So I haven’t written a review before but I haven’t seen or heard too much about the Brisbane Matildas so I thought somebody might be interested in hearing about my wonderful show experiences. WARNING- this ended up being a very very long and detailed post!!
I was lucky enough to see the show a few times in Sydney but it’s been almost a year since I saw my last show (Sydney closing) and I was having Matilda withdrawals. So in November I booked a trip to Brisbane with my mum to see the show again. It’s quite a trip to Brisbane for me- a 5 hour drive from Canberra to Newcastle to meet my mum and then a flight to Brisbane- so I booked cheap restricted view seats in order to be able to afford to see two shows. My mum had seen the show with me once in Sydney and had not particularly enjoyed the actress’ portrayal of Matilda in that performance. She’s quite critical and hadn’t enjoyed the stoic, expressionless take on the character. I was definitely hoping she’d enjoy the show a bit more this time around because I wanted someone to be as excited about the show as I am.
The Matinee performance featured Annabella Cowley as Matilda, Ethan Beer as Bruce, Alice Lowther as Lavender, Reuben Rivalland as Nigel, Caliese McEachern as Amanda, William Todd as Eric, Romme Williams as Alice, Emma Cobb as Hortensia and Zac McCulloch as Tommy. All the main adult cast were on except Rachel Cole was on for Mrs Phelps.
I’ll start by saying that our seats for this performance weren’t great which I knew in advance. They were on the far right of the stage and about a third was obstructed from view. That being said I wasn’t bothered by it and we were only about 6 rows back so we had a close view of all of the front of the stage. However being school holidays there were lots of young kids in the audience and it was a bit noisy. I had a 4-5 year old girl behind me and she struggled to understand most of the show. She was constantly asking her mum questions and although she was super cute she was pretty loud. At the end of the show, just before the Wormwoods and Rudolpho rush in Matilda is standing quite close to the front of the stage on the right looking out over the audience. The little girl comes out with “Mummy, why isn’t she waving at me? Why isn’t Matilda waving at me?” It took all my might to hold in my laughter it was so sweet but I’m pretty sure the entire audience (not to mention the performers) could hear her.
Annabella was very good. I can’t work out exactly how to describe her portrayal of Matilda. She was fearless but a little bit aloof and softer than some I’ve seen. I personally really enjoyed her version of Quiet (my favourite song in the show) and some of her line deliveries were particularly good. She did stumble on a few of her lines and although her accent was quite good it was a bit forced and I could see her concentrating on it for most of the show. I’d love to see her again a bit further into the run to see what she would add to her performance once the accent comes more naturally.
Ethan Beer as Bruce was the stand-out of the other children. His monologue before Bruce was the clearest, and best-timed/articulated that I’ve heard. His vocals in Revolting Children were excellent and his dance moves were outstanding. I was really impressed with him.
There were no other real standouts amongst the kids in this performance.
When it comes to the adult cast I always leave feeling awestruck. I know I’m biased but I feel like we are incredibly lucky to have these talented performers in the show. Elise McCann is such a warm, soft and gentle Miss Honey and you can really feel the connection she has with each of the children. Her voice is also beautiful.
Marika Aubrey is faultless. Seriously I can’t imagine seeing anyone else as Mrs Wormwood she’s just so incredible. For me Loud is a song that I think could be quite annoying but she sings it with the perfect mix of spoken lines and variance in volume, inflection and tone that it’s supremely confident and patronising without going over the top or being screechy. James Millar also never fails to impress me. His comedic timing with line delivery, paired with his physical comedy skills are so brilliant. I think he gets more laughs out of the audience each show than the other cast members combined.
This was my first time seeing Rachel Cole as Mrs Phelps and I quite enjoyed her portrayal although quite different to Cle Morgan’s. Rachel’s Mrs Phelps has a very endearing, and in my opinion, convincing Irish accent and comes across as much more child-like and excitable than Cle’s. She just seems so enthralled and amazed by Matilda and her stories and she seemed to interact with Annabella a lot more which I enjoyed.
Overall both my mum and I thought the performance was very good and we were excited to be going back to see the evening performance.
Although I had tried not to see or hear too much about the Matildas before going I had listened to a recording of Venice and I hoped to get the chance to see her. When I walked into the lobby of the theatre for the evening performance and saw Eva’s name on the screen I’ll admit I was slightly disappointed... that feeling did not last long.
After seeing 5 different Matildas in 6 performances (and numerous other musicals) I have to say that I have never experienced such a powerful performance. I feel so privileged to have witnessed this show. It was absolutely phenomenal!!!
Besides Eva the evening performance featured the same adult and child cast with the exception of Exodus Lale as Bruce. The audience for this performance was so much better than the one earlier in the day and right from the first lines of miracle they were involved. The whole show was filled with laughter, applause and cheers and it really changed the energy and the atmosphere in the theatre. The same child cast I hadn’t been particularly impressed with were so much stronger and energetic and every cast member on stage fed off the audience’s enthusiasm. It’s amazing how much the audience’s interaction and attitude can influence a performance (for better or worse). Our seats for this show were also better. Although billed as restricted view I could see 90% of the stage and we were only 3 rows back with no seats in front of us. Those seats had been removed to allow for the stairs to the stage that the performers enter and exit by so we got a very good view of James Millar as the trunch during the Bruce scene where he pauses to declare chokey as the second part of the punishment. I could have literally reached out and touched him (I didn’t of course in case you were wondering).
From the moment Eva rose from below the table in Miracle I had a sense that the performance was going to be strong. There was just something about the way she carried herself and she had such a determined look in her eyes. Right from the outset it was clear that there was no vulnerability to her Matilda and neither Eva, nor her Matilda lacked any confidence. A few things about her Matilda became apparent in the first couple of scenes and it made me incredibly excited to see what she’d do next.
- Her British accent was effortless and flawless. I very much enjoy the sound of this accent and I’m so glad the Australian production decided to teach it to the girls however it doesn’t come naturally to all the Matildas and it can sometimes be distracting when it’s obvious they’re concentrating so hard on not dropping the accent. It’s such a big ask and I find it so impressive that they’re able to do it at all. Eva’s accent was so natural that it enhanced the performance for me instead of detracting from it.
- She was very responsive and reactive to everything that was going on around her. Even when she wasn’t the main focus of a scene there was not one minute on stage that she wasn’t completely present as Matilda. This made her Matilda incredibly easy to relate to.
- Her face and eyes are incredibly expressive and her ability to show exactly what she’s feeling through facial expressions and actions is the best I’ve ever seen. It was difficult to take my eyes off her because I felt so invested in her story and how she was feeling.
- Her line delivery, timing and the choices she made in portraying Matilda were incredibly well thought-out, considered and natural. I also found some of her choices unique to her which is always interesting. No line was ever rushed, felt contrary to her chosen portrayal or mumbled and as such nothing felt out of place or false. It was very easy to follow the story in this performance.
Ok so now to all the details. So many line deliveries and choices were unique from what I’ve seen so far, and in my opinion, perfect that I almost want to describe the entire show.
Her Matilda was angry. At the beginning of the first act it was very subtle, bubbling below the surface and only noticeable in small expressions and the intonation and tone of some lines. By the beginning of the second act it was more pronounced, but never exaggerated or over the top, shown in a few clenched fists, a clenched jaw, and some very scathing and pointed looks. This built very strongly and cleverly right up until The Smell of Rebellion where you could see the anger written all over her face and it just boiled over into “big, fat bully” and “Quiet” when she just couldn’t control it anymore.
Every Matilda I’ve seen has practically shouted/yelled/declared indignantly the “I’m a girl” lines. Eva instead very firmly and evenly states “I’m a girl”, giving the impression that she’s said it so many times in her life that she’s simply resigned herself to the fact that her father is never going to acknowledge that she’s a girl. There’s also a very subtle hint of anger and frustration in her voice about this.
Naughty- the part on the shelf was the strongest I’ve seen largely due to her facial expressions. Her ninja moves were also very sharp and strong which is something that fits my personal preferences.
The only thing that could even remotely be considered a mistake on her part happened during the first library scene. There was a slight hesitation from what I imagine was a lapse in memory but she ad-libbed so quickly, and resumed the correct dialogue so seamlessly that I would have had no idea if I wasn’t so familiar with the show. When I spoke to my mum about it during intermission she had no idea what I was talking about.
In the scene at the Wormwood house, where Mr Wormwood tears up the library book, Eva’s facial expressions and acting choices were so good. Instead of just sitting silently she chooses to open her mouth to appear as if she is about to talk back to her father but she gets silenced when he rips the book from her hands. She then goes from looking shocked and appalled, to looking downright incredulous when her father acts like an idiot (especially when he slams his face against it and shakes it in his mouth) and can’t even work out how to ruin the book.
Rachel Cole’s more child-like Mrs Phelps really complemented Eva’s Matilda who seemed like the adult in all of their scenes together. She was so enthralled and enthusiastic about the stories. Eva’s stories were inspired- her intonation, tone, volume and facial expressions changed so appropriately that you couldn’t help but be sucked in by them. Quite a few of the other Matildas I’ve seen have been caught up with the accent, a bit rushed/mumbled or seem to be concentrating so hard on remembering the words and accompanying actions that it’s hard to stay in the moment. With Eva I couldn’t wait for the next part they were so expressive and engaging. Her reactions to Mrs Phelps’ interjections and interruptions were also played differently from what I’ve seen before. Her “I don’t know, not yet anyway” was quite drawn out with a slow and considered “I don’t know” like she was surprised by that and a 2-3 second pause before the “not yet anyway”. You could see her really trying to think about it and work out what might come next, like she was just as interested to know as Mrs Phelps, but she just didn’t have anymore. It felt very realistic.  And all of her exit lines “Bye Mrs Phelps see you tomorrow!”, “yeah I’d better go” were also delivered differently. They’re often played for laughs but Eva’s deliveries were very serious. You got the sense she was very much trying not to burden Mrs Phelps with the reality of her situation. There was also a heartbreaking hint of sadness, especially after Mrs Phelps declares it “must be nice for a child to be so wanted”. She held her face and tone even (with slight forced positivity) during her “Yes, wonderful. Goodbye Mrs Phelps” but after she’d turned around her face dropped, her shoulders dropped and there was deep sadness in her eyes. I felt like crying. You could just see the weight of the effort for such a little girl to be so strong all the time against all the bullies in her life. Her delivery of “Mrs Phelps, It’s just a story” was also quite unusual. Mostly I’ve seen Matilda appear quite incredulous that Mrs Phelps could think it was real, or it’s played for laughs. Eva didn’t do either of these things. Instead she calmly and slowly said, “Mrs Phelps?” with a questioning intonation. It came across as very concerned, trying to make sure she was back in the present moment, and led into a reassuring “it’s just a story”. She spoke to Mrs Phelps in a very similar manner to how a mother might speak to a frightened child. It was interesting and quite effective given Rachel Cole’s Mrs Phelps. It might not have felt so believable with Cle Morgan’s portrayal but I obviously haven’t seen this and I wouldn’t be surprised if she adapted her delivery to suit.
In the playground scene when Lavender introduces herself you can see she’s very confused and not quite sure how to take such a happy, bouncy, outgoing child. You can practically see her thinking “Who is this kid and why is she talking to me?” She starts to soften after Lavender declares her her best friend after the success of the narcolepsy scene.
Another thing I really liked was her reaction just before the “biggest hug in the world”. Often I find that after Miss Honey explains her plans for the selection of books to challenge Matilda’s mind there’s just an uncomfortably long pause. While I know what’s supposed to be happening in Matilda’s head it’s mostly not very clear and the pause seems to stretch out too long. Eva’s eyes, however, initially showed some confusion- it was obvious she wasn’t used to such kindness and didn’t really know what to do. Her expression then changed very slightly, it was almost a twitch, and I don’t really know how to describe it… gratitude perhaps… and then she launched herself into Miss Honey. She managed to convey in this performance what has been lacking in most others I’ve seen.
Now I should probably also mention Exodus Lale as Bruce at this point because he matched Eva in his strength in this performance. They are an incredible pair together. His Bruce is very funny and his timing and expression in the Bruce monologue was great. He also did something I’ve never seen before. I don’t know if it’s because I’ve always sat straight on to the stage and haven’t been able to see it but just after he’s sat in front of the cake he looked around the classroom and mouthed “help me” with an incredibly desperate/pleading expression to a few of the other kids. I thought it was funny and very clever. His delivery of “thank you” after the Trunch appears to be letting him off the hook was also different- very incredulous but obviously relieved. Overall the strongest Bruce performance I’ve seen and I was overall very impressed with the two Brisbane Bruces I saw!
Ok I promise I’m up to the last few points. Eva’s quiet is one of my favourite renditions I’ve ever heard and certainly one of the best 2 I’ve heard live. The first part of the song is incredibly strong and angry, her face, her voice and her hands/arms (forced trembling) all show how much she’s struggling to contain it and her articulation of all of the words is very clear and controlled. All of this anger builds up to a very strong, clear and controlled belt. The second part of the song is strong but incredibly smooth and beautifully sung. It seems effortless. I wish I could listen to it over and over.
Her delivery of the “Am I strange?” line was also very unique. It was delivered fairly slowly with the “strange” spoken very softly, almost whispered. It gave me the impression that she was a little bit in awe of her powers and slightly scared of the way her overwhelming anger had manifested. It led to the next exchange with Miss Honey being quite sweet and you could see how much they cared about each other. It became quite a powerful scene for their relationship and fed very nicely into what is the most interesting My House scene I’ve witnessed. You can just see everything Eva’s thinking and the lines are so well timed with her taking in her surroundings and also processing what Miss Honey is telling her. You can practically see the moment she understands how Miss Honey sees her small, modest house as her sanctuary. She’s also very focused on Miss Honey during the actual song when they’re sitting side by side… there’s no wandering eyes or moments with no expression on her face. The “but she’s got everything that’s yours” is almost pleading as if she knows Miss Honey is going to be averse to doing anything about it. She’s practically looking into Miss Honey’s eyes, trying to read her and understand her, for quite a bit of the song. As a result the two characters interact quite a bit more and I felt more of a connection between the two in this scene than I have before.
During the whole show she only made three choices that didn’t really appeal to my preferences. I felt she emphasised the “shiny, white scarf” a bit too hard in the first part of the story. It was very slow with a pause between each word. She did turn to Mrs Phelps and look her directly in the eyes at the time- almost as if to make sure she didn’t miss what ends up being a key part but I would have preferred it to be more subtle. She also played the “could have heard a fly burp” for laughs a little bit which just isn’t my preference. I like the line delivered seriously as If she doesn’t realise that her story could maybe be funny. She also exaggerated the “That was badgers, it was a program about badgeeerrrrrsssssss” line and drew out the last badgers quite long. Marika Aubrey’s adapted response of “same thiiinnnggggggggg” with the same drawn out delivery and tone almost makes me like it. And Eva’s expression of sheer disbelief when her mother days “Russians are nocturnal you know” was just priceless.
Well you’ve made it to the end. I think you can see how much I enjoyed the performance and my mum was completely blown away. She couldn’t stop talking about how amazing Eva was and she doesn’t believe the show could ever be done any better than that. Regardless of personal preferences her performance is so strong, and so totally present that you can’t help but appreciate her brilliant performance. She’s truly incredible. It was also lovely in bows to see her smile after seeing only negative emotions during the show. The whole crowd also loved the performance and rose to their feet for a standing ovation but it happened while they were turned to acknowledge he orchestra so she did this delightful little bounce and giggle when she turned back around to find everyone on their feet. She practically skipped off stage in joy. Every single performer on stage for this performance was absolutely on the top of their game.
So if anyone is lucky enough to see Eva as Matilda be prepared for a phenomenal, and emotional, show.
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