(left to right) Lily-Mae Evans, Emma Moore, Kitty Peterkin and Savannah Read, the new Matlidas from next month. Picture: Manuel Harlan
Lily-Mae Evans, Kitty Peterkin and Savannah Read will join Emma Moore in the title role in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s multi award-winning Matilda the Musical next month.
The new young cast members will join the previously announced adult newcomers David Shannon, Gina Beck, Tom Edden and Marianne Benedict at London’s Cambridge Theatre from Tuesday 12 September.
To mark the arrival of the youngsters a video has been released featuring footage of the quartet learning to ballroom dance at Pineapple Studios under the expert eye of Rebecca Thornhill who plays Matilda’s mum in the show.
The other young performers due to join the London company to make up the three teams who will play the roles of Bruce, Lavender, Amanda and the rest of the pupils at Crunchem Hall are: Bill Bekele, Joe Butler-Smith, Omar Cain-Francis, Halle Cassell, Lucy Cheesman, Liberty Greig, Lauren Henson, Callum Hudson, Vaidile Jonikas, Mia McLoughlin, Miller Morris, Palmer Newson, Rocco Peacock, Lottie Refet, Finn Richards, Martin Soosaipillai, Will Tarpey and Alex Wenham.
The newcomers will join Jessica Chalmers, Hari Coles, Archie Durrant, Sebastian Harry, Tori Louise Ryan, Tilda Marriage Massey and Kacy O’Sullivan who will all continue in the roles of Bruce, Lavender, Amanda and the pupils at Crunchem Hall.
Stepping into the villainous role of Miss Trunchbull, Shannon (The Phantom of the Opera and Miss Saigon) leads a new adult cast that includes Beck (Wicked, Show Boat) who will take over the role of the sweet-natured Miss Honey, and Edden (Amadeus; One Man, Two Guvnors) and Benedict (Cats, The Wizard of Oz) who will play Mr and Mrs Wormwood.
The adult cast also includes: Keisha Amponsa Banson, Richard Astbury, David Birch, Maria Graciano, Karina Hind, Peter Houston, Katie Lee, Vicki Lee Taylor, Kris Manuel, Bryan Mottram, Tom Muggeridge, Emma Robotham-Hunt, Simon Shorten, Biancha Szynal, Callum Train and Robert Tregoning.
Now in its sixth year in London’s West End, and the longest-running production at the Cambridge Theatre, Matilda the Musical is currently booking until May 2018.
Written by playwright Dennis Kelly, with music and lyrics by comedian, musician and composer Tim Minchin, Matilda the Musical is 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 the special effects and illusions are by Paul Kieve.
Matilda the Musical was commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare Company and premiered at the RSC’s Courtyard Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon in November 2010, before transferring to London’s West End in October 2011, where it opened to rave reviews.
Winner of 86 major international awards, including 16 for Best Musical, the show has been seen by more than seven million people worldwide. The first UK and Ireland tour of the musical version of Roald Dahl’s much-loved book launches at Leicester Curve in March 2018 ahead of dates in Dublin, Sunderland, Milton Keynes, Birmingham, Manchester and Cardiff. Further dates and venues are to be announced at a later date.
Inspired by the world of Matilda the Musical, a new education programme designed to reach over 15,000 young people will work with touring theatre partners to bring the world of literary imagination to local youngsters.
After sweeping the board at the 2012 Olivier Awards where it collected a record-breaking seven awards, Matilda the Musical has now played in 60 cities worldwide and continues to enchant audiences in London, Australia and on tour around North America. The show is due to premiere in New Zealand at The Civic in Auckland this month where it will play a strictly limited season.
Matilda the Musical is produced in the West End by the Royal Shakespeare Company with André Ptaszynski and Denise Wood as executive producers. The production was developed with the support of company dramaturg Jeanie O’Hare and the RSC Literary Department.
Angela Thomas
Tickets for the London production of Matilda The Musical are available HERE.
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