What astonishes most about this RSC production of the well-known Roald Dahl story are the razor-sharp performances given by the children in the cast. Tonight, it was Olivia Juno Cleverley’s turn in the spotlight, in her debut professional role as Matilda. As she struck a final defiant backlit pose the audience rose as one to acclaim her achievement. Despite her diminutive size on the enormous Hippodrome stage she never looked anything other than in complete charge of it. And with wonderful stand-out support from Charlie Garton as cake-devouring Bruce Bogtrotter, Lily Van Veen as best friend Lavender and her six other brilliant classmates, this production never lost pace or conviction. 

What a pity, then, that the beginning really is, frankly, just too silly. Mrs Wormwood (Rebecca Thornhill) is about to audition for a semi-final of a dance competition, but her extended abdomen is giving her a problem. Her doctor (Peter Bindloss) pronounces her nine months pregnant as if it’s a surprise, then goes into a rather sloppy song, Miracle, about bringing children into the world. Mr Wormwood (Sebastien Torkia) then professes not to understand the new baby’s gender – ok, it sets up his appallingly male-centric, misogynist character, but there are limits! I’m sure Matilda could have been brought into the world without this nonsense! But then, thankfully, the show kicks on well, with Torkia and Thornhill going delightfully over the top as Matilda’s utterly self-interested parents.

Matilda quickly grows into a precociously gifted child, finding solace from her father’s verbal abuse in the books she loves reading at a very young age. At her local library (wonderfully realised by Ben Davies’ sliding set design), Matilda develops her passion for story-telling, in particular for a tale involving an acrobat and an escapologist which is beautifully rendered as a shadow play.  But she is not a child that is easily cowed, cue the song ‘naughty’. Revenge comes in the form of some creative use of hydrogen peroxide and some superglue! But soon she is plunged under the awful jurisdiction of the terrifying Miss Trunchbull. Elliot Harper does a great job as the looming, booming Head.

Scenes that have no doubt been seen by many on film are brought to life again here.  Trunchbull seizes a girl by the pigtails and sends her heavenwards, revisiting the technique that won her gold in the hammer throw. Bogtrotter is forced to eat an entire chocolate cake before being dragged off to ‘chokey’ a cupboard lined with sharp objects. There is some outstanding choreography when the children jump on their desks to deliver The Chokey Chant and later Bruce. A wonderful gym sequence led by the dreadful Trunchbull ends hilariously with the ghastly head showing off with a jump and somersault over a vaulting horse.

Dahl’s dark visions of overbearing authority are given full rein in Trunchbull’s song The Smell of Rebellion in which she seeks to crush all dissent with absolute authority. Cleverley’s Matilda replies with a beautiful version of Quiet in which the young girl summons her powers to counter her despotic mistress.

Throughout, Carly Thoms portrays Matilda’s sympathetic teacher Miss Honey with a kindness and quiet modesty missing from all the other adults around her. In the very touching My House, Thoms reveals a lovely singing voice before revealing Miss Honey’s life under a cruel aunt whose identity the clever Matilda suddenly realises.

Children in the audience will love Matilda’s power of telekinesis with which she can use to move objects simply by looking at them. As Trunchbull looks set to incarcerate Matilda’s entire class in multiple ‘chokeys’, the class erupts with the song Revolting Children as Matilda uses her superhuman ability to finally subdue her adversary. Classic Dahl ‘Good versus Evil’ narrative, and very much alive at the Hippodrome.    ★★★★☆     Simon Bishop    10^th May 2019