Matilda Jnr - a review

This year, an S6 Journalism initiative has been introduced as part of our extensive enrichment programme. Pupils have been learning about creating engaging copy suitable for a variety of platforms and audiences, drawing particular attention to 'hard news' and 'soft news'. As a means to develop this skill set, Rosie (S6) donned her 'Theatre Critic hat' for the S3 run of Matilda Jnr last week and produced a super review of the production:

Anything but 'R-E-V-O-L-T-I-N-G!'

'Matilda Jr' follows the story of a young girl named Matilda who manages to persevere and remain positive and strong willed in spite of her cruel and unloving family.  She finds comfort in reading books and stories, and when she is eventually allowed to go to school, she creates a close bond with her teacher Miss Honey. Upon arrival at school, Matilda discovers that the school treats her no better than her parents, with Miss Trunchbull, the wicked headteacher running the school. Throughout the musical, Matilda makes friends with her classmates and teaches them about being resilient through sticking up for them and not settling for anything but the truth. 

The play was brought to life by the work of the behind stage crew through a detailed, colourful and accurate set. The lighting brought the play together and helped to create  context and to set the atmosphere as well as adding an extra layer to the musical numbers. The exceptional orchestra also played a large role in creating a polished production as they allowed for a smooth transition into new scenes, setting the tone for upcoming scenes . 

The production was filled with well choreographed and perfectly executed musical numbers, however, it was the final act of the song ‘Revolting Children’ that stood out the most. The most anticipated number did not disappoint, closing the show with a bang, leaving the audience on their feet! The electric number closed the show in the best way possible. 

Congratulations to all those who were involved for such a magnificent performance and a truly wonderful adaptation of the play. A special mention needs to go to Ellen Peters, who played the lead role of Matilda and Ewan Robertson who played Agatha Trunchbull, whose talents could not go unnoticed with their extraordinary voices and ability to capture and take on the role of their characters being demonstrated through the whole of the play. With Miss Culpins excellent choice of musical and fantastic execution, it was clear that all that were involved engaged extremely well with the material and had a fantastic time both on and off the stage.