A conversation about Matilda: the Musical, and how I bullied my friends into ditching dinner plans and working with me. Also this review is full of spoilers – you’ve been warned!
Clara: Wow. Can’t believe that a Thursday evening is shaping out to be better than a Friday night!
Saiba: The kids were so talented! I’m feeling so inspired… should I be in a musical?
Clara: Saiba, you can’t sing… *Laughs*
Clara: I was actually worried going into the musical, because the whole plot revolves around children, but the cast did an amazing job. It was nice to see children do the less visible roles as well, like carrying away the props, because it showed that they really are at the centre of the story, and I think that’s how Roald Dahl intended it.
Saiba: Bruce, the kid who ate the chocolate cake, deserves a special mention for belting out at the end!
Clara: Also, I was a bit concerned when I saw that Headmistress Trunchbull was played by a man, it felt slightly transphobic or sexist in a way. Like, why are women who have masculine traits always the bad guys or the comedic characters? But then I researched it and apparently they asked for both men and women in the casting so that makes it slightly better, I guess.
Saiba: From an artistic standpoint, Trunchbull was one of the most demanding characters to play. It’s never easy being the bad guy in a children’s play. But Hayden Tee’s stage presence, wit and grit really helped him spin everything working against him into a wonderful portrayal – making it one of my favorite performances.
Clara: Plus, it was hard for him and the rest of the cast to live up to the legendary Quentin Blake illustrations, but they managed it very well. Matilda’s character was impressive, she was very faithful to the book’s version of the little girl but with an added nuance, portraying the loneliness that can come with being different in a very touching way. The whole musical kept in line with the book but also added a layer that gave the story more depth, like with the backstories.
Saiba: One of the most magical moments of this musical, was the portrayal of the backstory of the escapologist and his acrobat wife. Gotta admit, this part got me really teary and I just couldn’t help it! For something that is performed through shadows, behind a curtain, to turn out so beautiful and emotionally striking is just impeccable! This musical would not have been what it was if it wasn’t for the attention to the intricate details , the props and the special effects.
Clara: I completely agree. I’ve realized special effects and mise en scène play a big role in how much I like a stage performance and in this case they did not disappoint. I think the moment I knew I was going to like the play was when they used letter blocks as climbing props and sang the song with the alphabet – by the time the curtain came down I was grinning from ear to ear. The first half is good, but the second is just unbelievable!
Saiba: One of the scariest moments was when a kid from the cast dropped from the ceiling to the stage. I swear I felt my heart in my mouth! This extremely talented lot definitely knew how to get the audience engaged. The work put in behind the scenes with the light and sound team is absolutely commendable. Like when the kids were getting detention in the ‘chokey’, there were a crazy number of laser lights striking all across the audience – giving us our 5 seconds of fame!
Clara: I’m not a huge fan of audience involvement, but in this case it made sense: it is, after all, a musical designed for kids, and you could definitely tell that in the humour (burp jokes and such). It felt a bit heavy-handed but the audience liked it. Saiba… are we too old to be watching Matilda?
Saiba: This reminds me of the ‘When I Grow Up’ song, when they talk about eating sweets and sleeping late as the ideal adult life. It was really cute how those are ultimate goals of growing up, I’m sure we all can relate! But it made me look on the massive contrast in what you expect as a kid versus what life is like now.
Clara: Maybe we don’t have the same experience of uni then… I feel like I am living my best adult life, at least from a kid’s perspective! Sleep late if I want to? Check! Eat sweets every day? Check!
*Enter Zachin*
Zachin: Saiba, no one is stopping you from eating Maggi everyday! [Indian ramen]
Saiba: Oh my God… I really need a 7 day Maggi detox!
Clara: That’s not happening because you really can’t cook. *Laughs* I think this shows how relevant the songs stay outside of the context of the story. You can listen to the soundtrack and it will make you think about your own experience, which makes you feel more involved in the performance. The themes of the story were also thought-provoking: I really like that Matilda, despite being very smart and consequently different from her peers, is still appreciated and celebrated by her class.
Zachin: Yes, I thought the idea of a little girl being able to stand up for herself was powerful. What made it better was showing the unity among all the children throughout the play. All in all, I would say that it’s a heartwarming twist on the childhood classic.
Clara and Saiba: Says the guy who hasn’t read the book or seen the movie…
Clara: You’re gonna be so good at bullshitting your essays!
By Clara de Lataillade, Saiba Ahuja and Zachin Rao
