★★★★★ Tim Minchin delivers a second helping of Matilda magic, and then some.

Old Vic, London
July 28, 2016

Matilda the Musical’s clean sweep at the Helpmann Awards this year may have amazed some, but anyone watching its triumphant progress around the world over the last six years should not have been surprised. Australian export Tim Minchin and British playwright Dennis Kelly’s adaptation, directed by Matthew Warchus, pushed just the right buttons with its hi-octane energy, successfully capturing the book’s quirky visuals and appealing to adults brought up on Roald Dahl’s idiosyncratic fairy tales and their children alike. Matilda went on to win eight Olivier Awards and five Tonys before romping home with a total of 13 Helpmanns.

^{Andy Karl in Groundhog Day. Photos: Manuel Harlan}

Anticipation therefore of Danny Rubin and Minchin’s adaptation of the 1993 cult film Groundhog Day, with the same creative team, was, to put it mildly, high. Was Matilda a flash in the pan? Could they do it again? How would they handle a musical for ‘grown-ups’? The answers are, in order: No, yes, and bloody brilliantly.

Before I go any further, I should point out...