TO the many little girls in the Alhambra audience, Matilda is a story they have cherished forever. Roald Dahl's gifted schoolgirl who stands up to oppression continues to inspire youngsters, three decades after she first appeared as a Quentin Blake illustration, sitting on a pile of books.

Ranked among the best children’s books, it has been adapted as a radio drama, a much-loved film and, in 2010, a musical, commissioned by the RSC, which became a global success.

I came to this show blind, having never read Matilda nor seen the film. It didn't really matter; thanks to Tim Minchin's extraordinary score and Dennis Kelly's razor-sharp script, it stands alone as a stage musical, capturing Dahl's delicious darkness.

Matilda the Musical is at the Alhambra for a month - the only Yorkshire date on its UK your - and a terrific young cast was headed by Nicola Turner as Matilda, the clever little girl neglected by her trashy, philistine parents and sent to a hellish school run by a sadist in a gym skirt. Matilda is a huge role, carrying nearly every scene, and Nicola lit up the stage - endearing, spirited, and capturing beautifully the wisdom, kindness, determination and bravery of the lonely child with other-worldly powers.

Every movement of Peter Darling's striking choreography is timed to a beat of the score and it was a treat to see such a hugely impressive cast perform these slick routines. Highlights included School Song and When I Grow Up, movingly performed on huge swings. The music isn't my cup of tea, to be honest, but it adds much to the story.

The colourful set - floor-to-ceiling books and alphabet blocks - captures Matilda's vivid imagination and the solace she seeks in stories. She becomes the story-teller, unveiling a poignant back story.

This is a fabulous family show but there's nothing sickly or cloying about it, apart from the memorable chocolate cake punishment doled out by the delightfully bonkers Miss Trunchbull. It's quite a moment when the tyrannical headmistress first appears; a menacing yet eerily graceful presence. Elliot Harper was a scream as the "phys ed" obsessed bully, who uses her Olympic hammer-throwing skills to control her pupils. Elliot's superb portrayal of awful Agatha Trunchbull may well haunt the nightmares of youngsters in the audience - just as Dahl would've wanted.

Great performances from Rebecca Thornhill and Sebastian Torkia as Matilda's brash parents, Carly Thoms as timid Miss Honey and Michelle Chantelle Hopewell as kindly librarian Mrs Phelps.

A hugely entertaining show about taking control of your destiny. Runs until March 23.