Leicester’s Curve theatre will open the UK and Ireland tour of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Matilda the Musical in March 2018.
In a joint statement, Curve chief executive Chris Stafford and artistic director Nikolai Foster said, “there’s never been a better time to celebrate Matilda The Musical's message of the power of literature, knowledge and education.
“We’re thrilled to be working with the RSC on their award-winning, great British musical and launching the first UK and Ireland tour from our home in Leicester.
“Musicals sit at the heart of our repertoire and we couldn't be more proud to be opening one of the most successful and brilliant new musicals of recent years. We look forward to welcoming this extraordinary team to Curve.”
With book by Dennis Kelly, original songs by Tim Minchin and direction by Matthew Warchus, Matilda the Musical is inspired by the book by Roald Dahl and tells the story of an extraordinary girl who, armed with a vivid imagination and a sharp mind, dares to take a stand and change her destiny.
RSC executive director Catherine Mallyon commented, “we’re thrilled our home-grown miracle, which started life after a seven-year gestation in Stratford, has grown into a bit of a global phenomenon.
“Matilda has had a successful run on Broadway, tours around North America, Australia and New Zealand, and it’s into its sixth year at the Cambridge Theatre in London’s West End.
“It’s fantastic that we can share Matilda with audiences around the UK and in Ireland. We’ll also be delivering a programme of ground-breaking interactive education projects to enable young people to emulate Matilda, sharing the extraordinary power of story-telling and the boundless creativity of their imaginations.”
Winner of 85 international awards including 16 for best musical, Matilda the Musical will open at Curve from 5 until 24 March 2018. It then goes to Dublin Bord Gais Energy Theatre (4 to 28 April), Sunderland Empire (8 May to 2 June), Milton Keynes Theatre (5 to 30 June), Birmingham Hippodrome (3 July to 8 September), Manchester Palace (18 September to 24 November) and Cardiff Wales Millennium Centre (4 December to 12 January 2019).