The Marymount Players put on their production of Tim Minchin’s musical Matilda from Friday the 15th of March to Sunday the 17th. The musical beautifully portrays a child’s desire to learn as she realizes her teacher’s painful past and was performed on a stage known as a Proscenium stage in the Cantwell building. Approximately two and a half hours long, with a ten-minute intermission between the two acts, the production of Matilda was well-crafted, exciting, and beautifully performed.

Matilda is the story of a little girl, Matilda Wormwood, who values knowledge and education, but has parents, Mr. and Mrs. Wormwood, who feel repulsed by their child’s desire to learn. Matilda’s parents treat her with immense hatred and disgust pushing her further into isolation as she seeks shelter in her local library. Matilda begins attending school allowing her to make friends with other children and gain a true education. Matilda meets a wonderful teacher named Ms. Honey who admires Matilda’s bravery and intelligence. The only problem with Matilda’s new school is the horrible headmistress, Agatha Trunchbull. However, as Matilda immerses herself more within the school, she and the other students begin revolting against Ms. Trunchbull’s horrible manners and inequality. In addition to the main plot, the musical also follows a side plot unraveling the history of Ms. Honey’s parents and family. In the end, Matilda and her fellow students defeat Ms. Trunchbull through magic that exposes Ms. Trunchbull’s past and Matilda is adopted by the wonderful teacher, Ms. Honey.

Not only was the musical astounding due to the fun and thrilling plot but also the wonderful acting and directing skills that went into the show. Every actress embraced their role and performed to the best of their ability. They understood the task at hand, completed it, and took it a step further using accents, space work, and many hours of hard work. Not only did the actresses act wonderfully, but their musical ability was impeccable. Sydney Anderson, Marymount’s Matilda, exceeded every expectation as she sang with true grace and beauty. Similarly, Carly Crane performed her role as the doctor and escapologist beautifully channeling real emotion and sadness, forcing the audience to feel these emotions as well. In addition to the magnificent acting, the directing was just as astonishing. The director put everything into this production, and it showed through the success and excellence of the musical. It was a phenomenal production, and the director’s hard work and dedication were truly impressive and noteworthy. 

Not only was the directing and acting on point, but also the design elements. The costumes, props, setup, stage work, music, etc brought the musical and another level of fun and excitement to life. The most prominent design elements were the costumes and technology work. Each costume was thought through and demonstrated the identity and personality of each character. One outfit that was found to be enjoyable was the acrobat with her lavish, hot pink headpiece and vibrant yellow leotard. In addition, Ms. Trunchbull’s long shorts, high bun, mole, and blazer were extremely well crafted and popular amongst the viewers. As well as the costumes, the technology work and illustrations were exciting and purposeful. The projections on the wood truly enhanced each scene as they projected different aspects of the songs and scenes. As a whole, the design elements enhanced the wonder of the musical and brought the production to life.

This production of Matilda was beautifully done and emphasized the importance of love and education as the students of Crunchem Hall Elementary School fought back against the injustices of their principal. The actresses understood and took on their characters’ feelings and emotions with such enjoyment and sophistication. The emotion and spacework also allowed the audience to see, hear, and feel everything the actresses and characters did. Overall, the musical was phenomenal, and I am grateful to have received the opportunity to watch it. I rate it five out of five stars and wholeheartedly recommend this production to anyone and everyone.