REVIEW: Matthew Bourne's Edward Scissorhands ★★★★

Based on the Tim Burton classic of the same name, Edward Scissorhands follows the story of Edward, a boy who was created by an eccentric creator, mourning the loss of his son. When his creator passes away, he heads down to the hill where Mrs Boggs takes him in. 

Credit: Johan Persson

I was fortunate enough to watch this beautiful show on opening night at Theatre Royal, and I was utterly blown away. The whole cast were outstanding - what else could you expect from a Matthew Bourne show! What was so impressive that the show was very comedic and poignant at points, and it was all done with no dialogue - no easy feat, but they had all of the Theatre Royal laughing on multiple occasions.

Naturally, the choreography was outstanding, with amazing solo pieces, duets and huge group numbers throughout the show. The storytelling through dance was admirable and so beautiful, making you feel happy, sad, and all the emotions in between throughout the performance.

Credit: Tristram Kenton

As part of the post-show talk, we found out that they regularly change characters, with many of the cast playing multiple characters as part of the show. For this performance, Edward was played by Liam Mower (OG Billy Elliot!), who did such a brilliant job of not just dancing, but capturing the characteristics of Edward Scissorhands, getting all his niche mannerisms down. Kim Boggs was played by Ashley Shaw, who I had seen many times in other Matthew Bourne shows, so I knew I was in good hands. She, again, managed to capture some comedic and distressing moments very beautifully, and it was lovely to see her in a role which was quite different to the roles I'd previously seen her in.

I also loved the whole ensemble cast - they were all so incredibly talented. Often when there was a whole group dance, there would be some cast off to the side, talking amongst each other, and it allowed for further insight into characters which you could not see in the film. I genuinely think that every time you saw this show, you'd pick up something different, especially since the cast regularly changes.

The whole set was really good, with great scene changes and really good use of the space. I loved all the snow, and we even got to experience some in the front stalls that evening (we were soaked!). 

Overall, I loved the show, and they gained a well deserved standing ovation at the end!

To see where else the show is touring, and to purchase tickets, head to: Edward Scissorhands

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