Matilda, Roald Dahl’s tale of an extraordinary young girl who seeks refuge in books, gave many of us the taste of rebellion as children. Rereading the book as an adult is as much of a rush, giving one unabashed joy in Matilda’s eventual victory. The book is truly for everyone.
Its 1996 film adaptation, directed and produced by Danny DeVito, brought to its viewers a young Mara Wilson as Matilda with mischief in her. While it stayed true to the original plot, it took a leap of faith with Matilda’s brave use of her magical powers and a somewhat complex climax. It was exciting and kept you on edge for her victory.
But no matter what the version be—the book, film and the musical—, Matilda always wins.
Matilda The Musical, which has won over 100 awards. was first produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon, in 2010. Brought to India for the first time by the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre, it is every bit as delightful as the book but takes liberties and has its own story to tell. Originally directed by Matthew Warchus, and written by Dennis Kelly, with songs by comedian Tim Minchin, the musical’s success hardly seems like a surprise. It’s as suitable for adults as it is for children, like its earlier book and film versions.
Despite watching every version of Matilda available in India, the stage musical presents a fresh take and viewing experience. It’s not often that you watch young actors swing their way into the viewers’ hearts quite literally from suspended blocks of wood that are a part of the set.
The musical begins with Miracle, a song that early on sets the tone for Matilda’s place in her home. Her father wants a boy and is unwilling to accept the birth of a girl child. She falls into neglect soon until she meets Mrs Phelps, a generous librarian, who can’t get enough of the child’s early reading and, in this case, stories.
Every time it veers away from the original, Matilda The Musical rewards the audience. Sometimes it is with humour, as in the case of a Bulgarian mafia intervention, or a spectacle, like a dance competition subplot.
James Wolstenholme as Miss Trunchbull delivers a crackling, albeit terrifying, characterisation of the little girl’s archnemesis. Over a call, he recalls a child crying in the audience at one of their shows in India. “I felt sorry for him. There are moments that can be quite terrifying, but quickly enough humour takes over,” he says.
Wolstenholme is also part of the London cast of the musical and remembers preparing for the role when he first got the job. He specifically picked out the language that described Miss Trunchbull, and responded to them. “There’s a moment when she is described like a tank moving through the playground, and you get this image of a massive, bulky machine moving on the tracks. In another, she is a shark who can smell blood. I use this specifically when looking for Matilda in the classroom,” he adds.
Matilda The Musical takes a minimal but interesting detour from the book to dig deeper into the character of Miss Honey. She is a kind teacher, who nurtures Matilda into realising her potential while battling her own past trauma. Gina Beck, also part of the London cast, plays this layered character with a rare softness that’s hard to achieve. The word ‘fragile’, she tells us, was often used to describe Miss Honey. “She has to come from a place of trauma and it's hard as an actor to delve into that. The biggest challenge is to not play her as ‘one-note’. When she’s talking to Miss Trunchbull, she is a different person. She is absolutely terrified of her. In the classroom, she is in her element,” says Beck.
Three child actors, Yolani Balfour, Donna Craig, and Myla Williams, take turns to play the protagonist, Matilda. They also double up as Amanda Thripp. The young girls carry the production on their delicate shoulders with conviction and ease. They are vulnerable, firm, and mischievous, urging audiences to get a little bit Naughty (a popular track from the musical), now and then. Natalie Gilhome, resident director, Matilda The Musical, loves working with the child cast. “There’s something so wonderful and uninhibited about them. As we grow older, our imagination gets a bit dull. It’s exciting to watch such raw talent,” she says. “Matilda is rarely off-stage. It’s a lot we ask of them. Every time I come out for a bow, my heart skips a beat.”
A lot remains with you for days after you’ve watched the show—the bookshelf sets, the gymnastic display of the English alphabet, and the banger that is Minchin’s Revolting Children. But most of all, it is the childlike wonder that takes you back to the first time you read Dahl’s magical creation.
Matilda The Musical plays at the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC), in Mumbai, on 2 June, at 7 pm and 7.30 pm.
Prachi Sibal is an independent art and culture writer.
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