Co-presented by Base Entertainment Asia and GWB Entertainment, the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Matilda The Musical returned to Singapore to give audience members a taste of top-tier British musical talent, and enamour them with Roald Dahl’s classic tale of fighting against injustice, and the power of family.

Based on Dahl’s beloved children’s book of the same name, Matilda centres on its titular protagonist, a precocious six-year old girl who displays intelligence and wit far beyond her peers, only to be ignored and put aside by her negligent parents. Sweeping awards when it first premiered, Matilda The Musical is a non-stop whirlwind of fun from the moment it begins. Introduced to both Mr and Mrs Wormwood (Matthew Roland and Emily Squibb), who care more about their own careers than the birth of their own daughter, we already get an insight into the potentially tragic backstory that Matilda might experience. Yet rather than being a pushover, Matilda fights back in her own ‘naughty’ way with practical jokes, and young actor Yolani Balfour shows off her natural charm and acting – her enunciation is crisp and clear, and endears us to root for her every step of the way. Yolani does all this, while also showing off a powerful, confident voice in the number ‘Naughty’, and confirming her status as a star in the making.

Matilda however is faced with brand new challenges when she finally gets to school – as much as she excels in the academic side of things, the sudden shift in the set by Rob Howell, from the Wormwoods’ eclectic, colourful and messy home to the darker, dungeon-like school environment, suggests that there is something terrible to come. That would come in the form of the Trunchbull, the fearsome headmistress and former Olympian who thinks all children are ‘maggots’. Actor James Wolstenholme manages to both camp up the role while also feeling genuinely terrifying, towering above all the other actors, and with a bit of theatre magic, even manages to ‘throw’ a child offstage by swinging her by her pigtails, in the iconic song ‘The Hammer’. Naturally, the Trunchbull eventually comes for Matilda and her friends as well, and the remainder of the musical focuses on how they defeat her.

They’re not alone in this however, as they find other allies at school – Miss Honey, who’s as sweet as her name sounds. Gemma Scholes embodies this perfectly, coming across as mousy but good-natured, shy but kind beyond anyone else, and also armed with a powerful voice, whether in her burst of love for Matilda (‘This Little Girl’) or ringing out in her section in ‘When I Grow Up’, a beautiful, soulful reminiscence of childhood, in contrast to the children’s more innocent rendition of hope and positivity. Also siding with Matilda is Mrs Phelps the librarian (played by a wise, sagely Londiwe Dhlomo-Dlamini), who provides occasional solace when Matilda goes to her to tell a supposedly made-up story about two acrobats, beautifully depicted on a screen. The power of its words effectively keep us hanging on to its plot as more and more is revealed – and all of it makes sense by the end and ties in nicely with the main plotline.

Matilda The Musical is primarily supported by both its very capable main cast and ensemble, all working together to fully immerse us into this slightly off-kilter but familiar world. The ensemble is a joy to watch in their group numbers, where the ‘School Song’ is a standout for its witty lyrics, the cast moving like clockwork as they sync every movement to blocks showcasing letters in the alphabet while singing the right lines, while ‘When I Grow Up’ sees them swinging from great heights onstage, or climbing and jumping about, reminding us all of the joy of childhood innocence. Choreographer Peter Darling and director Matthew Warchus ensure that every cast member is given their chance in the spotlight – Emily Squibb, as Mrs Wormwood, is also a standout, due to her dancing ability, having scenes dedicated to showing off her ability to salsa to a quick beat perfectly.

Matilda The Musical contains moments of high tension to keep us glued to what’s going to happen next – the Trunchbull truly is a terrifying adversary with her cruelty and willingness to toss children into the feared ‘chokey’, but there is plenty of heart and energy that keeps us hoping and rooting for them all. In the darkest of moments, there remains genuine emotion between cast members, who have clearly grown close over the months of touring and rehearsals together, such that an embrace between Matilda and Miss Honey makes us feel their warmth, or the cheers in the audience as Matilda discovers her hidden telekinetic ability, triumphing over the Trunchbull once and for all.

As it hurtles towards its happy ending, Matilda The Musical leaves the audience members comforted and amazed by the performance, so much that you start to believe that no matter how tough things get, you can always count on yourself and those around you to lend a hand and work together to overcome any odds. The children are our future, no matter how ‘revolting’ they may be, and in the finale number, the entire cast coming together spells out just how much talent lies within these actors, regardless of role, and the applause is thunderous as we are left enamoured and enchanted by this timeless gem of a musical.

Photo Credit: Hanan Assor

Matilda The Musical plays at the Sands Theatre at Marina Bay Sands from 9th March to 7th April 2024. Tickets available here

Director Matthew Warchus Book Dennis Kelly Music and Lyrics Tim Minchin Cast: Yolani Balfour, Myla Williams, Donna Craig, Ryan Anderson, Londiwe Dhlomo-Dlamini, Jason Kajdi, Jamie Kaye, Matthew Rowland, Gemma Scholes, Emily Squibb, Lucy Warway, James Wolstenholme, Lola Adaja, Renee Alexandra, Jazmin Bird, Alex Charles, Joseph Craig, Sinéad Donnelly, Molly Rees Howe, Brooke Kelly, Kent Jeycocke, Katie Lee, Weslee Swain Lauder, Lizzie Nance, Jonathan Raath, Logan Timbre, Lucas Angelo Ward, Daniel Abrahams, Jayden Seder, Erich Jordaan, Gideon van Biljon Production Design Rob Howell Choreography Peter Darling Music Supervisor Christopher Nightingale Lighting Design Hugh Vanstone Sound Design Simon Baker Special Effects and Illusions Paul Kieve