Matilda Jr the Musical

This was the smaller version of the show yet contained the essence of the original story set as more versatile.  The description of the character Matilda being “the exception to the rule” is very apt, as the story follows her into school and into some difficult situations.  The action is shared between the school, the library, and her home, where again she is very different to the rest of her family.

The set was very cleverly devised, in combining the various areas into one, with the library doubling as the head teacher’s office, while the hall floor comprised the school.  The creation of the rather bare, bookless home next to the school office/library was very good, with the table in the office taking quite a beating!  The travel between home and school was nicely suggested by the leaving of the stage and entering the school at the side. The light boxes were ingenious as a way of both presenting movable blocks as seats and to stand on and the lit-up alphabet letters.    Lighting was very good and gave an overall illumination where all actors could be clearly seen. However at times the actors needed to be aware that some areas were not so well lit so these areas perhaps were better used as transition areas.  Overall the challenge of lighting such a large area was well achieved with good use made of the spotlights.

The show used a soundtrack as no musicians were present and this was present during the whole show. All cast wore head mics so all main characters were clearly heard most of the time. The various blackouts between scenes, although fast, were noisy so it might have been worth considering increasing the volume of the soundtrack during these changeovers. Small adjustments would have made a smoother transition between scenes.  There were many well-choreographed and enjoyable scenes; I did enjoy the spelling scene and song with the illuminated cubes, the chocolate cake scene and “When I grow up” numbers in particular.  The costumes were well devised and looked nicely authentic, reflecting the characters well. In particular Miss Honey looked gentle and kind, Matilda’s parents looked the parts as the flirty mum and the streetwise second-hand car salesman, and Miss Trunchbull looked aggressive – although I felt she was far more menacing when she wore the long dress than the sportswear!

(Bob) In talking about the cast as a whole, I have not personally seen a show with as many young actors present. I was amazed how well they worked as a unit, especially in the choreography, yet each showed their own personality.  It was clear to see how much they were all enjoying performing and that joy was shared by the audience. Timing was excellent and I dread to think of all the rehearsal time taken to achieve such a polished result. My thanks go also to all the background staff who helped give these young people the support and encouragement to enjoy their drama.

It is hard to focus on individual performances when the standard was so good However, here are some thoughts:-

Mr & Mrs Wormwood: Good characters and wonderfully colourful. I would suggest that their lines could have been delivered more slowly and the jokes not been so rushed.

Lavender: Not a big part but the actress made every speech count and really punched home the humour.

Miss Honey: Such a good choice of actress to provide a real contrast to the horror in the school and a warm heart to the story. She had such good diction and sang a great solo.

Acrobat and Escapologist: Well done to both actors in maintaining their characters even when their scenes were short and spaced out.

Bruce: Such a great part for scene-stealing and well executed. Great fun and I never saw where the whole of the cake went to!

Agatha Trunchbull: This actress had such a job to do – reaching such difficult musical notes and being hated by all. The part was very well handled with the newt scene playing particularly well!

Matilda: This show stands and falls by the lead character and what a great choice!  She had clear diction, a good singing voice and an innocent appeal. Congratulations!        

This was an evening of great drama and good story-telling, with excellent discipline from a young and inexperienced cast who brought the characters to life so well.   Congratulation to everyone involved in creating this remarkable production!

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.