🎭 Edward Scissorhands
📍 The Lyric, Theatre Royal Plymouth, Royal Parade, Plymouth, Devon, PL1 2TR
🗓 Tuesday 21st November 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐
️AN ENCHANTING TOUR DE FORCE
Theatre Royal Plymouth is once again honoured to be the venue where Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures open their latest touring production. Playing in The Lyric all this week is Bourne’s adaptation of Edward Scissorhands and it is not to be missed.
Edward Scissorhands is based on the 1990 Tim Burton movie of the same name and has been adapted into a sublimely elegant ballet which instantly impresses. From the moment you walk into the auditorium, the sound of thunder permeates the air, building anticipation for what’s to come.
The choreography, direction and storytelling are all sublime, and the attention to detail in every aspect of the production is exquisite. I was mesmerised from the moment the show began, and I genuinely have never heard such a loud cheer at the end of act 1 as I did last night.
The music and arrangements by Terry Davies are based on the themes from the movie score by Danny Elfman and seem instantly recognisable. There is something almost magical about the score to this piece, with each piece of music perfectly complementing the on stage action.
Although the central character is obviously Edward, this feels like the ultimate ensemble piece with each and every character feeling just as important as one another. The community is made up of families of four and are colourful and vibrant. This production is a real feast for the eyes. There is always so much going on that I feel that you could watch this show every night for a week and still discover new things about it! Rather than being overwhelming, there is something completely wonderful about this.
The set and costume designs by Lez Brotherston are absolutely incredible and completely bring the world to life. Married together with fantastic lighting by Howard Harrison and incredible video projections by Duncan McLean, Edward Scissorhands is a real technical masterpiece.
Every part of this production is sheer perfection from start to finish. The company are truly phenomenal and give a masterclass of storytelling through dance. Liam Mower as Edward Scissorhands is absolutely breathtaking and leads the company wonderfully. He completely makes this iconic character his own, while still maintaining some of the things we know and love about him.
It's always a pleasure to watch Edwin Ray in a production. His love of his craft exudes from the stage and he is simply joyous. Other standout performances for me came from Stephanie Billers who gives a hilarious performance as Joyce Monroe and Katrina Lyndon who is utterly beautiful as Kim Boggs.
The farewell duet between Edward and Kim is performed with such emotion that you can really see into the souls of the two. It was so raw and you can really feel the love they each have for the other, as well as the pain that they are feeling and was possibly my favourite moment of the entire evening.
There is nothing about this show that I didn't love. The creativity of the concept was jaw dropping. Matthew Bourne always puts on a spectacular production and Edward Scissorhands is no exception to this.
Edward Scissorhands continues at Theatre Royal Plymouth until Saturday 25th November before it heads out on a national tour. Head to https://theatreroyal.com/whats-on/scissorhands/#book and grab your tickets before it's too late. There is limited tickets remaining with the best availability being for the performances on Saturday.
I can highly recommend you do whatever it takes (legally of course!) to get a ticket. Edward Scissorhands does not disappoint.
Neill Kovacic-Clarke
All views are my own and I pride myself on being honest, fair and free from influence. Theatre is subjective and it is important to remember that all views expressed are just those of one reviewer.
My ticket for this performance of Edward Scissorhands was gifted by Theatre Royal Plymouth who invited me to watch the show in exchange for my honest review. The fact that my ticket was gifted played no part in the content of my review or the star rating given.
CAST AT THIS PERFORMANCE:
Liam Mower as Edward Scissorhands; Kerry Biggin as Peg Boggs / Old Kim; Dominic North as Bill Boggs; Katrina Lyndon as Kim Boggs; Xavier Andriambolanoro Sotiya as Kevin Boggs / Little Edward; Stephanie Billers as Joyce Monroe; Luke Murphy as George Monroe; Holly Saw as Bunny Monroe; Aristide Lyons as Gerald Monroe Christina Gibbs as Charity Upton; Glenn Graham as Mayor Franklyn Upton III / The Inventor; Carrie Willis as Darlene Upton; Ben Brown as James ‘Jim’ Upton; Mami Tomotani as Esmeralda Evercreech; Reece Causton as Rev. Judas Evercreech; Molly Shaw-Downie as Marilyn-Ann Evercreech; Nikolas Shikkis as Gabriel Evercreech; Nicole Kabera as Tiffany Covitt; Barnaby Quarendon as Brad Covitt; Anna-Marie De Freitas as Candy Covitt; Perreira De Jesus Franque as Chase Covitt; Edwin Ray as Ryan Gaibright; James Lovell as Todd Gaibright; Savannah Ffrench as Sandra Gaibright; Xholindi Muci as Sheldon Gaibright
RUNNING TIME (approx):
I hour 55 minutes, including interval
CONTENT WARNINGS:
Mild violence and blood imagery; Themes of death and loss
AGE RECOMMENDATION:
5+
The Theatre Royal Plymouth is the principle home of the performing arts in the South West and is the largest and most attended regional producing theatre in the country. Their mission is to develop and deepen people's engagement with pioneering creativity in Plymouth and the South West, delivering experiences that spark delight, expression and fulfilment. The venue offers three performance spaces of various sizes, the largest being The Lyric which accommodates the big touring productions. The Drum and The Lab are smaller, intimate spaces and often offer pioneering productions.