Edward Scissorhands

Reviewed by Holly Bartges

It’s a short run for the Matthew Bourne production of Edward Scissorhands playing at the Temple Buell Theatre until tomorrow, and if you’re wringing your hands over not being able to see it, don’t.

Kerry Biggin (left) and Sam Archer in Edward Scissorhands. Photo by Bill Cooper

Brought to the Buell by New Adventures, Martin McCallum, and Marc Platt by Denver Center Attractions, Edward Scissorhands laid out promise of an exciting dance spectacular. It isn’t.

Except for the magnificent set and costumes designed by Lez Brotherston, the production is disappointing at best. The set and costumes alone seduce the audience into believing the production is worth the effort. Looking beyond those two elements to the technical aspect, what is left is a great deal of walking and strutting around stage by the cast, a little running, with very little choreography worthy to write home about. Bourne who has made a name for himself with innovative creative choreography throughout the world falls short with mediocre to a few moments of some OK dance moves, but nothing that appears to be overly exerting, overly complicated, much less overly exciting.

Within the first five minutes, it appears Edward Scissorhands will indeed live up to expectations of Bourne, but following the anticipating build up and several seconds of strutting, the show falls way below any hope of reaching a peak of excitement.

Adapted from the original story and film written and directed by Tim Burton starring Johnny Depp, a young man shows up in a typical cartoonish suburban neighborhood with scissors instead of hands. The story speaks to the outsider, someone being very different. With the absence of hands, there can be no touching, no connection with others, and any attempt will lead to hurting, cutting, destroying the very element wanting to be touched. It is total isolation. Edward does win over the people around him with his innate ability to shape trees and bushes into unique designs and animals, but people can be fickle and when he accidentally cuts the face of one boy, his uniqueness dissipates, and the neighborhood turns against him.

Part of the problem with the choreography has to lie with the music written and arranged by Terry Davis. Some of it indeed has strength and power, but a good portion of it almost seems undanceable falling into the realm of blah not going anywhere, not doing anything, making it most difficult for the choreography to stand up and be counted.

Strangely enough the entire cast has been double cast, making it impossible to know who is who doing what and when.

For Bourne it was a great idea, and definitely had possibilities of turning the dance world on its head.

It just didn’t happen.