Matilda the Musical at the Theatre Royal Plymouth Review

Reviewed by Nicola Wilkinson

Last night I had the pleasure of watching Matilda the Musical at the Theatre Royal in Plymouth!

The theatre is situated within the centre of the town and you can get to it by car, bus and train (with a small walk) there are plenty of parking locally and lots of nice places to eat nearby and also within the theatre.

When we arrived at the theatre it was very busy but a great atmosphere with a mix of ages and a few groups of children. We were sat in the circle and as soon we sat down my son started asking questions about the set and as soon as it started we were mesmerised some of the scenes were amazing and so well thought out.

The Royal Shakespeare Company tell the story of Matilda brilliantly, especially all the children who knew their parts perfectly. The professionalism of all the children is a real credit to the company. I think it is one the slickest shows I have seen.

The story of Matilda is so heart-warming with the show having a mix of humour and mystery. The comedy performance from Mr & Mrs Wormwood (Rebecca Thorhill and Sebastien Torkia) was brilliant and they were paired well not forgetting their son Michael Wormwood (Matthew Caputo), who my son found very funny. We really enjoyed and laughed a lot not forgetting Miss Trunchbull (Elliot Harper) who was also very funny, although my son thought she would have been scarier!

I’d like to congratulate Poppy Jones who played Matilda last night, she was outstanding and it’s easy to forget she’s so young with so much to remember. She was well suited for the role and was so confident and at ease in her solos. You should be so proud of yourself Poppy.

Another mention is to Chantelle Tonolete who played Lavender, she certainly owns the stage, full of energy and lots of confidence and total pleasure to watch.

There was a standing ovation at the end which was totally deserved and the look of pride on Matilda’s (Poppy Jones) face was priceless she looked so pleased with herself and so she should.

I would highly recommend going to see Matilda, this is the perfect family production. My son is asking to go again! But even without children you would still enjoy it just as much.

Once again, all the staff at the theatre were friendly and on hand to answer any questions. There is a list of roles in the foyer we took a photo of before going to our seats and it was nice to be able to go through the programs and see who were playing the roles before the performance started.

Rating: 5/5

Tickets cost from £15.50 to £65 (booking fees may apply).

Matilda the Musical is at the Theatre Royal in Plymouth from 15 January to 16 February 2019, for more information or to book tickets visit www.theatreroyal.com or call the box office on 01752 267222.

Theatre Royal Plymouth, Royal Parade, Plymouth, PL1 2TR | 01752 267222