Roald Dahl's Matilda

About the show

Mrs. Wormwood gives birth to Matilda, but the new mother is only worried about a ballroom dancing contest she has missed. Similarly shallow, Mr. Wormwood—a used-car salesman and scam artist dismisses the child when he realizes she is a girl ("Miracle"). Five years later, Matilda is an avid reader and lives unhappily with her parents and her older brother Michael. The Wormwoods are oblivious to her genius and frequently mock and verbally abuse her. They prefer to watch TV over reading. Matilda adds some of her mother's peroxide to her father's hair oil, leaving Mr. Wormwood with bright green hair ("Naughty"). At the library, Matilda spends time with the kind librarian Mrs. Phelps and makes up a story about a world famous acrobat and escapologist who cannot have children. Out of despair, the couple decide to put on a show containing a very dangerous act ("Once Upon a Time"). Matilda has her first day at school ("School Song"). Her teacher Miss Honey instantly sees that Matilda is exceptionally intelligent and decides to request that Matilda be moved to the top class ("Pathetic"). However, the child-hating and tyrannical headmistress Miss Trunchbull dismisses Miss Honey's suggestion. Miss Trunchbull explains that Matilda is better off in Miss Honey's class. Miss Trunchbull doesn't feel that Matilda is ready to be in the top class. ("The Hammer") Matilda's father takes out his career frustration on Matilda, so she puts superglue around the rim of his hat. At school, Matilda is told of Miss Trunchbull's cruel punishments, including The Chokey: a tiny cupboard lined with sharp objects in which she locks disobedient children for hours ("The Chokey Chant"). After Matilda meets her best friend Lavender and saves their friend Nigel from Miss Truncbhull when he's accused of putting syrup on her chair, Miss Trunchubll throws their classmate Amanda Thripp over the fence by her hair as punishment for wearing pigtails. Later, Miss Honey meets Mrs. Wormwood and her dance partner Rudolpho. Mrs. Wormwood mocks Matilda's interest in books and intellect ("Loud"). Miss Honey is desperate to help Matilda but feels powerless to do so ("This Little Girl"). Continuing her story, Matilda explains that the escapologist announces that their act is canceled because the acrobat is pregnant, but her sister refuses to cancel the show and refund tickets, and produces a contract legally binding them to perform the act or go to prison ("The Great Day Arrived"). At school, Miss Trunchbull attempts to accuse Matilda of eating a chocolate cake she had been saving, but quickly learns that the student who ate the cake was Bruce Bogtrotter. As punishment, she forces him to eat an entire chocolate cake as the rest of the students watch him, half of them anticipating that he'll eat the entire cake, while the others are doubtful ("Bruce"). Even though Bruce manages to finish the entire cake, Miss Trunchbull still sends him to The Chokey. Mr. Wormwood advises the audience against reading in favour of watching television ("Telly"). Matilda's classmates sing about their hopes for the future ("When I Grow Up"). Matilda tells Mrs. Phelps more of the story of the acrobat and the escapologist. Legally bound by their contract, they perform their act. The acrobat is fatally injured, living just long enough to give birth to a girl. The acrobat asks her husband to take care of their daughter and love her. After giving birth, the acrobat dies from her injuries. The escapologist invites the acrobat's sister to move in and look after his daughter. The girl's aunt is secretly cruel to her niece. The aunt blames the girl for her sister's death ("The Trick Started Well"). Mr. Wormwood is pleased because he tricked his Russian customers ("I'm So Clever"). Matilda scolds him, so he locks her in her bedroom. Matilda continues the story of the acrobat and escapologist's daughter. The aunt locks her in the cellar, where the father finds her crying. Filled with rage, he goes to confront the aunt but is never seen again. He dies off stage and the aunt becomes the girl's legal guardian ("I'm Here"). The next day, Miss Trunchbull forces Miss Honey's class to undergo a gruelling physical education lesson ("The Smell of Rebellion"). Miss Trunchbull bullies the children, then verbally abuses Matilda, but Matilda discovers she can move objects with her mind ("Quiet"). Matilda demonstrates her powers to Miss Honey who tells of her own cruel and abusive aunt, who looked after her as a child after her parents died. When Miss Honey first became a teacher, her aunt produced a bill detailing everything Miss Honey consumed as a child, along with other expenses, and forced her to sign a contract binding her to pay it all back. Desperate to escape, Miss Honey found refuge in an old farm shed ("My House"). Matilda recognizes Miss Honey's scarf from the story of the acrobat and the escapologist which she realizes is the true story of Miss Honey's childhood, and that her wicked aunt is Miss Trunchbull. Miss Trunchbull schemes to punish Lavender for putting a newt in the jug of water she usually drinks from, but her classmates try to intervene. Matilda uses her powers to write on the blackboard posing as the ghost of Miss Honey's father ("Chalk Writing"). Miss Trunchbull runs away and the children celebrate ("Revolting Children"). Miss Honey receives her parents house and money, and she becomes the new headmistress. Matilda can no longer use her powers. The Wormwoods try to escape with Michael and Matilda to Spain but the Russian mafia arrive. Sergei is impressed by Matilda's intellect, and he lets them go ("This Little Girl" reprise). Matilda is allowed to live with Miss Honey as the Wormwoods leave for Spain ("When I Grow Up" (reprise)/"Naughty" (reprise)).