AUSTRALIA’S MATILDAS REVEALED

The young actresses who will share the title role in the Australian Premiere Season of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of Matilda The Musical were announced today (April 14, 2015). They are (in alphabetical order) Molly Barwick, Sasha Rose, Georgia Taplin and Bella Thomas.

The winner of over 50 international awards, including 12 for Best Musical, Matilda The Musical will make its Australian Premiere at Sydney Lyric Theatrefrom July 28, with tickets currently on sale from Ticketmaster for performances through to October 25.

NSW Minister for Trade, Tourism and Major Events Stuart Ayres said: “I congratulate the four young actresses on being cast in the Australian Premiere Season of Matilda The Musical. This critically-acclaimed theatrical sensation, secured for Sydney by the NSW Government, promises to attract thousands of visitors from all over Australia and the world to our State, and provide an anticipated $35 million boost to the NSW visitor economy.”

Producer, Louise Withers said, “Today’s announcement of the four Matildas marks an exciting moment for the production in Australia. With the creative team set to arrive and rehearsals about to start, it will be thrilling to see all the elements come together leading up to performances commencing in Sydney - in late July - for the Australian premiere season of Matilda The Musical.”

Matilda The Musical is based on the beloved novel by best-selling author Roald Dahl (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Fantastic Mr. Fox). It is the story of an extraordinary girl who armed with a vivid imagination and a sharp mind, dares to take a stand and change her own destiny.

Molly Barwick is nine years old and is a keen tennis player. She also loves to read books and ride horses.
The beach is where eleven-year-old Sasha Rose likes to spend her spare time and is a keen surfer. Sasha loves towrite poetry and is a regular viewer of the National Geographic channel, given her love for animals.

Georgia Taplin is passionate about sports including hockey, touch football and the AFL’s Sydney Swans. Georgia is ten-years-old and her passions are not limited to sporting pursuits, as she plays the double bass and is an avid fan of contemporary music.

Bella Thomas, who is also eleven years old, loves cricket and is an enthusiastic mini-chef who loves craft activities.
All four of Sydney’s Matildas are very much looking forward to making their professional musical theatre debut when theshow premieres at the Sydney Lyric Theatre from July 28.

Having proven an enormous success in London’s West End and on Broadway, where productions continue to play to packed houses and capture the imagination of young and old alike, Matilda The Musical is the most-anticipated theatrical event of 2015.

Matilda The Musical is directed by Tony Award® winner Matthew Warchus (God of Carnage), who helms this production with a book by Tony Award®-winning playwright Dennis Kelly and music and lyrics by Australian Tim Minchin.

This announcement follows last month’s confirmation of adult cast members (in alphabetical order), Marika Aubrey (Mrs Wormwood), Daniel Frederiksen (Mr Wormwood), Elise McCann (Miss Honey) and James Millar (Miss Trunchbull).

The production has sets and costumes by Tony Award® winner Rob Howell, with choreography by Tony Award® winner Peter Darling (Billy Elliot), orchestrations, additional music and musical supervision by Christopher Nightingale, lighting by Tony Award® winner Hugh Vanstone, and sound by Simon Baker.

Matilda The Musical was commissioned by the RSC and played to sold-out audiences at the Courtyard Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon for twelve weeks from November 2010 to January 2011. It transferred to London’s West End on Tuesday 25 October 2011 where it opened to rave reviews.

The New York production of Matilda The Musical opened on 11 April 2013 at Broadway’s Shubert Theatre to rapturous reviews and has been celebrated on 10 “Top Ten” lists for 2013, including TIME Magazine’s #1 Show of the Year.

Sweeping the board at the 2012 Laurence 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.

Matilda The Musical will be produced in Australia by the Royal Shakespeare Company, Louise Withers, Michael Coppel & Michael Watt with André Ptaszynski and Denise Wood as Executive Producers.

TheAustralian premiere season of Matilda The Musical is proudly supported by the NSW Government through itstourism and major events agency Destination NSW.

This production was originally developed with the support of the RSC Literary Department. The RSC Literary Department is generously supported by THE DRUE HEINZ TRUST.

The RSC Ensemble is generously supported by THE GATSBY CHARITABLE FOUNDATION and THE KOVNER FOUNDATION.

Images: (top) Georgia, Bella, Sasha, Molly, & (lower) Bella, Georgia, Sasha and Molly. Photos by Emma Squires

More Reading

Initial Matilda casting.

Musicals in 2015 and Beyond

MATILDA THE MUSICAL

SYDNEY LYRIC THEATRE FROM 28 JULY 2015

TICKETS NOW ON SALE FOR PERFORMANCES THROUGH TO OCTOBER 25

Book at Ticketmaster 1300 795 267 www.ticketmaster.com.au

Groups 20+ call 02 8240 2290 or groups@ticketmaster.com.au

In person at the Lyric Box Office or any Ticketmaster outlet.

Tickets: $50-$150*

*Transaction fees may apply