After ten years, Matthew Bourne
has revived his critically acclaimed stage interpretation of Tim Burton’s cinematic
masterpiece, Edward Scissorhands,
brought to life by his dance theatre company, New Adventures. It recently
kicked off its nationwide tour after a successful month-long residence at
London Sadlers Wells theatre over Christmas and is currently performing at
Liverpool’s Empire theatre.
This unique modern fairy tale of
how society reacts to the outsider and how it treats all those who are
different has unquestionably become a cult-classic. One day, a clever, but
lonely old inventor decides to create a son; and so, using his ingenious skills,
Edward is brought to life. However, the old man passes away before he can
replace his creation’s frightening scissor appendages with hands and innocent
Edward is unwittingly left alone and incomplete. When he finally ventures beyond
the grounds of his father’s crumbling mansion, he is taken in by the family of a
caring Avon saleswoman and falls in love with her teenage daughter, Kim. Thanks
to his strange appearance and the whacky, imaginative hedge sculptures and
haircuts he produces, Edward quickly becomes flavour of the month with the town’s
residents – but it can’t last, and as the tide turns and opinions change everything
begins to fall apart.
Before it finally premiered in
2005, the first dance production of Edward Scissorhands took over seven years
to be developed. Bourne believes he would have given up hope of the project
ever coming to fruition but for the support of the film’s creators: director
and all-round fantastical genius, Tim Burton;
composer, Danny Elfman, whose score for the film has become an iconic
fairy tale soundtrack and is retained in the stage adaption; and skilled screenwriter, Caroline Thompson, who also
helped co-adapt new stage version. “I was overwhelmed, during this time,” says
Bourne, “by the kindness and trust that they each showed me in handing over
what I knew was a very personal and beloved project for each of them. […] I
only hope […] that we have done justice to the spirit of their unique cinematic
version.”
Unafraid, as ever, to stamp his
own mark onto renowned and much loved works, Bourne has daringly added a striking
new addition to the plot, creating a prologue that reveals to us the tragic
reasons why the inventor decides to create Edward in the first place.
In addition, he takes the essence
of some of the larger than life inhabitants of Hope Springs that we recognise
from the film, developing and transforming them into entire families for a more
defined and contrasting patchwork of suburban life that still successfully channels
the comedy of the original. For example, Burton’s fanatically religious neighbour
becomes a whole god-fearing, judgemental family complete with Goth son, and a garish
family of hicks set up their lawn chairs next to the pin-up perfection of the
local mayor and mayoress’s offspring. As always with a Bourne creation, the set and costumes, both designed by Lez Brotherstone, are mesermising and perfectly compliment the performance.
Some aspects of the creative
changes, however, don’t come without a certain loss. In Burton’s film we see lucky,
strong-hearted and unerringly decent character of mother figure Peg Boggs
fearlessly visit the ominous mansion that broods over the town, discover the
lonely Edward, and usher him into the colourful, 50s-isinpired world he only
ever spied from afar. Yet, Bourne’s Peg simply discovers Edward as he wanders
the streets in confusion, and although she is kind and loving, the prominence
of her role is significantly lessened and there is a sense that she merges a
little too completely into the background as a slightly more mundane 50s housewife
character.
Of course, to a die-hard fan, in
the re-adaption of such a timeless cult-classic there will always be something
at which to nit-pick. Yet, the change is a forgivable one when considering the
difficulty of translating the heart-breaking emotion of the original work into
expressive dance choreography. Nevertheless, Bourne’s Edward Scissorhands is a
triumph.
Talented young Dominic North wins
the hearts of audience members with his excellent portrayal of Edward (also
played by Liam Mow) and overcomes the challenge of handling the scissor blades that
are part of his costume effortlessly. All the company’s dancers, without
exception, are immensely gifted. Larger scenes featuring the full cast of over
twenty are truly a feast for the eyes, with little character quirks played out
wherever you look, thanks to the careful attention of Bourne’s devoted choreographic
detail.
One particularly memorable and
beautiful scene portrays Edward and Kim, as they dance within a magical dream
sequence where the topiary figures Edward sculpts whimsically come to life. Another
re-enacts the famous scene as Edward sculpts an angel out of ice and Kim dances
entranced in the snow-like flakes that fall below, all with gorgeously balletic
choreography.
Touring until mid-march, regardless
of whether or not you are a fan of Bourne’s work or even of dance, everyone
must seize the fleeting opportunity to catch this magical work for the second
time before it’s over for good.
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For more information about the show and for tour dates,
visit Matthew Bourne's New Adventures website here.
Photos by Johan Persson
