Mathew Bourne's Edward Scissorhands: The Ballet

'I am not complete.'

I adore anything that Tim Burton creates, however Edward Scissorhands has a special place in my heart, and I know I'm not alone when I say that. 

For those of you who haven't heard of Mathew Bourne, he is the choreographer and director behind some of the UK's most popular and successful ballet productions, from Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella to Lord of the Flies and The Picture of Dorian Gray. His most successful, Swan Lake, even features in Billy Elliot. 

I have been lucky to see both Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake and was blown away by his adaptations. There's always an underlying darkness to all his productions which sucks me in, and he's a master of detail.

So when I heard he was doing a production of Edward Scissorhands, my inner child cried with glee. She cried even more when I was surprised with tickets for Christmas from my grandparents. 

I will be honest and say that I was skeptical. I didn't really have sentimental ties with Bourne's other productions so was open to new twists, however I was worried my inner child would throw a tantrum because it simply wasn't the same. I also could not picture in my head how on earth he was going to achieve certain parts of the story. Some scenes just didn't seem transferable to the stage. 

BUT (a huge but) I loved it. The trippy quirks typical of Tim Burton's style were present throughout and humour, just like the film , broke up the darkness. 

When it came to the stunning dancing-in-the-snow scene, I'm pretty sure there wasn't a dry eye in the house. The original score from the film was kept in, and Danny Elfman's 'Ice Dance' piece gets me every time. The dancing was timed so well with the music that it heightened any emotion you were feeling as you watched. 

At the end of the show, the dancer playing Edward received a standing ovation, (which made me cry even more). I'm a regular theater goer and standing ovations are rare to see nowadays, but this one was well and truly deserved. 

I don't want to give any more away, but if Edward Scissorhands was in any way a part of your childhood, for whatever reason, then you need to go and see this. Each of Mathew Bourne's ballets have stayed with me and are memories I'll hold on to. 

There are still dates available, and the tour finishes on the 14th March, so be quick if you want to go. I promise you it will be worth it!

(P.S Sorry for the grainy mobile pics. Didn't think I could get away with my mahoosive DSLR)