Exclusive: Matilda The Musical to embark on new UK and Ireland tour – with initial dates confirmed

Exclusive: The Royal Shakespeare Company has announced that Matilda The Musical will commence its second major tour of the UK and Ireland in October 2025.

The production, based on Roald Dahl’s book, is set to begin performances at Curve, Leicester, on 6 October 2025, with the new tour running concurrently with the West End run.

The musical features a story about a determined young girl and her imaginative approach to life. It has received over 100 awards, including 24 for Best Musical. Numbers in the show include “Quiet”, “Naughty”, “When I Grow Up” and “Revolting Children”. A film adaptation of Matilda was released in 2022 and is available on Netflix.

Matilda The Musical is written by Dennis Kelly, with music and lyrics by Tim Minchin, and is directed by Matthew Warchus. The creative team includes Rob Howell (design), Peter Darling (choreography), Christopher Nightingale (orchestrations and musical supervision), Hugh Vanstone (lighting), Simon Baker (sound), and Paul Kieve (special effects and illusions).

The production has also released a new interview with Minchin and Kelly:

Minchin reflected on the show’s success: “When we first started working on the show, our aim was to make a lovely little jewel of a musical for the RSC’s Courtyard Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon.

“We never imagined that all these years later it would still be running in the West End, have been made into a film, and is now about to embark on its second tour of the UK and Ireland. I’m deeply proud of Matilda The Musical, and every single talented person who continues to work on it with passion and enthusiasm.”

The production will celebrate its 15th anniversary at Curve, Leicester (where it plays until 25 October), before continuing to theatres including Bradford’s Alhambra Theatre (30 October to 23 November), Liverpool Empire (2 December to 4 January 2026), Theatre Royal Plymouth (13 January to 7 February), Sunderland Empire (11 to 28 February), Edinburgh Playhouse (4 to 22 March), and Manchester Palace Theatre (26 March to 25 April). Additional dates will be confirmed in the coming year.

Priority booking for RSC and Theatre Members/Friends, as well as ATG+ Members, will open at 10am on 22 October 2024, with general sales starting on 24 October 2024 for most venues (except Curve, Leicester and Theatre Royal Plymouth).

Casting and additional creative details for the tour will be announced in the future.

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