Matilda

One of britain’s best musicals in recent years, Matilda takes the roald Dahl classic to new heights with an unforgettable soundtrack and a pitch perfect cast, from the trunchbull to miss honey. After catching this, you’ll definitely be wishing you were a little more naughty as a kid and that you too had psychic powers. The highlight song ‘when I grow up’ will leave many in tears as a reflection on the innocence of childhood and the terror of adulthood. Argh, this is a must see basically!

This has to be the best show I have been to in years. The set and stage design were brilliant. The cheography and songs were great and the children were totally on point. This show can be enjoyed by adults and children. The theatre is well laid out, it is quite old on the inside but this adds to the character of the place.

I love the design of the stage. Whilst waiting for the performance to start, I was trying to find words spell out on the scramble stage. That was fun!
The cast are so funny and talented. I loved the way this was written and played out.

Unfortunately, we left after the first act. The production was very professional, with intricate and clever sets. We have loved Raold Dahl’s books since reading them with our children about 20 years ago. The adult actors were excellent. The child actors were darling.
Our primary problem was that we could only understand about 5% of what the child actors were saying, or rather shouting. We are from California, so that could have been part of the reason for our incomprehension, but we did understand most of what the adult actors were saying.
Another issue was that the humor in the play is too broad for adults, based as it is on extreme stereotypes. It is mostly aimed at young people.
We felt rather foolish for having misspent our time and money.

We loved this show. The actors were so talented. My favorite song was When I grow up, when all the kids are swinging over the audience’s heads and singing. My kids’ favorite character was the horrible Miss Trunchbull of course. She/​he was just hysterical. The set was creative and interesting. And there wasn’t a bad seat in the whole theater. We went to the Matilda-​themed tea at the Mercer St. Hotel right beforehand, which made the whole experience even more fun.

Colourful, energetic, inspired and captivating, Matilda is everything a musical suitable for children should be! I was tempted to take a photo of the wonderful set but refrained as I know it would be a shame to spoil the pleasant surprise of seeing it for the first time for anyone planning to. Refreshing in its differences to the film and funny both to children and adults alike, Matilda must be a great musical for a family night out in the centre of London.
There’s a hint of magic, masterful choreography and well positioned lighting. Plus, there is even entertainment during the interval and they sell slush-​puppies! Oh the rottenly devilishly childish brilliance of it all!
What more could you ask for do I hear you say? Well it pains me to say that I felt some of the lyrics in the songs got lost in translation and were more complicated that necessary; and the songs perhaps lacked a certain hook. Nevertheless, there were some memorable numbers that were beautifully sung and played. I thought it was a nice touch to see the musicians come up on stage at the end; deservedly so.
Truly a joyous show that I would happily recommend to anyone unless they really hated children, because let’s face it, the children are the winners in this show; no room for haters (one Ms Trunchbull is enough!)

This is my all time favourite musical! The sets are incredible and I was fascinated by how everything came together and the scene changes were so seamless. Very imaginative! The music is so fun and I found the School Song really clever. If you ever loved Roald Dahl books then you HAVE to go and see this. And if you have kids, then share the magic with them too. Brilliant show!

I really enjoyed this, far more than I expected I would. It’s not my favourite, but it’s definitely something I will recommend to people.
The music is really good — a few boring songs, yes, but overall a lot of humour and clever lyrics (I loved that school song). The acting is… well, you have to like child actors, as it’s very reliant on them (for obvious reasons). The kids are rather earnest, but in an endearing way (I thought). And Ms. Trunchbull was fantastic — the actor playing her stole the show.
But the real treat here is the set. It’s visually stunning, with tons to look at, from scrabble letters, blocks, books, bits of the floor rising and falling… absolutely fantastic. I couldn’t look away.
Yes, I think some people will be disappointed by the lack of emphasis placed on Matilda’s powers. And it does drag at certain points. But when it’s good, it’s really really good.

I took my 10yr old god daughter here and we had an absolute blast.
The show uses actual children to act which adds a level of authenticity to the musical.
The songs were so good as was the acting and it completely matched the magical feeling of the book.
Ms Trunchball was just genius! So so authentic and scary. The musical really came into its own in the second half I felt with some mega catchy tunes and great choreography.
I’d definitely recommend this for adults with children or adults with inner children.

Awww.
You know, I wasn’t quite sure if I was going to like this one. Yes, the reviews were rave and people I know loved it, but could I really be entertained by a childhood favourite book/​movie turned musical?
Turns out, yes.
To begin with, it’s visually stunning. The stage, with it’s slapdash mix of children’s toy blocks and scrabble letters is phenomenal, and more and more are constantly being added, coming from the sides, the ceilings and the floor. It’s just amazing.
And the acting is spot-​on. The kids cast feels completely professional (always a worry when you’ve got lots of kids trying to do their roles) and the adults perfectly act around them. The standout is of course Ms. Trunchbull, who plays it like a giant hulking child-​hating brute with a voice like Dr. Frankenfurter from Rocky Horror. Awesome.
There were a few issues I had. The music wasn’t almost completely forgettable sadly and this morning I can’t really remember even one song (I usually have at least one or two running through my head). And yes, as big as the telekinesis was in the book/​movie, it’s barely here at all. If you’re coming to see her use her powers, you may be disappointed.
It’s a musical for children, so it can get a little ridiculous and a little slapstick from time to time, but there’s also some serious heart and the cast, from the smallest child to the oldest adult, is superb. It’s cute and fun. A winner of a play if you’re looking for a winner of a play.

I’ve heard everywhere just how phenomenal Matilda is. I must must must go and see Matilda the musical. I was so sad when I moved away from New York just three months before it opened on Broadway so was so excited on moving to London so I could finally see this show! I waited until my 6 year old niece and 4 year old nephew came over to visit and took them along with my boyfriend and I.
I left the theatre three hours later feeling really disappointed. The kids loved it. They got a bit restless near the end and my niece kept asking «When will she use her powers? Why hasn’t she used her powers yet?» to be honest, I was thinking the same thing. It got to halfway through the second act and there was still no use of her powers! The kids did enjoy the slapstick kiddie humour though, they giggled through parts of it, but they did get restless during the long periods of no action — slow songs and loads of dialogue which for kids is a lot to try and concentrate on.
For me, having grown up with the book and then the film, I sat there frowning. What on earth were they doing? It was supposed to be a kids show but the pacing felt entirely off. It was very slow and even I started to get bored during the long lengthy story telling or the slow dialogue bits. Huge parts of the movie had changed and for parts of it Matilda just seemed like a brat.
Finally she used her powers. Once. Twice at a stretch. And then she lost them… never needing them again. That’s not what happens!!! She’s not supposed to lose her powers.
There were good points. The set was great, the costumes weren’t bad, some of the songs were good and the choreography was good. Acting was reasonable. But Matilda telling a story that she’s made up and then it happens to be Miss Honey’s story… that’s beyond the realm of Matilda’s powers. That’s changing her powers entirely. They have a great opportunity in the theatre realm to do some awesome stuff with her powers and they don’t make the most of it.
It was ok, but I would never spend that kind of money on a ticket for that show again. There are so many great musicals on. I’d recommend to try those first. And I do believe my niece and nephew would have far preferred Lion King if we were to do it over.

Matilda! As only my second show so far in London (I know, I know, I am very slack) Matilda has the honour of being the musical that got my boyfriend to like musicals. To be fair I always knew he would like musicals if only he gave them a chance, little music nerd that he is, but we are not here to review my boyfriend…
The fact that this version of Matilda involves the genius of Tim Minchin is pretty clear from the lyrics. From the very first number I was hooked. In fact I wish I could STOP singing the words, «my mummy says I’m a miracle,» but here we are weeks later and it is still ringing in my ears.
Trunchbull steals the show without a doubt and every scene with her (or him?) in it is fantastic. And the junior cast members are hilarious. The way they have used the stage to create the different sets is genius, with school tables, bathroom vanities and more appearing seamlessly from the flooring.
This was so much fun I would definitely see it again, and there are three different Matildas so that’s a good excuse, right?

I think I’ve decided I just have a different taste in musicals than the rest of the world. I was told by several people how amazing Matilda is and how it’s a must-​see. So I finally got around to seeing it.
First of all the set is amazing, I have to give them props for that. On one level it looks quite simple, but there’s a lot of really interesting things they do with it and the letters spelling the words from the show were interesting to see.
For me, it started out kind of slow. During the first musical number I found my mind kind of wandering. It just wasn’t interesting enough to keep my attention. Once Matilda was introduced, the story became a bit more interesting, but mostly due to the fantastic job of the side cast playing her family. The brother was quite funny, and the father was some sort of crazy version of Del Boy. The mother reminded me a bit of the actress in Singin’ in the Rain. The dance partner of the mother really stole the show for the family though.
Really the star of the show was Miss Trunchbull. The actor playing her was spot on and really funny. Every time he was on stage, he stole the show. The most engaging parts for me were the times when Matilda was telling the story of the acrobat and the escapologist.
There were some great dance numbers. The bit on the swings was fun to watch. But there was quite a bit of a lull during the middle of the second act. I know because my mind started to wander and I started looking at the words on the wall and not what was going on on the stage.
And for me, the music was well, forgettable. Usually when I leave musicals my mind is abuzz and at least one of the numbers is still running through my head and I’m singing along to it. After Matilda, I really can’t recall any of the music. It just wasn’t catchy enough for me. Matilda felt more like a play to me. A play with a few musical numbers. The end of the first act was incredibly anti-​climactic. It just ended. No music, just some talking and then you’re done. The same with the end of the second act. Just some acting and they were done. Maybe I’m old school, but I expect grandiose, catchy songs at the end of musicals to leave you on a high. You don’t get that with Matilda.
It’s definitely a musical for kids. It’s almost bordering on pantomime with the side characters. If you have kids, it’s probably worth going, but if you’re a couple of adults wanting to see a great musical in London, I’d probably go see something else. Perhaps Les Mis, Book of Mormon or Jersey Boys. Although Matilda is definitely better than Wicked or Phantom. At least in my book. But apparently, my book is different than others.

Another one of London’s fantastic shows to see in the West End and this can be backed up by the numerous awards that it has won since it transferred from the RSC in Stratford.
Written by the comedian Tim Minchin (a big plus) Matilda is based upon the Roald Dahl novel about a young girl who is extremely bright but lives with her infuriating family, her father a dodgy car salesman, mum a bit of a blonde housewife and brother who is the favourite child. Matilda is ignored and treated badly and spends most of her time immersed in books, a place she would rather be than in front of the telly and through her anger she unlocks a power within herself that she goes on to use to some mischief but also to create some good.
The story is told wonderfully, through extremely strong, witty and well written songs. The children are fantastic, they are all well cast, including Matilda, and have clearly taken the time to learn very clever but very wordy lines. ‘When I Grow Up’ is a particular favourite and ‘Naughty’ is very clever.
Some of the adult swing make up the numbers and voices of children in the school and cleverly assist any of the choreography and acrobatics that appear throughout. Miss Honey is a beautifully written character. She sings the most wonderful song ‘This Little Girl’. My favourite character of all however has to be Miss Trunchbull who is absolutely amazing. A perfect representation of an iconic Roald Dahl character, and you will not believe what this performer can do!
Although the show is a children’s story, do not let this put you off. I can compare it to Toy Story in the way that it is written with children in mind but definitely has jokes and parts that adults will thoroughly enjoy and latch on to. You get a lot from Matilda’s family and you see the journey that Matilda and Miss Honey take in order to reach the heart warming ending of the show.
The set is amazing. Letters and words floating around the stage and lining the sides like a giant crossword, giant swings, brilliant special effects throughout the show. It truly is a spectacular sight to see and if you get a chance to see it do go.
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We had planned to see Matilda in December but there was a problem on stage, so by the time they had fixed it the children actors couldn’t do a full show because they have to have a certain amount of rest between day and evening shows. So they let us all in, and told us to sit where ever we wanted and they sang to us for about an hour and the director and producer talked to the audience about the process of making Matilda the musical. This was amazing (and free, although I would have quite happily paid!), and got me really excited about seeing the show.
We finally got to see it Saturday just gone and it was wonderful. The stage is great and they make such clever use of it. The acting was great and all the children sounded amazing. It brought tears to my eyes at points! I laughed through most of it, as did my nieces who are 5 and 7.
Overall a wonderful show and I have no objection to anyone wanting to take me to see it again!

I don’t know what I was expecting going into this, but it wasn’t what I got. This musical was extremely well done. When sitting at the theatre in the beginning, the set design was pleasing to look at and extremely clever! If you go, try and find all of the words in the words in the scrabble letters surrounding the stage. They will keep coming at you even after you think you have found them all.
A huge part of what made this work for me was Miss Trunchbull. Such an amazing performance. Get ready to be blown away by talented children, hilarious lines, and some surprises throughout the show. Loved it! I still get some of the songs stuck in my head. Lots of fun.

This has got to be my favorite musical of ALL time. I would go into depth about why it’s so good but there really is no need… everything was PERFECT. The cast. The set. The music. The mood. The audience. The atmosphere.
My favorite thing of all, however, has got to be the cast. Mostly comprised of children, they handle themselves on stage with an extremely high level of professionalism and maturity. it was amazing. They were moving sets, singing, dancing… Doing everything that you wouldn’t expect someone so young to be doing so well. They were all so endearing and Matilda, of course, was adorable and oh so talented.
We got there at 6AM to line up in the cold for the 5 pound tickets… but it was worth every moment. Best 5 pounds I spent in London.

I waited an entire year to see this show! It. Was. Incredible. I went with my mom and we fully enjoyed the set, actors, and special «matilda cockatails». I adore Roald Dahl, and even though the story wasn’t exaaactttllyyy the same, I still loved it all the same. Great for all ages (seriously).

Matilda is AMAZING! Easily one of the best musicals I’ve seen in the past 10 years and suitable for all ages. If you are visiting London and somehow manage to get tickets, GET THEM. You will not get these from last minute booths on the day. Book ahead and expect to pay a fair bit for them.
The songs are brilliant and so catchy, I’m still humming «When I grow up», «Sometimes you have to be a little bit naughty» and «Revolting Children» 9 months later. The staging is fantastic and the girl (girls but I only saw one) who plays Matilda is fantastic, as are the other children.
Absolutely fantastic!

Matilda has been winning rave reviews and scooped a load of Olivier awards this year including best musical. Can a musical based upon a children’s book by Roald Dahl, set up by the Royal Shakespeare Company really have the depth and storyline to justify its standing as the best in the West End?
Well, let me tell you how I feel. I’ve seen it twice in the last month. I bought some tickets to Matilda for a friend’s birthday. I came out of that performance and went stright back to get tickets for my mum, dad and sister (and of course myself!). It’s a MUST SEE musical!
On entry to Cambridge Theatre, you can straightaway see that it’s a musical a least partly aimed at kids — the merchandising at the shop on the ground floor includes mini chairs and mini blackboards. On the way up the stairs, there are lots of naughty kiddy things written on chalkboards such as ‘Ugly Sister’ and ‘No Smelly Boys’. Perfetc opportunities for photos!
The theatre itself is quite compact and the banking of the seating isn’t the steepest, which did create problems for some of the smaller kids in the audience. A little tiip or parents — you can get cushions for your kids from the theatre staff so that they get a decent view
The set is wonderful with your eye immediately drawn to the big colourful blocks with letters on them, which decorate the stage when you first arrive. These spell out words as the set cleverly metamorphosises into everything from a classroom to a library to a gym to a delivery room. Having seen it twice, I can now see the little clues the words give during the musical. The lighting is especially clever to enhance the overall staging of the show, which includes a few surprises. You will laugh and you will jump! If you like magic like me, you’ll be mystified how they pull off one of the tricks in the show
This is a wonderful high tempo show, right from the beginning. The feel good factor is palpable with Tim Minchin’s clever happy tunes enhancing Dennis Kelly’s production. Unlike a lot of musicals, the music is catchy and memorable — I caught myself humming some of the themes the day after because they’re uplifting. The words also bring a smile to your face and I’m sure, would have done to Roald Dahl’s face too if he was around to hear this adaptation of his book
You would think it would be hard to please an audience of all ages but this is a sign of the genius of this show. The kids have slapstick moments to make them laugh. The adults have genuine moments of nostalgia of what it’s like to be a child during the signature song ‘When I Grow Up’ as well as a few truly heart breaking moments, which did induce a few quick tear-​clearing blinking moments in this reviewer. It tests the range of your emotions but with a villain dispatched, there is a genuinely happy ending, that really does make you feel good as you know in your heart that they live happily ever after. There’s even a quick nod to last year’s royal wedding at the end of the show
I’ve already bought the music from iTunes (half the price of the CD in the theatre)
So, what have I learned from this musical?
In no particular order, firstly, children are maggots. The bigger the telly, the smarter the man. And of course, sometimes you have to be a little bit naughty!
Critics call this a genre defining musical. It’s certainly very different to anything else in the West End at the moment. Run, don’t walk to get a ticket