Matilda the Musical Jr.

‘Attention, Maggots!’ What a cast, what a show! This was a creative and exciting retelling of Roald Dahl’s well-loved children’s classic, Matilda. Having never watched the musical version of Matilda, this was a real treat for the senses with amazing visuals, acting and phenomenal singing. Quite honestly, I was blown away by the enthusiasm and capabilities of these youngsters, it was a great introduction to Ludwig Theatre Arts!

The composite set comprised of colourful flats depicting bookshelves with large 3D letters, with additional flats interspersed between them, which displayed times tables, world maps and windows. Colourful square blocks were positioned within pools of matching light, spelling out the name Matilda, the blocks were cleverly used throughout the show to create classroom seating and platforms for the acrobat and escapologist.  With the addition of movable furniture and props brought in to create other unique spaces such as classrooms, playgrounds, the Wormwood’s home, and Miss Trunchbull’s office. This was a well thought out set and allowed for quick scene changes, which didn’t impede on the action.

Under the masterful direction of Jack Ludwig teamed with the stunning choreography of Megan Davies, the 34 youngsters moved with great purpose and ease from scene to scene. This created a visually stunning piece of musical theatre, which I’m sure will be remembered by the city of Hereford for years to come. The hard work and dedication of this dynamic duo must be acknowledged and applauded, their skills and experience showed in this beautifully crafted piece, which played to the strengths of every single child onstage. They should both be extremely proud of what they have achieved.

Selecting favourites can, on occasions, be very easy, but sometimes, especially with youth productions, it can become a challenge because you just know that everyone on stage has given it their all and this was evident in all the ensemble numbers. The cast were fully engaged and committed from start to finish with each performer adding their own well-developed character to the mix. They reacted in their own individual ways, and this added layers to the overall production value. However, I do think it would be remiss of me, on this occasion, not to give a few ‘shout outs’ to some cast members who I felt went above and beyond.

Let’s start with Oliver Handley as Miss Trunchbull, what a star! There simply aren’t enough superlatives to describe this incredibly talented individual. This was an outstanding performance and one that could easily rival that of a professional stage. His portrayal of Trunchbull was fantastic and he was perfectly cast in the role. He brought to life this terrifying tyrant that so many of us had imagined (and feared) as a child. A great actor who was born to play this part and could undoubtedly make it as a professional, one day.

Young Isla Dunsford as the title character Matilda was a delight to watch. She oozed confidence and character. She had great stage presence and is blessed with a beautiful singing voice. This was a very mature performance, delivered with high energy, great storytelling, and plenty of cheekiness. She had me at her first song ‘Naughty’ and the audience roared when she hit the iconic Matilda pose at the end of the number. Fantastic job Isla and thank you for taking us on Matilda’s magical journey.

Another strong performance came from Leo Childs as the cake eating Bruce Bogtrotter, Great characterisation with good stage presence and a fabulous singing voice. His vocal in Revolting Children, was amazing and simply blew me and the audience away. It earned him rapturous applause and those notes at the end were incredible and showed a great level of control. Fantastic job Leo, well done.

I think we all fell in love with Evie Jones as Miss Honey who played the role with great sensitivity and warmth. Her interactions with Isla’s Matilda were stunning and their duet in Act 2 (When I Grow Up) was a highlight of the show for me, it was beautifully sung by both girls.

Other notable performances came from Holly Aspey as the pigtail thrown Amanda, the Wormwood’s played by Ari Bromage (Father), Holly Webb (Mother) and Fletcher Howley as Matilda’s dim-witted brother, Michael. Lovely storytelling from Alfie Duffield and Ellie Davies as the Escapologist and Acrobat. I enjoyed the campness of Owen Skyes as the Salsa dancing Rudolpho, the kind-hearted librarian Miss Phelps was well-acted by Katie Ella-Duke, brilliant characterisations from Evelia Ray as Lavender, Bella Deacon-Smith as Alice and George Martin as Nigel. A special mention goes to Georgina Webb as dance captain, a brilliant performer who attacked each number with great energy and skill and connected fully with her audience.

Highlights included the tricks played by Matilda during Naughty, the brilliant timing of Trunchbull and Amanda with ‘the pigtail throw’ and reappearance, the superbly choreographed cake eating sequence, the vocals during Revolting Children and that beautiful moment between Miss Honey and Matilda on the swings. I must also commend the lighting team on their sequence during the Escapologist and Acrobat scenes. The atmospheric lighting, teamed with brilliant movement and acting was highly effective and I really enjoyed these standalone creative pieces.

A huge congratulations to everyone involved in this production on and off the stage, a production of this quality and magnitude does not happen without the constant support and dedication of its team. So, to all those backstage heroes, technicians and chaperones, a well-deserved round of applause goes to you on a brilliant job. Well done and I cannot wait to see what you do next!

 

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