Malory Towers – Richmond Theatre

Adapting a beloved children’s classic for the stage is never an easy task, particularly when generations of audiences arrive with fond memories of Enid Blyton’s ‘Malory Towers’. Emma Rice’s adaptation does not attempt to reinvent the theatrical landscape, nor does it aspire to compete with the spectacle of the West End’s biggest productions. Instead, it embraces the warmth, imagination and youthful optimism at the heart of the original stories, delivering an engaging and thoroughly enjoyable production that knows exactly who its audience is: young girls discovering the story for the first time, alongside the mothers and grandmothers who grew up with these much-loved books.

From the moment the pupils arrive at the famous Cornish boarding school, the production captures the excitement of friendship, discovery and growing up. Rice’s direction is playful and inventive, making imaginative use of a deceptively simple set (Lez Brotherston) to transform the stage into dormitories, classrooms and windswept cliffs. The staging is delightfully quirky throughout, allowing the audience’s imagination to do much of the work while never feeling sparse or underdeveloped.

The musical element, composed by Ian Ross, is where the production truly distinguishes itself, and Stephanie Hockley, who plays the eccentric yet charming Irene Dupont while also serving as Musical Director, deserves enormous praise. Her vocal performance is simply exquisite, possessing an almost haunting purity that elevates every musical number. More impressively, her influence behind the scenes is unmistakable. The vocal harmonies are beautifully crafted and impeccably performed, giving the ensemble a richness and confidence that consistently exceeds expectations. It is this musical cohesion that gives the production much of its emotional heart.

Robyn Sinclair delivers a wonderfully grounded performance as Darrell Rivers, providing the determination, warmth and occasional vulnerability that make the character so relatable. Opposite her, Anna Soden is tremendous fun as the gloriously spoiled Gwendoline Lacey, finding just the right balance between comedy and petulance without ever allowing the character to become a caricature. Their evolving relationship creates some of the production’s strongest dramatic moments, and the chemistry across the wider cast feels entirely authentic, perfectly capturing the shifting friendships of school life.

The technical departments deserve equal recognition. Simon Baker’s sound and video design subtly enriches the storytelling, while the lighting design by Malcolm Rippeth creates atmosphere with elegance rather than excess. Carefully integrated projections and inventive visual effects support the narrative without distracting from it, and moments of puppetry add an unexpected layer of charm that younger audience members will undoubtedly adore.

This is by no means revolutionary theatre, nor is it intended to be. Instead, ‘Malory Towers’ succeeds because it understands its purpose, heartfelt, imaginative and genuinely entertaining for all, introducing a new generation to a cherished story while offering adults a generous dose of nostalgia. Sometimes theatre does not need to be groundbreaking to be memorable, it simply needs to tell its story with sincerity, craftsmanship and joy, and on those terms, this production deserves your attendance.

‘Malory Towers’ continues its run at Richmond Theatre before heading onto the next leg of its tour. Tickets are available at https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/malory-towers/richmond-theatre

Reviewer: Alan Stuart Malin

Reviewed: 1^st July 2026

North West End UK Rating: