Matilda the Musical is one giant chocolate cake I will fully devour

I first watched Matilda the Musical in 2019 – the play had made its Asia debut in Singapore then. I laughed, gasped, and then sobbed as I got schooled by a child in a magically evil world, about the beauty of rising in spite of your tribulations. Then I pondered with longing if I would ever be lucky enough to watch it again. Now that 101-award-winning musical is back on our shores, I’ll tell you the wait could not have been more worth every second my brain spent thinking about it these last five years.

Even if you’re little you can do a lot

To those unfamiliar, Matilda the Musical is a 140-minute stage adaptation based on Roald Dahl’s 1988 novel of the same name. It’s categorised as a children’s novel, but as you’ll find when you’re looking back on the literature you loved growing up, packs deep and dark messages for different people in different stages of their lives. To add to that, Roald Dahl’s children’s books are often chocolate-coated parcels of gleefully revolting detail and adult innuendo. In the case of Matilda, you’ll get extra bonus points if you’ve got daddy or mommy issues, because it’s going to get emotional.

The themes of Matilda the Musical are ever-precious in today’s social climate. The story speaks of the reality-altering power of friendship, and of standing tall against injustices in fear-trodden environments – “If it’s not right, you have to put it right,” says the five-year protagonist of the play (Matilda), at first appearing powerless against the dictatorship of her school headmistress Miss Trunchbull.

So wicked is Headmistress Trunchbull that she punishes students (aka maggots) by sending them to Chokey, a room too small to stand up in, and said to be coated in broken glass and sharp nails.

Headmistress Trunchbull is an Olympic hammer-throwing champion.

Also in the story are Matilda‘s fellow classmates, and a “good” adult, Miss Honey, who is their class teacher on a character journey toward self-confidence and identity for the betterment of the children. All of them need saving, but perhaps the one who needs the most saving is Matilda Wormwood herself, the unwanted child whose parents are both abusive and downright dumb, having clearly never touched a book in their lives.

In the play we learn that the five-year-old, played by the tiniest little actress in the cast, is no victim at all. We get to experience the unbeatable aspect of Matilda the Musical – watching an entire cast with numerous adults be essentially directed through imagination, song, and feeling, by one young saviour.

Same same, but different

Made up of talents from the Royal Shakespeare Company, the cast of Matilda the Musical in Singapore’s 2024 shows is spectacular.

The ensemble features three talented portrayals of Matilda Wormwood, brought to life by Yolani Balfour, Donna Craig, and Myla Williams. Complementing them are standout performances by Gemma Scholes as Miss Honey, Matthew Rowland as Mr. Wormwood, Emily Squibb as Mrs. Wormwood, and James Wolstenholme as the indomitable Miss Trunchbull, among others.

Standout performances came from the entirety of the cast, and I walked out of the theatre overhearing different people pick different favourites. Yolani Balfour as Matilda in particular flaunted her chops in the second act of the show, after some of the actress’ nerves had calmed and she stood all the taller in contrast to Miss Trunchbull. Her soulful performance in the musical number “Quiet” had me and my seat-buddies holding back our tears.

The supporting cast of students and stunt performers seem at home at the Marina Bay Sands stage, carrying the many blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moving elements of Matilda the Musical’s set and musical numbers with jaw-dropping precision.

One of the greatest characters in Matilda the Musical is undoubtedly its simplistic set, functionally brilliant, with form capable of carrying our Roald Dahl’s imaginative world.

The backstage talent of Matilda the Musical must not be forgotten and their skill is evident in a powerful orchestra that did Tim Minchin’s songs justice, and a surprising array of practical effects that give this musical its inimitable charm, reminding you just what a wonderful privilege it is to still experience a craft that is live instead of digital.

In a world where hope continues to dim, Matilda the Musical is a light that emboldens the soul.