The Plot: Matilda
is a very special and bright little girl whose parents don’t appreciate. In
school she becomes friends with a sweet teacher, but both have to deal with the
terrible Miss Trunchbull, the school director who hates children and everyone
else. Only Matilda’s special powers can save them from the hands of Miss Trunchbull.
The Show: As soon
as we enter the theatre we are inside a magic world of cubes with letters and
it’s impossible to resist the urge to find words around the stage. The cubes
are the main attraction of the set and work perfectly into the context of the
show. In fact, set and costume designer Rob Howell reveals a fantastic
imagination and director Matthew Warchus takes full advantage of his work.
The entire show
runs smoothly. Everything works in a simple magic way that conquers us from
beginning to end. Warchus knows exactly how to make the story work and the fact
that he doesn’t make it kind of childish is remarkable. The way the sets move,
the way the action seamlessly flows with the choreography (a great work by
Peter Darling), the balance between the comedy and the drama, the fabulous
theatre of shadows… Warchus is an inventive genius!
I confess I
didn’t like the score when I listened to the cast recording, but it works well
on stage and my favorite song, “When I Grow Up”, is a part of a true magic
theatre moment with the kids playing on the swings. I also enjoyed the funny “Telly”
sung by a flawless James Clyde as Mr. Wormwood, Matilda’s father. As Matilda’s
mother, Kay Murphy and her Latino dance teacher, Joshua Lay, are a riot with
“Loud”.
The Cast: The delightful
cast is lead by the talented Cristina Fray as Matilda; she manages to make her
character appealing without being too sugar sweet and delivers her song with
all her heart. Alex Gaumond is perfect as the gigantic and hilarious Miss
Trunchbull, giving his all to the numbers “The Hammer” and “The Smell of
Rebellion”. As the nice teacher, Haley Flaherty is sweet and tender. Although I
already mentioned them, James Clyde and Kay Murphy as Matilda’s parents are a
match made in heaven! A terrific group of young kids, including the amusing Emily
Robbins and Daniel Dowling, together with the “older kids”, brings life and power
to the production helping to make this a terrific trip to the theatre.
Children and
grownups will all have a great time with this touching, entertaining and magic
show. I sure did! It’s highly entertaining and imaginative. Don’t miss it!
Cast: Cristina Fray, Alex Gaumond, James Clyde, Haley Flaherty, Kay
Murphy, Joshua Wyatt, Lisa Davina Phillip, Antony Lawrence, Lara Denning, Joshua
Lay
Creative Team: Music & Lyrics by Tim Minchin • Book by Dennis Kelly
based on the novel by Roald Dahl • Choreography by Peter Darling • Directed by Matthew
Warchus
Photos by Manuel Harlan and others
My rate: 8 (from 1 to 10)
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