Edward Scissorhands

I have always thought that the 1990 film Edward Scissorhands is the pinnacle of Johnny Depp’s acting career, the ‘Frankenstein’ boy with scissors instead of hands who only wants to fit into society. It’s a unique combination of comedy, tragedy and horror.

British choreographer Matthew Bourne, famous for his 1995 all male version of Swan Lake has taken this classic film and turned it into a ballet while still retaining the look and feel of the original but placing it in the 50s instead of the 80s.

With scissors as hands and a scarred face, Edward lives secluded in a manor on a hill until he’s taken in by a kind lady and her family. A hedge-trimming and hair-cutting prodigy, he’s welcomed into the community in the nearby town of Hope Springs with wary open arms. That is until passion blooms and tragedy strikes.

The first section (the creation of Edward from spare parts) is spectacularly Gothic in deep blues, greys and black and has more than a passing reference to the original Frankenstein film. The set for this section of the ballet is angular, straight out of the design of the Tim Burton film.

As Edward ventures into the town the colour palette becomes pastel. The imagery is surprisingly faithful to the film’s, with direct references to memorable moments and costumes of the same vibe.

Danny Elfman’s swooping dramatic melodies are the vibrant central motive of Bourne’s production, alongside the new music penned by Terry Davies.

The set, costumes, lighting and projection design by Lez Brotherston, Howard Harrison and Duncan McLean respectively are amazing and very Burtonesque. From haunting projections of the Moon to magical illuminations in a dream sequence that somehow look like fireflies, the set and lighting deserve equal billing to the dance. The houses in Hope Springs are also a miracle of forced perspective with windows that light up at night.

Bourne’s choreography is varied featuring ballet and dance styles from the 50’s. His characters, even the minor ones, arrive onstage totally in character, each with distinctive costuming and makeup and an established persona.

As Edward himself, Liam Mower is amazing. The role requires him to shuffle along in a tight leather-look costume, heel down first, and to play the whole ballet, barring one romantic hands-free duet, with multiple pairs of scissors at the end of his arms. Mower makes these blades an extension of his character, flicking them as his emotions are stirred up. The scissors look heavy and would have taken a long time to incorporate into some tricky lifts in Edward’s last pas de deux with Kim.

Ashley Shaw’s Kim is innocence personified as she slowly shuns the town boys for the lost boy who dares not even consider loving her. Her scenes with Mower are truly touching.

Mower and Shaw are capably supported by a cast of 23. They play the various townspeople involved with Edward’s life with energy and unwavering technique.

There are so many highlights worth mentioning – Nicole Kabera’s Joyce Monroe trying to seduce Edward by rolling around on a beanbag, a scene which culminates in an orgasm on a ferociously vibrating washing machine (all with her hair styled in a red mohawk), the dancing topiary, the male gay couple with their baby, the ‘hairstyling’ scenes and of course the flurry of snow whenever Edward sculps ice.

The final tableau is heartbreaking. The older lady who introduced the story is now revealed as the older Kim, still lovingly holding the scissors from Edward’s arm that she managed to keep when he left. And at the back, the silhouette of Edward appears, arms out like rather like a scarecrow with blades hanging down and giving that unique tilt of the head.

As wonderful as the ballet is, I felt that the scenes with Edward by himself, or with one or two others were the highlight. The ensemble scenes seemed a bit overextended and detracted from the story. That is not to say they were not stunningly danced, but the story seemed to pause during these sequences.

Overall, Edward Scissorhands is an astounding piece of dance theatre, superbly imagined and performed and remaining true to Tim Burton’s original intent. It is a visual and aural feast and not to be missed!

Barry Hill OAM

Photographer: Kassam Aziz

Link to a list of cinemas where the film is screening - Click here