SCISSORHANDZ

Southwark Playhouse Elephant

★★★

“The cast are superb across the board and there is an easy camaraderie that adds to the feelgood factor”

It is a bold statement to tag your show with the subtitle ‘A Musical Reinvented’. But there is nothing faint-hearted about Bradley Bredeweg’s reinterpretation of Tim Burton’s classic and gothic fairytale. Direct from Los Angeles, it bursts onto the London stage as though heading for Wembley Arena, but instead took a wrong turn and landed up in the three-hundred-seater, Southwark venue. Edward Scissorhands, the solemn and doleful outsider, has morphed into a rock legend of their own making – if only for a few fleeting seconds before retreating behind the bank of loudspeakers to await rediscovery.

The tale of an outsider trying to ‘fit in’ is an obvious celebration of being different; yet it is hard to maintain the impact of this message when the whole ensemble are complete weirdos anyway. A delightful bunch, nonetheless. Jordan Kai Burnett’s Scissorhands is slightly pushed into the shadows as a result, eclipsed by the eccentrics that surround them. Emma Williams, as Avon Lady Peg who adopts the waif-like Scissorhands, also adopts the role of protagonist with her wonderfully kooky, mad-as-a-hatter portrayal of the American housewife. Neighbours Joyce (Tricia Adele-Turner), Esmerelda (Annabelle Terry) and Helen (Ryan O’Connor) are as maverick and flamboyant as Abby Clarke’s primary-coloured costume design; while Dionne Gipson’s striking, ethereal ‘Inventor’ holds court from on high.

We are never completely emotionally engaged, but are always sucked into the sheer energy and sense of fun with which the performers are swamping the stage. And even if the song list gratuitously breaks the continuity of the story, the numbers are delivered with a powerful virtuosity. Like many juke-box musicals, the choice is hit and miss – some forming a neat and natural segue from the dialogue, whereas others are as isolated from the plot as Scissorhands is from reality. But, boy, there are some belters in there! Annabelle Terry’s ‘Heaven is a Place on Earth’ is a standout moment, along with Tricia Adele-Turner’s ‘Bleeding Love’ and Dionne Gipson’s ‘Mad World’. Emma Williams majestically reinvents ‘Creep’ (even though we really feel the song belongs to Scissorhands), and throughout the show, the wall of sound created by musical director Arlene McNaught’s five-piece band threaten to bring the roof down.

It is quite the spectacle, but the nuances of Burton’s original are lost in the mix, just as the quirkiness is occasionally obscured by an earnestness that is shoe-horned in. Rather than reinvented, the musical is relabelled – somewhat superficially like a ‘new-and-improved’, ‘special-offer’ packaging. Overtly establishing in a throwaway line of dialogue the correct pronoun for the lead character merely scratches the surface of the essential issue, while we either want it to dig deeper, or else take it as a given (as it should be).

There is a fair amount of disarray, but we cannot mistake the sheer joyfulness of it. The cast are superb across the board and there is an easy camaraderie that adds to the feelgood factor. The audience feel part of it all, especially when the fourth wall breaks down and boundaries are overstepped. Improvised ad-libs are let loose, often as sharp as the blades of Scissorhands’ make-shift fingers.

“Scissorhandz” is a fun-loving, camp, boisterous show bursting to crash through the walls of its chosen venue. But like Scissorhands themself, is a bit of a chimera – not quite fully formed. Yet there is something special in there, and it is an extraordinary piece of musical theatre. Its message implores us to seek that ‘special something’ within ourselves. Applied to itself, this show could well be onto a winning path to completion.

SCISSORHANDZ

Southwark Playhouse Elephant

Reviewed on 30th January 2025

by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Danny Kaan

SCISSORHANDZ

Intronauts

Jacksons Lane

Reviewed – 11th January 2019

★★★½

“has all the elements of an excellent show, that is until it comes to a very abrupt ending, with no real resolution”

When thinking of the future, we often imagine sleek outfits, efficient and sophisticated machinery, and a generally effortless way of living. This is decidedly not so in Emma Williams’ ‘Intronauts’ where temperamental machinery is still being given a good kick to get it working again, and that “deep itching in my anus” is still a daily struggle.

Set in the near-future, our unnamed protagonist has purchased a micro-cleaner who lives inside him and with whom he has an ongoing dialogue via messenger, directing her to resolve any internal queries. The aforementioned anus itch, for example, is settled with a good cleaning.

Employer and Intronaut never have any face-to-face interaction, and whilst physically they couldn’t be any closer (one is inside the other, after all), they are both deeply lonely. This seems to be a satirically delivered comment on technology’s simultaneous ability to bring us closer, and yet further apart than ever.

Vacillating endlessly over the right background colour for a logo design, trying and failing to learn simple dance steps (alone), and playing what appears to be a very boring, but somehow stressful game of ‘highfive’ with his computer, Adam Fuller imparts a relatable melancholy in the pointlessness and isolation of his activities. He wears a dressing gown throughout, which may be intended to imply a comfy futuristic uniform, in which case, more effort might have been made, or, seeing as he appears to be working from home, he’s showcasing the freelance life, in which case it’s spot-on.

Emma Keaveney-Roys, playing the Intronaut, is funny and endearing, using brilliant physical comedy throughout. Due to the structure of the play, she can only communicate something to the audience by talking to herself which could easily feel forced, but comes off as natural and engaging.

Chris Pirie seems to claim the role of ‘special effects’, and he does so deftly, playing the stage-hand, puppeteer, and various body cells in inflatable costumes (as well as set and costume designer, according to the credits!) Whilst the set is fairly basic, Pirie brings it to life, from characterful movements of ‘smart’ technology, to tracheal cilia ominously grabbing at Keaveney-Roys’ ‘spaceship’.

The whole play takes place behind a transparent projection screen, used to create both Fuller’s seemingly ubiquitous computer interface, and his innards where the Intronaut resides. This is very effective, and elevates the production value tremendously.

Simon Preston’s accompanying musical composition is a mishmash of 80s computer game effects, dreamy soundscapes, and bass-heavy dance. He successfully enhances moments of comedy and pathos, as well as lending a sense of danger to some of the Intronaut’s missions – not so easily done when she is supposed to be crawling around inside her owner’s anus.

This has all the elements of an excellent show, that is until it comes to a very abrupt ending, with no real resolution. Wrapping up after only an hour, it seems more like the first half of a really great story. Perhaps there’ll be an ‘Intronauts: Part 2’, and judging by the first half, I’d definitely go see it.

SCISSORHANDZ

Southwark Playhouse Elephant

★★★

“The cast are superb across the board and there is an easy camaraderie that adds to the feelgood factor”

SCISSORHANDZ

Southwark Playhouse Elephant

Reviewed on 30th January 2025

by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Danny Kaan

Previously reviewed at Southwark Playhouse venues:

SCISSORHANDZ

SCISSORHANDZ

SCISSORHANDZ

Jacksons Lane

Reviewed – 11th January 2019

★★★½

“has all the elements of an excellent show, that is until it comes to a very abrupt ending, with no real resolution”

Set in the near-future, our unnamed protagonist has purchased a micro-cleaner who lives inside him and with whom he has an ongoing dialogue via messenger, directing her to resolve any internal queries. The aforementioned anus itch, for example, is settled with a good cleaning.

Emma Keaveney-Roys, playing the Intronaut, is funny and endearing, using brilliant physical comedy throughout. Due to the structure of the play, she can only communicate something to the audience by talking to herself which could easily feel forced, but comes off as natural and engaging.

The whole play takes place behind a transparent projection screen, used to create both Fuller’s seemingly ubiquitous computer interface, and his innards where the Intronaut resides. This is very effective, and elevates the production value tremendously.

Reviewed by Miriam Sallon

Photography by Emma Windsor

Intronauts

Jacksons Lane until 13th January as part of the London International Mime Festival

Previously reviewed at this venue: