Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical at Alhambra Theatre, Bradford Review
DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW
Reviewed by Deborah Banasko
Matilda is the show that I have been waiting to watch for a very long time, and I decided to bring along my 7-year-old for their first ever theatre show, with the highest of hopes. We were familiar with the songs due to the 2022 movie, but I did wonder whether they would work on stage in the same way (spoiler alert; they did, with bells on).
Roald Dahl is one of my favourite authors, and this glorious story coupled with music and lyrics by Tim Minchin makes for something quite spectacular. This show from the Royal Shakespeare Company has been touring since 2018/19 and has won numerous awards over the years.
For those who may not have read the book or watched the movies, Matilda is the most magical story of an extraordinary girl who stands up to the school bully, her headmistress Miss Trunchbull (Richard Hurst).
Matilda is just 5 years old, but her love of books and her brilliant mind make an instant impression on her teacher, Miss Honey (Tessa Kadler), who takes a keen interest in educating the little girl. Matilda comes from a home lacking in love and is treated poorly by her parents, but as she begins to learn about her special powers, she uses them to play tricks and seek revenge on those who are cruel to her and the people she cares about. It is a story of courage, power, right versus wrong and true family.
The role of Matilda is shared equally by Madison Davis, Mollie Hutton, Olivia Ironmonger and Sanna Kurihara; whilst Oisin-Luca Pegg, Carter-J Murphy, Brodie Robson and Takunda Khumalo share the role of Bruce. In our performance Matilda was played by Madison Davis, and the role of Bruce was played by Brodie Robson.
It is quite an experience to watch such young children on stage oozing talent from every pore, almost emotionally overwhelming. These children are rehearsed to the point of perfection, not a foot is out of place and nor is one word missed, yet the whole performance is natural and believable. It is a great show for kids naturally, with the cast swinging out on their tummies into the audience and zooming into their finale on brightly coloured scooters. Yet adults will also appreciate the humour and stand-out performances from Mr. and Mrs. Wormwood (Adam Stafford and Rebecca Thornhill) and the Mrs. Wormwood’s dance partner Rudolpho (Ryan Lay).
Miss Trunchbull (Hurst) deserves a paragraph of their own, purely as I am a little scared not to. Hurst was cast perfectly into this role and plays it with an eerie calm. The costumes, the hair, the make-up and even the tension-creating music coupled with the lighting changes made me feel the need to constantly check that my son wasn’t too scared; he wasn’t, although he wouldn’t have wanted to get much closer to her.
There is some very clever choreography throughout, and I have no idea how the cast weren’t colliding during the faster dance numbers; the timing for the “School Song” was remarkable and really unlike anything I have seen on stage before. The set is quite dynamic and changes seamlessly between scenes. There’s a lovely juxtaposition between the drab office of Miss Trunchbull and the gaudy green of the Wormwood’s house, with quirky little pictures and ornaments.
The vocals were wonderful, we particularly loved “Revolting Children” and thought that Brodie Robson shone in this number, and throughout. I think that any Matilda fan has to agree that “Naughty” always deserves a mention, but in the show this was perfectly portrayed by Madison Davis. I cannot grasp how a child can perform to such a standard, she blew us away.
Now for the important stuff that every kid wants to know. I will clarify that Yes, Amanda Thripp is spun around and thrown by her pigtails; you will have to watch it to see how they pull it off, but as far as my son is concerned that poor girl was thrown (and survived). Secondly, yes, a child does have their ears visible stretched, and Bruce does consume a full cake… and many of the other magical things that you love about the book are included in the show. Be prepared to gasp! The lighting design, special effects and choreography are pure genius, and I was so pleased to see the chalkboard too! This show fully delivers for fans of Matilda and left me in disbelief at how they pulled off some of their tricks.
A very easy 5 stars out of 5 for a first-class must-see show.
Rating: 5/5 stars
The show runs at Bradford Alhambra from 30th October until 23rd November 2025, and tickets are priced between £21.50 and £88.50 (age 6+ age guidance, with the exclusion of the chilled performance on 9th November 2.30pm).
You can purchase tickets here: https://www.bradford-theatres.co.uk/whats-on/matilda