Following the sold-out success of the first two relaxed performances of Matilda The Musical in 2014 and 2015, the Royal Shakespeare Company will present a third relaxed performance at the Cambridge Theatre on Sunday 12th June at 3pm. This will be the seventh performance that the Royal Shakespeare Company has staged to date. The National Autistic Society and Mousetrap Theatre Projects will again work closely with the RSC, offering full access to the theatre for people with autism and learning disabilities.
This performance of Matilda The Musical builds on the programme of relaxed performances that the RSC has been running in Stratford-upon-Avon since 2013, when it was amongst the first to adopt and promote the concept. The performance provides a relaxed environment, with elements of the production adapted to reduce anxiety or stress. Lighting and sound levels are adjusted to soften their impact and there is a different approach to noise and moving around the auditorium during the performance. Designated ‘chill-out’ areas are provided outside the auditorium with soft seating and activities for people to use if they want to take a break from being in the auditorium. The performance will also be audio-described.
The Royal Shakespeare Company is offering tickets at the reduced rate of £25 and £10 which can be booked through the RSC Ticket Hotline or in person at the RSC box office from Tuesday 9 February. All bookers will be sent a visual story to help them familiarise themselves with the plot, characters and the setting before they arrive at the theatre. Detailed event and transport information will also be available from www.MatildaTheMusical.com.
Capturing the imagination of young and old alike, Matilda The Musical has now received over 50 awards in Stratford-upon-Avon, London, the USA and Australia and has been seen by more than four million people worldwide. In 2015 the London and Broadway productions were joined by the North American and Australian tours. After opening to rave reviews and winning a Sydney Theatre Award for Best Musical, the Australian production recently announced it will open at Melbourne’s Princess Theatre from 13 March 2016 for a strictly limited season.
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. Now in its fifth year in the West End, tickets are on sale until 18 December 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.
Matilda The Musical is written by playwright Dennis Kelly, with music and lyrics by comedian, musician and composer Tim Minchin, and directed 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.
Photos: Manuel Harlan
