I haven't really enjoyed my last three trips to the theatre, though I was fairly confident that tonight would break the curse as I had tickets to see
"Matilda" by Tim Minchin and Dennis Kelly (and originally of course, Roald Dahl). If you are a regular reader of this blog you will know how much I admire and respect the multi-talented Minchin -
his gig at the O2 last year was phenomenal, and by all reports he had excelled himself again. The stupid-haired wanker.
I didn't realise when I booked the tickets, but this was the first preview of the show in its new London home of the Cambridge Theatre and with a show as technical as this one, with as many people in the cast and with half of them being children I could only imagine the trepidation backstage. But in the auditorium there was anticipation and excitement. As one of Dahl's later books Matilda isn't a work I am all that familiar with, but I love the darkness and anarchy at the heart of his writing for children. The ideas are funny and clever and subversive enough to entertain adults. I could see why Minchin was the obvious choice to try and bring that spirit to the stage.
I had incredibly high expectations, but I was not let down. This was wall to wall life-affirming, hilarious, moving, entertainment and what the theatre should really about. Edward Bond (who wrote Saved) should have a look at this and cheer the fuck up and apologise for not spreading such joy (with a side-serving of acknowledgment of the horror and sadness of life).
This is a production overflowing with excellence - the design, costumes, direction and music all inventive and impressive. There were even bits of inexplicable magic happening right in front of our stupid faces. I still have no idea how they managed to pull off one impressive illusion. As one might expect there were a couple of technical issues on this first night and Minchin's lyrics are often so dense and rapid that it's not easy to hear them all, but all one could so was sit back and marvel. The adult actors were great, but the kids were unbelievable. Their skill and energy and technical ability were astounding. This was demonstrated when in a big and vigorous song and dance number near the end of the show, something went technically wrong with the mechanism that raised and lowered bits of set on to stage. Two of the technical crew had to come on and stop the show, halfway through. They shepherded the kids to the back of the stage whilst they tried to resolve the issue. It could have been heart-breaking and could have totally punctured the atmosphere. The kids were visibly panting from the exertion of performing, but the audience stuck with them, shouting encouraging words and applauding them. It was beautiful. But as a performer what was astonishing was the fact that this group of a dozen or so kids were somehow able to pick the song back up from this halfway point and all immediately be on top of it. With barely a nervous glance. Perhaps this was something they had rehearsed in case of emergency. But evenso the coolness and calmness of pulling it off, not losing the dramatic impetus. As a performer myself I could only sit in silent wonder.
I could happily have sat through the whole show again straight away and if these characters had wanted to sit doing nothing for the last ten minutes (like the one in grouchy Edward Bond's play did) then I would still have found it entertaining.
The tickets to this were not cheap, but if you can afford to go and see it then you will not be disappointed. I hope there is some scheme by which children from poorer families can see this show, because it is so what theatre should be about. I suspect there will be a film of it one day, but the theatricality of this is almost the most impressive thing. Even the curtain call involves complicated and breathtaking choreography. In some ways it reminded me of "Jerry Springer the Opera" and not just because it was in the same theatre, similarly celebratory of life and of difference, the good and the bad of human nature. This one won't cause offence to as many people (unless you object to the use of the phrase "front bottom" - which is used with all the elan and effect of the "What a cunt!" section of Springer), but it's just as good. And just as subversive. It's wonderful to see a show with the message that being a little bit naughty is a good thing at times, but that has a strong moral heart. Usually kids are told that they are wrong to question stuff and that adults always know best, but we knew back then that that wasn't always the case and it's great to see a show that holds a mirror up to that lie. And to see parents shelling out money to have their child taught about it!
Kill for a ticket. Even before attempting just to purchase one by legal means.
Hopefully the success and money will break Minchin and he'll fall apart and be unable to come up with anything else, to give the rest of us a chance. I hate him to the core of my being. So many people in this business have no real discernible talent that it's easy to get along and have a career. Then someone comes along with actual skills and we either have to slink off into the dark or try to raise our game. What a front bottom he is.
