Layla O'Brien playing Matilda on opening night was magical to watch. Photo/ Chris Hill
Layla O'Brien playing Matilda on opening night was magical to watch. Photo/ Chris Hill
It may feature plenty of Revolting Children, but there is nothing revolting at all about New Plymouth Operatic's latest production - Matilda the Musical.
Under Carolyn Murphy's direction, the all-local cast take the audience on a high-energy, fun-filled yet poignant journey through the tale of a child genius with magical powers as she challenges the villainous headmistress of her school.
Three actresses have been cast in the role of Matilda, and on opening night it was the turn of 10-year-old Layla O'Brien to enchant the audience with her truly magical portrayal of the eponymous heroine, Matilda.
"Sometimes you have to be a little bit naughty," she sang, and while a minor issue with her microphone meant she also had to be a little bit shouty at one point, she didn't miss a beat.
She seemed unperturbed by the changes required, from being swapped out momentarily with another actor, to lip-synching part of a song as the backstage team worked to resolve the microphone issues, she carried on with poise and grace that belied her young age and the fact this is her first appearance for NPOS.
New Plymouth Operatic Society's production of Matilda the Musical is anything but revolting. Photo / Chris Hill
At times, however, the high-energy musical numbers, combined with the live orchestra, seemed to get more than just a little bit shouty, and in the audience it felt as though we were being shouted at, unable to make out the words over the general cacophony of noise.
Hopefully, that sound issue gets sorted as it would be a shame if the clever lyrics and messages in the songs were to get lost amidst the noise.
Layla wasn't the only young star to truly shine on stage on opening night, Hannah Armstrong as "Matilda's best friend" Lavender was great fun to watch and gave a truly mischievous performance throughout, almost stealing the show at times with her permanently cheeky facial expressions.
Layla O'Brien playing Matilda on opening night was magical to watch. Photo/ Chris Hill
Milan Bhaskar as Eric was another standout performer, with a stage presence far greater than his size or age. Tommy Broadmore's Bruce was also great fun to watch, with the cake-eating scene a real highlight.
The young performers all showed talent beyond their years, and perhaps in part that is thanks to the talent surrounding them in the adult cast.
Jess Stafford-Old brought a true sweetness to the role of Miss Honey, managing to capture the goodness of the character without making her saccharine or unrealistic. Her beautiful voice made her a delight to listen to and she provided the perfect foil for the loud and brash Mrs Wormwood, played by Krystal Leuthard.
The scene where Miss Honey tries to talk to Mrs Wormwood about Matilda with Mrs Wormwood and her dance partner Rudolpho (Jesse Pearson) was a highlight, thanks in part to the choreography by Alannah Murphy.
As any book lover will tell you, librarians are the secret heroes of every story, and Donna Yeats was certainly a stand-out hero in this production in her role as the lovely librarian, Mrs Phelps. Whenever she was on stage, she commanded it and provided a beautiful contrast to Matilda's self-absorbed family.
The wardrobe department excelled themselves when it came to costuming Mrs Phelps, capturing her quirky, warmhearted nature perfectly.
Jess Stafford-Old as Miss Honey (left) and Justin Clinton-Gohdes as Miss Trunchball. Photo / Chris Hill
Shaun Murphy's portrayal of Mr Wormwood was thoughtful and nicely balanced, avoiding the potential pitfall of turning him into a one-dimensional caricature of an uncaring father and instead giving him depth, helping the audience sympathise with him at times. He truly came into his own as the second act got under way, deservedly getting some of the biggest laughs of the night.
The biggest laughs of all, however, were reserved for the talented Justin Clinton-Gohdes as Miss Agatha Trunchball.
Justin's performance was fantastic from start to finish, and he was clearly well cast in this show. Justin's ability to completely take on the character of the terrifying, mean headmistress perhaps could have allowed the wardrobe department to be a little bit gentler or less, shall we say, pointed, in some aspects of the caricature they created through the character's costume, while it made for quick laughs, Justin didn't need any help in bringing the character to life.
Overall this is a great family show that kids will love. It's bursting with local talent, great songs, energetic choreography and plenty of magic.
