The Royal Shakespeare Company’s West End production of Matilda the Musical will welcome several new actors to the Cambridge Theatre in September.
Beginning September 10 Angelica Scott will join Anna Deikalo, Ava Posniak, and Sophia Saravanan to share the title role in the long-running production based on the Roald Dahl novel. Also joining the company: Tiffany Graves as Mrs. Wormwood, Neil McDermott as Mr. Wormwood, and Eve Norris as Miss Honey. Kieran Hill will continue in the role of Miss Trunchbull.
Pearce Barron, Alex Louize Bird, Reece Budin, Dan Cooke, William Elijah-Lewis, Issy Khogali, Sam Lips, Sam Jeffrey Parkes, Jak Skelly, Ralph Watts, and Dawn Williams will join the existing adult cast, which includes Esme Bacalla-Hayes, Ronan Burns, Karina Hind, Sam Lathwood, Gabrielle Davina Smith, and Deborah Tracey.
The other young performers joining the London company in the roles of Bruce, Lavender, Nigel, and the rest of the pupils at Crunchem Hall are Pasquale Aben-Danan, Elyza Alderton, Beatrice Armitage, Joseph Burrows, Maddy Collings, Sienna Culm, Joey Grady, Blake Graham, Alexandra Horner, Adam Hussain, George Jones, Amber Koduah-Hutchison, Tristan Marwa, Isabelle McLatchie, Anayah Thomas, and Kobe Warmington. These actors will join current young performers Nesim Adnan, Ryo Appadu, Amelia-Grace Cambridge, Max Garlick, Jesamine-Bleu Gibbs, Kaylen Luke, Charlie Man-Evans, Yvie Moore, and Marnie Rae Warren-Baker.
With a Tony-winning book by Dennis Kelly and music and lyrics by Tim Minchin (Groundhog Day), Matilda tells the story of a five year-old girl whose love of reading and active imagination puts her at odds with her family and the diabolical school headmistress Miss Trunchbull. Matilda discovers she has secret powers and uses them, with help from her beloved teacher Miss Honey, to restore justice to her world.
The musical received its world premiere in 2009 from the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon, transferring to London's West End in 2011 and winning seven Olivier Awards (including Best New Musical) in 2012. The production transferred to Broadway in 2013, winning Tony Awards for Best Book, Featured Actor (Gabriel Ebert), Lighting Design (Hugh Vanstone), and Scenic Design (Rob Howell). The four young actors who alternated in the title role (Sophia Gennusa, Oona Laurence, Bailey Ryon, and Milly Shapiro) were also honored with a Tony Honor for Excellence in the Theatre. The Broadway production closed in 2017 after playing 1,555 performances, but the West End production continues at the Cambridge.
The hit musical is directed by Matthew Warchus with designs by Rob Howell, choreography by Peter Darling, orchestrations, additional music, and musical supervision by Christopher Nightingale, lighting by Hugh Vanstone, sound by Simon Baker, and special effects and illusions by Paul Kieve.
