Lift Ryde’s recent production of “Matilda” was far from revolting when I went to see it on a dark December evening. The creative cohort of Mrs George and Mrs Evans, along with the choreography of Mr Davies and Matthew Manning delivered a well-crafted adaptation of Dennis Kelly and Tim Minchin’s show.

Based on the eponymous book by Roald Dahl about a young girl’s escape from a neglectful family and a tyrannical teacher in Miss Trunchbull, the production brought heart, laughs and some slick staging that belied the usual clunky scene change in some school productions. With the use of flats and a very efficient backstage crew, we were quickly transported to and from the Wormwood home to the prison-like Crunchem Hall.

Jazzmin S played our heroine, and she captured well the wide eyed maturity and imagination the character needed to embody. 

Playing her father and mother were two standouts in Roscoe L and Tegan E, who delivered a superbly nasty comic pair Dahl himself would love to have written about, whether belittling their spawn Matilda, or dancing with amorous dance instructors, they were both an absolute hoot!

Miss Honey, performed by Carmen M, was in safe hands, and her sereneness really carried to the audience in her singing and voice. Indeed across the show the singing was very tuneful, if a little quiet. Minchin’s lyrics are tricky and wordy, with the songs often employing wordplay, but the chorus proved ably up to the task. The dancing from the chorus was confident and used the stage, and auditorium in general to the absolute maximum. 

Shadow puppets and light were used to equally great effect, particularly in the tragic retelling of the acrobat’s demise, and the young Miss Honey’s horrific childhood.

“Revolting Children” was the highlight as the rebelling pupils invaded the audience space proclaiming how much they had enough of the regime of their Headmistress.

Emmanuel P was clearly enjoying every scene they were in as the horrible head Miss Trunchbull, and gave a larger then life performance that complimented the show greatly. The cast was full of promising new performers that, I hope, continue to hone their skills going forward.

In all, Lift Ryde hit it out of the park with a tight abridged version of a well written show. The creative space has developed greatly since the last time I reviewed something here, and it is a real joy to see a school fully embracing and supporting their Performing Arts Department.

A special thanks to for the people who designed the excellent looking programme to look like a school newsletter, filled with funny adverts for Wormwood Motors and such, it really helped sell the immersion, and was a fun twist on the usual flimsy paper pamphlet.

A well done to those involved, and I hope to share the stage soon with such upcoming talent.