Edinburgh dancer returns to hometown stage with sultry retelling of Carmen in Matthew Bourne's The Car Man

An Edinburgh dancer is returning back to the Capital to bring a new show to his hometown crowd.

Leonardo McCorkindale will take to the stage at the Festival Theatre next week for a run of performances of Matthew Bourne’s The Car Man, a gritty and sultry tale inspired by the music of Georges Bizet’s iconic opera Carmen.

The dancer, from the Granton area, will star as lead role Angelo with his return to his hometown marking a huge moment for the 23-year-old following a lengthy tour of the production.

Leonardo McCorkindale as Angelo in Matthew Bourne's The Car Man, playing at Festival Theatre in Edinburgh from November 3 to 7. | Johan Persson

Leonardo said: “One of my favourite parts about the tour is being able to bring it home. For my granny to come and watch and cousins and aunties and uncles and everything. It's really lovely.”

Leonardo, who has been a professional dancer since he was 19, trained in his youth at Edinburgh Dance Academy, Forth Children’s Theatre, and Broughton Dance School, and is looking forward to the full-circle moment of performing on the city’s stage once again.

He said: “My main teacher there was Julie Mitchell, and she seems to be very proud.

“She always comes and watches the shows and I always get to see her every time I come back, which is really lovely. She gets a bit emotional.”

Leonardo added: “I love [performing in Edinburgh]. You feel the support from the audience, especially when I’ve got people I know in. Dancing for the city I grew up in gives me an extra boost of energy, especially now we’re quite far into the tour. Coming home now is perfect timing to give me a new lease for the rest of the tour.”

“Plus it's quite lovely to be at home as well, because kind of see my family, see my dog, and get some home-cooked meals.”

Leonardo McCorkindale as Angelo in Matthew Bourne's The Car Man, playing at Festival Theatre in Edinburgh from November 3 to 7. | Johan Persson

Matthew Bourne’s The Car Man swaps Carmen’s 19th century cigarette factory for a 1950s American garage-diner, where lives are shattered by the arrival of an enigmatic and handsome stranger.

Leonardo said: “It’s a very exciting show. There’s never a moment when the energy dips. It's got a lot of kind of sexiness and raunchiness, but also a lot of violence and fighting, and there's a really exciting plot with a lot of twists and turns that you won't be expecting.

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“It's a very gritty, very real show. It was good fun to get into those characters, because you're playing real people, you're not playing royalty or princes and princesses. It’s really good fun.”

Leonardo’s latest role is the fourth time he’s worked with renowned director and choreographer Matthew Bourne. His impressive career has so far taken him from dance classes in Edinburgh to tours around the world.

He said: “My advice for anyone would be just go to those classes, get in the room because it’s really exciting once you get going. Watch a lot of shows too, that’s what inspired me, going to the theatre and seeing what I could be doing.

“We’re lucky to have so many exciting shows and companies performing in Edinburgh, so take advantage of that.”

Matthew Bourne’s The Car Man is playing at the Festival Theatre from Tuesday, November 3 until Saturday, November 7. Tickets are available on the Capital Theatres website.