CityLife

Edward Scissorhands

FOLLOWING a world tour, Matthew Bourne’s Edward Scissorhands returns to the Lowry this week with all the enchanting magic that won it a Manchester Evening News Theatre Award for best dance the first time around.

Based on Tim Burton’s 1990 film, the stage version largely stays true to the original story, while adding a new quirkiness of its own.

It starts, dramatically on a stormy night. A young boy holding scissors is electrocuted and his grieving father creates another son.

However, before he can finish his Frankenstein-like creation, youths in Halloween masks ransack the house leaving the old man dead and young Edward left with scissors for hands.

Fairy tales

Sounds dark and like all good fairy tales, in places it is. But it is the contrast between the gothic house on the hill and the candy coloured homes of suburbia, the bullishness of the teenage boys and Edward’s vulnerable innocence that make for such an emotional journey that needs no words to explain.

Edward is thrust into a sugar-coated America and it’s not too long before the lonely outsider is wearing a baseball cap with E proudly emblazoned on it, losing his heart to a beautiful cheerleader and dazzling the neighbours with his hair-dressing, topiary and ice-sculpture skills.

The result is the theatrical equivalent to filmic special effects, added to which we get some wonderful stretches of modern dance and ballet.

At times there is so much going on, you don’t know where to look, carried along by Terry Davies' original music adapted from Danny Elfman’s romantic film score.

Dazzles

Dominic North, playing Edward on Tuesday night, not only dazzles with his brilliance at being able to dance with what are the equivalent of foot-long blades on his hands, but brings a tender depth and wit to the part as well.   

Etta Murfitt shines as the well-meaning mum, Peg Boggs and Madelaine Brennan is excellent as the desperate housewife, Joyce Monroe.

This family show is a delight from start to finish.

Edward Scissorhands is at The Lowry until Saturday, November 22. For tickets call 0870 787 5793 or visit www.thelowry.com.

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