Review: Matilda the Musical at Sunderland Empire
Only something special could prise me from beneath a heated blanket this week - and sharing this show’s magic with my favourite seven-year-old more than qualified
Fifteen years after it first opened in Stratford-upon-Avon, Matilda The Musical feels as fresh, funny and razor-smart as ever.
Back on tour and playing Sunderland Empire until February 28, the Royal Shakespeare Company’s multi-award-winning production remains a high-energy celebration of imagination, mischief and the power of children who refuse to be underestimated.
There was a brief wobble on press night. A technical hiccup immediately after the opening number, Miracle, prompted a short pause. But, in our case, it worked entirely in our favour - my seven-year-old companion seized the moment for an urgent toilet dash, returning just in time for Matilda’s story to properly unfold. Crisis averted. Theatrical magic restored.
This was my fourth visit to this treat of a musical: first with my eldest (now 18), twice with my youngest (14) and now with my great nephew. Universally, unequivocally, five stars across the board.
The reasons for its enduring success are hardly mysterious.
Start with Roald Dahl’s deliciously dark storytelling. Add Tim Minchin’s lyrically nimble, musically brilliant songs - witty enough for the adults, riotous enough for children; Dennis Kelly’s incisive book; Rob Howell’s delightfully detailed set; and Matthew Warchus’ inventive directing and you’ve got a smash of a show which thrills from start to finish.
The young cast are uniformly terrific, delivering complex lyrics and tightly choreographed numbers with astonishing assurance.
On the night I attended, the title role was played with perfect poise by Sanna Kurihara, who captured both Matilda’s vulnerability and her fierce intelligence without ever tipping into precociousness.
Meanwhile Takunda Khumalo delivered a gloriously committed Bruce Bogtrotter - his infamous chocolate cake showdown earning one of the biggest cheers of the evening.
Throughout the Sunderland run, the role of Matilda is shared by Madison Davis, Mollie Hutton, Olivia Ironmonger and Sanna, while Oisin-Luca Pegg, Carter-J Murphy, Brodie Robson and Takunda rotate as Bruce - a testament to the depth of young talent sustaining a show of this scale eight times a week.
The villainous Miss Trunchbull (Richard Hurst) is a phenomenal comic creation - terrifying and ridiculous in equal measure - while the Wormwood family (and their scene-stealing, salsa-loving friend) provide buckets of laughs from the depths of their dreadfulness.
Esther Niles’ Mrs Phelps is beautifully attuned to the extraordinary child before her, visibly captivated by Matilda and the wild, wonderful stories she spins. Alongside her, Tessa Kadler’s Miss Honey charts a tender journey from timid, mouse-like teacher to quietly resolute protector, her growing courage unfolding with real emotional warmth.
I was pregnant with my youngest when I interviewed Tim Minchin the day after the show’s first preview in Stratford. The relief in his voice was palpable. He may not have known he had a global smash on his hands — but he knew people loved it. And why wouldn’t they?
Eight years later, that baby was striking the now-iconic hands-on-hips pose, playing Matilda at weekend stage school.
I wouldn’t be at all surprised if one day I’m taking her kids to see it. Can’t wait.
Matilda The Musical is at Sunderland Empire until February 28. Visit the website for details and booking.