London Theatre Review: Marvellous Matilda at the Cambridge Theatre

Posted on Sep 20, 2019 | By Kay Johal (Updated on Sep 23, 2019)

Matilda the Musical, with music and lyrics by the talented Tim Minchin is always going to be a good time. I was most interested to see how children would be able to get lost in the story, to be absorbed by the magic that it has to offer. Set in the charming Cambridge Theatre, it has quite the staging and setting and Crunchem Hall is set very well. Of particular note are the letters of the alphabet displayed and dotted around – I wonder what K stands for…

London Theatre Review: Marvellous Matilda at the Cambridge Theatre — The marvellous cast of Matilda will have you soaring!

The show is introducing its 100th Matilda in this rotation and 'my' Matilda was young Alex Munden. A very pure voice and a delight to watch, she excelled in keeping a firm grip on the amount of dialogue (and being swung around by her plaits) her role has. Elliot Harper (fresh from the tour) is firmly embedded when handling the maggots as Miss Trunchbull, hilariously entertaining and scary in equal measure. And of course, the divine Gina Beck as Miss Honey, displaying her loving and maternal side, delivering what Matilda and the audience desired as an outcome. The little girl with the magic inside retained her innocence the whole way through. Mr and Mrs Wormood brought jolliness to the proceedings, predictable but nonetheless fun.

The songs are catchy, and along with the children who attended I was mesmerised at how well the story was put together. It made me realise two things – Roald Dahl will be passed down from generation to generation, and theatre will always have longevity in productions of this calibre. It is a treat for both children and parents alike. My favourite song from the production is “When I Grow Up” which somehow feels relatable to us all. I feel that even though I have grown up, I would like to grow back down!