Review: Act Three Productions’ Matilda The Musical at Regent on Broadway, Palmerston North

Choreographer Ruby Jamieson creates visual magic for Act Three Productions' Matilda The Musical.

Matilda The Musical

Act Three Productions

Directed by Phil Anstis

Reviewed by Dean Mckerras

Regent on Broadway until April 27

Entering the theatre two towers of books have you intrigued - every time the gold curtain rises it’s like opening the cover of one of the most colourful and vibrant stories produced on stage. Welcome to Act Three Productions’ Matilda The Musical, starring so many!

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 like Dr Suess meets Matilda and it works in every way. This is definitely a story to be told loud and proud, big and beautiful - and tell it Act Three does!

The visually spectacular, vibrant and fantastical in design production gets the glory on stage but I wish to equally acknowledge the mammoth task of managing two children’s casts, multiple backing vocal groups, and understudies galore - possibly one of Act Three’s largest populated projects to date. How wonderful it would be to see the show twice over giving each cast their deserved applause.

A theatre full of families on opening night, with structured ticket prices enabling a greater reach in the community. May you all find a way to enjoy an amazing night of Act Three community theatre that entertains beyond expectation as we have come to expect.

Lighting cues and operation along with backing vocal timings, sound and lighting - two aspects of a show that get the least amount of rehearsal time - will settle in and this show will have a season proving it anything but revolting!