It’s been said that the curmudgeonly British novelist Roald Dahl didn’t write down to kids. The resourceful young characters in his dark and often macabre children’s books endure cruelty from adults ...

At the center is Iris Manter as Matilda, a sweet young heroine with a gift for storytelling and a healthy disdain for injustice. Manter carries the show with poise, humor, and just the right flicker ...