Last week I was invited along to go watch Matilda live at the Cambridge theatre in London. I hadn’t previously seen any reviews or spoken to anyone who had seen it so went along completely blind, and took my boyfriend Chris with me. We weren’t aloud to take photos but I have some press ones below.
The theatre was really intimate and we were sat central in the stalls area, so it felt like the perfect distance from the stage. From start to finish the show completely blew me away. The songs were so catchy that as soon as I left I was already singing them with Chris. The children were so talented and a joy to watch, especially my personal favourite Bruce, who was played by Brian Comer that evening (you will see in the programme). Of course, the adult actors were astonishing and the mixture of children and adults playing children made this such a funny and enjoyable experience. I really wasn’t expecting the story line, the songs and the choreography to be so captivating the whole way through but it truly was one of my favourite things I have ever watched. I smiled, laughed, awed, jumped out of my skin and sang along with them even when I didn’t know the songs. One last point to add, the set design was phenomenal, each element of the show assisted one another making it a truly wonderful thing to watch.
The Gardian said: “If anything, it is actually richer than Dahl’s novel. It captures all the original’s delicious nastiness, particular in depicting Matilda’s school, Crunchem Hall (motto: “children are maggots”), run by the fearsome Miss Trunchbull, but it also celebrates the solace of books and transforming powers of the imagination.”
The Telegraph said: “When it came to deciding which production should receive the price for best musical at the Evening Standard Drama Awards this year, there was virtually no debate among the judges. It was crystal clear that the statuette should go to the RSC’d hilarious, moving and magical production of Matilda.”
Chris Says: “For someone who isn’t a regular Theatre goer and didn’t have much of an idea what to expect, I found the performance absolutely enthralling. I loved every second.”
#MATILDAPOSE
If you are travelling to London for the day, especially for the show, then I highly recommend booking the Matilda themed afternoon tea opposite the theatre at Scoff & Banter, for the ultimate overall experience. You can see below I tried it for myself with my friend Adora, as it was an opportunity to have a girlie afternoon.
The afternoon tea itself was hard to relate to the actual show of Matilda, but albeit we did order the adult version with prosecco jelly shots, but in heinsight should have gone for the children’s version with lemonade jelly shots with candied newts! It sounds a lot more exciting and in keeping with the theme of Matilda.
My point here though, is that it’s a great bonus to book and take your family or children for an overall experience. The chocolate cake was delicious and the sandwiches were simple yet satisfying. As the venue is opposite the theatre it’s perfect for getting fuelled up before the show and making your children even more excited before hand!
