An Exclusive Backstage Look at the Edward Scissorhands Ballet

Lez Brotherston is unequivocally one of England’s top set and costume designers, the winner of an Olivier Award for his Cinderella costumes and a Tony Award winner for his work on Swan Lake. Now enter Tony Awarding– winning Matthew Bourne, choreographer and artistic director of New Adventures. Brotherston and Bourne have collaborated for 10 years—their latest work being Edward Scissorhands, the ballet, and Vanity Fair has an exclusive look at the costumes.

By Bridget Arsenault

December 10, 2014

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“We made him a bit more anatomical than Colleen Atwood’s Edward. I did some drawings and decided how we could make a leather anatomical bodysuit work.”
“There is nothing more exciting than putting something on stage. If you need a red dress in a show, design isn’t what the red dress looks like. It’s knowing that you need a red dress.”

Backstage at Edward Scissorhands.
“We decided to make Edward out of what the inventor had around the room, which was the set. In the set there was an old leather sofa so we decided that he would probably cut up the leather and make a boy out of leather.”

Liam Mower as Edward Scissorhands.
“You just have to make clothes that people can move in. The thing about design in theater is just deciding what visually you are trying to tell the audience, and then anything else is technique,” said costume designer Lez Brotherston.
Edward Scissorhands is playing at Sadler’s Wells in London until January 11.