The Witches review – a magical musical concoction at the National Theatre

For those, like myself, whose primary association with Roald Dahl’s The Witches is the memory of being scared witless by the 1990 film adaptation (which the author himself hated), get ready for something completely different. The National Theatre has taken Dahl’s strange and not unproblematic tale and turned it into a smorgasbord – I use the Scandinavian reference advisedly – of comic and musical delights, in a production by Lyndsey Turner that may have been years in the making but proves well worth the wait.

It sticks pretty faithfully to the original story, which follows the escapades of orphaned Luke (Bertie Caplan, Frankie Keita and Vishal Soni rotate in the role) and his eccentric witch-hunting Norwegian grandmother (Sally Ann Triplett), with a few key edits and embellishments. Among them is the neat idea that the world is populated by inanimate objects that are in fact children who’ve been transformed by one of the many witches posing as perfectly nice ladies, as they tell us in the glorious opening number, “A Note About Witches”.

The centrepiece scene that provided so many of those aforementioned chills on screen, the meeting of the witches in Bournemouth’s Hotel Magnificent, here becomes more of a satanic variety show, as the Grand High “Vitch” (Katherine Kingsley) proudly shows off her scheme to turn the children of the world into mice using a potion called Formula 86. There are facial contortions, Gregorian chanting and dry ice aplenty as the witches circle around the hapless “dog’s droppings” Bruno and Luke, the latter of whom is laid on a table like a sacrificial offering.

Book writer Lucy Kirkwood and composer Dave Malloy (they collaborated on lyrics) could be accused of dulling some of the darkness of Dahl, with a couple of songs feeling overly sentimental, not least “When I Was Young”, which attempts to give Triplett’s lovable cigar-chomping Gran a meaningful backstory. But most of the numbers are richly inventive and very, very funny, standouts including the all-singing, all-dancing welcome to the Hotel Magnificent with its hilarious manager Mr Stringer (Daniel Rigby having the time of his life), and the score’s catchiest tune “Get Up”, stirringly performed by the young cast.

The real showstopper however comes from a surprising source; the gift of a role that is Bruno (Cian Eagle-Service, George Menezes Cutts and William Skinner), transformed from the book’s sweet-guzzling Augustus Gloop-type into a triple-threat charmer (“if you’re sweet on Bruno, Bruno’s sweet on you”), whose secret sugar rushes induce a 42nd Street, Crazy for You-style tap dancing routine (superbly choreographed by Stephen Mear) and richly deserved mid-show ovation. The ensemble are first rate and the production once again raises the bar for young performers, making an irony of the fact a show about a plan to eradicate children in fact highlights how they’re more than ready to take over the world.

Lizzie Clachan’s playful range of sets, arranged under the shawdowy finger-like branches overhanging the stage, make good use of the Olivier’s box of tricks. The revolve in particular is used to excellent effect in the second act as we move from the hotel dining room to the kitchen, where Luke in rodent form attempts to administer the witches with a fatal dose of Formula 86 via a pot of pea soup. It’s a pity the excellent orchestra (led by musical director Cat Beveridge) aren’t on show, but they do at least get a filmed cameo at the curtain call. Suitably for the season, there’s no shortage of pantomimic fun on offer which extends to Clachan’s costuming, with the children dressed in an array of cartoonish outfits from carriage clocks and vases to Henry hoovers.

Whether or not The Witches can rival the gargantuan success of the RSC’s Matilda, there’s something resolutely original and unashamedly fun about this latest Dahl musical makeover. My nine year-old loved it, and proudly told me on the way out that she hadn’t been scared. Whether that’s quite the intention, I’m not sure, but I for one am glad it won’t induce nightmares in another generation.