At last, "Matilda" has some "serious competition", said Clive Davis in The Times. In fact, if anything, the National Theatre's "stunning" adaptation of Roald Dahl's "The Witches" – about child-hating harpies intent on turning kids into mice – "deserves to become an even bigger hit" than the RSC's long-running cash cow. Scriptwriter Lucy Kirkwood, composer Dave Malloy and director Lyndsey Turner have devised a production that is "wittier and more sophisticated" than Dahl's book. The songs are glorious and the staging is sumptuous. It's a "brilliant" creation, agreed Alice Saville in The Independent – a musical that can "warm your heart and chill you to the bone all at once".
An evening that will delight children and grown-ups alike, this is "the Christmas show to beat", said Nick Curtis in the Evening Standard. The adult cast excel, said Sarah Hemming in the Financial Times. Katherine Kingsley's Grand High Witch channels Greta Garbo; Sally Ann Triplett is a "brilliant", cigar-smoking tough old boot Gran; and Daniel Rigby gives a joyous comic turn as a hyperventilating hotelier. Miraculously, though, the show's revolving set of young stars look to be just as impressive. Malloy's music and Stephen Mear's choreography are a constant delight, and the whole thing is "altogether bewitching".
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
Ukraine's Olympians: going for gold in the line of fireUnder the Radar Hundreds of the country's athletes have died in battle, while those who remain deal with the psychological toll of war and prospect of Russian competitors
-
'Democrats now have a chance to present a vigorous, compelling case'Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
What has Kamala Harris done as vice president?In Depth It's not uncommon for the second-in-command to struggle to prove themselves in a role largely defined by behind-the-scenes work
-
In 'Twisters,' there are no winds of (climate) changeTalking Point The weather-focused blockbuster kicks up a swirl of controversy over a conspicuous and deliberate omission
-
6 coastal homes in Cape CodFeature Featuring a wall of glass in Mashpee and an undulating roofline in Wellfleet
-
Peng Shepherd's 6 favorite works with themes of magical realismFeature The author recommends works by Susanna Clarke, George Saunders, and more
-
Francis Alÿs: Ricochets – a 'heart-stopping' exhibition at London's BarbicanThe Week Recommends 'Mesmerising' films of children at play around the world from Kharkiv to Mosul
-
Mishal Husain: BBC journalist shares her six favourite booksThe Week Recommends Newsreader and Radio 4 presenter picks works by Louisa May Alcott, Jamil Ahmad and more
-
Eno: 'stimulating and cerebral' documentary that's never the same twiceThe Week Recommends A 'fascinating' look at the mercurial British musician and activist Brian Eno
-
Longlegs: 'nerve-jangling and devilishly bleak' horror filmThe Week Recommends Nicolas Cage gives perhaps the most 'terrifying' performance of his career as the titular serial killer
-
The CIA by Hugh Wilford: 'lively and original' history of America's spy agencyThe Week Recommends The book has been dubbed a 'must-read' for those interested in intelligence and national-security affairs
