Tim Minchin and Dennis Kelly’s wonderful adaption of Dahl’s magical story lives up to the hype.

Rumours of the death of musical theatre have been greatly exaggerated it seems. Tim Minchin and Dennis Kelly’s blockbusting adaptation of Roald Dahl’s cherished children’s book Matilda demonstrates that the art of creating intelligent, well crafted, elating musicals that leave the brain fizzing, the heart pounding and the face aching from uncontrollable grinning is alive and well.

Finally arriving Down Under, hype ahead of the opening of this show at Sydney’s Lyric Theatre could hardly have been greater and with good reason. Matilda the Musical has proven to be an unstoppable critical and box office smash-hit since it premiered in Stratford-upon-Avon in 2010 before its wildly successful transfers to London’s West End and New York’s Broadway. It has also earned more awards than virtually any other production in living memory, including a record breaking seven Olivier Awards and five Tonys. Nothing, since perhaps Billy Elliot, has come anywhere close to reaching the same dizzying levels of acclaim and unanimous adoration that this new musical has had heaped upon it.

And the secret of this indestructible success? It’s undoubtedly...