This fun and colourful stage adaptation of Roald Dahl’s children’s book captures the spirit of the story – but is less dark than expected.
Confession time: when I was a child The Witches was the one Roald Dahl book that thoroughly chilled me to the bone, with its depictions of witches being just like anyone else and how they would transform children into animals. However, when it was announced that Lucy Kirkwood and David Malloy had written a musical adaptation I was automatically intrigued and wondered if would it live up to expectations given the success of Matilda the Musical. having now experienced it for myself – it is certainly a wickedly fun experience, even if the darker aspects of the story have been toned down in places.
The story follows that of Luke, a boy who after his parents die goes to live with his grandmother (who it turns out is a witch hunter) and further down the line following a hospital stay, it is advised by doctors that they spend time down in Bournemouth to relax. But what they soon discover is that staying at the same hotel is a whole group of witches who are staying there as part of their annual conference and soon leads to a whole world of trouble and danger.
What I loved about Lucy Kirkwood’s adaptation is the way in which she has managed to keep the spirit of Roald Dahl’s writing through the script which is filled with plenty of humour that children and adults alike that can enjoy immensely. Yes perhaps the darkness and macabre aspects have been toned down in terms of the witches transforming the children into animals (or even inanimate objects), but there is no doubting that the menace of the witches is still there – highlighted through the fantastic opening number ‘A Note About Witches’ (some brilliantly witty lyrics and strong music) combined with Stephen Mear’s fabulous choreography gets the show off to suitably chilling start that gets the audiences attention straight away.
From there on in, the production is a rollercoaster of a ride and consistently fun, as evidenced not only through the wonderfully bold performances by all of the cast but also through the way the story has visually been brought to life. The use of animation of course pays nice tribute to Quentin Blake’s illustrations for the book (although these ones are a little more contemporary), while Lizzie Clachan’s beautifully vibrant and almost cartoonish (in the best possible way) set and costume designs keeps the fun going and I should mention I thought the way in which the witches square toes and gnarled fingers are portrayed is really quite clever but could potentially be emphasised further. There is plenty of magic involved in bringing this story to life – particularly highlighted in the sequence in which the Grand High Witch unveils her plan to rid the world of children.
Bringing it all together, Lyndsey Turner has done a brilliant job of keeping the pace lively but never compromising on the story, ensuring that everyone can keep up with what is happening at all times. It is a production that ensures that you have a smile on your face from start to finish.
Tying the story together, Lucy Kirkwood and David Malloy’s songs, while perhaps not emotional what they are is strong and bring forward the story and characters nicely with numbers such as ‘Don’t Say Mice’, ‘Bruno Sweet Bruno’ and ‘How to Recognise a Witch’ proving to be real highlights. Lyrically, I would say that you can tell that Kirkwood thoroughly enjoyed coming up with these songs – and i would love to listen to them again. Musically, Malloy shows great strength, giving great menace to numbers such as ‘Down With Children’ and ‘A Note About Witches’.
As mentioned the cast (both adult and children) are immensely enjoyable to watch bringing these characters to life. The children showed great confidence and personality consistently, while also showing just how much fun they were having and it wouldn’t be fair to pick one performance out of them all. Meanwhile, Katherine Kingsley is a suitably chilling Grand High Witch, showing great subtlety in the way in which you are never quite sure which way she is going to turn mood wise from one minute to the next, while Sally Ann Triplett is wonderful as Gran – her gruffness and no-nonsense attitude offering delicious moments of dry humour, while Daniel Rigby is a sheer delight as Mr Stringer the hotel manager, bringing Basil Fawlty to mind through his performance.
Overall, this is a wickedly fun alternative Christmas show to watch and one that will delight – no matter if you are eight or 100. With just a touch more darkness this show would be perfect – but I still highly recommend as it is.
By Emma Clarendon
The Witches continues to play at the National Theatre until the 27th January 2024.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐