Review: SCISSORHANDZ, Southwark Playhouse
Photo credit: Danny Kaan
Scissorhandz is a queer, comedic retelling of Tim Burton’s classic film Edward Scissorhands. Full of iconic songs, including songs by The Cranberries, Evanescence, Lady Gaga, Florence and the Machine and Imagine Dragons, this is not your typical jukebox musical.
Scissorhandz goes from strength to strength throughout the show, with one of the most incredible parts being the singing. The whole cast are a vocal force to be reckoned with, both as an ensemble and as individuals. One cast member in particular, Dionne Gipson who plays the inventor, has the audience awestruck on multiple occasions as she fills the auditorium with her powerhouse vocals. Another vocal performance worth mentioning is ‘Creep’, performed by Emma Williams as Peg – it is both haunting and powerfully hard hitting.
Alongside the music, the comedy is outstanding. We spent most of the show laughing so hard our jaws hurt, and the feeling is clearly mutual throughout the audience. The chemistry between the actors playing the neighbours (Helen, Joyce and Esmerelda) is palpable, heightening the humour of every interaction between them. Another standout comedy moment is when Delia Deetz comes on to interview Scissorhandz and Peg on her television show. Portrayed by Ryan O’Connor, Delia Deetz has some fantastically funny moments of audience interaction, and Ryan’s improvisation skills are a joy to watch. Whilst there are some hard hitting moments in the show in between the funny ones, there are also some occasions that will have your spine shivering while laughing simultaneously.
With Tim Burton’s Edward Scissorhands being such an iconic, well-loved character, Jordan Kai Burnett certainly had a challenge ahead of them in embodying Scissorhandz. It is safe to say that Jordan nailed this challenge, accurately portraying the character’s slightly abnormal, staccato movements and wide-eyed, rabbit-in-the-headlights facial expressions.
The choreography by Alexzandra Sarmiento is very strong. In particular, ‘Best Day of My Life’ and ‘I’m Afraid of Americans’ are exciting to watch, with ‘Best Day of My Life’ feeling joyful while ‘I’m Afraid of Americans’ feels unsettling – perfectly capturing the emotions in those particular parts of the story.
The costumes, designed by Abby Clarke, are spectacular. From Scissorhandz and The Inventor’s leather outfits, to the ensemble’s black robes, it is clear that the costume design has been carefully thought out.
When we arrive at the theatre, staff are very attentive while also giving us space to enjoy the atmosphere with everybody else. They show us to the lift and meet us at the bottom to show us to the wheelchair space (which is front row with a perfect view) before asking if there is anything else we need before the show starts. We were also able to access all of the photo opportunities with the wheelchair too, albeit one was quite tight.
Scissorhandz is a must see show for anyone who embraces being a misfit or is yet to find where they fit in within the world.
Scissorhandz plays at Southwark Playhouse Elephant until 29 March, with further info here.
