Whenever a new movie, or play, or TV show is produced based on a book, there are always those people who want, either before or after seeing the production, to read the book. Maybe, therefore, there will be a bump of interest in several of the works of Roald Dahl. According to Janet Stanford an artistic director at Imagination Stage, “The longer Roald Dahl is dead, the more popular his work becomes. Dahl died in 1990, but his influence lives on.
Dahl’s books, according to a recent article in “The Washington Post,” display a distrust of those in authority. “Matilda the Musical,” which opens on Broadway on April 11, is a perfect example of that theme. Matilda gets even with her mean-spirited parents, which makes for good drama. The London production of “Matilda” was a hit and has gotten good advanced notices in New York.
If you are traveling to London, a new musical of Dahl’s “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” opens in June directed by Sam Mendes.Closer to home, two other productions, will be presented in April. “James and the Giant Peach” and “The Magic Finger” will be performed at the Imagination Stage in Bethesda, Md.
The timelessness of Dahl’s stories ensures that they will continue to be popular either as books or stage productions for many years to come.