We all remember the cautionary tales which, as children, ruled every single decision we made: they made our knees quake with fear at the prospect of lying and made us think twice before doing even so much as steal a biscuit. But then we grew up, and somewhere along the way those stories lost their influence…Until last night...
Who’s the real liar? Well, if I told you all that I’d be giving away the game, you’ll have to go and find out for yourselves.
Putney based Group 64 brought this fear right back home to me in their performance of Matilda Liar, a play based on the story of Matilda; the girl who cried ‘fire’. Having been told such wonderful things about the show my expectations were high, and I wasn’t disappointed. The set was sparse; just a central ladder and a few chairs, with the distinction between rooms made clear merely through the use of blackboards and chalk. However, this was barely noticeable as the stage was more than filled by the huge characters that were so successfully portrayed by the actors. The acting was difficult to flaw and I frequently forgot that I was watching a youth theatre production, but rather felt like I really was looking through the window of a very real, and very dysfunctional family. The part of the mother, in particular, was impressively realised: playing a frustrated middle-aged woman is no small ask of a seventeen year old. And of course the principle role, that of Matilda, was played with a perfect balance of big and small; big lines and clarity combined smoothly with subtle facial expressions and movement. That’s not to say there weren’t issues, a few lines were stumbled over which briefly broke the illusion. However, within a split second the actors recovered themselves and drew you straight back in. The lights also, although visually effective, perhaps acted as a cautionary tale in being prepared for the unpredictable English weather; the heat from outside combined with the heat from the lights left the actors melting on stage, and undoubtedly made some of the impressive movement sequences significantly more difficult.
Matilda Liar not only terrified me, but also put me in awe and, crucially, made me laugh, bringing out in me the young child who used to read those cautionary tales with wide eyes and open mouth. The production left my head spinning in the best possible way. Is it all just in her head? Who’s the real liar? Well, if I told you all that I’d be giving away the game, you’ll have to go and find out for yourselves.
