The Car Man Tickets

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.”