Matilda the Musical

I've said it before and I'll say it again. "Matilda the Musical" is unbelievably brilliant. The kind of show that makes me want to force everyone I've ever met to go along and see it for themselves. I first saw it in Stratford and now in the West End, "Matilda" has lost none of its force, indeed it might even be better.

Tim Minchin and Dennis Kelly have crafted a moderately faithful retelling of Roald Dahl's timeless tale that launches the narrative into stratospherically wonderful places. Through a steady stream of extremely witty songs and a script that never lets the pace flag, the pair have worked wonders. It's hard to name top tunes as the evening is full of them and Minchin scores a real hit by drawing on lots of different genres to create a musical idiom that fits Dahl's fantastical story like a glove. The lyrics and book are truly superb because they balance driving the story forward and being accessible to all ages with packing a genuine satirical punch. They constantly ask, what does it mean to be a "miracle"?

The answer of course is just to be in anyway involved with "Matilda the Musical" and Matthew Warchus's production has lost none of its glee in shifting from the three sided Royal Shakespeare Company Courtyard Theatre to the conventional proscenium of the Cambridge Theatre. The audience are inevitably further away but the larger than life performances easily make it across the footlights, the only loss are some of the lyrics with the sound design over-amplifying the orchestra at the expense of the voice. The gloriously colourful sets remain a treat, the energetic choreography electrifying and the magic endlessly surprising. High marks for the new curtain call as well which is great fun.

I assume Bertie Carvel has already cleared his mantelpiece as he's going to need room for the awards he will now inevitably receive for his masterclass as Agatha Trunchball. A marvellous physical performance paired with a voice that'll give half the children in the audience nightmares for weeks (myself included), Carvel is as magnificent as they come. The rest of the adult cast triumph similarly: Lauren Ward's adorable Miss Honey squaring off against the horrible Wormwoods of Josie Walker and Paul Kaye. It is the children that rule here however led by the Matilda of Eleanor Worthington Cox. It's a huge role taken by four different girls in rotation; Cox proved to be more than up to the task, enchanting the audience and then holding us in the palm of her hand.

There aren't enough superlatives to throw at "Matilda". It's a show that defies all belief, achieving a blissful combination of comedy and heart. If you haven't seen it already then get your tickets pronto, if you have seen it already then you hardly need me to remind you it's probably time to go again. I'm back to NYC tomorrow but come March I can guarantee I'll be back for another dose of "Matilda". A show that will never get old.

(Review of Performance on Tuesday, January 10th, 2012 at the Cambridge Theatre)