Matilda the Musical UK & Ireland Tour

@loveofmusicals is all about celebrating growth and supporting one another. Over the years, I’ve loved following and supporting many performers’ performing arts journey and seeing them in different shows. But last night it was back to where it all began and seeing people in the same show!

It’s been more than half a year since I first saw the tour (to me, that’s already a very long time!) on its opening night. Back then, everyone was only a few weeks into their roles, yet they already completely impressed me. Returning after half a year, I feel that everyone has grown further and delved even deeper into their roles.

It was Sanna as Matilda last night. Her acting is natural, singing is beautiful. She effortlessly conveyed the depth of Matilda’s emotions. A highlight for me was ‘Quiet’ – her elegant, note-perfect vocals brought out the stillness of Matilda amidst the storm. Dottie again impressed me with her portrayal of Lavender. Her facial expression is spot-on, capturing the character’s cheekiness. She received a very well-deserved huge round of applause after her monologue. Joining them were Brodie Robson as Bruce, Rose Jammeh as Amanda, Haiden Sihapanya as Eric, Charlie Cox as Tommy and Cole Nicholson as Nigel – all maggots were equally sensational. Who could forget their energetic ‘Revolting Children’ last night?

Another highlight of the evening was seeing Caoimhe as Alice. Eleven years ago, she played Amanda Thripp in the West End production, so I just knew she would deliver a perfect performance. Seeing her back on that stage filled me with immense pride.

Most of us here have seen this show multiple times, but it’s always well worth revisiting. Every time, I always feel empowered by not only Matilda’s story but also the journey those young performers have taken to be on that stage, and how they’ve grown and thrived on and off stage. They truly are the embodiment of ‘even if you’re little you can do a lot’.

One thing I know for sure is that I can’t wait to be back again to see the other teams of maggots!

@matildathemusical is at @bristolhipp until Saturday 27 June.

— Hayden Kwong