Coriolanus, Donmar Warehouse

Blood, guts, and a bit of hunky sword fighting - if you want gritty Shakespeare, get yourself down to the Donmar to see Tom Hiddleston star as Coriolanus.

Before last night I only knew Tom Hiddleston as Thor's evil brother Loki - pale, a bit weedy, and with a fierce streak of sibling rivalry. I also knew nothing about Coriolanus, except that it was a Shakespearean play about war and generals, and there had recently been a film adaptation starring Ralph Fiennes.

As whenever I go to the Donmar though, I was pretty sure I'd enjoy myself. The productions are usually of the highest standard, and we even had a bit of Hollywood glitz thrown in (a very welcome treat when you've been there as many times as I have!)

The play is based on the life of Roman general Caius Marcius Coriolanus. When Rome is threatened by war and famine, their hero is forced to step up and save the day. But after success, a power overdose, and some malicious manipulation from his rivals in government, his people rise against him, and he is forced to turn his back on those who hold him highest.

I'd built up an image of what to expect from Hiddleston's performance, but was instantly knocked back with his first steps on stage. He carried himself like a fighter and leader, and was much taller, broader and, um, "fitter" than I had previously realised. He spoke with such strength that, as a member of the audience, I was in awe and a little frightened all at the same time. As the lead character, he's really put through his paces in this role, both emotionally and physically. He did an incredible job, and deserves all those screaming girls outside the stage door (I saw this amusing meme online, but after witnessing the crowds last night, I don't disagree!)

I know I sound like a broken record, but every member of the cast was exceptional (maybe I'm just easily pleased, but I like to think I just have good taste in productions). Reading through their bios afterwards, I see there is a real mix of experienced and relatively unknown actors, but aside from recognisable faces, you wouldn't have known. They made an incredible acting body, with about half the cast even taking on multiple roles. Really, really impressive.

What also made Coriolanus so great was the staging. There are many routes that the costume department could have gone down, but apparently Roman story + Shakespearean play + 21st Century production = very nearly Steam Punk. No complaints from me! The props were simple but incredibly effective; in the main battle scene I felt all the Les-Mis-style drama and excitement with just a row of metal chairs, a ladder and the odd flare.

Well I won't spoil the ending, but by the time he was taking his final bow, Tom Hiddleston had a face full of blood, tears in his eyes, and a massive grin slapped across his face. We all leapt to our feet for him and his co-actors. What a performance! It may be tricky to get tickets for the Donmar performance, which ends on 8th February, but luckily for you, Coriolanus will also be broadcast on screen on 30th January by National Theatre Live. See their website for participating cinemas.

Matilda the Musical, Cambridge Theatre

It was a girls’ night out on Tuesday as myself, my mother and my grandmother all went to the theatre! 

As an 82^nd birthday present we spent the evening at Matilda the Musical, which had been recommended to me by so many that I was now itching to see it.

Before the performance even began, I was blown away by the set design. Either side and above the stage were waves of scrabble-like tiles, which look random at first, but as you wait in your seat, you start to pick out words amongst them, which all have profound importance to the storyline.

A member of the crew came out on to the stage and announced why this particular night was so special. Not only was it the first night of the season with a brand new adult and child cast, but it was the debut West End performance for the new Matilda, Miss Lollie McKenzie. In the first scene, set at a birthday party, a chorus of children sang “My Mummy says I’m a miracle”, whilst performing a complex choreography routine. Suddenly the lights dimmed, the birthday table split in two and out of it emerged the cutest and possibly smallest actress I have ever seen. Not only was she adorable but unbelievably professional throughout, right up to the last bow. All of those songs and all of those lines – even some in Russian! She is certainly a star of the future. In fact, all of the children in the cast were exceptional. They worked just as hard as the adults, if not harder!

For me, Tim Minchin’s music made Matilda. Full of his signature energy and wordplay, I love the School Song, where he wrote the alphabet into the lyrics (see them here).

A wonderful production, and it was so lovely to see something that could be enjoyed by all three generations. Make sure you see it too :)