The Ratcliffe campus was alive with excitement throughout the final week of the half term, as it was show week for our production of ‘Matilda the Musical’. The stage was set, the props and costumes were looking stunning, the cast were fully rehearsed and any technical issues were ironed out – all we needed now was an audience, the first of which we were delighted to welcome to the Theatre on Wednesday 11th February for the first performance of a three-night run.
Taking on the titular role was Year 7 student Annie Gray, whose personality and characterisation of Matilda was simply perfect. Entirely unfazed by the enormous nature of the role, hardly ever leaving the stage albeit for a number of minutes to catch her breath, Annie delivered a truly showstopping performance and watching her take her final bow on the Friday night, it was evident for all to see that a star was well and truly born.
Joe Rapsey was our wonderful Miss Trunchbull, and Joe embodied every essence of this demanding role with an outstanding performance. Ranging from the utterly terrifying, striking fear into all his students, to the utterly terrified, as a newt causes her to abandon her post as Headmistress with great haste, Joe’s impeccable comic timing and vocal tone made him ideal for the role.Other supporting lead roles were taken by Amélie Wilson-Knight as the charming, caring class teacher Miss Honey which she encapsulated perfectly, and the difunctionally married couple of Mr and Mrs Wormwood were fulfilled by the dynamic duo of Phoenix Castledine and Grace Martin, whose cruelty to Matilda was satisfyingly juxtaposed by their comeuppance, courtesy of some very angry gangsters, in the final scene.
It would be unfair to mention by name any other cast members, as this truly was an outstanding ensemble production in which every member of the cast shone and played such a key part in making the production such a success. From students to mechanics, each component of the story was played immaculately, allowing the narrative of Roald Dahl’s classic tale to reach the audience without a shadow of doubt.
A production of this scale requires great staff support behind the scenes, and this year’s production of ‘Matilda’ was no exception. In his role as Producer and Musical Director, Mr M Harris left no stone unturned, with his duties ranging far and wide from teaching all the songs to making the rehearsal schedule and booking the dinners for the cast and crew each night! Mr J Harris truly made a mark in his first production as Director at Ratcliffe, with his meticulous eye for detail ensuring every scene landed perfectly. Mrs R Harris (the third of the Harris trio!) did an outstanding job with making the choreography highly effective yet achievable for our young cast, quite the feat considering her growing pregnancy bump throughout the rehearsal progress. Mrs Dimmock in her role as Stage Manager was truly invaluable – her reliability, talent and creativity ensured the production ran like clockwork, and thanks to our Technical Manager Mr Allin, our cast could be seen and heard brilliantly too.
The messages at the heart of Matilda feel especially pertinent and poignant in today’s world. In a society where voices can be overlooked and kindness can feel in short supply, we are reminded at every opportunity the power of empathy and integrity. What a privilege it has been to explore these themes and put on a piece of theatre with such a remarkable, thoughtful group of young people, and what a bright future the Performing Arts at Ratcliffe has.
Our sincerest thanks go to all those who supported this wonderful production, and championed us in our endeavours to prove how much the Performing Arts truly matter. We can’t wait to see what we come up with next year!
