Royal Shakespeare Company Hit Show Matilda The Musical Goes on
Debut UK Tour & Comes To Sunderland Empire
Matilda The Musical
Sunderland Empire
Tuesday 8th May - Saturday 2nd June
2018
ON
SALE TO THEATRE CARD AND GROUPS - WEDNESDAY 19
APRIL 2017 AND GENERAL ON SALE - WEDNESDAY
26 APRIL 2017
Today, the Royal Shakespeare Company announces
that its multi award-winning production of Matilda
The Musical will embark on a UK and Ireland tour in 2018-2019 with a
North East debut at Sunderland Empire
from Tuesday 8 May – Saturday 2 June 2018.
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Photo: Manuel Harlan
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Winner of 85 international awards, including 16 for
Best Musical, the RSC’s touring production of Matilda
The Musical will open at
Leicester Curve, playing from 5 – 24 March 2018, followed by Dublin Bord Gais
Energy Theatre (4 April – 28 April), Sunderland Empire (8 May – 2 June), Milton
Keynes Theatre (5 June – 30 June), Birmingham Hippodrome (3 July – 8
September), Manchester Palace (18 September – 24 November) and Cardiff Wales
Millennium Centre (4 December – 12 January 2019). Further dates and venues are
to be announced in due course.
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Photo: Manuel Harlan
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The multi
award-winning production will continue to play in the West End at the Cambridge Theatre (currently booking until 17 December 2017) as well as its tours in Australia, New Zealand and North America.
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Photo: Manuel Harlan
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The production
will be accompanied in each location by a new education programme to engage
young people, inspired by Matilda The Musical. From a travelling library
of stories led by Mrs Phelps, to whole school takeovers of Matilda, the RSC aims to reach over 15,000
children, in collaboration with touring theatre partners. Further details will
be announced later.
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Photo: Manuel Harlan
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Dennis Kelly, writer of the musical’s book said: “It’s been a long time
coming but I’m delighted that we get to take Matilda around the UK and to Ireland. We have some fantastic
theatres in this country and in Ireland, supported by smart,
engaged audiences and we can’t wait to bring this crazy, messy, anarchic
explosion of a show to them.”
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Photo: Manuel Harlan
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Tim Minchin, who created the music and lyrics, said: “I - like millions of others - feel like Dahl is in my blood, because I
grew up with his books. So to have contributed to a piece of work that brings
one of his most famous stories to life is one of my life's great joys. I’m
utterly thrilled that audiences in cities all across the UK
and Ireland will now share and be part of Matilda’s
story.”
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Photo: Manuel Harlan
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Catherine Mallyon, RSC Executive Director added:
“We are thrilled our home-grown miracle,
which started life after a seven year gestation in Stratford-upon-Avon, has grown into a bit of a global
phenomenon. Following Matilda’s successful run on Broadway, our current tours around North America, Australia and New Zealand, and continuing into our sixth year at the Cambridge Theatre
in London’s West End, it is fantastic that we can share Matilda
with audiences around the UK and in Ireland. In collaboration with our touring partners we will also
deliver a programme of ground-breaking interactive education projects to enable young people to emulate Matilda,
sharing the extraordinary power of story-telling and the boundless creativity
of their imaginations.”
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Photo: Manuel Harlan
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Now in its
sixth year in London’s West End, Matilda The
Musical is the longest running production at the Cambridge Theatre
where it continues to play to packed houses.
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Photo: Manuel Harlan
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With book by Dennis Kelly, original songs by Tim
Minchin and direction by Matthew Warchus, Matilda
The Musical 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.
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Photo: Manuel Harlan
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Ben Phillips, General Manager,
Sunderland Empire said: “We are
absolutely thrilled that the Royal Shakespeare Company will be bringing their
multi-award winning production Matilda the Musical to us in May 2018, for the
only North East dates on their UK tour. Audiences will be
left mesmerised by this deliciously exhilarating and ingenious production of
Roald Dahl’s classic book during the limited 4 week engagement. Early booking
is highly recommended!”
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Photo: Manuel Harlan
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Inspired by the
incomparable Roald Dahl’s beloved book, Matilda
The Musical was commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare Company and premiered
at the RSC’s The 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.
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Photo: Manuel Harlan
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The
New York production of Matilda The Musical opened in April 2013
at Broadway’s Shubert Theatre and was celebrated on
10 “Top Ten” lists for 2013, including TIME Magazine’s #1 Show of the Year.
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Photo: Manuel Harlan
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Matilda
The Musical has been seen by more than 6.5
million people worldwide. Having swept the board at the 2012
Olivier Awards, with a record-breaking seven awards, and winning four Tony
Awards and a Tony Honor for Excellence in the Theater for the four girls
sharing the title role on Broadway, Matilda The Musical has now played in 51 cities worldwide and continues
to delight audiences in London, Australia and on tour around North America.
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Photo: Manuel Harlan
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After winning a Sydney
Theatre Award for Best Musical in 2015, the Australian production played a
sold-out season at Melbourne’s Princess Theatre. In July 2016, the
production broke further records by winning all 13 Helpmann Awards for which it
was nominated. The tour continues in Perth and Adelaide and will premiere in New Zealand at The Civic in Auckland in August 2017 for a strictly limited season.
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Photo: Manuel Harlan
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Matilda
The Musical is produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company with
André Ptaszynski and Denise Wood as Executive Producers. The production was
developed with the support of Jeanie O’Hare and the RSC Literary Department.
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Photo: Manuel Harlan
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Matilda The Musical is written by Dennis Kelly,
with music and lyrics by Tim Minchin, and direction 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.
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Photo: Manuel Harlan
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On The Web:
#matildaontour
# Twitter: @MatildaMusical
Facebook: MatildaTheMusical
Instagram: @MatildaTheMusical
Facebook: MatildaTheMusical
Instagram: @MatildaTheMusical
Tickets:
Matilda The
Musical is to play Sunderland Empire Tuesday 8 May – Saturday 2
June 2018
On sale date
Theatre Card and
Groups: Wednesday 19
April 2017
General
sale: Wednesday
26 April 2017
Tickets available in person at the Box Office on High Street West, from the Ticket Centre on 0844 871 3022* or online at www.ATGtickets.com/Sunderland*
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Photo: Manuel Harlan
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full
TOUR Listings
Leicester Curve
Monday 5 – Saturday 24 March 2018
Dublin Bord Gais Energy
Theatre
Wednesday 4 – Saturday 28 April 2018
Sunderland Empire Theatre
Tuesday 8 May – Saturday 2 June 2018
Milton Keynes Theatre
Tuesday 5 – Saturday 30 June 2018
Birmingham Hippodrome
Tuesday 3 July – Saturday 8 September 2018
Manchester Palace Theatre
Tuesday 18 September – Saturday 24 November 2018
Wales Millennium
Centre, Cardiff / Canolfan Mileniwm Cymru
Tuesday 4 December 2018 – Saturday 12 January 2019
WEST END LISTING
MATILDA THE MUSICAL
Cambridge Theatre, Earlham Street, WC2H 9HU
Booking until 17 December 2017
