Leighton Buzzard theatre group's witty musical Matilda raises £850 for Macmillan

The one act musical was a gleefully witty ode to the the anarchy of childhood and the power of imagination, packed with high-energy numbers and catchy songs.

The shows were performed at The Vandyke Theatre and the cast brought Roald Dahl’s fictional world to life.

Matilda, played beautifully by Lily Vogeli Hunter, showed the character's wit, intelligence and special powers.

She was unloved by her cruel family, the Wormwoods, played with superb comic timing and characterisation by Loki Chappell, Molly Squires and Kyle Ward, but cared for by her schoolteacher, the highly loveable Miss Honey, who was played sweetly by Emily Probst.

However, Matilda's school life wasn't completely smooth sailing. The school's mean headmistress, Miss Trunchbull, played superbly by Antonio Borelli, hated children and just loved thinking up new punishments for those who didn't abide by her rules.

A theatre spokesman said: "The young cast aged six to 18 thoroughly enjoyed the performances, which were in aid of Macmillan Cancer support.

"The group raised £850 for the charity, adding to a total of over £150,000 raised by the group for local, national and international charities over the last 27 years."

Leighton Buzzard Children's Theatre (LBCT) is run entirely by volunteers and have groups for children and young people aged six to 18, which meet weekly in Leighton Buzzard and Heath and Reach.

Members learn stagecraft, musical theatre skills, improvisation technique and much more under the direction of qualified teachers and performing arts professionals.

For more details about the LBCT, please visit: www.lbct.org