Matilda Jr – cheeky children make short work of Miss Trunchbull (BSPA at The MAC, Friday 14–Saturday 15 August)

Young Matilda is the bookish daughter of parents who value appearance and money. While her new schoolteacher recognises her precocious intelligence, the vile headmistress has no place for talent amongst the ‘maggots’.

For more than a decade, Matilda the Musical was the unexpected goose that laid golden eggs for the Royal Shakespeare Company. It remains a popular show with youth musical theatre and Matilda Jr is one of this summer’s BSPA productions, so oversubscribed that they have two full casts alternating during the short run. (I attended a performance by the ‘Wormwood’ cast.)

A veteran of BSPA since the age of three, 11-year-old Maisie Armstrong is a relaxed and mature presence, with big stage-filling gestures during her first song (Naughty), great vocals and stacks of attitude befitting the learned child with a keen sense of justice and a smidgeon of mischief. Fern Mellor and Abigail Reid become delightfully neglectful parents, Mr and Mrs Wormwood, with Mellor zeroing in on the father’s absurd Del Boy schemes, and Reid delighting in the post-interval performance of Loud before act two began.

The cast of fifty adopt English accents, except librarian Mrs Phelps (Chloe Anderson) who is gifted a broad Norn Iron twang as she listens to each episode of Matilda’s tragic escapologist serial. Eliana Lamberton captures the vicious side to Principal Trunchbull, barking orders and dispensing summary justice with cruel punishments. Emma Fitzsimons brings a warmth to Miss Honey, quickly establishing her character’s connection with Matilda.

Jett Dawson makes short work of the chocolate cake in his role of Bruce, with impressive vocals that cut through in the Revolting Children finale. One to watch in future productions.

Director Mimi Burns gets a lot out of her youthful cast. When I Grow Up is a particularly well-executed piece of choreography (Sean O’Neill) and singing (Ryan Greer), with rich harmonies and counterpoint. Miss Trunchbull swinging Amanda around by the pigtails is a simple but rather pleasing practical effect (and justifies the whole hammer throwing backstory).

Sewing a BSPA badge onto Matilda’s school pinafore is a nice touch. The ensemble’s diction was unsure in the full cast opening number (Miracle) but quickly improved. The official licensed script for Matilda Jr makes so many cuts that Matilda’s late second act discovery of her gift of telekinesis is a real weakness in the storytelling that’s hard to overcome given the lack of foreshadowing. While projection is needed for the blackboard scene towards the end, earlier use of the screen was hampered by the stage lighting and could probably have been dropped.

It’s a credit to the creative team that the times by during the performance. With minimal staging and simple props, the energy of the performers shines through and carries the drama. As always, it’s good to spot students returning from previous summer shows, and no doubt some formerly junior performers will be on stage in next week’s senior BSPA production of Hadestown: Teen Edition (Thursday 20–Saturday 22 August).

Photo credit: Toby Watson Photos

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