Roald Dahl's The Witches - NT Olivier

Saw it tonight and this completely sums up my views on it. ‘Get up’ was blooming awful, I felt like I was watching a kids nativity. But there’s a lot to love about the rest of it.

I do think Get Up has the potential to be a decent musical theatre number, if not a great song in itself - but when they are all stood there like the Nativity scene in Love Actually, there’s absolutely nowhere to take it. Those hideous costumes and zero staging give it no passion. I was quite shocked given that the other ‘big numbers’ are all bells and whistles. It was incredibly out of place and I’m surprised it made it past the workshops, never mind the rehearsals and then the previews.

Loved this

Perfectly imperfect

The scenes with the witches are almost frenzied in their staging and ritualistic chanting

Any weaknesses can be overlooked by the fact musicals are (for me always) an inherently tacky in so many ways

I far prefer the book they have created for this to Matilda although I have to say whilst Dahl has amazing ideas they are pretty protracted

The cast are having a fabulous time it seems

I do agree that there is some mismatch between some parts of the staging and sets etc

Whilst most of it is wildly extravagantly done there are some evident short cuts particularly with props

But I think overarching is a massive tongue in cheek approach from the director and entire creative team

The interval music says it all and reflects the exact tone here

Thanks, Indhu. Best of luck with the new job.

"...whilst Dahl has amazing ideas they are pretty protracted..." is genuinely one of the best comments on this thread. That line for me captures why translating Dahl's work to stage is so hit and miss.

There's no denying his talent but his style feels laboured and clunky in today's world.

Saw this last night and many other posters have already echoed my views. It’s… fine? Enjoyable enough, with some real standout moments and performances. When the witches are on stage it excels - the tone is just right. They’re frenzied, ugly, scary and inhuman. But other elements feel like (bad) panto and badly thought through. I KNOW we allow for artistic license but I feel the director has underestimated the fact that even a “kids show” needs logic and reason, where so much happens here that makes no logistical sense or opens up other questions. Personally I feel it needed some more development just to tighten up and allow a dramaturg or similar to address its inconsistencies: why can the mouse kids sometimes open and close doors and fridges? Why is mouse Bruno eating normal sized food whilst the bottle prop Luke carries around is a large prop? Why are most transformed kids in (horrible) literal flat pack costumes representing “static” items whilst Helga is in full gnome costume and able to walk around? Why does Helga tell Luke to “sit down” moments before singing a song demanding he “get up”? Can the transformed kids actually move and talk Toy Story-style or is this just something Luke can sense? How does Luke “overhear” Gran telling the audience Helga’s story through song - in the world of the show, was she just… talking to herself? Why are the kitchen staff so dirty? Why is Bruno parachuting from the roof of the hotel?

That sounds harsh, and I know some are nitpicking. I also appreciate it’s first and foremost a kids show and there are budget limitations, but a “kids” show isn’t an excuse for bad writing and direction. The strongest kids shows - like Matilda - create and stick to a strong core world which we get sucked into. This, unfortunately, doesn’t manage that feat. As a result, it feels uneven and it’s frustrating since it could be much better very easily. When it’s good it’s brilliant (e.g. the Witches first meeting, the Grand High Witch’s Act II solo) but when it’s bad it’s embarrassing (Get Up looks like a school assembly performance, ). Having said that, the overall design (ignoring the transformed children…), the witches themselves, the score and the lead performances (including the two lead children) carry it and at least help gloss over some issues. With a lesser cast, it could be a difficult watch.

I want

That

On

A

Tea

Towel

I've a single £20 stalls ticket for sale for 7pm performance Thursday 28 December, offered on Noticeboard now (may not be immediately visible)  and will be returned to NT if no takers by 25/12. Details there.

I think it's unfair to suggest the cast and creative team have been lazy and not trying for the highest standards.  Unfortunately, the magic hasn't happened entirely but not for want of effort.  

Similar things used to happen at ENO, John Berry would invite a film director with no theatre experience to stage something on London biggest stage. Maddness

Rufus did that other NT Olivier masterpiece…

wonder.land