The Car Man Tickets London

No longer booking

Venue Sadler's Wells Theatre, London
Performance dates Booking to 29 August 2026
Running time 2 hours (including interval)
Age guidelines 12+

The Car Man tickets London – Sadler’s Wells

Matthew Bourne’s sexy and dangerous dance epic The Car Man returns to UK theatres in 2026, including London’s Sadler’s Wells Theatre.

Based on Bizet’s ever-popular opera Carmen, The Car Man has one of the most thrilling and instantly recognisable scores in New Adventures’ repertoire. The familiar 19^th Century Spanish cigarette factory in Carmen becomes a greasy 1950’s garage-diner in the American Mid-West, where the dreams and passions of a small town are shattered by the arrival of a handsome and enigmatic stranger.

This spectacular new staging of Matthew Bourne’s Olivier and Evening Standard Award-winning show features designs by Olivier and Tony award-winner Lez Brotherston.

Featuring a hugely talented company of dancers and musicians, The Car Man is a unique opportunity to see this extraordinary production as you’ve never seen it before.

Matthew Bourne’s vivid storytelling combines with one of the most passionately dramatic scores ever written, with musical arrangements by Terry Davies featuring Rodion Shchedrin’s Carmen Suite (after Bizet’s Carmen), to create a dance event like no other.

The UK tour opens at Curve, Leicester on 15 June 2026 before visiting a further 16 venues over 22 weeks, including a 5-week summer season at Sadler’s Wells in London from 28 July to 29 August 2026.

The story is set in a greasy garage-diner in 1960s America, where a small-town’s dreams are shattered by the arrival of a handsome stranger. Fuelled by heat and desire, the inhabitants are driven into an unstoppable spiral of greed, lust, betrayal and revenge.

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★★★★★

“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

Videos & Photos

Performance Information

Check booking calendar for full details

Evenings
- Tuesday
- Wednesday
- Thursday
- Friday
- Saturday
Matinees
- Thursday
- Saturday
- Sunday
Group Bookings For groups of 10+ enquire here

Stars and Creatives

Who is in the cast of The Car Man?

Luca (“The Car Man”): Will Bozier and Harrison Dowzell
Lana: Cordelia Braithwaite and Ashley Shaw
Angelo: Leonardo McCorkindale and Harry Ondrak-Wright
Rita: Anna Maria de Freitas and Kurumi Kamayachi (Leading Role Debuts)
Dino: Danny Reubens and Alan Vincent (Original 2000 “Car Man”)
The Inhabitants of Harmony: Jack Frame, Serena McCall, Rae Miller, Jack Widdowson, Karishma Young, Tanisha Addicott, Jamie Duncan-Campbell, Cameron Flynn, Rory Macleod, Callum Mann, Eleanor McGrath, Jarrod McWilliams, Eve Ngbokota, Nikolas Shikkis, Xavier Andriambolanoro-Sotiya, and Lyra Treglown.

Who are the creative team of The Car Man?

Directed and choreographed by Matthew Bourne
Music by Terry Davies and Rodion Shchedrin’s Carmen Suite (after Bizet’s Carmen)
Design by Lez Brotherston
Sound by Paul Groothuis
Lighting by Chris Davey

Important Notes

Photos: Previous productions

Content warning: This production uses haze & theatrical smoke effects, and a gunshot effect.

Venue Information

Sadler's Wells Theatre , Rosebery Avenue, London, EC1R 4TN

Nearest Tube or Train: Angel (Northern line)

Nearest Buses: 19, 38, 341, 171a

Directions

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Critics' reviews of The Car Man

Reviews of previous productions

★★★★★ “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

★★★★ “Glamorous, sexy, funny and dangerous. A triumph!” Evening Standard

★★★★ “Superb, witty, drop-dead sexy” The Telegraph

Average Critics' Review Score: 4.6 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ (5)

Frequently Asked Questions

The Car Man is playing at the Sadler's Wells Theatre in London

The running time of The Car Man is 2 hours (including interval)

The age recommendations for The Car Man are: 12+

Yes, The Car Man has matinee performances on the following days: Thursday, Saturday, Sunday

No, sorry, The Car Man has now completed its run and is no longer on sale.

The Car Man Tickets