‘MATILDA’ started life as a novel by Roald Dahl in 1988 and was turned into a movie directed by – and starring – Danny DeVito eight years later.
The Royal Shakespeare Company turned it into a musical in 2010, with a book by Dennis Kelly and music and lyrics by Tim Minchin – since then it’s won 100+ international awards and it ran for 15 years in the West End. The RSC touring version opened at Birmingham Hippodrome last nigh – where I guarantee it will be wowing audiences for the next month.
Essentially it’s the story of a feisty young girl Matilda Wormwood who finds solace in retreating into books having been born into a world where her selfish parents loathe her for being born a girl. She is sent away to Crunchem School, where the tyrannical Headmistress Miss Trunchbull rules with fear and an iron glove.
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It is here though that Matilda blossoms, develops telekinetic powers – and leads a revolution against Miss Trunchbull. She also meets teacher Miss Honey at Crunchem, the first person to recognise her literary prowess (amongst other extraordinary talents) and to care about her as a person.
The roles of Matilda and her best friend Bruce are each shared equally by four young performers – Madison Davis, Mollie Hutton, Olivia Ironmonger and Sanna Kurihara who perform the role of Matilda in rotation and Oisin-Luca Pegg, Carter-J Murphy, Brodie Robson and Takunda Khumalo who share the role of Bruce.
I am sure they are all wonderful in the roles, but I can only speak out for Sanna Kurihara who played Matilda to perfection last night as did and Oisin-Luca Pegg as Bruce. They both brought tears, cheers and laughter galore.
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Richard Hurst makes a very energetic – indeed acrobatic – job of being the nastiest headmistress imaginable whilst Tessa Kadler is her polar-opposite as the delightful Miss Honey.
Adam Stafford is magnificently loathsome as Matilda’s bent car dealer Dad, Mr Wormwood; matched in awfulness of soul by Rebecca Thornhill’s Mrs Wormwood.
The set and costumes by Rob Howell work in delicious harmony – using chalk, letters, and oversized school props.
Chairs stack, desks fly, and the whole stage feels like a giant playground. It’s inventive without overcomplicating things.
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Peter Darling’s award-winning choreography is simply stunning and Mathew Wachus’s direction keeps the pace tight and just below frantic. Tim Minchin’s score is razor-sharp and funny. ‘Revolting Children’, ‘When I Grow Up’, and ‘Naughty’ are absolute standouts – clever lyrics I’ll be humming for days.
Matilda is billed as family theatre, but the humour is dark, the pacing is fast, and Trunchbull may be a bit intense for very young children. Teens, adults, and Dahl fans will love it – as did I.
Matilda runs at the Birmingham Hippodrome until August 2. Click here for times, tickets and more information.
