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REVIEW | Scissorhandz: A Musical Reinvented, Southwark Playhouse - Elephant

Writer's picture: Harry BroganHarry Brogan

AD | tickets gifted in exchange of an honest review

TW: haze, strobe lighting, loud noises, and use of replica firearms.


 
Photo credit: Danny Kaan
Photo credit: Danny Kaan

Take a fan fave, and turn it into a parody, that's exactly what this show does.


Scissorhandz A Musical Reinvented takes Tim Burtons' Edward Scissorhands and creates what is an hour and 45 minutes of true bonkers-ness (in a good way). For those not so familiar with the story, Edward Scissorhands is about a mother/inventor who hopes for a child and one day creates one out of pieces of junk with one big factor, the hands are made out of scissors. Unfortunately Scissorhands mother/inventor passes away and Scissorhands ends up alone until one day gets took in by a family and shocks and is feared by the whole town, while also falling in love with Peg's Daughter and tries to find out if they can truly fit in while also questioning if scissors for hands is a miracle or a hinderance. But as I said Scissorhandz A Musical Reinvented is that, reinvented to bring a classic cult film into today's times.


This jukebox musical parody is written and directed by Bradley Bredeweg, and with choreography by Alexzandra Sarmiento, the show has had a hit run across the pond in LA, with now Scissorhandz currently playing its UK premiere at the off-westend venue Southwark Playhouse Elephant. While the show is funny, cleverly adapted and sure will have a great reaction with many fans, for me a few of its choices felt a little mixed.


Writer and Director Bradley Bredeweg, writes something that is truly wacky and certainly not your classic telling of the Tim Burton classic. Bredeweg writes humorous innuendos that make the audience burst out with laughter. Bredeweg brings a different side to the stories characters and writes sweet lovely moments between Peg (Emma Williams) and Scissorhands (Jordan Kai Burnett) and Kim (Annabelle Terry). Bredeweg writes this musical parody like "Scissorhands" is in a band and they are the lead singer and we are taken back and told the story. It's cleverly done and does still stick to the main elements of the story while also making some over the top, though these are moments that are great, Bredeweg's choice to allow ad-lib at times in the show sometimes for me felt slightly too much, some worked during certain times of the show but sometimes it felt for me it broke the pacing. Bredeweg's direction was energetic and is comedic at points and does gain the interaction with the audience with also the direction extending to the balcony of the auditorium occasionally, again this does work at times and is funny to see, though for me the direction of having the cast come into the audience going across rows, whilst something was happening on the main stage, did cause somewhat a distraction from the performance and felt it was little too much at times.


Bredeweg's book and direction has its strong points but for me doesn't hit all the time, though it does have a nice message of living in a world where you are different in the world and how people take them on, which is clearly shown and is very nicely written and directed throughout the show.


This musical parody is a jukebox musical, Scissorhandz takes the songs of well known 80's, 90's and 00's music artists and intertwines them into the story well, with the likes of Florence and The Machine, Radiohead, Belinda Carlisle and Scissor Sisters to name but a few. The songs felt like they also had a slight reinvention, there's a good mixed selection of songs from upbeat to duets, which does help the story move forward and they are placed well throughout the show with making you want to sing along.

Photo credit: Danny Kaan
Photo credit: Danny Kaan

Jordan Kai Burnett, plays Scissorhands. Burnett fully embodies the character from start to finish, with embracing robotic like movements and a deadpan facial expression. Burnett has an excellent sense of characterisation, and Burnett's vocals are excellent, with the vocals also having a rock edge to them that really worked well. Burnett's performance alongside other cast members was really well done, with the delivery contrasting with bubbly characters and showed skill throughout. Burnett also showed the characters true heart within scenes with Emma Williams and Lauren Jones. Jordan Kai Burnett's performance is admired and is layered with many great moments throughout.


Emma Williams plays Peg a loveable character and certainly creates a character that wants to welcome Scissorhands into the family. Williams creates an accepting character towards Scissorhands and it is lovely to see this play out. Williams' vocals are superb and they do shine. Williams brings a performance that is charismatic and very sweet throughout.


The cast overall do a good job in bringing a classic story into this parody form. There are some notable mentions, Ryan O' Connor, Tricia Adele-Turner and Annabelle Terry who all three have great comic timing and bounce off each other well.


Alexzandra Sarmiento's Choreography to me does feel a little too simple, but yet it does work with the space of the Southwark Playhouse Elephant, and though I wanted more of it, Sarmiento's choreography is effective and suits the feel of the show and musical numbers.


The show's costume design by Abby Clarke is brilliant, using bright colour costumes that contrasted well with the darkness of Scissorhands all black and leather costume, this helped to show the characters personalities really well. The show delivers moody lighting design by Adam King which sets nicely against the shows stereo looking staircase structure and works well with Alex Jansen's animations.


Scissorhandz: A Musical Reinvented reimagines the classic you know into an hour and 45 minutes show that is fun, humorous and full of hit songs from various decades. Personally with a few changes this show could be really something, that's not to say I didn't enjoy it, as I did, personally I feel with a few tweaks and changes it would bring out even more from this show. For fans of the original film they will find joy. Scissorhandz: A Musical Reinvented is a fun take on classic and is cleverly adapted into a musical parody.


★★★.5

 

Scissorhandz: A Musical Reinvented plays at Southwark Playhouse Elephant until 29th of March.



Photo Credit: Danny Kaan
Photo Credit: Danny Kaan



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