Matilda the Musical at Birmingham Hippodrome Review
Written by Roni for Theatre and Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review. All views are our own
Whether you, like many, read the book as a child, or you just grew up watching the incredible film adaptation, you’d be hard pressed to have not come across Matilda. Originally released in 1988 by Roald Dahl, the beloved book has evolved across both film and stage, and is now enjoying its 15th year in London’s West End. Now, this incredible production from the minds of Dennis Kelly, Tim Minchin and the RSC is completing a second UK tour, spending the first half of the summer season at Birmingham’s Hippodrome. Will this be a one-in-a-million miracle, or a chocolate cake full of maggots?
The story, of course, follows Matilda Wormwood, an extraordinary girl burdened by below-average, cruel parents. When she starts school, her teacher, Miss Honey, may be the saviour Matilda needs, as she quickly realises that Matilda is not like the other children. Unfortunately for them both, they have an even bigger adversary than Matilda’s hapless parents – the brutish and formidable headmistress Miss Trunchbull, who loves nothing more than to crush children’s spirits by locking them in the terrifying ‘chokey’ or swinging them round by their pigtails. With Miss Honey’s help, Matilda might just be able to escape the clutches of the abusive adults and be her brilliant self – and maybe Matilda can help Miss Honey to do the same…
A touring production can sometimes struggle to replicate the spectacle of the West End in its staging, but thankfully, this isn’t one of them. Even on a smaller stage, the intricacy of the now iconic set made up of many books and building block letters is incredible. A standout moment of the show is always the very cleverly written and performed ‘School Song’, which is still just as impressive after 15 years and in a regional theatre. The soundtrack is as fun-filled and fast-paced as ever, although it seemed that the cast were struggling to keep up with some of the more full-on numbers. The ensemble vocals also felt as though they were lacking a bit of punch across the board, and the energy was somewhat depleted at times. Thankfully, as a whole, the show didn’t suffer too much for this, and the audience didn’t seem to notice or mind.
Whilst the adult cast are, of course, wonderful (special mention to Richard Hurst as the abominable Miss Trunchbull, and Ryan Lay, who, despite having quite little stage time, was very memorable as the flamboyant ballroom dancer Rudolpho), it is the smallest cast members who steal the show. A rotating cast of four young performers for roles such as Matilda or the slightly gluttonous Bruce Bogtrotter mean that very few audiences will experience the same delivery, but each is guaranteed to be a little (but mighty) star. Matilda is shared by Madison Davis, Mollie Hutton, Olivia Ironmonger and Sanna Kurihara, while Bruce is shared by Oisin-Luca Pegg, Carter-J Murphy, Brodie Robson and Takunda Khumalo. Here, Matilda was played by Sanna Kurihana, who tugged on our heartstrings with her forlorn take on a well-loved character. Oisin-Luca Pegg also delivered a cheeky performance as Bruce, complete with some fabulous dance moves throughout ‘Revolting Children’ that had the audience in stitches.
Overall, this is still a powerful show that can be enjoyed by all ages, despite the odd struggle. Come for the story you know and love, stay for the ridiculously catchy score, swings and scooters galore. Don’t let a little thing like little stop you!
Matilda the Musical plays at Birmingham Hippodrome until 2 August as part of its UK tour. Further information can be found on the show’s dedicated website.
★★★★
