and Harrison Dowzell (both former lead Swans) sharing the title role of Luca, and New Adventures stalwarts Cordelia Braithwaite and Ashley Shaw alternating as Lana. Alan Vincent, an original company member from the 2000 premiere, returns as Dino. Matthew Bourne said: “I’m proud that New Adventures never just ‘revives’ a show; we re-invent, question and grow with each new cast — which is why I’m so excited to revisit the small town of Harmony this summer and, much like Luca himself, shake things up a bit.”

Press Reviews

“Buckle up for the ride of your life. Gripping, gasp-making, edge of your seat stuff.”
Daily Mail ★★★★★
“A shatteringly good piece of storytelling. Terrific.”
The Observer ★★★★★
“A thrilling and seriously sexy sensation.”
Daily Express ★★★★★
“Bourne also has a special ability to tell a narrative in dance that does not require background knowledge. A layman can get as much from this as a dance addict — which is why Sadler’s Wells might well be sold out for the next five weeks.”
British Theatre Guide ★★★★

What to Expect

Matthew Bourne’s most viscerally thrilling work
Electrifying Carmen Suite score by Shchedrin
Iconic Lez Brotherston design
First tour in over 10 years
Brilliant for dance newcomers & devotees alike
Greed, lust, betrayal & revenge
5-week London season only — book ahead
Ages 12+ — intense adult themes

Tickets

Book Your Seats

Pick your date, choose your seats on the interactive map, and receive instant eTickets by email.

Theatre
Sadler’s Wells
Rosebery Avenue, London EC1R 4TN
Running Time
1 hr 55 mins
Includes one interval
Age Recommendation
Ages 12+
Adult themes: sexual content & violence
Dates
28 Jul — 29 Aug 2026
5-week London season
Cancellation Policy
Full refunds
For event cancellations
Good to Know
Strobe & haze effects
Please contact the box office with access queries
On Arrival
Display eTickets on your phone
Or present a printed ticket at the box office
When to Arrive
30 minutes before curtain
Bars open 60 minutes before each performance

Production

The Car Man Cast & Creatives

Luca (The Car Man)
Will Bozier
Former lead Swan
Luca (The Car Man)
Harrison Dowzell
Former lead Swan
Lana
Cordelia Braithwaite
New Adventures star
Lana
Ashley Shaw
New Adventures star
Angelo
Leonardo McCorkindale
Rising star
Angelo
Harry Ondrak-Wright
Rising star
Rita
Anna Maria de Freitas
Leading role debut
Rita
Kurumi Kamayachi
Leading role debut
Dino
Danny Reubens
Dino
Alan Vincent
Original 2000 company
Company
Jack Frame
New Adventures debut
Company
Serena McCall, Rae Miller, Jack Widdowson, Karishma Young
New Adventures debuts

Please note: principal roles are shared between alternating casts. Full daily cast information is available at the Sadler’s Wells box office and on the day of each performance. Cast is subject to change without notice.

Venue

Getting to Sadler’s Wells

Sadler’s Wells Theatre  ·  Rosebery Avenue, London EC1R 4TN

ANG
Angel
Northern line. Exit right down St John Street, then right onto Rosebery Avenue — Sadler’s Wells is on your left after about 5 minutes.
5 min
HB
Highbury & Islington
Victoria line. Walk south down Upper Street to Angel, then right down St John Street and right onto Rosebery Avenue.
12 min
FRR
Farringdon
Circle, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan lines & Elizabeth line. Walk north up Farringdon Road, then left onto Rosebery Avenue.
15 min
KGX
King’s Cross / St Pancras
Take the Northern line south two stops to Angel. Walk right down St John Street and right onto Rosebery Avenue. Or walk 20 minutes via Pentonville Road.
15 min
EL
Farringdon (Elizabeth line)
Walk north up Farringdon Road for about 10 minutes, then left onto Rosebery Avenue. Direct connections from Paddington, Heathrow and Canary Wharf.
15 min
OLD
Old Street
Walk west along Old Street, then north up St John Street and left onto Rosebery Avenue.
15 min
Bus
Rosebery Avenue (direct)
Routes 19, 38, 341 stop directly outside Sadler’s Wells on Rosebery Avenue.
Door
Bus
Angel / St John Street
Routes 153, 214, 476 serve Angel and St John Street — alight and walk right onto Rosebery Avenue.
3 min
N
Night buses
N19, N38 serve Rosebery Avenue directly through the night.
24hr
Congestion Charge Zone
Sadler’s Wells is just inside the CCZ. Evening performances (after 6pm on weekdays) fall outside charge hours. Check tfl.gov.uk for current rates.
Sadler’s Wells own car park
A small number of spaces available, reserved for Blue Badge holders, over 65s and Access Scheme members. Pre-book via the box office on 020 7863 8000.
Free for Blue Badge holders
Bowling Green Lane NCP  · 7 min walk
Bowling Green Lane, EC1R 0BJ. Open 24hrs. Walk north up Farringdon Road and left onto Rosebery Avenue.
On-street parking
Free evenings and weekends on Hardwick Street and other streets off Rosebery Avenue. Check signage carefully.