Matthew Bourne’s Edward Scissorhands at the Festival Theatre Edinburgh

I always look forward to Matthew Bourne's productions. He never fails to impress, inspire and entertain us with his boundless imagination and stellar choreography. It's a real privilege to be in his audience.

Tim Burton's 1990 film Edward Scissorhands, starring Johnny Depp in the title role, is yet another classic fantasy which has been transformed by him into a memorable ballet. And in the title role, Liam Mower is every bit as unforgettable as Depp's is on screen.

As the boy who is 'part-finished' by an eccentric inventor who then dies, leaving him to face the world alone and with giant scissors for hands, Mower is both comic and tragic, his vulnerability shining through in a world which doesn't always take to people who it looks on as 'different'. It carries a message from which we can all learn. It must be so difficult (and tiring) for him to balance with such an encumbrance at the end of each arm, let alone dance, but he performs magnificently throughout.

There are times when the story is almost macabre, at others bright and joyful, with a jazz-led party full of Christmas cheer, all with Danny Elfman and Terry Davies' atmospheric music running through it, and with characters which even include dancing topiary figures. And Howard Harrison's effective lighting brings Lez Brotherston's quirky sets to life, making this a feast for the eye on all counts. Last but not least, Bourne's New Adventures company dancers prove once again that they have the cutting edge (sorry, I had to include a pun) when it comes to putting on a show.

Image: Johan Perrson

Matthew Bourne's Edward Scissorhands is at the Festival Theatre Edinburgh until May 18.

Box Office: 0131 529 6000

capitaltheatres.com

It then continues touring:

May 21-25 Theatre Royal Glasgow

May 29-June 2: Koninklijk Theater Carre Amsterdam