witches

The Worst Witch

Malvern Theatres

****

Gather your Witch’s Cat Puppet under control, for the world premiere production of The Worst Witch, swooping into Malvern Theatres, with a performance far more magical than just a cheese sandwich.

The original story for the stage written by Emma Reeves sees the show orchestrated as a school play written by Mildred and acted by the pupils and teachers at the academy, with all the ingredients and eye of newt from Jill Murphy’s classic novels thrown into the cauldron.

Even before the lights went down in the auditorium my 6-year-old daughter was delighted to spot Enid (Consuela Rolle) playing rock, paper, scissors with members of the audience, Miss Hardbroom (Rachel Heaton) giving everyone the evil eye and Miss Drill (Megan Leigh Mason) doing her warm up exercises in the aisles.

My daughter is an avid reader of the books and even dressed up as Mildred Hubble for the occasion so it was magical for her to see all the characters come to life creating havoc and mayhem across the stage with a lively score composed by Luke Potter.

Ethel (Rosie Abraham) was every bit as awful as you could ever imagine and bullied her way through the scenes with just the right amount of attitude and pout wonderfully contrasting with Mildred’s haphazardness and lack of confidence.

When Ethel curses Maud’s broomstick and Maud (Rebecca Killick) and Mildred take to the skies there are daring backwards somersaults as the best friends cling to trapeze-like broomsticks and aerial acrobatics on a hula-hoop moon.

As the play unfolds we learn about Miss Cackle’s evil twin sister Agatha (Polly Lister) who plays both parts as she hilariously wears half a long cardigan and glasses for Miss Cackle and a glitzy sparkling number for Agatha so keeps turning round and round doing all the voices whilst trying to take over the school.

The laughter potion certainly has you giggling in your seats at Agatha’s antics and the stage set magically transforms with each catastrophe thanks to Simon Daw’s wizardry. The all-female cast bring lots of fizzing energy directed by Theresa Heskins and the on-stage musicians, Megan Leigh Mason, Meg Forgan and Molly-Grace Cutler mix all the correct quantities together to create a bewitching spectacle.

‘These boots are made for Witching!’

See The Worst Witch at Malvern until Saturday March 16, for tickets call the Box Office on 01684 892277 or online at http://www.malvern-theatres.co.uk/whats-on/the-worst-witch/

Emma Trimble

12-03-18 

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