I grown up watching Edward Scissorhands every Christmas on TV; but you don’t need to know Tim Burton – Johnny Depp 1990 masterpiece to understand and fall deeply in love with Matthew Bourne’s work.

Kim, now old, introduces us to the story that starts with a prologue: Edward is a little boy, one day he is stuck to death by lighting while he is playing with scissors in the garden. His father, an inventor,  left alone, can’t stand the grief so decides to try to reanimate Edward’s stitched-together body leaving his hands with scissors instead of fingers. After his father death, Edward moves from his gothic house on the hill to the sunny-friendly Grease – looking village in the valley looking for something to eat in the bins.

Edward (the marvelous Dominic North) is adopted by kindly mother-figure Mrs Boggs who lets him sleep in her daughter Kim temporary vacant bedroom. Here, between hearts, lullabies, Kim’s cheerleader pictures and a lovely teddy bear, Edward falls asleep in a vision of love.

Because, actually, even if at the start, Frankenstein parallel seems quite natural, Edward Scissorhands is more a love story than an horror one.

When Edward learns how to use his hands in a safe way for who is around him, he gains also neighbors confidence and friendship as well as Kim’s heart. But at the Christmas Eve party…

This new production is a perfect synthesis of dance, drama and comedy; a heart-warming and tearjerker story for all ages.

Dominic North is stunning; the pathos he conveys to his character is amazing and when he and the wonderful Kerry Biggin (Kim) are alone on stage, their performance is simply enchanting.

Danny Elfman and Terry Davies music, played live every evening by the great New Adventures Orchestra is touching and remarkable as the snow falling on the audience during the well deserved standing ovation.

An absolutely must see not only for dance lovers but for everyone.

“You see, before he came down here, it never snowed. And afterwards, it did. If he weren’t up there now… I don’t think it would be snowing. Sometimes you can still catch me dancing in it”

At Sandler’s Wells Theatre until January 11th