Matthew Bourne’s “Majestic” Adaptation of Edward Scissorhands

Tim Burton and Johnny Depp’s 1990 classic Edward Scissorhands is a marvellous blend of darkness, glamour, the peculiar, and a heart-warming romance that mesmerises you from start to finish. Oh, and the lead character (Depp) has scissors for hands, of course. Therefore, upon hearing that a stage adaptation of this existed and was on its way to Woking, we knew we had to be in attendance. Questions raced around our minds as we took our seats: How would the world of this story be presented on stage? Will the scissors look any good? And how the heck can you do this through a ballet with no words?! Rest assured, we received those answers and, in the process, were mightily impressed.

Naturally, Matthew Bourne’s stage adaptation simplifies the story, adjusting to a ballet format, but it is in its simplicity that the production shines. Although the choreography is consistently immaculate throughout, nothing (particularly in Act 1) jumps out as jaw-dropping. This is due to Bourne ensuring his choreography accompanies the narrative, as opposed to the opposite approach. In our introduction to Kim Boggs’ family and her little town, the performers effortlessly glide and move around the stage, but instead of drawing our attention to their dance, our focus shifts to their characters. Whether it’s Joyce’s seductive ways and her obvious disdain for her existing husband or Kim’s jock of a boyfriend – it expertly provides context to the world Edward will be entering. For this reason Bourne’s Edward Scissorhands appeals to all, even the layman, as within moments we are once again enchanted by Burton’s magical world. 

The show may favour a simplistic approach with its choreography, but the production value, on the other hand, is anything but. Bourne’s adaptation leaves no expense when it comes to building wonderful sets, be it Edward’s eerie home or the Boggs’ bright and colourful town, and an excellent Edward Scissorhands costume with believable scissor hands. However, the magical experience is also greatly enhanced by its use of lighting, sound effects, and digital tools like projection. There is no better example than the beautiful scene where Edward sleeps in Kim’s bedroom and becomes enamoured by her beauty through the photos of her. In addition to quickly establishing our protagonist’s love for Kim, we witness an incredible sequence that shows multiple Kims dancing through the wall. It’s an expert blend of the peculiar, glamour, and romance, akin to Burton’s 1990 film.

Act 2 does produce more “wow” moments, but it does, at times, feel too caught up in delivering style over substance, losing some of the charm that made Act 1 so engaging. Admittedly, that’s more of a nitpick than a glaring flaw because, by the time the show concludes, you are not only left in awe by how incredible Burton and Caroline Thompson’s story is but how Bourne and co. have managed to pull off this spectacular feat. From the lead performer to Bourne himself, everyone deserves a standing ovation times ten after delivering this majestic adaption of Edward Scissorhands. Go and watch this if you can!