Scissorhandz review – musical reanimates Burton classic with cuts from Radiohead and Aerosmith
5 / 10
As with all jukebox musicals, some lines simply distract while others hit home, such as Kim singing “you hold me without touch” from Gravity by Sara Bareilles. Music director and orchestrator Gregory Nabours’ macabre choral arrangement of Aerosmith’s Dream On manages to strike a similar tone to Danny Elfman’s film score. But the jumble of songs, played by a tight band, never quite finds a unified sound and the relationships between characters don’t all convince. It’s a fun and heartfelt show yet retains the air of a work-in-progress, as unfinished as a child with scissors for hands.
