Roald Dahl Retrospective Episode 20: Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical

In this episode of the Roald Dahl Retrospective, Arun and Patricia discuss about the 2022 musical film Matilda the Musical based on the 2010 stage show based on the 1988 book Matilda starring Alisha Weir, Lashana Lynch, Emma Thompson, Stephen Graham, Andrea Riseborough, and Sindhu Vee. Matilda Wormwood is an intelligent five year old girl who has mean parents who don't remotely care for her. They were fined because they didn't send her to school and they send her to Crunchem Hall lead by the cruel, strict, and disciplined headmistress Miss Trunchbull and taught by the kind, loving, and supportive teacher Miss Honey. She also spends her time with the librarian Miss Phelps telling her the story of an acrobat and escapologist in the circus. Overtime, Matilda becomes more assertive towards the adults who have wronged her and helps those who are in need thanks to her newly discovered telekinetic powers. Will she succeed? When the film premiered, it received positive reviews from critics despite fans of both the book and 1996 adaptation directed by Danny DeVito criticized it calling it "inferior" or pointing out the changes, casting, and creative liberties it did. What did Arun and Patricia think of it? Listen and find out.