ANY TOIL AND TROUBLE WAS WELL WORTH IT
Everything a child could want is here: the dark thrill of imagined orphanhood, a quest, baddies , jeopardy and jokes, bouncy musical spectacle, adults behaving ridiculously. For the parent generation add some dry witty lines and throwaway touches (the awful spoilt child is called Bruno dePfeffel Jenkins – ha!). Then add a magnificent song from the Grand High Witch about what a nuisance children actually are, “assholes!”, never giving you a quiet or private moment.
It also helps that Lucy Kirkwood’ lyrics quite frequently rise to Gilbert and Sullivan glory – even echoes them, as the initial chorus of witches posing as nice ladies in M&S cardies sing “smiling sweetly, walking neatly and petitely”….
As theatrecat is late on the curve with this one (press night packed, I hope with many many kids) all I need tell you is that all the five-star raves are justified, and that indeed after last year’s dismal HEX the National has a properly worked, long-developed serious Christmas hit which will last, and transfer, and run for years and be celebrated. Children will dream of playing gallant little Luke or the preening Bruno, a mini-diva who plays up l to make adults say “isn’t he precious, isn’t he sweet!”. Adult stars will queue up, in the show’s long future, for a chance at the Sally Ann Triplett part as the eccentric cigar-smoking Gran, or her nemesis, Katherine Kingsley as the Grand High Witch; chaps will want the part of the strung -out Mr Stringer, manager of Hotel Magnificent, to which Daniel Rigby gives full wild comic rein.
So yes, it’s a runner, a winner. When Tim Minchin gave us Matilda thirteen years ago he showed that given the big-musical treatment with its naturally breezy brio, the sour-hearted edge of Roald Dahl’s imagination can be transformed into something which even we Dahl-doubters could love. Later, Charlie and the Chcolate factory was enjoyable, but dependent on big West End machinery and star casting, with little warmth even with Doug Hodge. But here Lucy Kirkwood’s transformation of Dahl’s The Witches , directed by Lyndsey Turner, is glorious all the way. Dave Malloy’s music is catchy, with mischievous pastiches from Lloyd-Webber to Sondheim, and a couple of really beautiful quiet songs as well as the fun: I’d listen to a cast album in the car, especially with children. Stephen Mear’s choreography is bliss, from tap to clog to a magnificent soup dance in the hotel kitchen .
And to add to the adult joy, the Witches’ “RSPCC” conference at the hotel, fifteen ladies in sensible middle-aged clothes, has some of the wickedest sendups of such gatherings you will ever see. Note the prissy defiance of one facing up to the lady chair: “I”ll say it – she needs to know”, which ends with an incendiary trapdoor put-down. Literal, in this case, but most of us have seen that done…
book and lyrics by Lucy Kirkwood, music and lyrics by Dave Malloy
Nationaltheatre.org.uk to 27 jan
theatreCat 