Matilda The Musical

Roald Dahl’s heroine might be small, but she stands up to bullies. Fight for what’s right and book Matilda the Musical tickets pn TodayTix.

Dahl’s 1988 novel got the perfect stage treatment from the mischievous minds of playwright Dennis Kelly and Australian comedian-turned-composer Tim Minchin. Together they brought to the stage this imaginative musical , which to date has 100 international awards, including 24 for Best Musical. Matilda still holds the joint records for most Olivier Awards for a Musical — tied with Hamilton and Cabaret.

London Theatre praised the musical’s spectacle, saying its “hugely enjoyable, with hallmarks of pantomime.” It continues to be a firm family favourite, winning over new generations of theatre fans. So, don’t be a revolting child! Enjoy Matilda in London.

Clever Matilda Wormwood is unappreciated by her shallow family, But when she attends an unusual school, she finds a new ally, teacher Miss Honey, and a fearsome foe, headmistress Miss Trunchbull. Handily, our heroine has some special skills. One is magical, the gift of telekinesis, but she also realises the power of storytelling – and so does this incredible production.

Access performances

AUDIO-DESCRIBED PERFORMANCES
Sunday 26 March 2023 at 3.00pm (Touch Tour 1.00-1.25pm)
Saturday 13 May 2023 at 2.30pm (Touch Tour 12.30-12.55pm)
Sunday 18 June 2023 at 3pm (Touch Tour 1.00-1.25pm) (also Relaxed and Captioned)
Sunday 19 November 2023 at 3.00pm (Touch Tour 1.00-1.25pm)

CAPTIONED PERFORMANCES
Saturday 25 March 2023 at 2.30pm
Sunday 14 May 2023 at 2.30pm
Sunday 18 June 2023 at 3.00pm (also Relaxed and Audio-Described)
Saturday 25 November 2023 at 2.30pm

SIGNED PERFORMANCES
Thursday 20 April 2023 at 7.00pm
Wednesday 17 May 2023 at 2.30pm
Saturday 18 November 2023 at 2.30pm

RELAXED PERFORMANCES
Sunday 18 June 2023 at 3.00pm (also Audio-Described and Captioned)

While the Royal Shakespeare Company nurtured Matilda in 2009, Tim Minchin separately approached the Dahl estate to adapt the story into a stage version. So when Minchin was asked to join the RSC, he was thrilled! Matthew Warchus, Old Vic artistic director, helms the musical.

The musical premiered at the Courtyard Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon in 2010, and swiftly transferred to London’s Cambridge Theatre the following year. Matilda won a record seven Olivier Awards, including Best New Musical and Best Actress in a Musical for the four young performers who alternated in the title role: Eleanor Worthington Cox, Cleo Demetriou, Sophia Kiely, and Kerry Ingram.

What to Watch For:

• Miss Trunchbull, who has an unusually imposing physique, is played by a man in Matilda on stage.
• There are multiple child actors for each role, alternating shows between them – which means it’s a slightly different performance every time. You can find out when you get to the theatre which cast is on.
• Tim Minchin was best known for his stand-up comedy (which did include original songs) before he became an award-winning composer with Matilda. He then went on to play Judas in the UK arena tour of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s Jesus Christ Superstar, and to write the score for the stage adaptation of Groundhog Day.
• One of the breakout songs from the show is Minchin’s poignant “When I Grow Up,” which appears in Act II and features high-flying choreography with swings. It was actually the first song that he wrote for the show, drawing inspiration from his own childhood.