Explosion of vibrancy and energy

• Published date: 18 April 2024
• Publication title: Guardian, The

If letter after letter spells 1000 words, move after move creates 1000 pictures and it’s these pictures created by choreographer Ruby Jamieson that hold the show together with visual magic

In a style of choreography aligned with the professional version of Matilda The Musical, the cast deliever her intricate numbers with ease.

It’s detailed and demanding — the combination of commitment between choreographer and cast members exploding on stage over and over again.

A character is as full and dynamic as the person playing it can make it, and under Phil Antsis’ casting and then direction, including of himself as Trunchbull, each and every character is a star, fit for the size of their role. There are no weak links, only fun-filled, entertaining larger-than-life characters every time they appear.

Taking one of Trunchbull’s trophies off her cabinet and renaming it “magic moment of the night” it would be awarded to Danica Manson as Miss Honey. Her My House is beyond beautiful, worth the ticket price on its own.

The New Zealand consortium set and costumes are amazing.

Firstly, how fortunate we are to get to see it on the Regent on Broadway stage with an all local cast owning it with every move, but with a much darker design for the original professional staging. This design is...