The Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of Matilda The Musical, opened at Theatre Royal Plymouth (TRP) earlier this week

In celebration of 15 years on stage since opening at the Courtyard Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon, and following performances in more than cities across 17 countries worldwide, Matilda now returns to the Plymouth theatre.

The highly acclaimed musical, based on Roald Dahl’s beloved book, began its run at the venue on January 13 and is set to continue with a four-week run until February 7.

The internationally renowned musical continues to play to packed houses in the West End at the Cambridge Theatre and has been seen by 12 million people across 100 cities around the world.

Matilda is the story of an extraordinary little girl who, armed with a vivid imagination and a sharp mind, dares to take a stand and change her own destiny.

British children's author Roald Dahl wrote the original novel Matilda, illustrated by Quentin Blake in 1988. The novel was adapted into a 1996 American film directed by Danny DeVito as well as an audio reading by Kate Winslet and a BBC Radio 4 programme narrated by Lenny Henry.

In December 2009, the Royal Shakespeare Company announced its intention to stage a musical adaptation with direction by Matthew Warchus and adaptation by Dennis Kelly. Musician and comedian Tim Minchin was chosen to write music and lyrics after Warchus saw his 2009 tour Ready for This - and the rest, as they say, is musical theatre history.

This anarchic production, about a strong and determined heroine with a vivid imagination, has won over 100 global awards, including 24 for Best Musical. A film adaptation made by the core creative team received its World Premiere at the London Film Festival in October 2022 and can now be watched on Netflix.

Written by Dennis Kelly, with music and lyrics by Tim Minchin and developed and directed by Matthew Warchus, the production is designed by Rob Howell, with 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.

Madison Davis, Mollie Hutton, Olivia Ironmonger and Sanna Kurihara will be sharing the title role of the show’s hero Matilda. She’s a brilliant, resilient, creative, and kind girl, despite growing up in difficult circumstances. Her parents treat her poorly, but Matilda escapes into a world of books, which puts her reading level far above the other children in her class, and she develops a bit of magical power in an effort to defeat terrifying school head Miss Trunchbull. Theatre and television actor Richard Hurst takes on the role of despotic headmistress of Crunchem Hall Miss Trunchbull, while Tessa Kadler plays the gentle, kind, and nurturing Miss Honey.

Taking on the role of Matilda’s parents are Adam Stafford who plays the brash, loud and obnoxious Mr Wormwood with Rebecca Thornhill playing the self-absorbed Mrs Wormwood.

For ticket pricing and curtain up times see the venue’s website https://theatreroyal.com/whats-on/matilda-the-musical-2026.