Silence, maggots! The smell of rebellion is in the air! And it’s wafting through the atmosphere all the way over from Silhouette Stages in Columbia with their brilliant production of Roald Dahl’s Matilda! Directed by Amy Haynes Rapnicki (assisted by Derek Cooper) with Musical Direction by Terin Kelsey and Choreography by Hunter Lubawski, this zesty, good-fun musical is filled with heart and is being enjoyed by the audience as well as everyone on the stage; a rare delight to witness this day and age.

It’s not exactly your Mum’s Matilda, and that’s an appreciative par for the course at Silhouette Stages as of late! While true to the story and the overall expectation, Director Amy Haynes Rapnicki and Assistant Director Derek Cooper take their creativity to new heights, leaping into the world of modernity in all the right places, which really lends itself to the show. The layers of modernity as best witnessed in all of Marshall Logan Gibbs’ clever projection designs, most notably inside the Wormwood household, where the television screen is constantly logged into ‘Wormflix’ and the various profiles of the four members of that family have hilariously detailed avatar-icons. There are other Easter-egg nods of the like sprinkled throughout both Gibbs’ projection work and the overall creative team design work in this production that just tickles the fancy of childhood and brings about the clever giggles.

If you’ve ever seen Matilda, you might be looking for the alphabet blocks. Or the scrabble tiles, the letters, however you end up representing them, but you won’t find them in Silhouette Stages’ production (with the exception of on the versatile projection screen during “School Song”.) Instead you’ll find books. Loads and loads of books. Matilda’s bed is even an encyclopedia of sorts with the spine facing out. And flanking either side of the stage are these massive faces— bookends! Director Amy Haynes Rapnicki and Scenic Design Consultant Sammy Jungwirth have encapsulated the notion of the whole play-space being the story with this execution. The stage is literally the ‘shelf’ of a library or reading room, with the bookends ‘holding’ the stories in place. Haynes and Jungwirth also drop a translucent curtain scrim at the middle-depth of the stage to portion of upstage and downstage at times, creating both a division of scenery and this metaphorical notion of ‘real story vs imaginary story.’ It is used to its excellent zenith during “Quiet” which features a lot of ‘memory’ flashback characters, alongside those who care about Matilda verses those who make noise inside of her mind and creates a really striking visual for the number.

The only issue that this shimmer-scrim-drop creates is when the phantom puppeteers (members of the adult and/or big kid ensemble) appear with their silhouette stick puppets. This is often during the retelling of the Acrobat & Escapologist narratives; the curtain doesn’t really allow for you to see the shadowy silhouette stick puppets clearly, even if you are sitting quite close to the stage (though this could potentially be a balancing point issue in Atticus Cooper Boidy’s lighting design.) That said, the little stick puppets, when they can be seen, are adorable— particularly the fly and the speech bubble that accompanies the fly, which says ‘BURP.’ (Shoutout to AD Derek Cooper on props!) This slight misfire in visibility shouldn’t put a damper on the rest of Boidy’s brilliant lighting as there is quite a series of impressive colors and hues being used throughout the performance to really highlight musical numbers or character moments.

I don’t want to detract from the amazing, feel-good, fun-loving vibes of the show by taking Sound Designer Terry Edwards and Sound Board/Mic Programmer Ethan Hogarty to task but the mics were a perpetually unpleasant issue throughout Saturday evening’s performance. Feedback in places where you definitely don’t want feedback, crackles and pops galore, and some overall volume balance issues particularly when music would come up or down for the start or finish of certain numbers. The performers and creative team are working so hard to make a spectacular theatrical engagement, the whole experience begs for better consistency with the microphones and sound execution.

Visually, the show’s sartorial selection is beyond impressive. Costume Designer Heather Bertaux, with an assist from Patricia Anderson, has outdone herself with all sorts of wonders. The ‘Crunchem’ printed gym shirts for “The Smell of Rebellion” are a personal favorite. Bertaux even creates a breakaway version of said shirt for Matilda so that she can quick-change at the end of that number. The entirety of the Wormwood family wardrobe is LOUD, particularly all of the neon-shock colors and patterns seen on Mrs. Wormwood, though they simply cannot be outdone by that screaming electric chartreuse-lime suit featured on Mr. Wormwood. Bertaux has a bunch of instances where she gets to let her creativity shine (aided and assisted by Cooper) and all of it fits the wondrous world of Matilda delightfully.

Hunter Lubawski is giving this show some effervescent dancing options by infusing a full-blown tap routine into “All I Know” at the top of Act II. What’s absolutely precious— aside from the fact that we get a chance to feature our two Dance Captains— Lily Anderson and Carolina Tomasi, as Squid Games and a TARDIS, respectively— is that we get four dancing TV icons (the aforementioned Anderson-Squid Games competitor and Tomasi as a TARDIS) alongside Brooke Bloomquist as Spiderman and Rowena Winkler as Boba Fett/Bounty Hunter complete with mini Grogu to really splash some tap magic into this song. Mr. Wormwood is doing his vocals thing and that quintessential quartet of dancers (who get Mrs. Wormwood to join in) do their thing AND they have a hilarious ‘show-stopping’ feature with Michael Wormwood (Noah Anderson.) Lubawski has other excellent executions of choreographic creativity throughout the production, often featuring the Big Kid Ensemble as the dance corp. Including Lily Anderson, Noah Anderson, Emmy Favero, Cora Kennedy, Corawyn Quay, Nicoletta Toscano, and Gwendolynn Watters, there are a lot of power-drop staccato moves happening in this dance corps, which really draws your eye to them and to Lubawski’s attention to detail.

Musically the show is solid. Microphone and volume balance issues aside, all of the ensemble— be it Adult (Patricia Anderson, Chris Binnie, Brooke Bloomquist, Shea Gardner, Ryan New, Emma Schreier, Carolina Tomasi, Rowena Winkler), Big Kids (Lily Anderson, Noah Anderson, Emmy Favero, Cora Kennedy, Corawyn Quay, Nicoletta Toscano, Gwendolynn Watters,) or Little Kid (Caroline Anderson, Julia Ballenger, Rosie Binnie, Bryn Hummel, Iris Hopwood-Meyer, Ellie Kilberg, Lily Martin, Judah Moe, Cole Severt, Kerrigan Winkler,)— come together with vigor, good tonal quality and balanced singing sounds under the direction of Terin Kelsey. (And mad props to dialect coach Zen Tabligan who ensures that for most of these performers those accents are not only consistent but carrying through into their singing voices!) You get fulsome sounds from the ensemble numbers, set strongly against the emotional vibe of each number and you get sensations from the various solo and duet numbers that comprise this family show.

The show has a fluidity to it— Stage Manager Tori Davenport and Child Wranglers Alex Kent and Taylor Bailey deserve proud nods there— each moment flows easily one to the next and the scenic transitions even feel natural without delay. Director Amy Haynes Rapnicki and Assistant Director Derek Cooper have done a solid job with their cast of ~30, with the libretto, and finding the equilibrium between what the book and lyrics say versus their own personalized vision. One that comes to mind is the stillness and simplicity of “When I Grow Up.” The kids just sing the song. It’s a beautiful song though there is that ‘growing’ moment, where the little kids’ ensemble and the big kids’ ensemble come through each other’s arms, showing the actual trajectory of growing up; it brings a tear to the eye! There are little unique touches like that all throughout the performance, a personal favorite being transforming Bryn Hummel of the Little Kids Ensemble into the wafting chocolatey burb during Bruce Bogtrotter’s explanation that leads into “Bruce.” Hummel flits around the classroom desks with a chocolate ribbon on a twirl stick and becomes the burb, gracefully fluttering around through the kids and the furniture and its an adorable representation. You also get to see Kerrigan Winkler as ‘Cook’ when the Trunchbull calls for the chocolate cake to be brought out and it too is one of the most adorable personalized touches that I can ever recall seeing in a production of Matilda. There’s just endless heart moving in the direction of this production and you can see it and feel it in every staged moment.

This production is chock-a-block with talent. You get performers from the Adult Ensemble, like Chris Binnie and Rowena Winkler, who get to showcase their talents as Sergei and The Doctor, respectively, both at the top and tail of the production. Binnie, whose Sergei character appears in the penultimate scene before the show concludes is hilarious with his Bulgarian delivery and Winkler, who gets to belt out some impressive notes during “Miracle” has a really impressive powerhouse sound to deliver. You’ll also catch glimpses of the Acro-choreography from Ryan New as The Escapologist and Shea Gardner as The Acrobat during their respective storytelling moments. New has a warm voice that sits well in the number “Acrobat Story IV(I’m Here)” and sends little shivers of mournful bittersweetness down the spine.

It’s difficult to say who’s more fun to watch— little Nigel (Judah Moe) and his utterly precious pop-up moments when he’s fleeing the Trunchbull or Amanda Thripp (Julia Ballenger) who goes flinging about by her pigtails— and mad props to the coordinated efforts of the production team to get that effect done properly! A real swinging child, exceptionally timed lighting, and a whole lot of suspension of disbelief, makes that moment epic! Ballenger owns her ‘landing’ out in the house when she comes down from being flung by the pigtails and the audience just eats it up. Then you’ve got to contend with the preciously precocious Lavender (Iris Hooper-Meyer) who is so over-the-top with her giddy enthusiasm about having a part in the Trunchbull’s downfall that you’re almost maniacally giggling along with her as she tries not to spoil what’s about to happen! There’s definitely a gumptious attitude on Hooper-Meyer that serves the Lavender character well, especially when she lays claim to Matilda being her best friend.

Rosie Binnie as Bruce Bogtrotter is in a category all her own. The insanely animated facial expressions, overall command of stage when she’s the feature on it, and just her precision timing when it comes to reactions— particularly when being terrified of the Trunchbull— are just superb. That level of seasoned performance skill seems far beyond the youthful age at which Binnie presently is. As the kids say— Binnie ATE. And quite literally at that because the way she has Bruce attack that cake during her eponymous number is superb. And she’s got vocals to boot; hear her belting out (as opposed to belching out and you get to hear some of that too!) during “Revolting Children” and it’s one for the books.

The oft overlooked librarian character of Mrs. Phelps is coming to vivacious life in the hands of Patricia Anderson. The librarian is definitely over-the-top in regards to her enthusiasm and excitement but it feels earnest delivered in Anderson’s hands. She’s deeply invested in Matilda’s stories, hanging on her every word, engaging with the narrative as if it were actually happening to her and she’s doing it in this indescribably authentic way. You’d actually believe she’s this rather cloistered, sheltered librarian with no life or imagination of her own and that’s why these stories excite her so; Anderson is intensity maxing, she’s totally locked into the vibe and it adds a great dynamic to the show.

Director Amy Haynes Rapnicki and her assistant Derek Cooper have really taken some of these gentle-drifter characters, like Michael Wormwood (Noah Anderson) and pulled them more into the foreground. In general, the Michael character seems to exist merely to provide a pop of comedic one-offs here and there, and to serve as a ‘reveal’ near the show’s end. In this production, Anderson is chewing scenery left, right, and center in the most humorously uplifting and yet not at all distracting fashion. Rocking out to guitar hero on his special chair, getting lost in VR-Oculus land, or his infamous ‘tap’ routine feature during “All I Learned” you really get to experience Michael as dynamic and purpose-serving rather than just an addition to the family.

If you want spastic and obnoxious and all over the place, you’ve come to the right household— The Wormwoods. Mr. (Brian Sackett) and Mrs. (Megan Mostow) are as over-the-top as they are LOUD. And it’s hard to tell which one is tickling the funny bone harder, though they’re both taking very different approaches. Sackett and Mostow both have sublime approaches to their revolting ‘redneck-English’ accents, with Mostow really playing hers up for comedic affect. Sackett, who has this frenetic volcanic quality about his portrayal is just aces to watch, particularly when it comes to picking on members of the audience, and his patter-roll in “All I Learned” has an even meter and solid delivery to it. He’s perfectly vile, putridly villainous, and fits the role beautifully. Mostow is a trip or tripping the life fantastic. She’s belting at the top of her lungs during “Loud” and it’s quite impressive, especially as she’s dance-parading all over the stage with Rudolpho (Ryan New.) She’s sassy, highlighting those moments where the character believes her intelligence is superior, and she has this undeniable stage presence about the way she exudes herself into the space. It’s not just walking on and off, it’s a sophisticated, exaggerated dancer’s flounce and it is the GOAT when it comes to characterizations. Hands down favorite moment that doesn’t involve Mostow singing? The ‘almost-hug’ at the very, very end of the performance. It’s hysterical.

If you want compassion, you’ll have to flee the Wormwood household like Trunchbull is chasing you. All the way over to the tiny tilted cottage (again props to Rapnicki and Jungwirth— the walls both in Trunchbull’s office and inside Miss Honey’s cottage tilt…blurring the lines of story and reality, showcasing what happens when one encroaches upon the other!) of Miss Jennifer Honey (Ellen Quay.) With a stronger voice than one might expect from such a timid creature, Quay has all the maternal comforts of someone who desperately wants a child of her own, suffered the worst orphan-style upbringing, and is ready to make a difference in the world, Ghandi-style by being the change she wishes to see, only doesn’t have the courage or a clue as to where to start. It’s a remarkably fleshed out portrayal of the character. Quay has exquisitely articulate patter skills, readily displayed during “Pathetic” and her facial expressions, particularly when she’s aghast and simultaneously amused at some of the antics in the second act, are vivacious. The connection she builds with Matilda feels genuine and yet it spreads beyond just looking out for one child. Though her interactions with the other children are lesser, Quay’s Miss Honey feels authentically caring toward all the little charges in her classroom and it’s a nice change of pace for a character who can often be delivered a little flatly.

A true terror, ferociously unhinged, and delectably demonic, Patrick Mulheron’s Agatha Trunchbull is the epitome of grotesque perfection. Everything from the physical stature, makeup and painted-on rotting teeth, to the nefariously warped grin, to the vocalizations is just stupendous. Mulheron is truly terrifying and yet perfectly insane. There’s a dark comedy inside of his portrayal that strikes the gong in a fiery blaze of perfection when it comes to be awful and awfully uproarious. Mulheron gets to play along with the modernity as well— “Alexa, pause!” and that’s it’s own level of unhinged fantasticalness. Vocally astonishing, “The Hammer” puts you on the edge of your seat in discomforted fear whilst encouraging you to laugh. There’s just something about the way Mulheron approaches Trunchbull that screams perfection; it’s ticking all the boxes in balance. He owns “The Smell of Rebellion” (in a way that I’ve only ever seen Christopher Sieber do) and yet does not shy away from the absurdity of moments like “newt in my knickers” and goes hog-wild into that series of movements. It’s an exquisite portrayal and deserves to be seen.

Mary Fliehman, who shares the titular role of this production with Caroline Anderson, does not let a little thing like little stop her. She’s vocally sound with an excellent handle on producing mature tones, consistently balanced pitches, and well-rounded holds and sustains. That’s no small feat for a young performer. Her accent is on point and carries beautifully into her singing voice and you can tell she’s gut gusto and pluck and panache. Whether she’s speaking aloud her revenge-plotted-thoughts during “Naughty” with that cheeky grin on her face or she’s having very sincere conversations with Miss Honey or storytelling to Mrs. Phelps, you can feel how grounded and present she is in every moment. “Quiet” is her show-stopper number where you really get a sense of her emotional skillset in addition to her vocal prowess and it’s an extremely moving moment. She engages brilliantly with each character— watching her with Sergei (Chris Binnie) at the end is really amusing— and just wears the title of the show like a badge of honor.

It’s full of heart, really a glorious production, and something to be enjoyed when the outside world is just a little too much. Uplifting, feel-good, and perfectly funny, Silhouette Stages has done an extraordinary job with their take on Matilda and you won’t want to miss it!

Running Time: Approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes with one intermission

Matilda plays through October 25^th 2026 with Silhouette Stages at Slayton House Theatre in the Village of Wilde Lake Columbia— 10400 Cross Fox Lane in Columbia, MD. For tickets please call the box office at (410) 216-4499 or purchase them in advance online.