ABOUT THE MUSICAL
MATILDA is the story of an extraordinary girl who, armed with a vivid imagination and a sharp mind, dares to take a stand and change her own destiny.
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SYNOPSIS:
Inspired by the twisted genius of Roald Dahl, the Tony Award-winning Roald Dahl's Matilda The Musical is the captivating masterpiece from the Royal Shakespeare Company that revels in the anarchy of childhood, the power of imagination and the inspiring story of a girl who dreams of a better life. With book by Dennis Kelly and original songs by Tim Minchin, Matilda has won 47 international awards and continues to thrill sold-out audiences of all ages around the world.
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Matilda is a little girl with astonishing wit, intelligence and psychokinetic powers. She's unloved by her cruel parents but impresses her schoolteacher, the highly loveable Miss Honey. Over the course of her first term at school, Matilda and Miss Honey have a profound effect on each other's lives, as Miss Honey begins not only to recognize but also appreciate Matilda's extraordinary personality. Matilda's school life isn't completely smooth sailing, however – the school's mean headmistress, Miss Trunchbull, hates children and just loves thinking up new punishments for those who don't abide by her rules. But Matilda has courage and cleverness in equal amounts, and could be the school pupils' saving grace!
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Packed with high-energy dance numbers, catchy songs and an unforgettable star turn for a young actress, Matilda is a joyous girl power romp. Children and adults alike will be thrilled and delighted by the story of the special little girl with an extraordinary imagination.
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CASTING:
Character Breakdown
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Auditioners will be asked to read with a British accent (of any class/region). We are also interested in hearing Italian and Russian dialects for Rudolpho and the Russian Mafia.
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MATILDA WORMWOOD
Gender: Female
Character Age: 6 to 10
Vocal range top: D5
Vocal range bottom: A3
An imaginative girl who is clever and wise far beyond her years. She has a thirst for learning that cannot be quenched. She should be as small as possible. Enigmatic, serious, intense. Sincere and adorable. VERY STRONG acting ability, clear voice with perfect pitch and clarity. She carries the entire show.
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MISS AGATHA TRUNCHBULL
Gender: Female/Androgynous
Character Age: 35 to 55
Vocal range top: G4
Vocal range bottom: A2
The tyrannical headmistress at Matilda's school who despises children. Former athlete. Extremely good enunciation and vocal dexterity. This character is traditionally played by a male, but can be played by male or female in our production. STRONG comedy and character actor preferred. Ideally one of our tallest performers would play this role.
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MISS HONEY
Gender: Female
Character Age: 25 to 40
Vocal range top: D5
Vocal range bottom: F3
Matilda's kindhearted teacher. She is tired of living in fear under Miss Trunchbull. A mild person who never yells and is adored by every small child under her care. She should have a curious warmth and fragility.
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MRS. WORMWOOD
Gender: Female
Character Age: 35 to 45
Vocal range top: F5
Vocal range bottom: A3
Matilda's self-absorbed, negligent mother and an amateur ballroom dancer. Strong singer & dancer & comedic actress.
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LAVENDER
Gender: Female
Character Age: 7 to 10
Matilda's classmate and friend. Strong singing and acting. Loud and kooky - likes to have fun - big personality.
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MRS. PHELPS
Gender: Female
Character Age: 25 to 45
Warm and nurturing local librarian who encourages Matilda’s love of reading. She loves Matilda's dramatic storytelling and encourages it. She's playful and fun. Usually played by a non-Caucasian actress with Jamaican or African accent, but we are open to anything.
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THE ACROBAT
Gender: Female
Vocal range top: A4
Vocal range bottom: D4
A character in a story Matilda tells to Mrs. Phelps who comes to life in their imagination.
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THE ESCAPOLOGIST ​
Gender: Male
Vocal range top: E4
Vocal range bottom: C3
A character in a story Matilda tells to Mrs. Phelps who comes to life in their imagination.
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MR. WORMWOOD
Gender: Male
Character Age: 35 to 45
Vocal range top: A4
Vocal range bottom: D3
Matilda's uncaring father. A slimy, greedy used-car salesman. Strong comedic acting needed. A weasley or ratty essence and voice.
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MICHAEL WORMWOOD
Gender: Male
Character Age: 10 to 15
Matilda's older brother who is favored by their parents, although he is not very bright. Needs good deadpan comedy and the ability to find a character during a lot of stage time with few words.
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BRUCE
Gender: Male
Character Age: 7 to 14
Vocal range top: E5
Vocal range bottom: C4
Matilda's classmate. He is subject to extreme punishment by Miss Trunchbull. Comic.
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RUDOLPHO
Gender: Male
Vocal range top: A4
Vocal range bottom: D#3
Mrs. Wormwood's ballroom dance partner. Needs strong comedic actor. Should be genuinely fit and athletic, and have great vocal and dance stamina. Latin ballroom is an advantage. A dancer would be great, but if he's hilarious with physical comedy, it doesn't matter.
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DOCTOR
Gender: Male
Vocal range top: A4
Vocal range bottom: C3
Mrs. Wormwood's Doctor when she goes into labor with Matilda.
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CHILDREN'S ENTERTAINER
Gender: Male
Vocal range top: Eb4
Vocal range bottom: F#3
A party entertainer at the start of the show.
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SERGEI
Gender: Male
Head of the Mafia. Extremely dangerous and intimidating, but becomes charmed by Matilda. Russian accent would be ideal.
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ENSEMBLE CHARACTERS
Cook
Mafia Henchman 1, 2, 3
Kids (Amanda, Nigel, Eric, Alice, Hortensia, Tommy)
Parents
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ADDITIONAL FACTS
SHOW HISTORY
Novel
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MATILDA is a book by British writer Roald Dahl. It was published in 1988 with illustrations by Quentin Blake.
In 2012 Matilda was ranked number 30 among all-time children's novels in a survey published by School Library Journal, a monthly with primarily US audience. It was the first of four books by Dahl among the Top 100, more than any other writer. Worldwide sales have reached 17 million, and since 2016 sales have spiked to the extent that it outsells Dahl's other works.
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Musical Productions
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* In 1990, the Redgrave Theatre in Farnham produced a musical version, adapted by Rony Robinson with music by Ken Howard and Alan Blaikley, which toured the UK.
* A second musical version of the novel, Matilda the Musical, written by Dennis Kelly and Tim Minchin and commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare Company, premiered in November 2010.
* It opened at the Cambridge Theatre in the West End on 24 November 2011.
* It opened on Broadway on 11 April 2013 at the Shubert Theatre, and closed on 1 January 2017 after 1,555 performances.
* The musical has since done a US tour and opened in July 2015 in Australia. The stage version has become hugely popular with audiences and praised by critics, and won multiple Olivier Awards in the UK and Tony Awards in the US. One critic called it "the best British musical since Billy Elliot".
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Trivia
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Mr. Wormwood was based on a real-life character from Roald Dahl's home village of Great Missenden in Buckinghamshire.
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The library in Great Missenden was the inspiration for Mrs Phelps' library, where Matilda devours classic literature by the age of four and three months.
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On 28 May 2018, the London cast was invited to perform on Britain’s Got Talent. They performed a medley of songs from the show, including "Naughty" and "Revolting Children", and received a standing ovation.
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The novel was made into the film Matilda in 1996. It starred Mara Wilson as Matilda, and was directed by Danny DeVito, who also portrayed Mr. Wormwood and narrated the story.
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The actress Kate Winslet provides the English-language audiobook recording of Matilda.
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In November 27, 2018, Netflix was revealed to be adapting Matilda as an animated series, which will be part of an "animated event series", along with series based on other Roald Dahl books like The BFG, The Twits, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
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Other Resources
You should definitely read the book, and start listening to the Soundtrack!
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