I was interested in seeing this show after reading an article in Time Out, which ran the week before its opening. However, the slightly inconvenient location (Islington) and high ticket prices were off-putting. Closing weekend, I decided I couldn’t afford to miss it. Happily, I found it worth both the money and any inconvenience. Edward Scissorhands is a ballet based on the Tim Burton film of the early nineties, starring Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder. This movie has always been a favorite of mine, and I was anxious to see what a staged representation would look like.

Matthew Bourne (choreographer/director) is known for his unorthodox dance/theatre creations. When I found out this show was a ballet, I was disappointed. I find most “traditional” ballet to be far more focused on the grace and athleticism of the dance itself, rather than the story being presented. This show is nothing like traditional ballet. I would describe it as a story told through movement. The “dancers” appeared more like actors with brilliant control of their bodies, and a wonderful ability to portray their characters through movement alone. Multitudes of information could be understood with simple gesture, posture, walk, etc. Of course, costume plays a large role too, but their movement does most of the story-telling.

The dancer/actors are aided by one of the most ambitious creative teams I’ve seen in a while. They did a fantastic job of recreating a Burtonesque world for the stage. The whole stage is awash in greens and purples for the flashback scenes, giving Edward’s world a gothic haze. The suburban landscape is effective, with it’s tacky pastels and green topiary hedges. Visually, it’s gorgeously surreal - and far more breathtaking live than could be ever captured on camera. Of course, it’s complete with ice sculpture-chip snowfall. The whole theatre is turned into a magical winter wonderland.

I also liked that we got more of Edward’s back-story in this version. We see more into his past than we do in the film, which further humanizes him. Also, there are far more characters in this version. In the film, where we have only housewives, this version explores entire familes, with clearly defined characters in each.

Terry Davies has adapted Danny Elfman’s famous score for the film, and has rounded it out into a full two hours of music. He’s attempted an Elfman-style for his additions, but I wouldn’t quite mistake the music for Elfman. Davies has his own style altogether, making the score sound a bit choppy at times.

My only complaint about the show, really, is the fact that it doesn’t have the same impact as the film. The film still moves me to this day, while the show didn’t have the same emotional effect. There are some emotions that movement just can’t quite express, the same way as words or a close-up camera shot. But overall the show is really an impressive production. The word “fantastical” comes to mind.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 15th, 2006 at 4:16 pm and is filed under Theatre. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.