The Witches – National Theatre

Katherine Kingsley and company of The Witches at the National Theatre. Picture: Marc Brenner

The Witches continues at the National Theatre (Olivier) until 27 January 2024.

Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

The National Theatre’s new adaptation of Roald Dahl’s The Witches is in some ways a pretty risky theatrical proposition. Firstly, though a Christmas musical based on a children’s book seems like a sure-fire commercial smash, this musical will inevitably draw comparisons with the RSC’s uber-successful Matilda, and even beyond that masterpiece there is no shortage of great family entertainment in the West End this festive season. Secondly, this particular book – which tells the story of a shadowy cabal of evildoers who secretly control powerful institutions – is an uncomfortable read today given Dahl’s well-documented and repugnant antisemitism. And that’s to say nothing of the risks of employing a relatively unknown (to UK audiences) composer, filling your show with complicated stage effects and having child actors lead the vast majority of the story’s drama.

Well, good for the National Theatre for taking on the challenge. Risk-averse theatre is no fun, and The Witches has fun in spades, shovels and JCB buckets. The show deftly avoids echoing the original author’s prejudices, and for all the child-friendly marketing (the programme includes an activity book!), Lucy Kirkwood’s book is full of unsentimental and close-to-the-bone humour. There are just as many jokes for the grown-ups as there is child-friendly silliness, and the whole affair has a very British sensibility. Pity the poor writer who will one day have to translate all these local supermarket references for international audiences.

Of course, naughtily laughing for 165 minutes is exhausting, so why not terrify the audience too? The Witches is creepily unnerving in places, and the witches themselves often quite terrifying. Obviously, all children are different so have a good read of the content warnings on the National Theatre’s website, but to me, the horror feels well-pitched, with just enough daftness to make it appealing to kids who might otherwise be a little sensitive. The official suggested age is eight-plus.

The greatest tragedy of London’s 2023 theatre scene is that there exist so many incredible Dave Malloy shows that somehow, we still haven’t seen. Sure, a few years back we got the brilliant Preludes at Southwark Playhouse and Boulevard Theatre’s perfect Ghost Quartet – arguably the best musical ever, by which I mean I will argue that with you and I will win because it is fact – but Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 has had two cast recordings and 12 2017 Tony Awards nominations and we still haven’t seen a single production. Neither have we seen Malloy’s ambitious four-hour take on Moby Dick. Ditto for his a cappella chamber musical Octet; and that one doesn’t even need a band. What are London’s theatre producers playing at?!

So how lucky we are to have a brand-new set of songs by Malloy (with lyrics co-written by Kirkwood) make their debut at our National Theatre. This is Malloy at his most crowd-pleasing and commercial, though his DNA is still very much in evidence. Eastern European folk rhythms, plentiful diminished seventh chords and ambitious choral sections set this score apart from other composers, and the show’s spooky edge even allows for some signature Malloy dissonance and unusual instrumentation. After seeing the show only once, I feel compelled to write an essay on every single song, but even if you’re not a superfan paying special attention to the score, numbers like ‘Ready to Go’, ‘Bruno Sweet Bruno’ and ‘Get Up’ will stick with you days after you leave the theatre.

Of course, musical theatre songs sparkle best in the context of a team-built spectacular, and so many of this production’s elements are extraordinary. Set and costume designer Lizzie Clachan has put together a colourful but not garish aesthetic, with a feeling of an England from a half-century ago (despite the script placing it more ambiguously in an age with social media). The video work by Ash J Woodward is incorporated seamlessly, and illusion designers Chris Fisher and Will Houstoun bring the magic in the story alive with flair. Director Lyndsey Turner marshals these elements into a cohesive show that never loses sight of the fun and horror at its heart.

No comedy musical works without a capable cast, and the large team assembled for The Witches is simply brilliant. Sally Ann Triplett shines as the always battle-ready, cigar-smoking badass Gran, and Katherine Kingsley is fabulous as the Grand High Witch. Maggie Service and Ekow Quartey are a perfect comedy double act as Mr and Mrs Jenkins, and some of the night’s biggest laughs come from Daniel Rigby as Mr Stringer, a hotel owner up against such an impossible set of circumstances, the calm of Basil Fawlty is but an impossible dream.

The risk of relying on young performers for so much of the show pays dividends with the fantastic cast this production has assembled. On press night Bertie Caplan as Luke was a superb lead; a fantastic singer and a naturally charismatic stage presence who led the action with confidence and stunned in his solo numbers. As Luke’s well-off and sugar-addicted friend Bruno, Cian Eagle-Service was a suave charmer who earned a mid-show ovation with his very first song. Also stunning the audience vocally was Jersey Blu Georgia as Helga the Gnome who stirred the young cast and the audience to hearty rebellion in Act II with ‘Get Up’.

What is most exciting about this new musical is the prospect of how it may grow. With my analytical reviewer hat on (nobody likes that hat), I sometimes worry that 165 minutes (including interval) is quite long for a children’s show, or that the absence of the titular Witches during most of Act I makes for a dramaturgically difficult first grand meeting as the tone shifts from comedy to horror. However, given this is the first ever outing of a brand-new work of musical theatre, Kirkwood, Malloy and everyone else involved deserve lots of credit for how perfectly everything sits together already, and the staggering originality and pure fun on display. It is easy to imagine this show with a permanent West End home where the magic tricks are integrated into the staging and even more incredible. Likewise, the script and songs are so strong, it will no doubt become a staple of touring, amateur and school theatre for years to come.

The risks taken by the makers of The Witches have certainly paid off. This show is darker, ruder, and funnier than Matilda, and though it may lack some of the polish of that megahit in this first run, I enjoyed it not one iota less. For 165 minutes the entire Olivier Theatre audience were grinning ear to ear, laughing uproariously and applauding until we risked our hands became more disgusting than the twisted talons the titular witches keep hidden beneath their gloves. This show is an incredible addition to the canon of uniquely British family musicals – even if it did reach across the Atlantic for some key components – and deserves all the future success it will most certainly see.

Ian Bowkett