While Matilda the Musical, based on the 1988 novel Matilda by Roald Dahl, and musically embodying many of the scenes that were first visually realized in the 1996 movie of the same name, directed by Danny Devito, may seem to be a simple childhood tale about one little girl’s psychic triumph against a formidable and fearsome terrorist of a teacher, it’s actually a much more involved and potent criticism of a society that prizes conformity, appearance, and instant gratification over independent thought, creativity, and the sort of awareness and kindness that must be present in any environment where a person is expected to learn and grow.
This is my 50th production for Ridley Drama Group and my 25th year as a teacher, and in considering which show I wanted to direct and produce to mark the transformative experiences I have had in these two roles over that time period, I could think of none other than Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical. In the story, the titular character, Matilda, at just 5 years old, immerses herself in the world of literature to escape the ignorant and often cruel behaviors of her parents, who from birth, lament her entry into the world as a girl and degrade both her inherent intelligence, which is off the charts, and her ability to see and point out their own flaws. In a world where books and the written word seem to always be controversial, Matilda finds solace and confirmation that she is not in fact, truly ALONE. Contrasted in the opening number “Miracle” with other, more typical children who are loved by their parents unconditionally (in some cases to a fault) and overly supported, Matilda is propelled into a world where she must make choices alone about what is “right” and stand up for those choices- even if she has to break a few rules to do it (“Naughty”). Ultimately, she must face the incredible and dominating strength of Agatha Trunchbull, the head mistress of “Crunchem Hall” school whose own experiences and failures drive her to exert the power and dominance she lacks in her own life over the children in her school by using psychological torture she masquerades as “discipline.” She even goes so far as to manipulate her niece, Miss Honey, whose development as an independent thinker is stunted by her own childhood trauma, but whose kindness and love of the children provides fertile ground for their imaginations and educations to root and grow. Flanked by a slew of other young minor characters (played in our production by amazing elementary and middle school actors), all dealing with their own developmental battles, Matilda does indeed save the day by harnessing her mind and rebelliously defying the rules of the Trunchbull and of society, and granting her undeserving parents at the end of the story the grace that they never afforded to her.
Many people reading Matilda relate to it. It has great messages about stories and books, how they move us and transport us, how they allow us to relate to people who aren’t like us. About education, and what that should and shouldn’t be. About our own strength and how childhood trauma affects that. Everybody loves an underdog story, the triumph of perceived good over perceived evil, the small taking on the large bully- but it’s more than that. Matilda is the tale of a child who finds a way to make it through, despite incredible odds– odds that a lot of the kids I’ve encountered over my past 25 years as a teacher are dealing with. Odds we dealt with when we were growing up. We want them to be able to triumph, but the story of Matilda proves just how complicated that really is and how much of that triumph is dependent on upbringing, social acceptance, finding a mentor whose in your corner, the nature of your education, being treated with kindness and understanding in both the home and school environments, finding a tribe, and finding the kind of courage and patience it takes to truly observe and consider the world around you, the people in it, and your place in it.
And of course, since musicals by their very nature enhance the dramatic elements of story by adding music that brings an emotional component to the tale unlike any other, we FEEL Matilda’s journey differently here than in any other medium. Songs like “When I Grow Up” and “Revolting Children” punctuate the extremes of childhood where our dreams and our actions start to change who we want to be into who we are. The emotional connections we make are enhanced by smart writing and show concept that puts Matilda in the center of the storm, as chaos (and the set) whirls around her, until she is able to find in that place of quiet, the kind of strength that as a child, she shouldn’t have to exhibit, but does. It’s no wonder that a new movie was just released, with every bit as much impact on this new generation as the originals had on previous ones.
