Saturday 15th December 2018, back in Cardiff Bay on a miserable wet day to watch another performance of ‘Matilda’ at the Millennium Centre. Even this terrible weather cannot dampen the spirit of watching this fabulous show.

looking at the cast list it’s nice to see a few familiar faces making a return to the Centre, a few of them appeared in the touring production of Billy Elliot, including Isobelle Chalmers who played the young boy (in Billy Elliot), and is now one of the young actresses playing Lavender in this show. Seeing so many shows it’s brilliant to be able to watch these youngsters growing up, so to speak, and appearing in different shows as their stage careers progress, just look at where Carrie Hope Fletcher is now. These amazing shows give these youngsters a chance to shine and most of them take that chance.

Again I have to reiterate just how good these kids are in this show. Matilda’s (tonight played by Scarlett Cecil) role is almost non stop, with some complicated lines to learn, but they just role them out as if they were talking to you over dinner. I think that’s why this show is so good, the kids take centre stage and just thrive on it, going from strength to strength as they progress. The applause for these young actors and actresses at the end of the show, goes to prove that.

Let’s move on to the adults with Miss Trenchbull, a fabulous role, with a menacing presence throughout, wonderfully played by Graige Els or recently Steffan Lloyd-Evans has taken the role. Brilliant to watch on stage as well. Also nice to see Dawn Williams back at the Centre, (her last few visits have been in Mamma Mia and Shrek).