Matilda the Musical Jr

NADOS were back on stage with their Nippers section, performing ‘Matilda the Musical Jr’, directed by Beth Dilworth. There were many directorial choices from Beth which were very good. Bruce eating the chocolate cake was very well conceived and executed. Unless you were looking very closely, it was totally believable that the whole cake had been eaten in a matter of minutes! The use of the balcony was a good use of space, and cleverly used when Amanda is thrown by Trunchbull with Amanda suddenly appearing on it. The Older Kids entering the auditorium before the start really got the audience excited for the show. The staging for ‘When I Grow Up’ was reminiscent of the professional production with the swings, with the addition of a slide. Scene changes were done in blackouts, with the cast doing some of them, such as bringing on desks for school. These could have been a bit slicker to aid the pace and to keep the audience’s attention. Costumes and make-up were great. Each added to the characters. The styling of Matilda in dungarees, Rudolpho’s chest hair peeping out of his shirt and Trunchbull’s make-up were all well thought of.

As well as directing, Beth was the musical director as well. Performing to backing tracks, the cast did well. Tim Minchin’s songs are not the easiest to say the least, and the cast attacked them with gusto.

The choreography from Neeve Dilworth was varied and suited each number. The cast had obviously worked hard on the choreography, as they were all confident in what they were doing. The choreography for ‘The Smell of Rebellion’ and ‘Revolting Children’ stood out in this production.

Lighting was good and used effectively throughout. The sound could have been better. There were times where mics were turned on late with the audience missing parts of dialogue and songs. The balance between the backing tracks and the cast was good though.

Mollie Prior played Matilda. This was a confident and assured performance from Mollie. She told Matilda’s story well. Mollie had the audience on her side in her portrayal of the titular character. It was well acted and Mollie has a lovely vocal, which she was able to display throughout with ‘Quiet’ being a highlight from her performance.

Harry Thompson was a tour-de-force as Miss Trunchbull. A true triple threat. He commanded the stage as soon as he was on it and relished every moment, treating the audience to an outstanding performance. Harry didn’t even let a wardrobe malfunction stop his performance!

Grace Fisher did well showing the vulnerability of Miss Honey. This was a mature performance from Grace, as she handled the complexities of Miss Honey. It was a well-rounded performance, with some great vocals.

Sam Shackleton did well as Mr Wormwood. He was suitably smarmy as the inept businessman, using his physicality and accent to portray this. Sam handled the comedic moments well.

Zahra Bhatti was suitably over the top as Mrs Wormwood. The whole characterisation really added to the character and some super personal touches, like the filing nails.

William McMillan played Michael. Although not a lot to do, William’s level of concentration throughout was great, delivering his lines when needed, and with humour.

Lily Jaundrill was fantastic as Bruce. This was a very expressive performance from Lily, which suited the role perfectly. She was always in character, even when the attention wasn’t on her. The eating of the cake was executed convincingly.

Phoenix Roberts impressed as Nigel. Phoenix was full of character and energy and your eye was drawn to her throughout, even in the ensemble numbers. Well done!

Megan Williams played Amanda Thripp. This was a confident performance, and the level of trust between Megan and Harry must be commended. The confidence that Megan has and the confidence that she has in her other performers to execute that piece of movement was highly impressive. Well done!

Holly Cook played Lavender. Although we lost some lines due to quick line delivery, this was a lovely and confident performance from Holly.

Veera Shankar played Mrs Phelps. This was a good supporting performance, and Veera delivered the comedic moments well.

Maddie Crouch (Acrobat) and Emily-Kate McMillan (Escapologist) worked well together to bring to life Matilda’s story. There were some lovely choreographed moments, including lifts, ably supported by the older members of the ensemble.

Oscar Rowley was laugh out loud funny as Rudolpho. The exaggerated movements had the entire audience in hysterics. Just be careful with your lines – the audience want to hear everything that you are saying.

Annabelle Rowley could have been a touch louder as Sergei, but it was a good cameo. The physical comedy in the scene with Sergei’s Posse added some funny moments to the scene.

The ensemble was kept busy throughout. They all appeared confident on stage, and delivered the choreography and songs well. The professionalism of the ensemble impressed, especially during Harry’s wardrobe malfunction in ‘The Smell of Rebellion’ – no one broke character.

Overall, this was a very good production, deserving of the standing ovation from the audience. There were some excellent principal performances, interesting choreography and inventive staging.

Thank you to NADOS for your kind invite and hospitality. All the best for you next production, ‘The Addams Family’, in October.

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