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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

...to think Matilda was well errr OK???

43 replies

1million · 11/08/2016 11:38

Took DS on Tues evening after finally getting tickets (Have tried last 3 years for Kids week) and well we thought it was "ok" - kids are obviously talented without a doubt but I don't get the hype? First half was well pretty boring DS even said so picked up 2nd half but really, didn't think it was great!

Sits back and waits to be shot down

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Hulababy · 11/08/2016 11:42

Not seen but DD would love too.

Everyone I know have raved about it, especially the children who have seen it.

What were the issues, the bits you were not keen on?

CelticPromise · 11/08/2016 11:46

We loved it. Everyone's different though.

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1million · 11/08/2016 11:46

Very slow first half to get going, we've not seen the film or read the books (but this shouldn't matter) so didn't realise Matilda had special powers until the end. Matilda actress was ok seemed very young (looked about 7) and was well quite inexperienced we thought. Just lacked oomph!!! and slow very slow to get going - more action and songs in the 2nd half

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1million · 11/08/2016 11:48

Yes agree, we've seen most of the kids ones - Lion King, Charlie, Horrible histories, etc... this to us lacked and really the hype isn't quite justified we thought

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DadDadDad · 11/08/2016 11:48

I went to see it with DD a few months ago and at the time it didn't blow me away the way it seemed to for some, although there are definitely some funny and memorable moments in it. But I certainly enjoyed it.

Since then, we've had the CD of songs and listening to them, they've really grown on me (some are very catchy), and the cleverness of Minchin's lyrics (and music) is clearly the show's big strength and worth revisiting.

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1million · 11/08/2016 11:49

The orchestra was also too loud and you couldn't hear the words they were singing either

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Balletgirlmum · 11/08/2016 11:50

We loved it. It's very cleverly written & we liked the acrobat/escapologist subplot. Also liked the Revolting Children nod to Spring Awakening.

Doggity · 11/08/2016 11:53

YABU Shock and offensive to the love of my life, Tim Minchin.

Charley50 · 11/08/2016 11:57

DS and I weren't blown away either but we did have pretty shit seats. You couldn't hear the lyrics so I suppose it's better if you know them already.
I liked the horrible parents and teacher and the swings.
I also find the story quite upsetting in any of it's forms tbh

We liked Charlie and the Chocolate factory.

Balletgirlmum · 11/08/2016 12:00

Now we liked Charlie but found the first half very slow.

OddBoots · 11/08/2016 12:03

We loved it but life would be boring if we liked the same stuff, sorry you were disappointed after you had waited so long to see it though.

JeanGenie23 · 11/08/2016 12:07

I was unimpressed as well.

Lion king on the other hand was amazing, even as an adult it totally blew me away

myownprivateidaho · 11/08/2016 12:08

Not seen it, but saw Tim Minchin's Groundhog Day the other day and it blew my mind. So for that reason alone I'm going to say YABU.

LIZS · 11/08/2016 12:08

Charlie was very slow. Dd has seen Matilda twice and loved it.

squoosh · 11/08/2016 12:09

Why would you be shot down? People enjoy different things!

putthecatout · 11/08/2016 12:09

I think you'd enjoy it more if had read the book/seen the film, and especially if you knew the songs before going in. We had already watched the songs on Youtube.
My DDs loved it so much they talked about nothing else for a week afterwards, and were desperate to go again. I enjoyed it too - the songs are great.

Feellikearightungreatfulcow · 11/08/2016 12:13

Me and my mum went to see Charlie and the chocolate factory a while back and I felt the same about that - loved the (original) film but couldn't put my finger on what it was about the show

Pinning my hopes on when we eventually get tickets to matilda but now I'm worried about that disappointing!

Tulipblank · 11/08/2016 12:16

I loved it! I think it's a much better musical than Charlie (better songs, cleverer script) but Charlie is more of a spectacle.

HeCantBeSerious · 11/08/2016 12:16

It was absolutely brilliant. The child actors are all 10 or 11. The set was so clever and the music superb. YAB incredibly U.

Balletgirlmum · 11/08/2016 12:16

The two shows are very different in style.

Matilda is in a much smaller theatre (Cambridge). It's more intimate & can have quite a quirky creepy feel at times.

Charlie is in the vast old fashioned stage of Drury Lane. It's much more of a "spectacle"

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1million · 11/08/2016 12:21

It's Mumsnet Squoosh!!!!!

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squoosh · 11/08/2016 12:23

Ah yes, fair enough.

BirdintheWings · 11/08/2016 12:25

DD has seen it twice (school trip and joint family celebration) and rather enjoyed critically comparing the performances of the different casts of children. Maybe it depends who you get and how they're feeling on that day?

Agree that the songs outlast the show itself.

NPowerShitShower · 11/08/2016 12:29

I saw it on Broadway last year. Great show, good songs, but the accents were all over the place! The general inconsistency was a huge distraction. There were Brits, Americans and Australians, and then Americans and Australians trying to sound British... Some of the children's accents changed mid-scene. It would have been better to use American actors throughout, the hybrid thing just didn't work.

PinguForPresident · 11/08/2016 12:34

I think it's the sort of show you'd enjoy more if you're familiar with the songs and book. If you're not you might be a bit WTF about it.

Personally I loved it. I'm an ex-musical theatre actress and it made me wish I'd never given up so I could be in it!

It sounds like you prefer the more spectacular-type shows. Try Wicked next time. We saw it on Kids Week tickets this time and were blown away by it. We saw Charlie last year which was all style no substance with dreadful songs.Wicked strikes a balance between the more subdued in places Matilda, and the all out razzamatazz of Charlie, Lion King etc