More than a decade after it became a runaway Australian theatre hit, Matilda The Musical is returning to Melbourne, with the Royal Shakespeare Company’s acclaimed production set to open at the Princess Theatre in October 2027.
Based on Roald Dahl’s much-loved 1988 novel, the musical will then travel to Sydney and Brisbane in 2028, giving a new generation of Australian audiences the chance to experience the stage show that has already won more than 100 international awards.
For anyone who has somehow missed the Matilda phenomenon, the story follows Matilda Wormwood, an exceptionally bright young girl who finds little encouragement at home. Her parents are more interested in television, money and themselves than their daughter’s extraordinary intelligence, leaving Matilda to escape into books and her own vivid imagination.
The stage adaptation adds Tim Minchin’s wickedly funny songs, inventive choreography and theatrical magic to Dahl’s story, creating a show that manages to be hilarious, dark and surprisingly moving.
The original Australian production ran for more than two years between 2015 and 2017, attracting more than one million theatregoers. It also became the most awarded musical in Australian theatrical history, picking up a record 13 Helpmann Awards in 2016.
“When Matilda first opened in Australia, audiences embraced it with incredible warmth, joy and emotion. More than one million Australians experienced this extraordinary production, and a decade later it remains one of the most treasured musicals we’ve ever had the privilege to produce,” Australian producer Louise Withers said.
Tim Minchin is also thrilled to see the musical return home.
“I am so, so excited that Matilda is touring Australia again. The 2015-17 tour was absolutely brilliant – a genuinely world-class production to rival the West End version (which is now in its 16th year!),: he said.
“Now, a decade later, a whole new batch of incredible Aussie performers and crew and craftspeople will be putting the show on, and a whole new generation of audiences of all ages will have a chance to get a dose of pure joy.”
The musical was written by Dennis Kelly, with Minchin’s music and lyrics, and developed and directed by Matthew Warchus.
Matilda The Musical opens at Melbourne’s Princess Theatre in October 2027, with tickets yet to go on sale.
