Matilda The Musical JR

Matilda The Musical JR is a huge undertaking for any society - it is getting to be so well known now that audiences have certain expectations. North Stars Theatre Company did not disappoint - they had the lettered boxes on stage and of course the "Revolting Children". Bojangles Theatre is quite an intimate space, the audience are very close to the actors on stage, but this didn`t throw any of the North Stars actors - they were immersed in their characters and brought this production to life. The stage is very small so it was a very versatile and moveable set with lots of set pieces doubling up by being turned or placed differently, black clad stage crew moved items rather than the actors which at times looked a little clumsy, but I do understand (health and safety/insurance) why it had to be done this way. Sound had quite a few problems throughout the show with odd gremlins and characters forgetting to turn their mic off when they left the stage, but, in all honesty, it added to the show - the audience were happy and it did not detract from the performance . Costumes were of a good standard and were fitting to the scenes.

Sophie Mott as Miss Honey showed  a gentle  maturity in her role which was very unexpected as she is only 13 years old, she had some good chemistry on stage with Aurelia Firth (Matilda). They both worked their stage space well and threw some strong vocals - it will be interesting to watch them both learn their craft and grow in both ability and confidence. Daniel Diggle as Agatha Trunchbull was very comfortable in his role, his diction was clear so we could hear every word, his facial expressions and mannerisms were great - nice and big. Oliver Williams as Michael Wormwood was an absolute scene stealer, he was completely immersed in his characterisation and looked like he was really enjoying himself, his facial expressions were excellent.

The ensemble have a lot to do in this musical both vocally and choreographically. The harmonies were clear, all the choreography was very ably led and executed on stage by Dance Captain Evie McCoy - she is one of those people that just stand out on stage. You can tell they are enjoying themselves and are 100% committed, they have a presence - she is definitely one to keep an eye on for the future. Darcey McCoy is wearing three hats in this production - Director, Musical Director and Choreographer. It is very obvious that she has put a lot of time and effort into all three areas - these children are of very mixed abilities and she has looked at each individual and given them all their chance to shine on stage.

Thank you for inviting me to your performance. I look forward to seeing you all again soon. 

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