Matilda

Review by: Paul Towers, 15 March 2018

Roald Dahl’s Matilda by Dennis Kelly and Tim Minchin

An RSC production directed by Matthew Warchus

Curve until 24 March and then touring

“spectacular, inventive and magical”

Curve is used to producing their own Roald Dahl every Christmas but this time we are privileged to kick off the nationwide tour of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s acclaimed version of this Dahl classic. This musical version opened at the RSC’s spiritual home in Stratford On Avon in 2010 and has since been seen worldwide in various countries but his is the first national tour in this country.

This particular production took up residency in London’s Cambridge Theatre in October 2011.

Matilda is the story of an exceptionally intelligent and gifted young girl who is virtually ignored by her neglectful parents. She gets sent to a local school run by a monstrous headmistress, Agatha Trunchbull and what turns out to be her timid daughter, Miss Honey. Matilda discovers that she can move things with her eyes, telekinetically. This proves useful in her fight to evict the Trunchbull from the school and allow Miss Honey to teach properly.

The original book is a firm favourite with children of all ages with its typical Dahl-esque world where children are capable of so much and adults are either evil or stupid.

This production is spectacular, inventive and magical with very clever music and lyrics by Tim Minchin and funny script by Dennis Kelly. The set, designed by Rob Howell, is a huge arch of building blocks and books; there are further walls of books and blocks that slide in and out while furniture zips across the stage as and when needed. Mention has to be made of the lighting designer, Hugh Vanstone, who helped a lot of the magic happen.

All of this is mind blowing enough but then you have the cast which is made up of half adults and half children. Well, they look like children but the talent they display is very adult. Tonight’s Matilda was Nicola Turner, a precociously talented actor and singer. The adult cast members had to work very hard to keep up!

Immensely funny as Mr & Mrs Wormwood, Matilda’s neglectful parents, were Sebastien Torkia and Rebecca Thornhill, beautifully played as Essex chavs!

Of course the character everyone was waiting to see was the monstrous Agatha Turnbull, here played to great effect by Craige Els as a force of nature charging around the stage abusing children left, right and centre. Particularly impressive were the tricks and magical elements in the show. At one point Trunchbull swings a child around by her pigtails before dropping her to the floor. I have no idea how they achieved that!

Matilda runs at Curve until 24^th March 2018 and then tours nationwide (details at www.uk.matildathemusical.com/tour/tickets/. Curve is virtually sold out but contact the box office for returns.