The Royal Shakespeare Company's production of Roald Dahl's Matilda: The Musical. Photo / Supplied
There I was in Sydney footloose and child-free but I couldn't stop thinking about the kids. Why? Because my sojourn was all about experiencing a bit of childhood magic. For me, magic now includes being able to enjoy a night's sleep uninterrupted by 6 year olds wanting beans on toast at 3.08am or a dog chasing possums on the outside deck. I'm pleased to say The Darling Hotel at The Star made all interruptions and discomforts disappear for one blissful night.
Conveniently, it was also only a short walk, through a foodcourt and shopping precinct, to my ultimate destination: the Sydney Lyric Theatre which occupies a corner of the Star entertainment precinct on Darling Harbour.
For the next few months, the Lyric is home to Matilda the Musical, the Royal Shakespeare Company production inspired by the splendiferous Roald Dahl book, Matilda. With music and lyrics by Australian Tim Minchin, the musical has become a global phenomenon. Productions are running on London's West End and New York's Broadway and are touring the US. Now it has waltzed into Sydney and a fair few parents in New Zealand are debating whether to hop across the ditch, kids in tow, to see it.
Matilda is a classic brain-over-brawn and good-trumps-evil tale starring a little girl with extraordinary abilities, the eponymous Matilda.
Using her vivid imagination and sharp mind, the pint-sized bookworm takes down the most formidable of bullies, starting with her ghastly parents, Mr and Mrs Wormwood, and her cruel school principal Miss Trunchbull. Matilda is helped by a team of plucky kids and their kind and sympathetic teacher, Miss Honey.
From the moment you walk into the 2050-seater Sydney Lyric, you will be captivated by a set covered with colourful letters of the alphabet, dust jacket illustrations and mock-up drawings of scenes from the show. During the production, all sorts of elements are smoothly wheeled on and off stage: desks, a library crammed full of books, the exterior of a school, the scant interior of Miss Honey's cottage and Matilda's modest bedroom. Along with the costumes - lurid in the case of Mr and Mrs Wormwood and just plain funny for Miss Trunchbull - it guarantees there's plenty to keep young theatregoers entranced.
The songs are great, too. In keeping with Dahl's irreverent, frequently rude but always clever sense of humour, Minchin's lyrics are naughty, exuberant and witty. Songs entitled Revolting Children, Naughty and the tongue-in-cheek Miracle will make young and old alike laugh and Miss Honey's more melancholic Pathetic and This Little Girl add poignancy but never overwhelm Matilda's uplifting message.
What really has the audience spellbound is the young cast. Four actresses play Matilda, appearing on different days of the week. They are all required to sing, dance and act with conviction, as are the kids who play Matilda's school friends Bruce, Lavender and Amanda.
They're quite extraordinary: they don't miss a beat, fluff a line or put a foot out of step during the dance routines. There's one stunt, involving Miss Trunchbull dishing out a cruel punishment to young Amanda, which has the entire audience taking an audible breath and then, at half time, pondering how it was done.
In short, Matilda the Musical is a deserved winner of the many theatre awards it has received. I know a certain number of parents have reservations about taking the kids all the way to Sydney to see a show. After all, it might mean them having a day or two off school and then there's the cost. Is it worth it? You bet!
I acknowledge I'm slightly biased. For starters, my trip was paid for by someone else (Destination New South Wales) but the most crucial reason for me saying this is because I truly believe theatre and the performing arts can be a life-changing experience.
This applies particularly to impressionable children looking for stories and characters which inspire them to be true to themselves and dare to dream. When you add this to travel - to use the old cliche, it broadens the mind - you're doing the younger generation a favour by opening their eyes to what lies beyond the every day.
It will be the highlight of a holiday which could include all manner of activities. Because Matilda is set largely in a school and library (trust me, it's a heap more fun than that sounds) here's some ideas which complement the classroom capers:
You're already going to Matilda The Musical, but you can add to your knowledge about Australian stage and screen on the Sydney Theatre Walk at Walsh Bay. This honours 22 legends of Australian stage and screen with commemorative plaques set into the paving stones along the waterfront. You can learn about local actors including Geoffrey Rush, Jacki Weaver, Cate Blanchett and Matilda composer and lyricist, Tim Minchin.
Do the 6km Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk which takes in Sydney's iconic sandy beaches, rock pools and quieter bays. Depending on your pace, it'll take a couple of hours and you may even spy whales making their annual migration north. Alternatively, go for a ride and see as much as you can of the city atop a double-decker bus. Sydney Explorer offers two hop-on, hop-off tours each day with audio commentary and a special kids' channel.
Sydney has an abundance of museums and historic sites. The Museum of Sydney, Hyde Park Barracks Museum, Justice and Police Museum or Susannah Place Museum are full of facts about the city's colourful past and present. For a ghostly experience, join Ghost Trackers at Manly's Q Station, the former quarantine station. Lurk in shadowed halls, hear spooky stories, listen and watch for ghostly apparitions. Ghost Trackers is for families; adults not allowed without children (minimum age five years).
Teach the kids about eating out. Sydney is full of great eateries from the cheap and cheerful to fine dining. I lunched at Mr Wong, a Cantonese-style eatery hidden down an alley off Sydney's main drag, with more than 60 dishes as well as an extensive dim sum selection. It's not quite yum cha but will appeal to those families who love it. I went to dinner at Balla, a contemporary Italian joint where the food has a modern Australian twist. The grilled cauliflower with truffle pecorino, cured egg yolk and macadamia has me longing to return just to eat this again. Then again, you could order from the kids' menu and come away feeling replete: forget about chicken nuggets and chips because this menu features two pasta dishes (one a ragu Bolognese; the other potato gnocchi), minute steak or barramundi fillet with potatoes and green salad.
If you're a family of sports lovers, tour the hallowed turf of the Sydney Cricket Ground and check out the museum full of cricket memorabilia. Luna Park Sydney is a 1930s amusement park with plenty of appeal to adventurous thrill-seekers who can ride the gut-wrenching Tango Train, take a more relaxing ride on the Ferris wheel or learn about the heritage-listed site's history through an onsite tour.
Matilda loves reading and seeks solace from her tumultuous home and school life in books. The State Library of New South Wales, the oldest library in Australia, has its own incredible story and is full of books from all around the world. It's an ideal spot for any inquisitive visitor to spend some time. You could also climb to Observatory Hill and read the afternoon away, enjoying a stunning view of Sydney Harbour.
The Powerhouse Museum's diverse collection, including science, technology, fashion and contemporary culture will keep kids entertained. If they want to get a bit more specialised - say, with astronomy - you can wish upon a star at Sydney Observatory which offers specialised tours and night-time viewing experiences. Love animals? Then book into Taronga Zoo for a night. As a "Roar & Snore" camper, you'll go on a 90-minute night safari and, come morning, wake to the warbles, rumbles, squeaks, growls and roars of creatures greeting the day. You could also do a sleepover at the Australian Museum's Wild Planet. This features more than 400 creatures - great and small from giraffes and hippos to butterflies and beetles. From September 4, the museum stages the Wild Planet Adventure-Snore Sleepover. Wild Life Sydney Zoo's WILD Flight is a self-propelled ride through the Darling harbourside zoo's aviary. As a part of the treetop experience, a family of endangered grey-headed flying foxes can be seen. Meanwhile at Sea Life Sydney Aquarium, the kids can join the "Octonauts Crew" on a new underwater mission. They'll explore mysterious caves, sound the Octo-Alert and join the chase to reclaim long-lost treasure in the new Octonauts Zone.
Meanwhile, musical loving Sydneysiders are in for another treat next year. Stage and screen legend Dame Julie Andrews will direct a new production of My Fair Lady at the Sydney Opera House next August. It marks 60 years since Dame Julie played lead character Eliza Doolittle in the original Broadway production and Opera Australia's 60th birthday year.
• Dionne Christian travelled to Sydney courtesy of Destination New South Wales. For more information on Matilda the Musical, see sydney.com/matilda; or visit this website for more about My Fair Lady.
This suburb is skipped in favour of flashier spots, but shouldn't be discounted.