Matilda – Script Youth Musical Theatre Company
Crescent Theatre – Birmingham
Friday 27th September 2024 (Dress Rehearsal)
By : Nigel Gambles
Photographs : Studio 55
Tim Minchin’s extremely popular musical about a young girl called Matilda and her escapades and travails at the hands of her crazy family, a psychopathic headmistress, and a love of books, is now so entrenched in children’s psyche that I think every preteen and tween will know the plot. Not only a full-scale musical, and now a feature film too, this Junior version proves to be a very popular and effective production for youngsters to perform and follows on from the “juniorising” of many other favourites and making them available and suitable for young people to perform.
Script Youth Musical Theatre have a large and thriving youth theatre, and their many members produce an annual show to the delight of family and friends.
I have never seen Matilda in any of its incarnations including this Junior version. The one thing I am told that truly makes this show is the fact that all the more boring, or less interesting sections of the musical have been shaved away, leaving the main storyline, all the best songs, and a child-friendly show of full-on, non-stop entertainment for both cast and audience.
Tilly Cartwright made for a lovely Matilda. A strong and sympathetic young actress with strong vocals and good stage presence. Maddie Howard gave a comedic and forthright turn as Agatha Trunchbull, and was so powerful and nasty at one point, even made me jump. An empathetic librarian Mrs. Phelps, was played with confidence by Peyton Lockley, and the more-than-sympathetic school teacher who befriends Matilda, shielding her from the wrath of Trunchbull was another confident and talented performer, Gracie Reynolds. Niamh Mulligan impressed as Matilda’s self-confessed best friend Lavender, whilst Arlo Conway-Ford brought much comedic campery to bear in his role as ballroom dancing teacher, Rodolpho. The cast completed with Poppy Kerr (Acrobat), Mae Gregory-Martin (Bruce), Lois Rollins (Escapologist), Edward Lawlor (Mr. Wormwood), Darci Rice (Mrs. Wormwood), and other smaller principal and cameo roles, as well as a rather large group of ensemble/chorus members. The entire cast gave their all from start to finish, and obviously had worked very hard bringing their energy, commitment, and enthusiasm to this production making it as enjoyable as it truly was. Congratulations to all the cast!
Finally it would be very remiss not to mention the production team Louise Sall and Tim Rice who’s dedication commitment and support to the young cast was superb. Credit also to Erin Mooney who choreographed for the second time on this show who has put together some fantastic routines.
