 Matthew Bourne, the
man credited with redefining ballet, is bringing his production of Edward Scissorhands to Melbourne. The dance
genius spoke with Peter Hackney.
Matthew Bourne is one of the most
exciting and accomplished dance choreographers in the world.
His electrifying productions of
ballet classics like The Nutcracker and Swan Lake; his Olivier
and Tony Awards; and his box-office success on the West
End and Broadway all attest to a man at the top of his game.
But he wasn’t always the
successful, confident person he is today.
“I felt very much an outsider when
I was younger,” Bourne tells MCV. “I was born in East
London, in a rough area, and went to an all-boys school which was
all about sports and ‘manly’ activities. And not being interested in those
things, and being gay, I didn’t fit in.”
Little wonder, then, that Bourne’s
next production is about the life of an outsider; perhaps the ultimate
outsider, Edward Scissorhands.
A stage adaptation of the 1990 Tim
Burton film, Matthew Bourne’s Edward Scissorhands plays the Melbourne
Art Centre for two weeks from July 22.
“In some ways, it’s very faithful
to the film,” Bourne explains. “It’s done in the spirit of the film and I’d
describe it as a dance theatre version of that story.
“But it’s kind of hard to define.
It seems like you’re watching a musical, but nobody sings. And after a while,
you realise that nobody’s spoken either – there’s literally no dialogue
throughout the entire show.”
The US reception of the show was ecstatic,
with the general consensus being that the show was a piece of escapism par
excellence; hardly surprising, considering Bourne’s history.
“Growing up, I was very much an escapist,” he
reveals. “I immersed myself in this fantasy world that revolved around old
movies and dance and show business.”
Tellingly, it was Fred Astaire who
made the greatest impression on the teenage Bourne.
“Fred Astaire was my real idol. I
was just in awe. I used to see him quite regularly – he came to London a lot in the ’70s
– and I got in with him a bit. He used to recognise me and say hello; he was
just a real gent. I recently met his daughter, Ava Astaire, who’s become a
friend, and that’s been a real thrill, having that link with him.”
Like Astaire in his time, Bourne
has developed a reputation for revolutionising dance – specifically ballet, in
Bourne’s case. It’s a mantle the choreographer accepts with some ambivalence.
“Whether I’ve revolutionised ballet
depends on what people mean by ballet,” he muses. “I’ve re-invented, possibly,
the idea of what dance can do – that it can be more about story-telling and
more populist. Ballet itself? Not really. I don’t do point work; I don’t deal
with that kind of tradition.
“Perhaps I’ve re-invented the idea
of what works in dance with big audiences – made it more accessible to a
cross-section of people. The audiences themselves are proof of that, in a way.
My audiences aren’t normal dance audiences.”
Matthew Bourne’s Edward Scissorhands
www.edwardscissorhands.com.au
The Arts Centre, State Theatre, July 22 – August 3.
Tickets through Ticketmaster: www.ticketmaster.com.au
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