I’m sure
there are few people who don’t know the story of Matilda. A gifted child whose
parents despise her, is sent away to a school with a scrupulous head teacher
that demands children should follow strict rules and that learning should should
be approached by not necessarily having their heads in books but rather with
punishing ‘phys-ed’. That is until Matilda arrives for her first day of class.
This stage
show really sticks to the original story, written by Roald Dahl and first
published in 1988 and then remade for Hollywood in 1996. It’s a story that
despite being 30 years old can still be relatable to today, with good
overcoming evil.
The show
itself was brilliant from start to finish. Sometimes when stories are remade
into musicals, I feel that they put songs in for the sake of it, however
Matilda didn’t suffer this fate and each song fitted and portrayed the mood of
the scene perfectly.
The stage
and lighting were also fantastic. Although at first I feel the scenery and
stage edging was a bit busy and a bit of a distraction from what was going on,
the story soon gripped me and I couldn’t take my eyes off it. The changes in
lighting and music really emphasised each scene and gave an immersive
experience that dragged the viewer into the story.
The acting,
most of which was done by children, was amazing. But my best character from the
performance was Miss Trunchbull, the mean head teacher, played by Craige Els.
Despite being a man playing a woman, he was no pantomime dame and delivered a
great performance that was both scary and hilarious.
Overall,
the whole show was great and I would definitely go and see it again and I
recommend you do the same. It’s running at Milton Keynes Theatre until the 30th
June. Tickets are available from www.atgtickets.com/shows/matilda/milton-keynes-theatre.
Be quick though as this is going to be a popular one.
