Scissorhandz

Review by Jude

⭐⭐⭐

The weirdos have taken over Southwark Playhouse Elephant - Scissorhandz is now open.

Scissorhandz is a musical retelling of Tim Burton’s 1990 gothic Frankenstein-inspired film. In an isolated house on a hill, Scissorhandz is created by the Inventor, who, unable to have a child of her own, builds one from junk and scraps. However, she dies before finishing, leaving Scissorhandz with blades instead of hands. When a kind-hearted townswoman invites them to live with her suburban family, Scissorhandz must learn to navigate this strange new world.

For someone who loves musicals, this might be the first time I’ve wished for fewer songs and more story. The show crammed in a whopping 23 songs in a single act, but for me, many felt disconnected from the narrative, making it harder to stay engaged. I would have preferred more dialogue to explore the characters’ minds, relationships, and emotions rather than another pop song seemingly shoe-horned in to push the plot forward.

The writing often felt predictable and cliché, and because of that, certain jokes fell flat for me. Multiple physical gags were used throughout, which whilst amusing at first sadly became repetitive and often overused. That said, the audience interaction sections were the clear highlight of the show. If you’re in the front row, you’re in for a treat. And no matter where you’re sitting - whether in the basement or the balcony - be sure to keep the space in front of you clear of bags, jackets, and drinks. You never know when a character might wander through!

With legendary names like Michelle Visage and Lance Bass connected to the project as co-producers, I was extremly excited wanting to love this show, but unfortunately it failed to pull on my heartstrings or make me connect deeper with the characters. With some further developments the show has the potential to be as fun as it sets out to be, but sadly on this occasion Scissorhandz didn't cut it for me.