As an avid lover of film music, it’s always a pleasure to experience great musicians bringing spine tingling scores to life and we were in good hands with the Illuminated Orchestra. Their tribute to Tim Burton and dark fantasy entranced the audience of the New Theatre and carried them on a journey through Burton’s well known cinematic catalogue, with the surprise bonus of music from films such as Harry Potter and Labyrinth. From Sleepy Hollow to Stranger Things, we were swept through the musical realm of dark fantasy in a 90 minute performance filled with whimsy, smoke machines and an awful lot of camp.

My overwhelming feeling throughout was that something was lacking from this performance. The musicians were clearly very talented and despite a small orchestra, the iconic film scores sang through the auditorium with as much impact as you’d expect. It was a shame we couldn’t see the musicians faces, as their music stands mostly blocked the view. To connect with the audience on a more personal level, it would’ve been nice to see their expressions, as I’m sure they were having a wonderful time performing. That being said, the lighting design was masterfully done; with a bright moon hanging above and dry ice creeping over the stage, it wasn’t hard to imagine you’d been invited into a dark hollow to witness some musical magic.

The programme felt a little jumbled and lacked clear direction. The spoken sections taking us between films were sticky, in a jaw-clenching way, and some of the orchestrations felt a bit too ‘secondary school simple’. My particular favourite was the opening 5 minutes of music from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. A great way to draw the audience into the world of Tim Burton and all his weird and wonderful creations.

There was some questionable choreography (lots of violinists swaying and brass players bobbing up and down) which felt unnecessary. The performance felt like it didn’t quite know what it wanted to be. It hung somewhere between a classical recital and a full blown theatrical show. Two vocalists joined the musicians at various points throughout the concert and while they also were very talented, it felt a little gimmicky.

I think with a little refinement and some alterations to the programme, this show could be spectacular. If I saw the Illuminated Orchestra again, I’d make sure to book tickets for a cathedral venue, as I think performing in a theatre the size of the New added to the confusion of what the show was meant to be. As critical as this review is, if you’re a Tim Burton fan and don’t mind a bit of camp and cheese, you’ll love this show.