promote good sleep hygiene.
We were supposed to take it in turns reading each book but it transpires Mr Duncan falls asleep almost instantly when I read, and given he said he doesn't mind doing all the reading, now he does all the reading.
So far we have read
- Watership Down
- The Rivers of London Trilogy
- The Hunger Games Trilogy (although we have started and stopped with this - I have a problem with the violence right before bed and need to take breaks)
We are currently reading Boy, the first autobiography by Roald Dahl who is the author of the book Matilda.
Matilda the Musical opened in London last November and since then I have been asking Mr Duncan when he's going to take me on a date to see it. I like to take advantage of the culture available to us in London once in a while and I am a fan of musical comedian Tim Minchin, who wrote the music and lyrics.
One of the things I like about Tim Minchin is the articulacy of his lyrics. He uses a wide vocabulary and often makes unexpected choices which tickle my sense of humour. Storm is a good example of his work (contains strong language and anti-hippy sentiments).
Both Tim Minchin and Roald Dahl have a good sense of the dark and absurd, so I was sure they would be a good mix. I haven't actually read the book Matilda or seen the movie and made a point not to find out more than what I already knew - which was that it was about a little girl who liked reading and developed some special powers to restore justice with regard to those who mistreated her. So when we went on Wednesday night, I didn't really have any expectations.
As a singer, the main thing I like about musicals is the singing. I know that sounds obvious, but a well pitched, strong voice speaks strongly to me emotionally. Its the reason I listen to, and frequently cry at, opera - irrespective of whether or not I understand the words. I've been known to cry at contestants singing on X-Factor for goodness sakes.
This show had me crying at its first line - but because of the words, not the voices.
My mummy says I'm a miracle.
Deep breath. Children are all miracles though this fact is sometimes not appreciated by people who do not experience any difficulties in having them. The opening number went on to illustrate that Matilda's birth was not desired or her existence valued by her parents, which just made me cry harder. Its so unfair!