Once upon a time there was a little boy who was different from those around him, but who grew up to capture everyone’s heart with his unique talent.

This story could be about Edward Scissorhands, the fantastical anti-hero with the metal hands and a skill for hairdressing.

But in fact it is the tale of the creator of the dance show about him, now on at Sadler’s Wells, Matthew Bourne.

“Yeah I do identify with him a little bit,“ says the choreographer of the character made famous by Johnny Depp in the 1990 film.

“I didn’t enjoy school that much in the later years and all my interests were outside of it, and there was a little bit of mild bullying.

“So I did have this fantasy life outside of school.“

Born in Hackney and raised in Walthamstow, Matthew escaped by catching the 38 bus into the city with best friend Simon Carter to hunt for autographs from the stars.

“I used to pass through Islington Green and look at it and say to my friend ’that’s where I want to live when I grow up’ and that’s exactly where I am,“ laughs the 54-year-old who now lives in the oldest home in the borough – built on an old graveyard.

“It was an incredible time in my mid-teens,“ he adds. “I still have all the autographs and they are there as nice little reminders, but a lot of those moments I can still see in my head.“

Matthew has gone on to become one of the most respected figures in the dance world, wowing audiences with his adaptations of Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker and Dorian Grey to name a few, and he is the one being asked for his autograph, being studied by students and admired by his peers.

“Yes, since then the tables have turned and the stars want to come and meet me and it’s like a mutual appreciation society,“ he laughs, “it’s quite nice it’s no longer a one-sided thing.

“I have met a lot of people in America, recently Angela Lansbury and Joel Grey, Chita Rivera and the Broadway stars, and in Hollywood I had lunch with Barbara Streisand at her house, took out some old MGM stars to tea like Anne Miller and a lot of people I loved when I was growing up, so many I can hardly even remember, Shirley MacLaine I took out to the theatre a couple of times as my date, crazy things.”

One famous name who was not to easy to win over though was Tim Burton, and Matthew reveals that the adaptation of the Edward Scissorhands film almost never came to pass.

“When I saw the film, the music felt so much like it should be on stage and you could dance to it – it was an incredibly magical score, “ he explains.

“But it took me a very long time to get it together because the rights were so difficult to get because the team who made it, Tim Burton and Danny Elfman who wrote the music and Caroline Thompson who wrote the screenplay, were all very protective of it and it’s very precious to them, it’s maybe their favourite project they have done.“

They finally consented after seeing his version of Cinderella and the Edward Scissorhands ballet debuted at Sadler’s Wells in 2005 and went on to tour the world.

Matthew says he has brought it back to London now as he loves to “revisit and revive work”.

“Lots of things have changed. We did new design, new music, new arrangements, new choreography, a new scene,“ he says, “and it’s very much stronger because of that.“ His version of the story reveals more about why Edward was created and has a very different ending, but Matthew says it definitely captures the message of the film.

“The essence of it is about how we treat people who are different in communities. The hands represent anything that is different about anyone. They are a metaphor for a disability, a race thing, a sexuality thing, the only boy in the dance class... all things that make people different.

“Yes absolutely,“ he adds when asked if he is referring to his own start in dance.

“But I do think we are a result of all our experience, so maybe if things had been different I would be different and maybe not in a good way. I don’t think having it easy is always the answer,“ says the Tony and Olivier Award-winner.

“Dance is riding high at the moment. It’s a much cooler thing for guys to do these days. There’s not as much stigma attached to it as there was in my early years. It’s in a good place.

“Things like Billy Elliot and my Swan Lake and even Strictly – with sportsmen and popstars dancing – have made a massive difference. The role models are there.“

The only dancing he does these days though is in his kitchen and he turned down the chance to be a judge on Strictly as he “isn’t interested in being a personality on TV“ and prefers to concentrate on his work.

I can’t really say what I’m working on as I’m not allowed, but we are reviving the Car Man next summer and Sleeping Beauty again and looking at doing some live cinema of those.

“I kind of feel I have done a lot of the ones I wanted to. I almost wish somebody would set me the task and I would have a go. Finding the right thing is very difficult. I have done a lot of the big famous ballets, so it needs to either come from films or books.“

“Harry Potter?“ I suggest.

“There is good music in it....“ he muses. “I’ll have to have a chat with Miss Rowling and see what she says,“ he chuckles.

But I really hope he isn’t joking.

Sadler’s Wells, Rosebery Avenue, Islington, until January 11. Details: 0844 412 4300, sadlerswells.com