Canal Street Online Manchester

Matilda at Palace Theatre

Winner of 85 international awards, including 16 for Best Musical, our touring production of Matilda The Musical will be in Manchester from 18 September – 24 November 2018 at Palace Theatre, Manchester.

Here is our review..

Hitting the Palace Theatre stage until November, Matilda bursts onto the Manchester theatre scene amid high anticipation. And you will not be disappointed. It has magic, comedy, show-stopping numbers and the towering Agatha Trunchbull.

Designed perfectly in the style of Roald Dahl, the stage is full of colour, stunning sets and continually moving scenery. Letter blocks form the proscenium - adults and children alike could be heard pre-curtain up telling each other the words they could find in this giant word search.

Matilda Wormwood is a talented young girl with a particular love of reading, her intelligence scorned by parents who would rather she watched TV all day. Life at school is little better under the watchful eye of the evil head teacher Miss Trunchbull, however Matilda forms a close bond with teacher Miss Honey who recognises and encourages the young talent.

Craige Els dominates the stage as the frightening Miss Trunchbull, towering over the rest of the cast. Her wart-filled face and over-sized, gnarly body a scary sight, yet Craige proves very athletic, particularly in his vaulting horse moment. Sebastien Torkia and Rebecca Thornhill are almost as grotesque as Mr and Mrs Wormwood. Carly Thoms (Miss Honey) is suitably ‘normal’ in the midst of other larger than life characters – a much needed calmness in Matilda’s chaotic world. However, it is the children who are this show’s shining stars. Not just the four girls who share the title role (Sophia Ally was particularly impressive tonight), but the rest of the young cast on stage for most of the evening, singing, dancing and acting their socks off. Dylan Hughes (Bruce Bogtrotter) deserves particular praise for his glorious gluttony!

As a fan of Tim Minchin, I was not disappointed with his score – clever lyrics, eclectic melodies and astute observations – a musical genius. The hilarious opening of Act Two sees Mr Wormwood and son eulogise the Telly, immediately followed by the stunning company number When I Grow Up, an emotionally poignant moment as the children contemplate what future they have, beautifully staged in the playground.

After a 30 minute delay due to technical issues, the first half took a while to find its feet. However it was worth the wait to experience the full glory of the staging and Act Two really came together to absolutely nail it. This magical (literally) production is here for 11 weeks – if you haven’t got your ticket yet don’t miss out. It’s selling fast.

By Garry Thomas-Lowde for Canal St Online

 

Palace Theatre: September 18th-November 24th 2018 Tix here 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tix here.

Published: 21-Sep-2018 (5064)

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