Matilda The Musical

Roald Dahl’s heroine might be small, but she stands up to bullies and fights for what’s right, while having plenty of fun along the way. Book Matilda tickets in London on 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 the imaginative musical Matilda, which to date has won 99 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.

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.

The Matilda London run began back in 2011 and it has been a family favourite in the West End ever since, winning over each generation of new theatre fans.

Don't be a revolting child! Book Matilda tickets now on TodayTix.

Matilda was nurtured by the Royal Shakespeare Company, which began development of their new adaptation in 2009. Separately, Tim Minchin had approached the Dahl estate about creating a stage version in Australia, so was thrilled to be asked to join the team. The production was directed by Matthew Warchus, now the acclaimed artistic director of London’s Old Vic theatre.

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. Bertie Carvel originated the role, and the current Miss Trunchbull is Elliot Harper.
• 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.
• Danny DeVito previously turned Matilda into an American film. But there’s huge excitement about the new Netflix adaptation of the musical, starring Emma Thompson as Miss Trunchbull, Alisha Weir as Matilda, Lashana Lynch as Miss Honey, and Andrea Riseborough and Stephen Graham as the Wormwoods.