WHAT?  The World of Tim Burton

WHERE?  The Design Museum, 224-238 Kensington High St, London W8 

WHEN?  Now until 21st April 2025, including Friday and Saturday late nights.

WHY GO?  For a devilish experience. Enter into the 5-star wacky world of Tim Burton who is surely one of the quirkiest multi talented film directors of this era.  This mind blowing exhibition is like entering a theme park, complete with a carousel (to view only) and magical mirror room.

Think Alice in Wonderland on speed.  Alice and the Mad Hatter are just two of Burton’s many creative characters on film; there are references to thirteen films throughout. 

This all engrossing, totally engaging exhibition portrays  Burton’s suburban upbringing in Burbank LA, apparently so pedestrian he called it Anywhere USA, and motivated his dream of escaping into a fantasy world of film.

There’s the storyboard and letter penned to Disney as a student earning him an apprenticeship plus a mock up of his studio strewn with photographs and artworks. 

Everything in Burton’s world starts with spiky doodlings as he builds up imaginary characters.

Moving on into the real grown up world of film, it dips in and out of fifty years of his movies displaying sheets upon sheets of drawings from his personal archive that suggest he is still a ‘child at heart’.

There are miniature studio sets, video snippets and costumes, plus centre stage, the gothic ‘hands’ from Johnny Depp’s Edward Scissorhands displayed to equal squeals of horror and delight from mini Burton fans.

IN THE KNOW 

Got  the Burton bug now?  Follow up with his sequel to Beetlejuice on in cinemas right now while upscale shoppers can gape in awe as Harvey Nichols will showcase a Burtonesque fantasy for their big Christmas window launch. Burton’s fantasy world continues.