We first saw director Emma Rice’s adaptation of Enid Blyton’s Malory Towers at the Passenger Shed in Bristol in 2019 and absolutely loved it. It’s great to see the show return for a UK tour which kicks off at Theatre Royal Bath.
The action begins at a school in 2026 before we are transported back to 1947 when seven young girls board a train at Paddington Station and head to Malory Towers, a boarding school on the Cornish coast.
The production is an energetic and entertaining show which explores themes of friendship, loyalty, personal growth, community and resilience.
All the cast are superb but we were particularly impressed by Robyn Sinclair as the opinionated and head strong Darrell Rivers and Rebecca Collingwood as the spoilt Gwendoline Lacey, who gives big Veronica Salt from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory vibes!
There are several laugh out loud moments, such as clever use of fake legs and arms to illustrate two of the girls hanging off the edge of a cliff and waiting to be rescued.
There’s also brilliant use of animation and projection on the stage backdrop, including scenes of Paddington Station, a Cornish beach, a galloping horse and school headmistress Miss Grayling who is voiced by legendary actress Sheila Hancock.
The energetic cast perform the fab songs with gusto. Many of the lively audience members on press night showed their appreciation them whoops of joy.
The actors ooze chemistry and their friendships feel very genuine. They’re fantastic at the comedy scenes but also the more serious and more poignant moments such as when the real reason behind Gwendoline’s obnoxious behaviour is revealed.
Being based on Enid Blyton stories, there is, of course, plenty of nostalgia and tradition but many of the themes still ring true in 2026. A scene involving the mental health of Gwendoline’s dad felt particularly relevant for our times.
In the programme, Emma Rice says Malory Towers is her “‘happy Lord of the Flies’ as it joyfully radical to its bones” and shows a world where “left to their own devices, people choose kindness…where difference is respected…arguments resolved with thought and care” and they “choose community, friendship and fun”.
We need plenty of that right now and Malory Towers comes highly recommended as a way to get it.
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Malory Towers is at Theatre Royal Bath until 9 May.
Images by Steve Tanner
