Despite what the lyrics in one of the show’s most catchy tunes might say, Kempenfelt Community Players' (KCP) latest production of Matilda Jr. The Musical was anything but “revolting.”
The show, described as the story of a girl who dreams of a better life and the children she inspires, definitely had me rooting for the cast of “revolting children,” as dubbed by headmaster — and undoubtedly the biggest but most humorous villain in the show— Agatha Trunchbull.
As a former “theatre kid” and current “theatre snob,” I tend to enter most theatre experiences with moderate expectations, just to be safe, and a recent trip to Georgian Theatre with my girls and some friends was no exception.
Given my youngest has made me watch the movie version of the musical more times than I can count, it’s quite possible that I know each tune by heart.
And that can be a dangerous thing for two reasons. One, I might be tempted to compare a stage production to the one I know. And two, I might inadvertently start singing along to the tunes. (What can I say, they’re very catchy!)
But I digress, and thankfully neither of those things happened last weekend when we attended the KCP production.
While I may be slightly biased because there were several familiar faces up there on the stage that we were quietly cheering on, these young performers put on an amazing show. It was obvious that every single person put their heart and soul into every move, British accented-line and every note they sang from the moment the curtain went up until they took their final bow.
John Barks tackled the larger-than-life role of Agatha Trunchbull, bringing the headmistress character to life with his booming voice and quick wit.
Barks made you want to grab Trunchbull by the unibrow and give her a taste of her own medicine by swinging her around the stage — as she did with poor little Amanda Thripp when she grabbed her by her adorable pigtails and tossed the child as if she was back competing in hammer throw in the 1972 Olympics.
Madelyn Kenyon, who played Miss Honey, had a voice that mirrored her character’s name — and if I may be so blunt as to say her voice rivalled many I have heard on much bigger stages.
Dylan Stephen and Ellie Naylor stepped into the roles of the show’s other “villains,” Mr. and Mrs. Wormwood, and took on their characters with a flourish. The pair brought the parents of the title character — who somehow find a way not to love the most lovable of children — to life with humour and even a bit of sparkle. And not just in the sequins that were adorned to Mrs. Wormwood’s costumes.
As Matilda’s self-proclaimed best friend, Lavender, Josephine Zyla made her character shine with her huge smile and a sneaky glint in her eye that let the audience know that she wasn’t as “sweet” as she looked, helping her new friend wreak a little bit of havoc at the school by dumping a newt in the headmistress’s water jug.
Seeing Zyla’s quick wink to who I assume was a family member in the row in front of us was pretty charming, too.
Jillian Conron, who played the lead role of Matilda during the matinee show we saw, did a great job portraying the youngsters cleverness and empathy. Her enthusiasm while sharing her character’s stories about an escapologist and his acrobat wife (played by Erdman Henderson and Ella Hamilton) was contagious, making the audience lean forward in their seats to wait for the next exciting update.
The sneaky looks shared with the audience while Matilda stealthily added peroxide to her father’s shampoo or super glue to his hat made you feel like you were right in the bathroom with her. And you couldn’t help but giggle when Mr. Wormwood took off the towel to discover his hair was a bright shade of green!
As much as I enjoyed the various solos throughout the show, my favourites were definitely the group numbers — especially since I can remember how challenging it can be to choreograph and get in sync with so many people all at the same time.
All of the songs made me laugh and sing along (quietly in my own head don’t worry), but none more than The Smell of Rebellion, to which Barks and the cast received an especially loud and long applause for.
My favourite songs from the show, and the earworms that often takes weeks for me to get rid of, remain a toss up between the School Song, which takes a clever approach at the alphabet by warning the new students about the dark underbelly of Crunchem Hall Primary School, and Revolting Children, the last song in the show after the students have taken over the school and rid it off the evil Trunchbull for good. They’re both extremely catchy and the KCP cast did a fantastic job of both.
It’s been nearly a week since we took our seats in the second row of Georgian Theatre to watch the show (and for my youngest for the second time that week) and I still find myself humming many of the songs. I have nothing but kudos to offer these young thespians, and the many people that I know spent their own time working with them to bring this show to life.
They have shone a very bright spotlight on the amazing talent we have here locally, and I can’t wait to see what they all do next.
Nikki Cole is a staff reporter at BarrieToday.
