Diva's Review: Matilda The Musical Is A Revoltingly Enjoyable Show

The award-winning MATILDA THE MUSICAL, has returned to thrill audiences in Red Dot Island. Base Entertainment Asia and GWB Entertainment in association with the Royal Shakespeare Company have brought the lively production back to Sands Theatre from now to 7 April 2024. The first time the hit musical was in town was over five years ago in 2019.

MATILDA THE MUSICAL, created by playright Dennis Kelly and composer Tim Minchin, is adapted from Roald Dahl's beloved children's book about an extraordinary girl courage and resilience. The production first opened at London's West End over a decade ago, and yet, it still continues to inspire audiences all over the world. The musical has since won over 101 awards, including 24 for Best Musical. Recently, the musical was also adapted into a full-length movie, which is still available to watch on streaming via Netflix.

GWB Entertainment Executive Producer, Paul Warwick Grin says: “This exceptional musical continues to win hearts and minds of audiences all around the world and remains one of the brightest lights on London’s West End. We are delighted to be bringing Matilda The Musical back to the excellent Sands Theatre at Marina Bay Sands”.

For the international tour, the main character Matilda is performed by three performers Yolani Balfour, Donna Craig, Myla Williams, whilst Daniel Abrahams, Jayden Seder, Erich Jordaan and Gideon van Biljon act as Bruce and Eric. The other primary cast includes Kaye (Michael Wormwood/Tommy), Matthew Rowland (Mr Wormwood), Gina Beck (Miss Honey), Emily Squibb (Mrs Wormwood), Lucy Warway (Lavender) and James Wolstenholme (Miss Trunchbull.

Red Dot Diva was invited for the media premiere and found the musical to be an immersive and enjoyable experience. Even though the story went into rather dark places, it never strayed too far away from the notion of hope and the idea of fighting for the common good. There were also a number of funny scenes interspersed along the way to make the story less intense, like the salsa dance number by Mrs Wormwood and her vain and “very supple” ballroom dancing partner Rodolpho, as well as when the cartoony Bulgarian mobsters who barged into the Wormwood household. The latter segment had Red Dot Diva almost rolling on the floor, in stitches.

The impressive set made the story come alive on stage (there were swings!), and the live band added to the atmosphere, especially the bassoon player's notes during Miss Trunchbull's more menacing scenes. Red Dot Diva thought the ensemble cast was terrific. The child performers showed off their innate mischievousness, and their exhuberance were infectious in group performances like “The School Song” and the iconic “Revolting Children”.

But in Red Dot Diva's opinion, it was Miss Trunchbull the cruel headmistress of Crunchem Hall, played by James Wolstenholme who stole the show. He portrayed the unpleasant, larger than life character as both funny and scary at the same time, and that is not an easy thing to do. The other standout performance was the young actor playing Bruce, who seemed to be having a lot of fun on stage. Red Dot Diva wished that the actor performing as Matilda on media preview night was more expressive, however, she cannot fault the young actor's crisp diction. It was to die for.

The story about Matilda and her love for books was something close to Red Dot Diva's heart. Red Dot Diva was a bookworm when she was Matilda's age, and being the typical Gen X-er, was also left to her own imagination most of the time. Luckily for Red Dot Diva, she did not have uncaring parents. Neither was her school ruled by a tyrannical headmistress. Phew!

MATILDA THE MUSICAL is a great show to get your young family members and friends acquainted with the main protagonist - an intelligent, strong-headed, emphatic young heroine who has the courage to make things right. The story also has an affirming message to tell, and that is, being smart for a girl (and woman) is not something to shy away from.

The production ends at 7 April 2024, so if you want to watch the show, go grab your tickets here!

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Thank you, Base Entertainment Asia for the invite.


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Diva's Review: MAMMA MIA! Makes You Feel Like A Disco Dancing Queen - So Fabulous and Fun!

Are you a super trouper ABBA fan?

Even better still, are you a super trouper ABBA fan, who has also been dreaming of a Greek holiday? Well then, MAMMA MIA!, a joyous jukebox musical created by producer Judy Craymer, will be the perfect experience for you!

MAMMA MIA! first played in Red Dot Island in 2014, and returned for another time in 2018. This time, the show is back on a limited run from now till 5 November 2023 at the Sands Theatre. The English-language International Tour premiered in Dublin in September 2004. Since then, the troupe has visited 41 countries, performing a total of more than 3,500 shows. Over 7 million people from all over the world have watched the MAMMA MIA! musical. That's phenomenal!

Set in sunny Greece, MAMMA MIA! is a charming mother-and-daughter story told through ABBA's catalogue of 22 memorable hits, like “Dancing Queen”, “Money, Money, Money”, “Take A Chance On Me” and “Super Trouper”.

The LKY Musical Is Back (7 to 18 September 2022) - Early Bird Tickets On Sale Now!

After two years of restrictions, social distancing and downscaled live events, Singapore Repertory Theatre (SRT) and Aiwei triumphantly announced the return of THE LKY MUSICAL!

During its first run in 2015, THE LKY MUSICAL about Red Dot Island's former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew, was watched by over 50,000 people. This time, the event will be the island city-state's first large-scale musical production since the pandemic, and is poised to entertain and inspire thousands more at the Sands Theatre at Marina Bay Sands, from 7 to 18 September 2022.

THE LKY MUSICAL is an ode to the late Lee Kuan Yew. It depicts the personal journey of the formidable statesman, from his younger days at Raffles College, through the brutal Japanese Occupation, the threat of Communism, and his various ups and downs leading up to Singapore's Independence in 1965. The story also documents how the main players around him influenced his actions and decisions, including the woman who stood beside him.

Animated Musical Over The Moon Reimagines The Legend of Chang'E With Sumptuous Visuals

Every time the Mid-Autumn Festival comes around, Red Dot Diva is awashed with nostalgic childhood memories. She remembers her parents asking her to choose a traditional paper lantern from the nearby provision shop (she usually ends up with a dragon, phoenix or a dog), and then, help her to light the candle in the lantern.

In more than one occasion, someone was not as careful with the matchstick, and the poor lantern ends up in flames, accompanied by the inevitable flood of tears. But more often than not, little Red Dot Diva gets to happily parade around her old neighbourhood's cul-de-sac, carrying her pretty lantern under the light of a full moon.

This year, that same warm, magical feeling is most likely to come from Netflix's animated musical feature OVER THE MOON. The movie is directed by the Oscar Award-winning animator Glen Keane who has gifted us with unforgettable animation in Disney films like Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid and Aladdin. John Kahrs (Paperman) acts as co-director of the film, which is jointly produced by Pearl Studio (Abominable) and Netflix.

SRT's "Forbidden City: Portrait of An Empress" 2017: Diva's Interview with Dick Lee and Cheryl Tan

Step into the world of Cixi, the last Empress Dowager of China, at the re-staging of the musical "Forbidden City: Portrait of an Empress". The Singapore Repertory Theatre production, starring local performer Kit Chan as the grown up Cixi, on 8 August 2017 at the Esplanade.

Set in China over a century ago, the lavishly stunning musical production will also include Broadway and West End star Earl Carpenter ("Les Misérables"), local actor Benjamin Chow ("RENT", "The LKY Musical"), Cheryl Tan ("Romeo & Juliet", "Beauty World") as the young concubine Yehenara, and Broadway actress Stephanie Leigh (Mary Poppins).

Cultural Medallion recipient Dick Lee provides the music for "Forbidden City: Portrait of an Empress", and Red Dot Diva managed to get hold of the veteran performer/ songwriter for a snappy Q&A. She also got to interview singer-actress Cheryl Tan.

SRT's "Forbidden City: Portrait of An Empress" 2017: Diva's Interview with Costume Designer Yang DeRong

A musical extravaganza about the life of Empress Dowager Cixi, "Forbidden City: Portrait of an Empress" will return to the stage for the 4th time at the Esplanade beginning 8 August 2017.

The SRT production, developed by Stephen Clark, Dick Lee and Steve Dexter, was first staged in 2002 as part of the Esplanade's opening. Since then, the play has another two sold out shows in 2003 and 2006. The star of the show, Kit Chan, will return in the main role of Cixi for the 2017 production.

With an epic spanning over decades, "Forbidden City" is a large set with several period costumes hailing from the last dynasty in China. This is a huge undertaking for any costume designer, and that's where talented local designer Yang DeRong comes in to the picture.

Veteran fashion designer Yang DeRong spent several years abroad working with names like Jean-Charles de Castelbajac and fashion group Esprit. He is now back home and has been involved in many high profile international and government projects, including being SG50 NDP Art Director and Costume Designer.

Yang loves the theatre, and his craft has been seen in productions like Theatreworks "The Elephant Man" (1987), SRT's "The Dresser", NUS Cultural Centre's "Man of Letters" and "Beauty World" (2016) by Singapore Street Festival.

He was also designer for SRT's previous run of "Forbidden City" in 2003, and will return to work on this year's production.

SRT's Musical "Treasure Island" Is A Delight, Especially for Families

The Singapore Repertory Theatre's (SRT) year-end play "Treasure Island" is not the scary sort with pillaging pirates running amok committing bloody murders on board a schooner. Rather, this adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson famous book by SRT's The Little Company is a delightful, G-rated musical that will appeal to children young and old, as well as most adults, and makes for 1.5 hours of fun family time.

The musical follows quite closely to the novel except for one main twist to the storyline - Jim Hawkins (Ann Lek) has been genderbent to an adventure-loving 13-year-old girl who works at the Bentbow Inn. With Jim stumbling upon a map owned by the late Captain Flint (and the scariest pirate that has ever lived), she sets sail on an adventure to a Caribbean island together with a crew led by Captain Smollett (Erwin Shah Ismail) and Squire Trelawney (Tan Shou Chen).

Unfortunately, on board as well is Long John Silver (Dwayne Lau) who pretends to be friends with Ann Lek while plotting a mutiny together with his comrades Hands (Kimberley Chan) and O'Brien (Michell Lagos), so that they can get their greedy hands on the treasure map.

SDCC 2013: Grab A Pineapple and Get "Psych"-ed at Comic-Con!

USA Network's detective drama series "Psych" is set to go into a song and dance at San Diego during Comic-Con week!

Not only is "Psych" returning to Comic-Con for the fifth time this year, the show will be hosting an exclusive midnight screening for "Psych: The Musical" for its fans. One does not need to have a Comic-Con badge to watch the screening, and the event is free of charge!

The 2-hour musical's screening will be held at the Reading Theatre in the Gaslamp District on 16 July, Wednesday.

Cinderel-LAH! She's Not Just A Sengkang Maid

The theatre scene has been heating up on our Red Dot Island the last few years. Before that, affordable and entertaining plays worth attending were few and the target audience tended to be very high-brow.

Local theatre companies have bloomed once they realized that they could be arty and yet reach the hearts of the masses. By crafting a theatre schedule that consisted of a good mix of localized, easy-to-digest themes coupled with less generic and darker ones, they managed to find their footing with a growingly more sophisticated Red Dot Island audience.

One of these companies, W!ld Rice, has pulled in some successes recently with "Animal Farm" and "Boeing Boeing". For the year-end festive season, W!ld Rice has decided to go all colourful and cheery with their 10th anniversary celebratory pantomime, "Cinderel-LAH!"

The classic rags-to-princess fairy tale has been updated and given a very local Red Dot Islandic twist.

Local Theatre News

New local theatre production company Pangdemonium! Productions kicked off to a successful start with "The Full Monty" this year.

As a follow-up, Pangdemonium will be offering more nudity with the dark psycho-drama play by Patrick Marber called "Closer". (Red Dot Diva knows that some may already be familiar with the movie version starring Jude Law, Natalie Portman, Clive Owen and Julia Roberts.) The play is directed by Tracie Pang is about love, lust, obsession, betrayal... All those melodramatic stuff. It stars Adrian Pang, Emma Yong, Keagan Kang and Cynthia Lee MacQuarrie as the four main protagonists.

"Closer" will go on stage at the DBS Arts Centre from 17 February to 6 March 2011. Tickets go on sale on December 1st on SISTIC. Remember to check out the early bird discount!