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Roald Dahl’s book Matilda, like many of his wonderfully wicked stories is dark and delicious. It was adapted into a film version by Danny DeVito 30 years ago, and it was not a gigantic hit at the box office.
It gained popularity on home video, and contains many memorable scenes featuring the frightful Miss Trunchbull, played by Pam Ferris.
But it was Americanised.
Matilda at the Palace Theatre
Matilda The Musical UK Tour
Playwright and scriptwriter Dennis Kelly adapted it for the stage, after he was approached by the Royal Shakespeare Company, who were looking to produce a musical version.
But which wonderful wordsmith could pen the songs? Step forward, Tim Minchin, and we have a man known for dramas and black comedies, and a composer/comedian teaming up to turn a beloved children’s book into a big, full-blown musical.
It could have been a disaster, as the story features a young kid who loves to read and escape to her local library, and she can move objects with her mind. How can you bring these elements to the stage and make it not look clumsy, or god forbid, boring?
The proof is in the longevity and critical acclaim.
Matilda the Musical opened in 2010, and it has won many awards and continues to play to packed audiences at the Cambridge Theatre in London, and there are productions all over the world, retaining it’s sense of Britishness.
Matilda, played by Mollie Hutton
Matilda (played with genuine innocence and frustration by Mollie Hutton) loves to read, whilst her garish parents love to watch the Telly.
And in a brilliantly humorous reversal, instead of celebrating the fact that their daughter is bookish, well-read and intelligent, they berate her because she is not glued to the gogglebox.
She begins to tire of this lack of parenting, and constant criticism, and she starts to play tricks on her slimy salesman dad (played with Vaudevillian glee by Adam Stafford).
Dennis Kelly’s brilliant book expands Matilda’s universe, whilst retaining all the magic and dark comedy that fans of the book adore.
Iconic Matilda characters
Miss Trunchbull is a brilliant creation, every time she steps onto the stage, you can see kids recoiling, but they cannot wait for her to push over a pupil, or send one of them to the infamous chokey.
Richard Hurst brings mischievous glee to the role, but he never shies away from the fact that this character is being abusive to children, both verbally and physically.
And yes, you will see scenes that you remember, including a child punished or having pig tails, and swung around like an out of control Waltzer, and young Bruce who gets more cake than he bargained for, after eating a slice of Trunchbull’s favourite chocolate confection.
Matilda’s mum (Rebecca Thornhill) loves to dance, and she longs for her daughter to be more like her.
The book never hides the fact that Matilda was not a wanted child, and it makes her revenge plots even applause worthy, when they start to create havoc with her ‘daft as brushes’ family members.
A teacher that makes you feel seen
We have all had at least one teacher who makes you feel ‘seen.’ A great teacher notes what makes you tick, and they support you and recognise your strengths.
Tessa Kadler’s Miss Honey is that teacher and then some. Matilda responds to her immediately, and the many scenes between these two are really touching, without being saccharine and forced; there is something genuinely moving at play here.
The children in the cast bring energy, enthusiasm and high levels of talent. Every scene featuring this terrific team has a rousing quality, because they are so committed and believable.
And during the addictive hook-filled number that is Revolting Children, they excel, and it makes you want to jump onto the stage and join their club.
Peter Darling’s excellent choreography gives this number the feel of a gig that you do not want to end.
Sublime storytelling
And When I Grow Up featuring swings hits the heights, and this song is teasing and tempting, highlighting Minchin’s wonderful and unique lyrical quality, which defies the codes and conventions of many musicals.
This really is poetry in motion.
The entire cast have energy to burn, and there is barely a dull moment here. But this is more than a series of scenes, or a ‘best of’ from a book you love.
It is sublime storytelling, and the songs never feel shoe-horned, they fit like a glove, and they are distinctive and inimitable.
Rob Howell’s superb set invite you into Matilda’s mind, filled with scrabble letters and her love of words. And his costumes highlight key differences between characters, and it fits with illustrator Quentin Blake’s original drawings from Dahl’s timeless book.
Matilda the musical legacy
It may have been around for over 15 years, but this delightfully dark, and often guffaw inducing musical shows no signs of slowing down, or fading.
It retains the black comedy of the best-selling children’s book, but also brings the magic, slapstick humour and an appealing underdog/outsider who stands up to several bullies, as she is going to take no more.
And that means that many generations can enjoy this musical, as opposed to enduring it.
If Matilda was an essay, it would not have a “must try harder” note at the end.
This magnificent musical is flawless, faithful, funny, and fearless.
Book tickets for Matilda
Matilda is at the Palace Theatre until 25 April 2026.
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