Review | Matilda The Musical, London

My Mum mentioned wanting to catch Matilda The Musical at the Cambridge Theatre.

Being the brilliant daughter that I am, come Christmas Day, an envelope under the tree was opened containing a pair of tickets to Matilda. Although, one was for me, sorry Dad. And the whole day was definitely one of my favourite shared memories with my parents.

We left my Dad with his printed map in hand to go city exploring and people-watching, and moseyed on into Cambridge Theatre. After taking some silly Matilda pose photos, obviously.

We were sat at the very back of the stalls – I’d initally had my cheapskate head on and looked at the cheapest circle seats – but when I checked out views on trusty SeatPlan, I realised I’d rather pay a bit more for a better view.

We ended up with a cracking view – plus, it worked out that the seats either side of us were both empty. I’d take offence that no one wanted to sit with us, but it was quite nice to have the space, really.

The set was incredibly detailed – with alphabet building blocks surrounding it, clearly a lot of effort had gone into it. After a quick chat and a visit to the bar, it was SHOWTIME. And I loved it.

Normally I’m not a lover of singing children. That’s the main reason I avoid Britain’s Got Talent. However, the child performers in Matilda were phenomenally talented more energetic than a bag full of jumping beans, easily competing with the adult cast members. The young actress playing Matilda gave a stunning performance, oozing sass beyond her years and a cheeky, devilish charm.

Unsurprisingly, due to the fact that Tim Minchin had a big hand in creating the musical, there were some fantastic songs in the show. The whole thing was visually impressive, with creative set choices and humorous characterisation – particularly noticeable with the Wormwood parents and Matilda’s brother (who definitely reminded me of ‘Kevin The Teenager’, if you remember those good old days).