There is some wonderful ideas in this new musical that pays a loving tribute to Tim Burton’s classic film – but it seems to be a little all over the place tone wise.
In terms of addressing themes such as inclusivity and celebration of being unique, it is easy to see why Bradley Bredeweg chose to make a musical reinvention of Tim Burton’s Edward Scissorhands with a gender-flipped approach that works on many levels, but never is quite sure what the tone it wants to set.
It is clear on many levels that this has been a labour of love for all those involved, remaining faithful to the original story and there are plenty of stand out sequences including the scene in the town set to the song ‘I’m Every Woman’ that provides plenty of laughs in order to get to know some of the characters.
There is very much an element of pantomime to Bredeweg’s script which works particularly well when mocking the town people’s attitude to Scissorhands but there are aspects to it that focus more on the comedy, rather than the poignancy of Scissorhands’s story that means that it can be difficult to feel emotionally invested in the story.
Some of the trouble is with the music selection which doesn’t fit to a particular era and feels a little bit hit and miss in places – although the inclusion of ‘Bring Me to Life’ , ‘Beautiful Weirdos’ and ‘I’m Afraid of Americans’ really work well in the larger context of the story. There is also lovely poignancy in the performance of ‘Gravity’ that is performed with great feeling and sensitivity by Lauren Jones as Kim. Songs such as ‘Bleeding Love’ and ‘Best Day of My Life’ felt a little out of place.
But all of this is not to say that the production isn’t enjoyable – quite the opposite. I loved the attention to detail in terms of ensuring that the story remains faithful to the film and there is clear affection for it throughout. The energy Bredeweg’s production is infectious so it is difficult to not to be swept away by it and it builds up the drama nicely towards the climax as well, particularly when combined with the devoted performances from all of the cast.
In addition, Alexzandra Sarmiento’s choreography is sleek and impressive, with the production making full use of the space given (including the audience!), while Adam King’s beautifully thought out lighting design adds some haunting moments to proceedings – particularly in the scenes set at Scissorhands’s original home. I was also impressed with the faithfulness of Abby Clark’s costume design for Scissorhands.
At the centre of the performances, Jordan Kai Burnett as Scissorhands perfectly captures the character’s mannerisms and awkwardness as they try to navigate an unfamiliar world – but I did sense a slight nervousness vocally early on but seemed to grow in confidence as the show went on. Nearly blowing the roof off with incredible vocals is Dionne Gipson as The Inventor of Scissorhands and there are some lovely moments between her and Burnett to give the show more emotional depth that isn’t always felt throughout the show.
Emma Williams also offers wonderful sensitivity as Peg, while Lauren Jones as Kim delivers a powerful rendition of Christina Aguilera’s ‘Fighter’ that shows how far the character has come throughout the show. Ryan O’Connor is brilliantly hilarious as Helen and Delia Deetz (yes that character from Beetlejuice!).
Overall, Scissorhandz is entertaining but there are so many ideas going on here that seem to battle with each other it is difficult not to feel that it still need a little refining.
By Emma Clarendon
Scissorhandz continues to play at the Southwark Playhouse (Elephant) until the 29th March.
Rating: ❤️❤️❤️