Casting update for September 2015

Evie Hone and Lizzie Wells will join Anna-Louise Knight and Lara McDonnell in the title role of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical from Tuesday 15 September 2015. Joining the four actresses will be Michael Begley (Mr Wormwood), Miria Parvin (Miss Honey) and Rebecca Thornhill (Mrs Wormwood). Craige Els will continue in the role of Miss Trunchbull.

Capturing the imagination of young and old alike, Matilda The Musical has now received 50 awards in Stratford-upon-Avon, London and New York, and has been seen by over three million people worldwide. The London and Broadway productions of Matilda The Musical have been joined by the US tour which opened in Los Angeles in May. Next month the Australian premiere will take place in Sydney on 20 August at the Lyric Theatre.

Michael Begley’s recent theatre credits include After Electra directed by Samuel West (Theatre Royal Plymouth & Tricycle Theatre), Mrs Lowry and Son (Trafalgar Studios), Sweet Bird of Youth (Old Vic), If There Is I Haven’t Found It Yet (Bush Theatre), Rhinoceros (Royal Court Theatre), The Arsonists (Royal Court Theatre), Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (Royal Exchange Manchester) and Pravda (Chichester Festival Theatre and Birmingham Rep). In addition to his roles on stage, Michael has appeared on screen in Foyle’s War, Being Human and Doctor Who. Michael’s film credits include the co-lead with Timothy Spall in Vacuuming Completely Nude In Paradise directed by Danny Boyle for BBC Films.

Miria Parvin recently starred in the West End production of Once (Phoenix Theatre). Miria made her professional debut in 2006 playing the leading role of Pearl in the UK Tour of Starlight Express and has since gone on to play Ariel in Footloose (West End & Tour) and Sarah in Our House (UK Tour) before starring as Sophie in Mamma Mia! (International Tour). Miria’s additional theatre credits include The Magic Flute (Finland Tour) and productions with the Finnish National Opera.

Rebecca Thornhill is an Olivier Award-nominated actress with an illustrious musical theatre background. Rebecca’s previous stage credits include lead roles in From Here To Eternity (Shaftesbury Theatre), Mary Poppins (Prince Edward Theatre and USA Tour), Chicago (Adelphi Theatre), Ragtime (Piccadilly Theatre), Witches of Eastwick (Prince of Wales and UK Tour), South Pacific (UK Tour), Beauty and the Beast (Dominion Theatre) and Les Misérables (Palace Theatre and Denmark). In addition to her credits in the West End, Rebecca has appeared at the National Theatre in Singin’ in the Rain (for which she was nominated for an Olivier Award) and played Gertie in Trevor Nunn’s production of Oklahoma! opposite Hugh Jackman and Maureen Lipman.

The young performers who will play the roles of Bruce, Lavender, Amanda, Nigel, Eric and the other pupils at Crunchem Hall from September are as follows: Leo Ayres, Charlie Barnard, Thomas Berry, Fifi Bloomsbury-Khier, Tilly Cook, Bronte Cosgrave, Ellie Dadd, Connor Deeks, Carla Dixon, Dayna Dixon, Denzel Eboji, Keyaan Hameed, Hannah Hague, Caoimhe Judd, Sophia Keaveney, Lia Moxom, Demi Olawoyin, Ben Perkins, Max Reader, Jason Rennie, Joe Sheridan, Jacob Smith, Eva Trodd, Harrison Vaughan and Jamie Wilding.

The adult cast includes Fabian Aloise, Robbie Boyle, John Brannoch, Oliver Brooks, Jonathan Cordin, Olly Dobson, Demi Goodman, Elliot Harper, Will Hawksworth, Kate Kenrick, Rachel Moran, Tom Muggeridge, Matthew Serafini, Biancha Szynal, Charlotte Scott, Laura Tyrer and Sharlene Whyte.

Inspired by the incomparable Roald Dahl’s beloved book, Matilda The Musical premiered at the Royal Shakespeare Company’s The Courtyard Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon in November 2010, before transferring to London’s West End in October 2011. In 2014 Matilda The Musical celebrated its 1000^th performance in London and tickets are now on sale until May 2016 at the Cambridge Theatre.

Having swept the board at the 2012 Olivier Awards, winning a record-breaking seven awards, Matilda The Musical has gone on to take Broadway by storm winning four Tony Awards® and a Tony Honor for Excellence in the Theater for each of the four girls sharing the title role. The New York production of Matilda The Musical, produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company and The Dodgers, opened in March 2013 at Broadway’s Shubert Theatre.