Matilda

Fresh from their brilliant run of Queen’s We Will Rock You Musical earlier this year, Curtain Call Production were back on stage with their production of the Roald Dahl classic take of Matilda the Musical Jr. The story centres around the Wormwood family’s youngest sibling Matilda who starts life at her new school and finds it difficult, under the watchful eye of the scary Head teacher Miss Trunchbull. This version, directed and choreographed by Joel Montague was a fun-filled pit of energy and enthusiasm and entertained near sell-out audiences for it’s run.

The direction, using both the stage area and the floor space, was great in the main. I loved the way in which the scene changes were intricated throughout the piece and happened seamlessly within scenes. This helped with the pace too. The visuals were great also and there was always something to watch onstage, whether it was the focus of the main characters or the vast supporting cast, dotted around the large performance area. I felt there were some lost opportunities to develop and highlight/spotlight some of the humour within the text a little more that I have seen in other productions, particularly with the Wormwood characters. I also felt that a lot of the dialogue was missed due to poor diction and articulation. What I cannot fault however was the abundance of energy and commitment from all! The energy was infectious, and it was clear that every performer was having the time of their lives on stage!

The choreography was exemplary. Every single performer knew every step and performed with vigour and commitment. Hats off to Joel Montague (choreographer) and Leah Bainbridge (Dance Captain) for your obvious hard work! An excellent example of style, timing and using the body to convey story and character.

The sound quality was excellent once again from Tom Maurice (one of the best in the business in my opinion), equally great was the lighting design from Joe Cox who used lights and effects to add dimensions, enhance scenes and create tension. Whilst I would have loved to see it used more, the video projections were great and really helped with various potentially tricky scenes.

This production had a vast cast of young and old so finding enough costumes for each one is no mean feat, but Gail Montague has once again excelled in creating costumes that not only fit, are a great quality, but the attention to detail is exemplary. A shout out to the brilliant props team too for their hard work, which didn’t go unnoticed.

The protagonist, Matilda was played by Ava Gordon-Butler (on the evening of my review). Whilst I would’ve loved a little clearer diction (especially during ‘Quiet’) and a less of a bolshy character interpretation, I cannot fault Ava’s talent. Her voice was fantastic and her commitment to this major role was excellent. Ava’s stage presence was excellent too and it was a joy to see someone so young, stand with her head held high and perform her socks off!

The other named kids in Matilda’s class were wonderfully played and each added positively to the overall storyline and production. I loved the song Bruce (loved the choreography especially) and Bruce, played wonderfully by Archer Armstrong, was great in this!

The Wormwood’s were also funny and added to the overall comedic effects. Frankie Birch as Mrs Wormwood and Wilf Dight as Mr Wormwood were strong in their roles and weren’t afraid to step outside of their comfort zones. Their storytelling was strong too. I felt there were more opportunities to explore comedy with the characters of Michael Wormwood and Rudolpho but this is just a personal preference on direction.

Lydia Williams did well as Miss Honey, displaying some lovely vocals and Katy Goodwin was great as Mrs Phelps. Each adding to the story and playing their roles well.

The standout performance for me was that of Miss Trunchbull. Whilst I was a little taken aback by Ben Mather-Dodd’s character choice, I have to say that it was also great to see something new and fresh and different from the ‘norm’. Ben’s commitment to this role was exceptional and I cannot find fault. I adored the way in which he used his physicality and vocality to convey character and it was a joy and a delight to see him shine in this role!

I have to say, if you were to bottle up the energy and enthusiasm from this cast, then you’d make a fortune! The cast displayed strong vocals in the company numbers which was a joy to hear (Treona Holden), and they were a delight to watch in the big dance numbers!

I thank Curtain Call Productions for their wonderful hospitality and wish them all the very best for their upcoming production of Shrek at the Lyceum Theatre in Crewe in October 2022.

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