The musical's narrative centres on Matilda Wormwood, a precocious five-year-old girl with the gift of telekinesis, who loves reading, overcomes obstacles caused by her family and school, and helps her teacher to reclaim her life.

[3] Cleo Demetriou, Kerry Ingram, Eleanor Worthington Cox and Sophia Kiely shared a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical.

[6] In 1988, British children's author Roald Dahl wrote the original novel Matilda, illustrated by Quentin Blake, about a young intelligent girl who develops a love of reading despite her abusive parents and headmistress of her school, incorporating rebellion and magical powers.

The novel was adapted into a 1996 American film directed by Danny DeVito as well as an audio reading by Kate Winslet and a BBC Radio 4 programme narrated by Lenny Henry.

[7] Coincidentally Minchin revealed that he had originally attempted to gain permission from the Dahl estate to stage a musical adaptation in the early 2000s when writing for a local youth theatre in Perth, Western Australia.

[citation needed] In 2009, the Royal Shakespeare Company announced its intent to stage a musical adaptation of the story Matilda, engaging Dennis Kelly as playwright, Tim Minchin as the composer and lyricist, Matthew Warchus as director, Chris Nightingale as orchestrator and music supervision, Rob Howell as set designer and Paul Kieve as illusionist and special effects creator.

[8] Originally titled Matilda, A Musical, the show opened at the Courtyard Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, England on 9 December 2010, following previews from 9 November.

A four-girl cast consisting of Sophia Gennusa, Oona Laurence, Bailey Ryon, and Milly Shapiro played the titular role of Matilda.

The production starred Julia Awad, Daniela Berezo and Valentina Cachimbo, Laura Centella, Julieta Cruz, Otilia M. Domínguez and Rocío Zarraute as Matilda, Oriol Burés and Daniel Orgaz as Miss Trunchbull, Allende Blanco as Miss Honey, Héctor Carballo as Mr. Wormwood and Mary Capel as Mrs. Wormwood.

[36][37] The ticketing release date (October 2014) was announced at Pier 2/3 in Walsh Bay, with Minchin, International Executive Producer André Ptaszynski, NSW Deputy Premier Andrew Stoner and Sydney press in attendance.

[49] On 16 January 2018, the children's cast was announced, with the role of Matilda being shared between Annalise Bradbury, Lara Cohen, Poppy Jones and Nicola Turner.

The Manila production also had a 16-child strong cast alternating 8 other student roles, namely Gabrielle Aerin Ong and Maria Ericka Peralejo as Lavander; Denise Fidel Arteta and Chi Chi Tan as Amanda; Nicole Chien and Ella Gonzalez as Alice; Alba Berenguer-Testa and Chantel Marie Guinid as Hortensia; Josh Nubla and Miguel Suarez as Bruce; Rhythm Alexander and Ian Albert Magallona as Eric; Gabo Tiongson and Pablo Miguel Palacpac as Nigel; and John Joseph Miraflores and Teddy Velasco as Tommy.

In April 2020, Seensee Company announced they will be running another production of Matilda the Musical from October 2022 to January 2023, in Daesung D Cube Art Center.

Matilda's classmates are played by Jack Fokkens, Keeran Isaacs, Robyn Ivey, Joshua LeClair, Levi Maron, Ipeleng Merafe, Megan Saayman, Taylor Salgado, Cameron Seear and Zac Gabriel Werb.

The rest of the adult ensemble includes Jasmin Colangelo, Katrina Dix, Londiwe Dhlomo-Dlamini, Sinead Donnelly, Michael Gardiner, Kent Jeycocke, Weslee Lauder, Carlo McFarlane, Kenneth Meyer, Daniel Parrott, Adrianna Patlaszynska, Jonathan Raath, and Logan Timbr.

In June 2022, HoriPro announced that a Japanese version of Matilda would be performed at Tokyu Theatre Orb in Tokyo, Japan starting from Spring 2023.

When the acrobat gets pregnant, her sister becomes furious about refunding the crowd's money and produces a contract binding them to perform the act or go to jail ("The Great Day Arrived").

Matilda demonstrates her powers to Miss Honey who tells of her own cruel and abusive aunt, who looked after her as a child after her parents died.

[99] Meesha Garbett as Hortensia, Charlie Hodson-Prior as Bruce, Andrei Shen as Eric, Ashton Robertson as Nigel, Winter Jarrett Glasspool as Amanda and Rei Yamachi Fulker as Lavender make up some of the 200 dancing, singing and acting kids.

[101] The Independent also gave the show four out of five stars and said, "The Royal Shakespeare Company has struck gold with this wildly entertaining musical … Kelly's clever adaptation and the witty, intricate songs by ... Minchin create a new, improved version of Dahl's story ... Warchus's wondrously well-drilled production finds just the right balance between gleeful grotesque humour and heart-warming poignancy.

"[102] Charles Spencer, writing for The Daily Telegraph awarded the show all five stars and praised the "splendidly witty, instantly hummable songs, dazzling choreography, a cast of impossibly cute and delightful children and a fantastic star turn from Bertie Carvel ... [Kelly's] script has both deepened the emotion of Dahl's story while adding loads of splendid jokes of his own", and concluded, "It is funny, heart-warming, and bang-on target".

[103] Matt Wolf of The Arts Desk said: "I was struck by the sight of many a child grinning as openly as their adult companions were wiping away tears".

[104] Henry Hitchings of the London Evening Standard also praised the performances, direction and design and commented on Minchin's "witty songs [in which] he switches between styles with remarkable dexterity".

[107] Julie Carpenter of the Daily Express awarded the show all five stars and called the musical "[g]loriously over the top", and said, "it's an irresistible and ingenious mix of fun, fizz, cruelty, incredible choreography and above all warmth which means we root for the kids from the start.

"[108] Henry Hitchings's review in the Evening Standard ranked the piece five stars, praising the music and lyrics, book, set design, choreography, direction and performances.

Confirming his impression of the 2010 production, he wrote about the West End transfer: "I suspect it will delight audiences for years to come ... [Kelly's] script actually improves and deepens Dahl's original ... [Minchin's] smashing score ... combines take-home melodies with delicious lyrical wit in songs that consistently develop both the plot and our understanding of the characters.

[107] Ben Brantley, writing for The New York Times, called the adaptation "a sweet and sharp-witted work of translation, which ... turns dark and sodden anxieties into bright and buoyant fantasies [that address] a raging thirst these days for [such] tonics".

He also said that the second act "runs a bit too long" and that "the combination of shrill child voices, British accents and heavy miking causes many of the lyrics to get muddled".

"[117] David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter said the stage show captured "the unique flavor of Roald Dahl's classic 1988 children's novel", and added, "this funhouse fairy tale is by turns riotous and poignant, grotesque and menacing, its campy comic exaggeration equaled only by its transporting emotional power".

[120] Of the British papers reviewing the transfer, The Telegraph gave the show four stars out of five, and said, "There's a harder-edged quality to the New York staging: the general tenor is louder and more exaggerated, and the Gilbertian finesse of [the] astonishing lyrics didn't translate for my companion ...