Sadler’s Wells, London
Bourne’s sharp, tender dance production of the boy with scissor hands – a symbol for outsiders everywhere – feels more vital than ever
Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without a Matthew Bourne show filling the stage of Sadler’s Wells. Edward Scissorhands is a particularly good fit not only for the snow that drifts down from the rafters, but also for the tenderly presented message nestled in its heart about difference and acceptance.
It’s a production, cleverly adapted by Caroline Thompson from the 1990 Tim Burton film, that turns the boy with flashing blades for hands into a symbol for all outsiders – and Peg Boggs, the kindly housewife, who sees his loneliness and offers him a home full of love, into the kind of Good Samaritan society needs.