Matilda the Musical

★★★★☆     Huge energy

Playhouse: Wed 4 – Sun 22 Mar 2026
Review by Hugh Simpson

The return to the Playhouse of the unstoppable juggernaut that is the RSC’s Matilda the Musical after seven years, is certainly a cause for celebration.

Roald Dahl’s story, of the precocious five-year-old who uses her imagination (and telekinesis) to overcome a horrendous headteacher and her frightful parents, has been a massive worldwide success in its stage adaptation. Dennis Kelly’s book (with songs by Tim Minchin) stays closer to the original source than the first, Americanised, film version. The musical has of course spawned its own film as well as running in the West End for years.

The cast of Matilda The Musical – Yellow Team. Pic: Manuel Harlan.

The touring version certainly captures the exuberance, wit and charm that has made this such a success. Matthew Warchus’s direction has a huge momentum, the script and songs are clever and attractive, and the large cast attack it all with gusto.

The role of Matilda is naturally central to the whole thing. For such young actors to take on a huge role could surely be daunting, not least because by most modern standards Dahl’s characters are decidedly unusual. As well as several (and much greater) personal faults, Dahl had no interest in little things like story arcs or characters who develop or learn. Instead he created modern myths where the central figure, already fully formed, journeys from misery to happiness by battling evil forces.

a thoroughly magnetic character

So Matilda needs to be a thoroughly magnetic character, which she certainly is here. The role is performed in rotation by Madison Davis, Mollie Hutton, Olivia Ironmonger and Sanna Kurihara. On this occasion Davis took the role and her energy, melodicism and stage presence are quite frankly astonishing.

Tessa Kadler (Miss Honey) and Madison Davis as (Matilda) with the Yellow Team. Pic: Manuel Harlan.

The luckless, cake-guzzling Bruce is shared between Oisin-Luca Pegg, Carter-J Murphy, Brodie Robson and Takunda Khumalo; Pegg, who took the role here, is another ludicrously confident, exceptionally talented performer.

There are further representatives of a revolving cast of youngsters, who are blended with the older performers in the ensemble expertly. The big production numbers When I Grow Up and Revolting Children are performed with just as much drive and energy as you could possibly wish.

impressive

The older cast are no slouches either. Richard Hurst, as the frightful Miss Trunchbull, is gloriously physical and undeniably OTT. Rebecca Thornhill and Adam Stafford are very funny as Matilda’s appalling parents, while in a huge ensemble Esther Niles is particularly impressive as Mrs Phelps the librarian.

Andrew Corcoran leads that most endangered of species, a live band at a touring musical numbering in double figures, skilfully.

Olivia Ironmonger (Matilda) and Esther Niles (Mrs Phelps). Pic: Manuel Harlan

It is, of course, little short of astonishing to see a musical from this century where the book came first, rather than being written to fit around an already-existing set of songs. And one of the best things about Minchin’s musical numbers is that they (like Peter Darling’s tremendous choreography, Rob Howell’s inventive set or Paul Klieve’s illusions) exist to serve the storyline rather than drawing attention to themselves.

That storyline can still become slightly blurred on occasion. The forces of evil can become just too cartoonish, with the hints of pantomime obscuring any jeopardy and subsequent redemption.

There is also the odd problem with sound in the cavernous Playhouse. The words are occasionally tricky to make out, which is undoubtedly not down to the youth of some of the cast, as it seems to affect the adult performers more.

It also doesn’t impact too greatly on the overall effect of a production that is funny, endearing, and has bags of energy.

Running time: Two hours and 40 minutes (including one interval)
Edinburgh Playhouse, 18-22 Greenside Place, EH1 3AA
Wednesday 4 – Sunday 22 March 2026
Tues – Sat at 7.30 pm; Matinee Thu 5, Wed 11&18, Sat & Sun at 2.30 pm
Tickets and details: Book here.

The cast of Matilda The Musical – Yellow Team. Pic: Manuel Harlan.

ENDS

Tags: Adam Stafford, Andrew Corcoran, Brodie Robson, Carter-J Murphy, Dennis Kelly, Esther Niles, Hugh Simpson, Madison Davis, Matilda The Musical, Matthew Warchus, Mollie Hutton, Musicals, Oisin-Luca Pegg, Olivia Ironmonger, Paul Klieve, Peter Darling, Playhouse, Rebecca Thornhill, Review, Richard Hurst, Roald Dahl, Rob Howell, RSC, Sanna Kurihara, Takunda Khumalo, Tim Minchin