Five star review of Edward Scissorhands at Bradford Alhambra

It would have been an easy option for Matthew Bourne to make Edward Scissorhands a classic gothic horror ballet but instead Bourne has taken Tim Burton’s 1990 film and created a whimsical piece of dance.

Edward Scissorhands is playful, mischievous and quirky.

A tale of acceptance and inclusion – it is Bourne at his creative best.

First premiered in 2005 and re-imagined in 2014, his interpretation of this modern fairy tale has a strong narrative that drives the dance.

Edward is the creation of an eccentric scientist who grieving his son, in a freak gardening accident involving lightning and shears, with a nod to Frankenstein, creates a replica boy.

Unfortunately the grieving inventor dies before he can swap Edward’s prototype scissors for real hands.

This leaves Edward alone and rummaging in bins in the small American town of Hope Springs and he is taken pity on by Peg Boggs who takes him into her home showing him kindness and love and where he becomes hopelessly besotted with Kim her daughter.

Played out against the backdrop of designer Lez Brotherston’s simple but amazing sets of cut-out houses, sequinned gauzes, dancing topiary trees, snow falling in the auditorium and colourful 50’s costumes combined with Howard Harrison’s ever-changing pastel lighting, this is a visual banquet.

Scissorhands is an ensemble show with Bourne giving everyone the chance to shine by creating six families in the story all with a mother, father and two children.

With their own choreography, storyline and character from goth, nerd, political power couple, despairing housewives, boring husbands, cougars, cheerleaders, Bible-punching ministers and gay dads, all are portrayed with stellar perfection.

Stephen Murray’s Edward is beyond belief. He masters the pathos, comedy and the physical complexity, executing a shoulder lift without using his hands is no mean feat but he makes it look so simple.

Stand-out performances come from Ashley Shaw (Kim) who shares complicated pas-de-deuxs with Edward and Nicole Kabera (Joyce) the man-eating siren who tries to seduce him.

Edward Scissorhands ends as it began but what has happened to him? We’ll wait and see.

To April 13.