Welcome to Matilda!
Why Matilda? McClure has built a history and a culture of successful musicals in the past several years. When choosing a show, the directors, felt it was time to work with a more complex show that allowed our acting and dancing talents to shine as well as our vocal talents. The result was Matilda!
Matilda is the story of an extraordinary little girl with extraordinary powers. The daughter of mean parents, Matilda finds refuge in library books, which she reads quickly and in creating her own stories. Things are no better at school, where Matilda also must face a tyrannical and cruel headmistress, Miss Trunchbull, who believes in Crunchem Hall’s motto: “Bambinatum est Magitum,” or “Children are Maggots.” She finds companionship in her teacher, Miss Honey, though well-intentioned, is shy and fragile. Brave little Matilda knows she has to stand up against the adults in her world, and in doing so, discovers her own remarkable powers. Matilda’s bravery teaches Miss Honey and her classmates an important lesson -- that even though life can be hard, “nobody but me is gonna change my story” so “sometimes you have to be a little bit naughty.” While it seems dark, this show has a lot of comedy built in so there will be plenty of laugh lines. In the end, it is also a very empowering story about triumph and strength!
Why Matilda? McClure has built a history and a culture of successful musicals in the past several years. When choosing a show, the directors, felt it was time to work with a more complex show that allowed our acting and dancing talents to shine as well as our vocal talents. The result was Matilda!
Matilda is the story of an extraordinary little girl with extraordinary powers. The daughter of mean parents, Matilda finds refuge in library books, which she reads quickly and in creating her own stories. Things are no better at school, where Matilda also must face a tyrannical and cruel headmistress, Miss Trunchbull, who believes in Crunchem Hall’s motto: “Bambinatum est Magitum,” or “Children are Maggots.” She finds companionship in her teacher, Miss Honey, though well-intentioned, is shy and fragile. Brave little Matilda knows she has to stand up against the adults in her world, and in doing so, discovers her own remarkable powers. Matilda’s bravery teaches Miss Honey and her classmates an important lesson -- that even though life can be hard, “nobody but me is gonna change my story” so “sometimes you have to be a little bit naughty.” While it seems dark, this show has a lot of comedy built in so there will be plenty of laugh lines. In the end, it is also a very empowering story about triumph and strength!
Meet the Characters
ERIC- Eric is a student at school with Matilda and has the very first solo line in the entire show. He also has several featured moments later in the play. We are looking for a good singer and someone who can be an expressive actor.
AMANDA- Amanda is a student at school with Matilda. She has a few solos and lines but her most featured moment is when Ms. Trunchbull throws her through the air using her pigtails (don't worry, it will be done with special effects, we aren't actually going to throw you!). We need a good singer and someone with great movement skills.
BRUCE- Bruce is one of Matilda's schoolmates and has the bad luck to get caught eating after Ms. Trunchbull's cake. Bruce goes through quite a transformation throughout the show and has some important solos. We need a good singer and actor, someone with some physical comedy skills. It will also help if you don't mind getting a little messy during the chocolate cake scene!
ALICE, TOMMY, & HORTENSIA- All are classmates of Matilda and each has a few solos. There are also a few dance moves that you will need to learn.
LAVENDER- She is a student at Matilda's school. She is bright (but not as bright as Matilda) and quickly decides that she is going to be Matilda's best friend. We need an actor who can portray likeability and friendliness.
NIGEL- Nigel goes to school with Matilda. He is enthusiastic, sweet, and is always in a bit of a panic. He has a few solos and some great featured moments. We need a good singer and actor with some comedic skills.
MATILDA WORMWOOD- Matilda is the hero of the show. She's brilliant, resilient, creative and kind, 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 the class. She also develops a bit of magical power in her effort to defeat Trunchbull. We need a strong singer and great actress in this role, someone who can show both Matilda's cleverness and her kindness.
MR. WORMWOOD- Mr. Wormwood is Matilda's father. He is egotistical, rude, and not very bright, not to mention a liar. Though Mr. Wormwood is not a good person and he is mean to Matilda, his hairbrained schemes can be hilariously funny. We need a great actor with great comedic skills and who isn't afraid to play an unlikeable character. You will need to appear older than most of the rest of the cast.
MRS. WORMWOOD- Mrs. Wormwood is Matilda's mother. Like her husband, she doesn't like Matilda and does not understand why her daughter loves to read. Mrs. Wormwood is selfish, obsessed with her own appearance, and believes everything she sees on TV. Her dancing lessons with Rudolpho are the most important part of her day. We need a strong actress who can portray the nastiness of Mrs. Wormwood, but also her ridiculousness and can lean into the comedy.
MICHAEL- Michael is Matilda's brother. He isn't very bright but he is the apple of his father's eye. This is a hilarious supporting role for a younger actor (or someone who can play younger), with good comedic timing. Michael's main contribution to his scenes are his deadpan one liners.
MRS. PHELPS- Mrs. Phelps is the kindly librarian who loves hearing Matilda's stories. This is a great featured role for a stronger actress who seems older than most of the characters in the show.
ESCAPOLOGIST- The Escapologist is a character of Matilda's creation. Everything this character does is grand and exaggerated. He's play for the cheap seats in the back! We need someone with good acting and moving skills. This is a fun role to play!
ACROBAT- The Acrobat is also a character of Matilda's imagination. We need an actor in this featured role that can give it their all!
MISS HONEY- Miss Honey is a teacher at Matilda's school. She is kind, generous, and really cares about the children despite her own desperate circumstances. We need an excellent actress and singer who can portray Miss Honey's sweetness and her strength.
AGATHA TRUNCHBULL- Ms. Trunchbull is the quintessential, terrifying tyrant! As headmistress, she runs her school like a dictator, making up arbitrary rules to suit her every whim and dreaming up creative punishments. It's helpful if Trunchbull is physically larger that the actors playing the students. We need a fantastic character actor and singer who can play this larger than life villain!
RUDOLPHO- Rudolpho is Mrs. Wormwood's self-obsessed dance teacher. This is a hilarious featured role for a comedic actor who moves well.
SERGEI- Sergei has been swindled by Mr. Wormwood. Though he shows up looking for a payback, Matilda has had quite enough of revenge and Sergei lets the Wormwoods escape. This is a great featured role for an actor who can embody Sergei's intimidating presence.
RUSSIANS, LITTLE KIDS, BIG KIDS (Including Big Kid 1, Big Kid 2, and Big Kid 3), KIDS, MUMS, DADS, COOK and the MECHANIC are all supporting roles and have a variety of scenes in the show.
AMANDA- Amanda is a student at school with Matilda. She has a few solos and lines but her most featured moment is when Ms. Trunchbull throws her through the air using her pigtails (don't worry, it will be done with special effects, we aren't actually going to throw you!). We need a good singer and someone with great movement skills.
BRUCE- Bruce is one of Matilda's schoolmates and has the bad luck to get caught eating after Ms. Trunchbull's cake. Bruce goes through quite a transformation throughout the show and has some important solos. We need a good singer and actor, someone with some physical comedy skills. It will also help if you don't mind getting a little messy during the chocolate cake scene!
ALICE, TOMMY, & HORTENSIA- All are classmates of Matilda and each has a few solos. There are also a few dance moves that you will need to learn.
LAVENDER- She is a student at Matilda's school. She is bright (but not as bright as Matilda) and quickly decides that she is going to be Matilda's best friend. We need an actor who can portray likeability and friendliness.
NIGEL- Nigel goes to school with Matilda. He is enthusiastic, sweet, and is always in a bit of a panic. He has a few solos and some great featured moments. We need a good singer and actor with some comedic skills.
MATILDA WORMWOOD- Matilda is the hero of the show. She's brilliant, resilient, creative and kind, 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 the class. She also develops a bit of magical power in her effort to defeat Trunchbull. We need a strong singer and great actress in this role, someone who can show both Matilda's cleverness and her kindness.
MR. WORMWOOD- Mr. Wormwood is Matilda's father. He is egotistical, rude, and not very bright, not to mention a liar. Though Mr. Wormwood is not a good person and he is mean to Matilda, his hairbrained schemes can be hilariously funny. We need a great actor with great comedic skills and who isn't afraid to play an unlikeable character. You will need to appear older than most of the rest of the cast.
MRS. WORMWOOD- Mrs. Wormwood is Matilda's mother. Like her husband, she doesn't like Matilda and does not understand why her daughter loves to read. Mrs. Wormwood is selfish, obsessed with her own appearance, and believes everything she sees on TV. Her dancing lessons with Rudolpho are the most important part of her day. We need a strong actress who can portray the nastiness of Mrs. Wormwood, but also her ridiculousness and can lean into the comedy.
MICHAEL- Michael is Matilda's brother. He isn't very bright but he is the apple of his father's eye. This is a hilarious supporting role for a younger actor (or someone who can play younger), with good comedic timing. Michael's main contribution to his scenes are his deadpan one liners.
MRS. PHELPS- Mrs. Phelps is the kindly librarian who loves hearing Matilda's stories. This is a great featured role for a stronger actress who seems older than most of the characters in the show.
ESCAPOLOGIST- The Escapologist is a character of Matilda's creation. Everything this character does is grand and exaggerated. He's play for the cheap seats in the back! We need someone with good acting and moving skills. This is a fun role to play!
ACROBAT- The Acrobat is also a character of Matilda's imagination. We need an actor in this featured role that can give it their all!
MISS HONEY- Miss Honey is a teacher at Matilda's school. She is kind, generous, and really cares about the children despite her own desperate circumstances. We need an excellent actress and singer who can portray Miss Honey's sweetness and her strength.
AGATHA TRUNCHBULL- Ms. Trunchbull is the quintessential, terrifying tyrant! As headmistress, she runs her school like a dictator, making up arbitrary rules to suit her every whim and dreaming up creative punishments. It's helpful if Trunchbull is physically larger that the actors playing the students. We need a fantastic character actor and singer who can play this larger than life villain!
RUDOLPHO- Rudolpho is Mrs. Wormwood's self-obsessed dance teacher. This is a hilarious featured role for a comedic actor who moves well.
SERGEI- Sergei has been swindled by Mr. Wormwood. Though he shows up looking for a payback, Matilda has had quite enough of revenge and Sergei lets the Wormwoods escape. This is a great featured role for an actor who can embody Sergei's intimidating presence.
RUSSIANS, LITTLE KIDS, BIG KIDS (Including Big Kid 1, Big Kid 2, and Big Kid 3), KIDS, MUMS, DADS, COOK and the MECHANIC are all supporting roles and have a variety of scenes in the show.
