Matilda: The Mutton Buster Who Turned Actor, Singer, and Dancer

Like his mama, Tunester Titan* had a large role in Matilda. He played Nigel, Matilda's classmate and one that Mrs. Trunchbull picks on.

Titan starts out the show in the very first scene playing a boy who is doted on by his parents so much that when he gets a C on his report card, they blame the teacher and claim she is not doing her job.

After that, he is in nearly every scene as the show unfolds.

Titan was the youngest person in the cast and surprised me with his performance - no flubbed or forgotten lines, staying in character, and being very believable as a British student. 

The entire cast spoke with a British accent, and it is a testament to the director and the casts' dedication to long hours of rehearsal that they had their accents down so well.

Matilda and the newest class at school dances on the first day they are together.

Titan's biggest scene was when Mrs. Trunchbull, the mean and nasty headmistress, mistakenly accuses his character, Nigel, of sneaking into her office and eating her chocolate cake.

A bully gleefully tells him that he will be severely punished for stealing the cake

but Matilda steps up, listens to his story, and believes him.

She concocts a story that he has narcolepsy and had really been asleep on the playground covered with the other students' sweaters.

Nigel plays along and pretends to awake and be confused, asking why he was on the playground instead of home and in bed.

A suspicious Mrs. Trunchbull listens to Matilda explain about narcolepsy and grumpily lets Nigel off the hook - this time.

Although later she gets back at him during Physical Education and drags him across the gym floor.

The show continues on with more abuse from Mrs. Trunchbull until Matilda and the kids finally revolt and sing my favorite song in the show, Revolting Children. (Yep, that's a double entendre in the title.)

As part of his revolt, Nigel sings, "We'll find out where the chalk is stored, and draw rude pictures on the board!"

Cambria did not have a speaking role but she, too, was in Matilda's class so she was in a lot of scenes with Titan. The left arrow indicates her and the right is Titan. This is the ending of Revolting Children.

I was not allowed to film the songs and dancing, but

here is the Netflix version of Revolting Children if you want to hear it.

It really was a great show and definitely worth the long train trip across the country and back.

* Thanks Susan Bensema Young for coming up with a new moniker for Titan!