Dominic North is celebrating 20 years with Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures. In that time, he has become a mainstay of the company and a sure fire audience favourite. One of New Adventures’ original Edward Scissorhands, North finds himself back in ‘suburban America’ as Bourne’s interpretation of the classic Tim Burton movie returns to Scotland… only this time he’s playing Bill Boggs, a role he shares with Glenn Graham, as Liam Mower and Stephen Murray take turns as the titular creation.
North’s credits with New Adventures are as impressive as they are extensive. He first appeared in Swan Lake as The Prince in 2004, a role he reprised in 2009 and again in 2018/19. Next came Vito and Chad in The Car Man (2007), a title he would come back to in 2015, this time as Angelo and Rocco. In 2008, the Liquorice Man in Nutcracker! beckoned. He returned to Nutcraker! in 2011 as Fritz, a role he danced again in 2021/22.
North first took on the role of Edward Scissorhands in the 2009/10 production, donning the lethal looking gloves once more in 2014/15. In the 2008/09 production of Dorian Gray, he was Cyril Vane, and in 2010/11 he played Tom for the first time in Cinderella. In the 2017/18 production he added the role of Harry (The Pilot) to his credits while also returning to Tom.
Sleeping Beauty was his next adventure with the Company, he was Leo in 2012/13 and 2015/16. In between, another new work saw him as Ralph in 2014’s Lord of the Flies, a role he flew back to in 2017. In 2016/17 he was also the dance captain and Julian Craster in Bourne’s acclaimed Red Shoes, reprising the part for the 2019/20 production. His last outing with the company was a quite brilliant turn as the mystical Count Lilac in 2022/23’s Sleeping Beauty.
But what was the one piece of theatre that inspired him to pursue a life on stage, the play that changed his life? This is what he told Must See Theatre.
“There are actually so many things that have had an impact on me through the years, whether it be a music video, ballet, film, musical, play, dancer or actor; the Smooth criminal music video by Micheal Jackson that made me want to move like that, the film versions of Sweet Charity and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang I watched over and over, growing up and watching theatre productions of Oliver! and Barnum.
“Once I’d started dancing, seeing Ballet Rambert perform Swansong and later, Ghost Dances. Whilst in vocational training I saw Northern Ballet Theatre’s A Streetcar named Desire and Angel Corella in Don Quixote at the Royal Opera House. Once I was a professional, it was plays like Jerusalem, Enron, Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time or shows like In the Heights and Zoo Nations Into the Hoods.
“However, the piece I’ve chosen is is Play Without Words. It wasn’t the first Matthew Bourne piece I saw live, but it felt like nothing I’d ever watched before. It was at the National Theatre in London in 2002. I was in my second year of training; I was actually studying Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake for my ‘A’ level dance. The movement was evocative and story telling innovative, the choreography dynamic and staging immersive.
“The cast were incredible, bringing complex characters that had nuance and precision. The direction of the whole piece was masterful. I didn’t know a dance show could be delivered in such a way and it showed me the transformative power of dance-theatre. It left an impression on me but I never thought I’d perform that way, let alone be joining New Adventures upon graduating. After 20 years in the company, it still inspires my approach.”
For more information about Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures click here.
