Manchester Theatre News & Reviews

REVIEW - Go and revolt with the magical and mesmerising Matilda The Musical - it's what we all need right now!

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Matilda The Musical is finally here in Manchester. We were invited to the Palace Theatre to see the show. Read what our reviewer Karen Ryder had to say about this amazing production...

Matilda The Musical is the miracle that happens when adults aren’t afraid to maintain a childlike sense of wonder and magic, exactly as Roald Dahl always encouraged us to do! Creatives at the top of their game, with wonderous imaginations, bring a world to life that has inspired so many of us as children and continues to do so generation after generation! It is no surprise therefore that Matilda recently entered the top 10 longest running West End shows ever and is celebrating its 15 years of success with a UK and Ireland tour! This multi-award-winning musical produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company, shows no signs of slowing down and has been selling out theatres everywhere it goes. Globally, it has been seen by more than 12 million people which just goes to show how universal its themes are, how much we all love Roald Dahl, and just how insanely addictive the book, music and lyrics are by Tony and Olivier Award-winning Dennis Kelly and Tim Minchin.

Matilda The Musical, based on the Roald Dahl novel, follows the story of one incredible young girl, who despite her own difficult home life, finds the strength to escape and write her own story, even inspiring others do so too! Her parents have no interest in her, her dad wishes she was a boy, her mum wishes she would ditch her love of books and be more interested in the way she looks! But Matilda is nothing like them, and she escapes the confinements of her home life by absorbing stories and reading. Her mind overflowing with imagination, brains, and potential, she starts creating her own stories too, seemingly making things up as she goes along. But when she finally starts school and meets the tyrant headteacher Miss Trunchbull, Matilda has had enough. As Matilda begins to flourish under the kindness and guidance of her teacher Miss Honey, she finds smart ways to stand up to Miss Trunchbull. She starts to understand the power of her own potential, mind, and willpower. And just when it seems Matilda has gone too far, her resilience pays off and she finally understands what her stories have been trying to tell her all along. Matilda is a wonderful tale about empowerment, self-belief, resilience, standing up against injustice, and good triumphing over evil.

Whenever you are fortunate enough to speak to anyone who has been involved in a production of Matilda, professional or amateur, there is always a sense of passion and pride that comes with it, and this energy permeated the theatre through this superbly placed team of cast and creatives tonight. The revoltingly paradoxical Miss Trunchbull is brought to us by the incredible Richard Hurst (Dear Evan Hansen, The Lion King, The Bodyguard) in a feisty blaze of powerful and captivating glory. This is the gold standard performance of this tyrannical teacher, for he shows us that the foul, ferocious, frosty Miss Trunchbull is also flawed. Underneath the intimidation and towering persona, there is something else hiding in plain sight and it is utterly fascinating. Absolutely terrifying one moment, she will make you belly laugh the next with her insecurities, ensuring we are always intrigued by this dominating force of nature. Richard Hurst has the audience eating out of the palm of his hand throughout, controlling our impulses towards Trunchbull and allowing glimpses of her vulnerabilities. The brilliance of this performance also lies in its respect for its younger audience and doesn’t patronise them in any way. Add into that powerful singing, impressive physicality, not only with the character but with the ribbon dancing and the horse vaulting, and you have the ultimate Miss Trunchbull! Tessa Kadler (Les Mis, Carousel, Pippin’) is our kind and compassionate Miss Honey. I have previously seen Miss Honey become a timid victim of her own circumstance to the point where she has little credibility, but Tessa Kadler has not allowed this to happen. Instead, we see a character who of course has fear, but fear does not have her, and we see that spirit desperately trying to break through time and time again, so that when she has scenes with Matilda, she is a capable adult, one we trust can look after Matilda, not one Matilda has to look after instead. Because of this, there is also space for multi elements of her character to shine through, meaning we see her love, her pain, her contentment, yet equally her hopes and dreams. We see a paradox of emotions all living side by side, making her a real and solid Miss Honey.

Adam Stafford (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Chicago, Spamalot) brings us the larger than life, car salesman and Matilda’s lack lustre parent Mr. Wormwood. He is a contagious and exuberant ball of energy. He will make you belly laugh till tears roll down your face, make you cringe at his sales techniques and infuriate you with the way he talks to, and thinks about Matilda. It is a comedy masterclass, and he beautifully demonstrates how to handle an audience single handedly (be sure to catch his ‘soft start’ to the 2^nd act) and how to keep us rip-roaring in ensemble acting too. Rebecca Thornhill (Singin’ In The Rain, Gypsy, Les Mis) is our ballroom dancing loving, excessive Mrs. Wormwood who continually delights with a vivacious and colourful performance. She is funny, loud and wonderfully obnoxious, with killer vocals and high kicks that will make your eyes water! Her performance in ‘Loud’ is comic and vocal genius and was a huge audience favourite, a perfect showcase of all her talents! Ryan Lay (Mrs. Doubtfire, Beauty & The Beast, Cats) is fabulously flamboyant as Rudolpho and brings a lot of comedic relief to the darker moments of the show. He is cheesy, likeable, and knows exactly how and where to elicit laughter. Equally so is Samuel Leon (Fame, Saturday Night Fever, We Will Rock You) as the skulking, broody teenager Michael Wormwood. He moves his way around the stage with a series of brilliantly timed grunts and shuffles, always with a fabulously vacant expression on his face, that will make you fold with laughter. Esther Niles (Hamlet, King Lear, Waiting For Myself To Appear) is our wonderful librarian and support to Matilda, Mrs. Phelps, and is a key role in bringing the excitement and magic alive. Her enthusiasm for Matilda’s stories is infectious and feeds our own desire to be absorbed in imagination. Esther Niles allows herself an air of authority whilst balancing Matilda’s first ever safe space with somewhere Matilda can feel in control. It is a nuanced, clever performance that I am sure will show many children the important difference between authority and authoritarian.

Then of course, there are the real stars of the show – the young performers who are jaw-droppingly talented, dazzling, and unbelievably professional. I cannot express how impressive they are, all mini tornados of talent that sweep you up into their world and amaze with their triple threat status! Tonight, our Matilda was performed by Mollie Hutton and was full of passion, emotional depth and deliverance in a way that seemed impossible for her age, yet was executed to perfection. The amount of script, particularly solo dialogue performed was unfathomable, all with a detailed technical knowledge of how to engage the audience. The dancing was so sharp, precise and clean, with pure crystal vocals to match. Carter-J Murphy delighted audiences as our hero Bruce Bogtrotter, with a funny, strong, confident and rousing performance. He was so comfortable on stage and his charm and charisma were tangible, making this an incredibly special performance. Audiences went crazy for his chocolate cake scenes and his lead vocals in ‘Revolting Children.’ I have to applaud the clarity of diction from each of these young performers tonight - Sana Lennon as Lavender, Felix Schmitt as Nigel, Sylvie Grace as Amanda, Jaxon Nolan as Eric and Rudy Bragg as Tommy, for every word could be clearly understood, some of which was even in Russian and Latin! In fact, after the show had finished, I overheard a conversation between two ladies, one of whom was indeed Russian, and she commented on the precise dialogue!

Rob Howell has designed an incredible playground within a working set, that allows walls and blocks to be climbed up, offer up spaces of escape or isolation, and allow us to believe in the expansion of the actual space. You will not be disappointed as it hints towards what Chokey has in store, you will be dying to explore the tumbling world of alphabet squares, have a go on the incredible swings that drop down from the sky, join in the rebellious jumping on and off school desks, fling yourself onto the Wormwoods sofa’s, and climb the school gates with letter blocks. If you watch carefully, the cast even land on the letter that spells or sounds out the word they are singing, just another example of the levels of inspired genius and creativity that is executed to perfection.

With book by Dennis Kelly and music by Tim Minchin, Matilda The Musical has captured the hearts of children, young people, and adults worldwide. It is a phenomenal success, and its strength of course lies in Roald Dahl’s original story, but the adaptation to stage has expanded the humour, the characters, and ensured it doesn’t patronise or speak down to younger audience members. This ethos is felt throughout the entire production with characterisations, abilities, and intent. Even the songs operate at a challenging level, with rhythms, lyrics, and melodies that are so fast, intricate, clever, and precise, that one slip and I imagine it is incredibly difficult to pick it back up. Revolting Children is an exquisite example of the brilliance of Tim Minchin, with the title alone offering brilliant word play, before we even get into the insanely clever spelling out of words, and the powerfully rousing message behind the song. Compare this with stunningly beautiful songs such as My House where we see how simplicity sets Miss Honey free, and her vulnerability invites connection with Matilda. Then there’s the wistful When I Grow Up, the rousing Loud, the impactful Quiet, and the menace of The Smell Of Rebellion.

Matilda The Musical is a captivating story of being exactly who you were meant to be, making no apologises for that, finding a way through the darkness of those who try to dull your sparkle, and discovering the courage to show up for yourself in your own life. Perhaps this is why it still resonates with so many of us today, even as adults. It’s therapy wrapped up in a musical! We could all benefit from being a little bit braver, a little bit more authentic, and of course, a little bit naughty!

Matilda holds all the magic, mischief, and mayhem you crave from Roald Dahl’s world. It is slick with its wit, champions the underdog, and explores the darkness in people and in the world without ever patronising. So, Manchester, if you’re stuck in your story and you want to get out, go and revolt with the magical and mesmerising Matilda The Musical!

WE SCORE MATILDA THE MUSICAL...