Yesterday saw the launch of The Royal Shakespeare Company’s Matilda The Musical which will arrive in the West Midlands in July. The smash-hit production visits Birmingham Hippodrome between 3rd July and 8th September as part of its UK and Ireland Tour.
Inspired by the incomparable Roald Dahl’s beloved book, Matilda The Musical has now been seen by more than 7.7 million people worldwide, played in over 60 cities and has had more than 5500 performances across the globe.
The show had its world premiere on a snowy November evening in Stratford-upon-Avon before transferring to London’s West End in October 2011 where it continues to play today.
Matilda is written by Dennis Kelly, with music and lyrics by Tim Minchin, and direction by Matthew Warchus. Having opened to rave reviews in the West End in 2011, the show swept the board at the 2012 Olivier Awards with a record-breaking seven awards. The Broadway production opened in April 2013 at the Shubert Theatre and won four Tony Awards as well as a Tony Honor for Excellence in the Theater for the four girls sharing the title role.
After winning a Sydney Theatre Award for Best Musical in 2015, the Australian and New Zealand went on to play sold-out seasons in Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and Auckland. In July 2016, Matilda The Musical broke further records by winning all 13 Helpmann Awards for which it was nominated.
Matilda tells the tale of an extraordinarily gifted young girl, held back by her uneducated, ignorant family. She and her schoolmates are tormented and bullied by the evil Miss Trunchbull - but, with the help of her magical abilities and an extra special teacher, she rescues her fellow schoolchildren and finds happiness for herself.
The story is accompanied by one of the best soundtracks on stage at the moment with hit songs including Revolting Children, When I Grow Up and Naughty.
The production will be accompanied by Change My Story, a new education programme inspired by Matilda The Musical which will engage young people in towns and cities across the UK and Ireland. With a travelling library of stories led by the musical’s librarian Mrs Phelps, and whole school takeovers, the RSC aims to reach over 15,000 children, in collaboration with touring theatre partners.
Matilda The Musical arrives in Birmingham on 3rd July and plays until 8th September - for more information, or to grab your tickets, head to birminghamhippodrome.com.
LISTEN: Check out the soundtrack and get yourself in the Matilda mood!