Matilda the Musical
Roald Dahl's Matilda, also known simply as Matilda and Matilda the Musical, is a musical with music and lyrics by Tim Minchin and a book by Dennis Kelly. It is based on the 1988 novel Matilda by Roald Dahl. The musical's narrative centres on Matilda Wormwood, a precocious five-year-old girl with the gift of telekinesis, who loves reading, overcomes obstacles caused by her family and school, and helps her teacher to reclaim her life. After a twelve-week trial run staged by the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) at Stratford-upon-Avon from November 2010 to January 2011, it received its West End premiere on 24 November 2011 at the Cambridge Theatre and its Broadway premiere on 11 April 2013 at the Shubert Theatre.
| Roald Dahl's Matilda | |
|---|---|
| The Musical | |
West End promotional poster | |
| Music | Tim Minchin |
| Lyrics | Tim Minchin |
| Book | Dennis Kelly |
| Basis | Matilda by Roald Dahl |
| Premiere | 9 December 2010: Courtyard Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon |
| Productions |
|
| Awards | Critics' Circle Theatre Award for Best Musical UK Theatre Award for Best Musical Production Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Musical New York Drama Critics' Circle for Best Musical Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical |
Matilda the Musical has received widespread critical acclaim and box-office popularity, winning seven 2012 Olivier Awards, including Best New Musical—at the time, the highest number of such awards ever won by a single show. Cleo Demetriou, Kerry Ingram, Eleanor Worthington Cox and Sophia Kiely shared a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical. Ten-year-old Eleanor Worthington became the youngest winner of the award in any category. At the 2013 Tony Awards, the show won five awards, including the Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical for Dennis Kelly.
A film adaptation was released on 25 November 2022 in the United Kingdom, followed by the United States on 25 December 2022.