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DANCE: Edward Scissorhands, Lowry, from Tues 18 Nov

Angela Kelly
12/11/2008

THE Gothic fairytale of Edward Scissorhands returns to The Lowry next week to delight dance fans.

The production, director and choreographer Matthew Bourne, won critical and public acclaim in 2006. It earned the Best New Dance Production at the Manchester Evening News’ Theatre Awards, and a nomination for a South Bank Show Award.

The bittersweet tale of a boy created by an eccentric inventor who dies, leaving him alone and unfinished, was made into a hit film by Tim Burton, starring Johnny Depp.

Bourne’s version remains faithful to the original, although, as he explains, there are the "interpretations and subtleties" of working with a group of performers.

"The very first time I saw Edward Scissorhands I fell in love with the sad, beautiful and moving character of Edward," he says. "His tragic story – that of an outsider – was one that fascinated me, and I knew that I wanted to attempt to recreate it."

Bourne admits that he has always loved anything that is "slightly weird and strange" and he felt that the film lent itself well to the stage.

The movements he worked on in particular were, of course, the hands – "dancing with long scissors for hands is very difficult," he adds. "The dancers playing Kim had to rehearse for some time with goggles on, so that the Edwards didn’t poke their eyes out!"

Original music was composed by Terry Davies, and Matthew Malthouse and Dominic North take on the title role.