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ROALD DAHL’S
MATILDA THE MUSICAL
Based on the book by Roald Dahl
Written by Dennis Kelly | Music and Lyrics by Tim Minchin

STUDY GUIDE
Created by Morgan Gregory

Table of Contents
The Musical ..................................................................................................................................3
The Artists ....................................................................................................................................3
Activity: The Roald Dahl Website! ................................................................................................4
Synopsis .......................................................................................................................................5
Character List ................................................................................................................................5
Songs ...........................................................................................................................................6
Set Design: Matilda’s World ............................................................................................................6
Glossary: definitions & activities......................................................................................................8
Activity: Knowing the Hammer Throw ..........................................................................................9
Word Play - Dickensian Names & Fun with Languages (Latin & Russian) .........................................10
Activity: Dickensian Games! ...................................................................................................10
Fun with (and celebration of) Languages (Latin, Russian, and more!) .............................................11
Activity: Fun with Latin!.........................................................................................................11
Activity: Fun with Russian! .....................................................................................................12
Activity: Fun with Languages!.................................................................................................12
More Than Just BIG songs, BIG burps, and BIG hugs: The BIG Features of Roald Dahl’s Matilda the
Musical ......................................................................................................................................12
BIG Drama & Making Decisions Like a Director: ...........................................................................12
BIG Subjects - Satire .................................................................................................................14
BIG subjects - Books & Stories ...................................................................................................15
Works Cited ................................................................................................................................17
Study Guide Creator Bio ...............................................................................................................17
Theatre Etiquette at Royal MTC ....................................................................................................18

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The Musical

According to Tim Minchin’s website, Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical “opened in Stratford-Upon-Avon
in 2010. . . [and] has gone on to become one of the most critically and popularly successful musicals of
the last 20 years, winning more than 85 international awards, 16 for Best Musical, including a record
seven Olivier Awards and five Tony Awards. It continues to run in the West End, [in London, England]
had a long and successful Broadway run between April 2013 and January 2017, played for six months in
Toronto, Canada, and is currently touring the US for the second time.”

This tri-production between Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre, Citadel Theatre, and Arts Club Theatre
Company will be the Western Canadian Premiere of Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical.

The Artists
Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical is an artistic production that combines the contributions of three
artists:

Roald Dahl, novelist

Dennis Kelly, playwright
Tim Minchin, composer and lyricist

Roald Dahl (1916 - 1990), the author of the novel Matilda, is the author
of many, many works, including such well-known classics as Charlie and
the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach, and The Witches. The
Roald Dahl Story Company Ltd website <www.roalddahl.com> includes a
comment on the story of Matilda:

Matilda won the Children's Book Award shortly after it was published in
1988, and it has continued to delight audiences ever since . . . In 1996 a
film version of Matilda was released [and] the film went on to become a
cult classic. In 2010, The Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of
Matilda the Musical, written by Dennis Kelly and with music and lyrics by
Tim Minchin, opened in Stratford-upon-Avon, UK, to great critical
Author, Roald Dahl
Source acclaim.

The Roald Dahl Story Company Ltd. website <https://www.roalddahl.com/home/teachers> is a

wonderful resource for teachers or for anyone interested in Roald Dahl’s work. The website contains
lesson plans for the novel, not the musical, but many of the activities can easily be adapted. For
example, the “Miss Trunchbull” lesson asks that students imagine a particular situation when Miss
Trunchbull is inspecting a line-up of students. The students, in groups, create and act out such a scene.

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Interestingly, the lesson suggests that students write what each of Miss Trunchbull’s students would say
if speaking their inner thoughts aloud during freeze-frame.

Activity: The Roald Dahl Website!

Have students do the activity listed above before viewing Royal MTC’s production.
Then after viewing, have students discuss their scenes compared to similar scenes in
Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical, especially in relation to how the musical itself
employs these or similar techniques.

Dennis Kelly (born 1970) - Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical was the
first musical Kelly wrote. According to Playwrights Encyclopedia, he
“left school at the age of 16 before going into many alternate jobs. He
then attended Goldsmiths College on the degree of Drama and Theatre
Arts . . . Kelly admittedly likes to write about topical themes of what is
happening at the time.” In an interview focusing on the Matilda
musical, Kelly said “Dahl wrote books – and he was brilliant at it – but
he didn't write Matilda as a play. If he had, he wouldn't have done it
like that, it's a totally different structure. So one of the big jobs for me
was teasing the story into a different shape. Because if you're too
respectful, then you end up just doing exactly the same as Dahl did,
and things which work brilliantly in the book just wouldn't feel right on Playwright, Dennis Kelly
stage' (Apter). Source

ACTIVITY ALERT! See the “More than Just BIG songs, BIG burps, and BIG hugs: the BIG
features of Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical” section of this Study Guide for an activity
related to Kelly’s comments about adapting the novel into a musical.

Tim Minchin (born 1975) is award winning comedian and a musician, but he
was not a musical theatre composer before working on Roald Dahl’s Matilda
the Musical. On his own website, <www.timminchin.com> his biography
indicates that “he is an Australian born composer/lyricist, musician,
comedian, actor, writer and director . . . He attended Christ Church Grammar
School, the University of Western Australia (Bachelor of Arts) and The WA
Academy of Performing Arts (Advanced Diploma of Contemporary Music).” In
an interview with Now Magazine out of Toronto, Minchin said songs in
musicals “are soliloquies.”
Composer & Lyricist,
Tim Minchin
Source

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 ACTIVITY ALERT! See the “More than Just BIG songs, BIG burps, and BIG hugs: the BIG
features of Matilda the Musical” section of this Study Guide for an activity related to
theatrical techniques such as asides, soliloquies and monologues.

Synopsis
Matilda’s parents don’t understand her. They mock her decision to read when she could be watching
television. Her mom is an amateur ballroom dancer. Her dad is too busy cheating his clients to pay
Matilda much attention. But Matilda loves to learn so she finds sanctuary in the library where she
befriends Mrs. Phelps. The kindly librarian is mesmerized by the young girl’s stories. Matilda also shines
at school despite being terrorized by Miss Trunchbull. Fortunately, Miss Honey recognizes her genius
and nurtures Matilda’s ability to lift up those around her.

Character List

Matilda Wormwood protagonist; about the age to start school

Mrs Wormwood Matilda’s mother
Mr Wormwood Matilda’s father
Michael Matilda’s brother
Doctor
Mrs Phelps Librarian
Jenny Honey Teacher
Agatha Trunchbull Head of the School
Lavender Matilda’s friend
Nigel
Bruce
Amanda Thripp
Hortensia Small kids
Eric
Tommy
Alice
Big kid
Snark kid
Sergei a Russian with mafia associations
Rudolpho a Dancing instructor
Mechanic
Various Big kids, various Mums & Dads (singers), a few Russians

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Songs
In order of performance

Act I Intermission
1. “Miracle” 10. “All I Know”
2. “Naughty”
3. “School Song” Act II
4. “Pathetic” 11. “When I Grow Up”
5. “The Hammer” 12. “I’m Here”
6. “Chokey Chant” 13. “The Smell of Rebellion”
7. “Loud” 14. “Quiet”
8. “This Little Girl” 15. “Revolting Children”
9. “Bruce”

Set Design: Matilda’s World

Royal MTC’s production of Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical is designed by international scenic and
production designer, Cory Sincennes. With multiple settings and characters, the design for the
production is complex with many moving parts. To say this is a BIG show is an understatement!

The passage below will give you a sense of how many locations are represented on stage:

The musical opens with Matilda’s birth, then quickly transitions to show the nature of her home
life, followed by a visit to the library. After this, we follow Matilda to school to meet the Big kids,
her teacher Miss Honey and the terrible Agatha Trunchbull. The action moves among the
Wormwood home, the school and the library, with a few other minor settings. Act I comes to a
grand close with a scene in Miss Honey’s classroom about a stolen piece of cake, with Matilda
yelling “That’s not right!” as the curtain falls. A visit from Mr. Wormwood may be included
during the Intermission.

Act Two begins with Lavender speaking directly to the audience, revealing information about
what is about to happen concerning a water jug and a newt. The action intensifies in Act Two,
with little division between settings and scenes as conflict and tension increase. The audience is
taken to a cottage in the forest, the library, Miss Honey’s school room, and watches the
students engage in an intense gym class. The crescendo of the action is a diabolical spelling test,
followed by the final scene, fittingly, in the library.

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Set Design by Cory Sincennes
Glossary: definitions & activities
The GLOSSARY has two parts.
1. The first part gives definitions for words used in the production that may be unfamiliar to some
viewers.
2. The second part focuses on having fun with words in a few specific ways.
Glossary – Part 1
Definitions are selected from the Shorter Oxford
English Dictionary. Any additional comments are
enclosed in brackets.
Anarchy - absence or non-recognition of
authority in any sphere; a state of disorder;
chaos
Britches - another words for breeches, or pants.
Calculus - a particular method or system of
calculation or reasoning [and a type of
Mathematics that most people find very
difficult to understand].
Coup - short form of coup d’etat, which means
a violent or illegal change in government or
rule.
Cynical - distrustful or incredulous of human
goodness and sincerity; skeptical and mocking.
Denizens of the underworld - denizens means a
person who lives in a place, [so denizens of the
underworld suggests people or creatures who
live in a land of the dead, or a lower society].
De-rigueur - required by custom or etiquette
(French)
Dissent - opposition to a resolution or rule
Empirical - based on, guided by, or employing
observation and experiment rather than theory;
used because it works; verified by experience.
Eye of the storm - [in a cyclone or strong,
swirling wind storm, there is often a centre
wherein the winds are strangely calm. The
saying eye of the storm can mean a moment of
calm when surrounded by chaos, or it can mean
being put in the centre, the worst part of a
storm or of chaos]
Hammer Throw - according to the
Encyclopaedia Britannica, the Hammer Throw
has a history over 4000 old, and has been an
Olympic sport since 1900. The description
reads, “In the modern hammer throw
technique, a thrower makes three full, quick
turns of the body before flinging the weight.
Strength, balance, and proper timing are
essential. The throw is a failure if the athlete
steps on or outside the circle, or if the hammer
lands outside a 40° sector marked on the field
from the centre of the circle.” (Encyclopaedia
Britannica Inc, 2018).
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 Activity: Knowing the Hammer Throw
In order to fully enjoy Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical, it is important to be familiar
with the sport of the Hammer Throw. One of the main characters makes many
references to the Hammer Throw, and even enacts a kind of Hammer Throw on stage!
Search the internet for video footage of the Hammer Throw. There will be many
options, but you may want to focus on footage from actual competitions, like the
Olympic Games. Practice the skill of analysis by paying attention to as much detail as
you can (e.g. How does the athlete prepare? How many times does the thrower spin
before throwing? What is the “hammer” that is thrown? How far does the hammer fly
in the air? Do the athletes share similarities in body type or size? etc.). When you
return from seeing the Royal MTC production, discuss how knowing about the
Hammer Throw helped you to understand the play or to engage with it better.

Headmistress - a female leader of a school or
college; [sometimes called “the Head”; like a
principal]. Other versions: headmaster, head.
Insubordination - defiance of authority;
rebelliousness
Knickers - underwear.
Mafia - an organized secret society of criminals;
any group regarded as exerting a secret and
often sinister influence. [Popular culture in
North America sometimes promotes the idea
that the Russian mafia was more sinister than
other mafia groups].
Miracle - a marvelous event not ascribable to
human or natural agency; a person or thing of
more than natural excellence.
Moral Fibre - being strong in morals; having a
strong sense of what is right and wrong.
Odoriferousness - a derivative of odoriferous,
sometimes contracted to odiferous, and
meaning having or emitting a pleasant or
unpleasant scent or odour.
Olfactory - of or pertaining to the sense of smell
Prepubescent - prior to puberty
Suppurating - leaking pus, or discharging pus; as
from a sore or tumour.
Tardis - an object or building that is larger on
the inside than it appears from the outside.
Treacle - a type of syrup.

Varrucas - also spelled verrucae; a type of wart.

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Glossary – Part 2
Word Play - Dickensian Names & Fun with Languages (Latin & Russian)

Dickensian Names

Though many authors, Shakespeare included, used such names long before Charles Dickens did, it is
Dickens who has become associated with this technique of creating a name that relates to a character’s
qualities or type. Some famous examples from Dickens are Mr. Choakumchild, who hates children, or
Lady Dedlock, who is stuck in a terrible situation, a “deadlock.” This technique is often associated with
Dickens as there is no better inventor of names in any sense. Here are a few Dickensian names from
Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical:

Mr. and Mrs. Wormwood - a plant with a very
bitter taste; something that causes bitterness or
grief.
Bruce Bogtrotter - the word comes from two
words, bog and trotter. The word bog can mean
an area of wet, spongy ground too soft to
support any heavy body, and it can refer to a
privy or bathroom. Trotter means an animal or
person who trots, though trots can also be a
verb that means to make a person ridiculous.
Amanda Thripp - the word thrip refers to a
small bit of something, or a very thin insect.
Miss Jenny Honey - a sweet fluid, often with a
yellow or gold colour; a term of endearment; a
good specimen of its kind; sweetness, beauty,
eloquence.
Miss Agatha Trunchbull - trunch means “short
and thick,” form the word truncheon that is the
word or a short fragment of a stick or club, or
just a short stick or club. It can also mean “a
short, thick-bodied intestinal worm” and “a
staff carried as symbol of authority.” The word
bull has many meanings…

Activity: Dickensian Games!

Before viewing Royal MTC’s production of the play, discuss what might be suggested
about the characters with these names. In particular, use a dictionary to look up the
word bull (which has more than ten possible meanings in most good dictionaries), so
you can have a discussion about what might be suggested in naming a character
Trunchbull. Once you have done your research and had your discussions, enjoy the
Royal MTC production! After viewing the play, write an explanation of why one of the
names above is perfect for that character. Share these with your classmates.
Extension! You may even want to make up Dickensian names for yourself, or for people
you know (just be careful that your names remain in the spirit of fun!).

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Fun with (and celebration of) Languages (Latin, Russian, and more!)

There are a few Latin or Latin-like phrases in the script. Some of the words are actually Latin and others
are made-up to only sound like it.

- Actual Latin words:

- Est - it is
- Circulum - circle; ring
- Deus - god
- Gloria - glory

- Made-up Latin words:

- Bambinatum - supposed to mean “children,” as if to sound like a Latin form of “baby” or
“babies”
- maggitum - supposed to mean “maggots.”

Activity: Fun with Latin!

Latin is a “dead” language, which means that no one speaks it in daily life anymore.
But Latin is a language that has been very important to academic study and
scholarship for hundreds of years, and people still study it today (a Winnipeg High
School even offers Latin courses!). It can be great fun to play around with languages,
breaking rules - as some of the children like to do in Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical.
Do some research into Latin and then create some phrases that are real, some that
are made-up, and some that have both real and made-up words in them. Then share
these phrases with each other, trying to guess what they mean, as well as which ones
are real and which ones are made-up.

The Russian language uses what is called the Cyrillic alphabet, whereas English uses what is known as
the Roman alphabet. One change from the novel to the script is the inclusion of the Russians. When the
Russians appear, they (and one other precocious character!) speak some lines meant to sound like
Russian. The script uses the Roman alphabet to indicate what the words the characters say should sound
like, but it does not use the Cyrillic alphabet, meaning it is not actually written as the Russian language
would appear.

For example, one character has the line: “Stotee dilayesh?” The actual phrase using the Cyrillic
alphabet would be “что вы делаете?” which translates into English, written in parentheses in
the script, as “what are you doing?”

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 Activity: Fun with Russian!
Consider how a director could handle the scene with characters speaking in Russian.
Even if a few audience members speak Russian, it may not sound like actual Russian
since the actors may not speak Russian and since the lines are not actually written in
Russian. And most of the audience members at the Royal MTC do not speak Russian.
Come up with THREE ways a director could communicate the English translation of
what is said. Be sure that your ideas do not disrupt the action of the play. After
viewing, compare your ideas with what the director did in the Royal MTC production.

Activity: Fun with Languages!

In many classrooms and schools in Manitoba and perhaps in all classrooms and
schools, there are people who speak and write more than just the English language.
Find out how many different languages are known by members of your class or your
school. Once you know, get the assistance of those who know the language so that
you can write a short dialogue like the authors of the script did. You could use

1. The original, using the original language’s alphabet if it is different from the
Roman alphabet.
2. The original, using the Roman alphabet.
3. The English translation.

Then use one of the ideas you had for FUN WITH RUSSIAN and turn your dialogue
into a scene which will be presented to your class.

More Than Just BIG songs, BIG burps, and BIG hugs: The
BIG Features of Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical

BIG Drama & Making Decisions Like a Director:

Monologues, asides, soliloquies & “breaking the fourth wall”

There are several techniques in theatre that allow the audience to know what a character is thinking,
which is often different from what is said aloud or not said at all. These devices include monologues,
asides, and soliloquies. Sometimes these dramatic devices are also used in “breaking the fourth wall.”

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Making clear distinctions between these techniques is sometimes difficult and less important than
understanding the overall concept, being able to identify that one of them is at work, and then
considering their use and impact in the play. Generally, a monologue is a speech that a character
delivers to another character or to an absent or general audience. In an aside, a character speaks aloud
only to the audience, not the other characters on stage. In a soliloquy, what is said is meant to be the
inner thoughts of the character, as if pure, unedited thought is being overheard by the audience.
Interestingly, Tim Minchin has said that “songs are soliloquies.”

These techniques are often used to have the audience simply overhear a character thinking, speaking to
an absent character or idea, or plotting. Sometimes they can be used in a way that is called “breaking
the fourth wall,” which means a character actually speaks to or interacts with the audience. This breaks
through the illusion that what is happening on the stage is a fictional story totally separate from the
audience and normal or “real” life. In this way, artists may challenge what most people understand as a
“normal” distinction between what is real and what is not. Watch for Mrs. Phelps as she behaves in a
way that suggests she has forgotten there is any such distinction at all!

Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical uses these techniques in several ways:

- In the final scene of Act One, Bruce Bogtrotter speaks directly to the audience, revealing the
truth about something that happened, as well as clarifying what is happening on stage.

- At the beginning of Act Two, Lavender speaks directly to the audience not about herself or
about what she plans to do; she tells the audience what is about to happen! The stage
directions indicate that she is so excited she can’t help but tell the audience.

- Later in the musical, Matilda steps out of the action, which continues without her in slow-
motion, to sing the song “Quiet” to the audience.

- At one point, the stage directions indicate that even Trunchbull “turns to the audience” and
speaks directly to the audience.

- The script includes a monologue by Trunchbull that the character speaks in slow-motion while
Matilda is singing the song “Quiet.”

A few challenging bits of action in Matilda the Musical:

In addition to these techniques, there are a few moments in the musical that challenge a director’s
creativity:

- A character is spun around and thrown (like in the hammer toss) with the stage directions
stating that the character “sails off into the distance.” (Be sure to do the research on The

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 Hammer Toss in the Glossary section of this Study Guide so you can consider this moment
carefully).

- The script indicates that a character eats an entire, rather large, chocolate cake on stage.

ACTIVITY: THE CHALLENGES OF A DIRECTOR!

Imagine you are to direct Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical. How would you handle the
following moments: When a character speaks an aside or monologue; when a
character is thrown “into the distance;” when a character eats an entire cake on stage.
Divide these among a class, or select one, and plan out how you would direct your
choice. Remember that you must make sure the audience is not taken out of the
enjoyment of the play by noticing obvious or clumsy attempts to make things seem
real. But perhaps there are ways to allow the audience to notice and still enjoy the
story being told? After viewing the play, compare your plans with what the Royal MTC
production did, and discuss how effective you think the Royal MTC’s choices were.

BIG Subjects - Satire

The musical is great fun, is hilarious and touching, and it asks the audience to consider some important
questions and big ideas by making fun of present day society. This type of art is known as satire. The
Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms defines satire as “a mode of writing that exposes the failings of
individuals, institutions, or societies to ridicule and scorn.”

There are many aspects of present day society that Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical ridicules, such as
attitudes toward money, lies and lying, education, imagination, schooling, parenting, rules & exceptions,
power and authority, child-rearing, stories, etc. Any one of these would make for a rich focus of study.
Here is one to focus on:

Rules & Exceptions - the musical begins with a song called “Miracle,” which is about how
parents tend to think their children are exceptions or miracles compared to everyone else’s
children. Of course, if all parents think this then it is false. As the musical progresses, Matilda is
referred to by a teacher as “an exception to the rules,” as if this is a good thing. But then
another character sings a song containing the lines “Life’s a ball, so learn to throw it/ find the
bally line and tow it/ and always keep your feet inside the line,” suggesting the point is to stay
within the rules and not be an exception.

ACTIVITY: SATIRE!
Select a topic from the list above, “rules and exceptions” or otherwise, and as you
enjoy the musical, try to notice all that is said or done that relates to your choice.
After viewing the musical, consider whether what Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical is

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 suggesting is the usual attitude or way of thinking about the topic AND identify what
reveals it as silly or ridiculous. Satire is a sophisticated type of writing, so be sure to
give it your best!
Extension: Share your ideas with others; debate whether or not the musical’s
portrayal is fair or accurate; write your own short satire about an aspect of society
that you find ridiculous.

BIG subjects - Books & Stories

WARNING! This section is meant to challenge the mind and encourage Matilda-like learning and
thinking, which may or may not be appropriate for all ages. The challenges get more difficult as the
list continues.

ACTIVITY: EXPLORING ALLUSIONS!

An allusion is a reference in a literary work to another literary work (and sometimes to
an aspect of history or mythology). In Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical, there are many
references to other authors and works of literature:

- Charles Dickens: A Tale of Two Cities, Nicholas Nickleby, Oliver Twist

- Charlotte Bronte: Jane Eyre
- Thomas Hardy, Tess of the D’Urbervilles
- J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings
- Rudyard Kipling, Kim
- Ralph Ellison, The Invisible Man
- Dostoevsky, Crime and Punishment
- Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden
- Clive King, Stig of the Dump
- Romeo & Juliet, William Shakespeare
- Leo Tolstoy
- Mary Shelley
- James Joyce, Ulysses
- Jane Austen
- Ian McEwan
- Herman Melville, Moby Dick

Research one of the books that Matilda has read (note that she has read most of these
in one week!). Find out information about the author, about the book, and what it is
about. Also, make a guess as to how long it would take you to read this book, or even if
you would want to. What do your conclusions suggest about Matilda as a reader? Why
would Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical want to portray Matilda as such a reader?

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ACTIVITY: CONSIDERING COMEDY & TRAGEDY!
Literary scholar Jonathan Bate has written that “comedy is tragedy narrowly averted.”
In other words, if there is not the possibility of something terrible happening, the
comedy does not work. While watching the Royal MTC production, consider what
terrible things almost happen or are “narrowly averted.” Perhaps make a list of what
could have gone terribly wrong and then consider how the musical carefully turns
these almost-tragedies into something we all laugh about. Finally, consider why we
laugh at such narrow misses.

ACTIVITY: COMPARING NOVELS AND MUSICALS!

Dennis Kelly said in an interview that a musical has “a totally different structure. So
one of the big jobs for me was teasing the story into a different shape. Because if
you're too respectful, then you end up just doing exactly the same as Dahl did, and
things which work brilliantly in the book just wouldn't feel right on stage” (the full
quotation and source are in the “The Artists, the Plot, the Characters, the Songs”
section of this Study Guide). Read the novel Matilda AND watch the musical. Has Kelly
done a good job “teasing the story into a different shape” so that it “feels right on
stage?” Justify your answer with references to the novel and to the musical.

ACTIVITY: ANALYSING STORY!

Writers as diverse and talented as A.S. Byatt and Umberto Eco have written books
about how the structure of stories is fundamental to human life, and how we learn
how to live life by engaging with stories. This musical is about stories, about the
inevitable in life, and about how “time is the one thing no-one is master of” (Matilda
herself says this line). But the musical is also about how people can be “innocent
victims of their story” or “stuck in your story” and how we can all “change our story”
(Matilda says these lines too). As you watch the Royal MTC production, consider the
story of Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical, the smaller story Matilda tells within the
musical, and how each story is structured. Are there victims of each story? Are there
heroes? Is it as easy as saying “change your story?” Matilda changes her story; she
even has supernatural powers to help her in one scene, and as the author, she has
great control over the story she tells Mrs. Phelps. Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical
challenges the viewer to consider what we do and do not control in our lives, and
since it is clear we do not control everything, what is important to focus on if we want
to “change our story?”

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Works Cited
“About Tim.” Tim Minchin, NGW.Digital, 2018. https://www.timminchin.com/about/

Apter, Kelly. “Dennis Kelly on Matilda the Musical.” The List, 13 Mar. 2018.
https://www.list.co.uk/article/99620-dennis-kelly-on-matilda-the-musical-at-one-point-we-
even-toyed-with-the-idea-of-matilda-being-played-by-a-puppet/

Baldick, Chris. “satire.” Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms, Oxford, 2008.

Byatt, A.S. Ragnarok: The End of the Gods. Vintage Canada, 2012.

Eco, Umberto. On Literature. Harcourt, 2002.

Editors of the Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Hammer Throw.” Edited by Amy Tikkanen & Adam
Augustyn. Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2010.
https://www.britannica.com/sports/hammer-throw

“Matilda.” The Official Roald Dahl Website. The Roald Dahl Story Company Limited. 2018.
https://www.roalddahl.com/roald-dahl/stories/k-o/matilda

Oxford. Shorter Oxford English Dictionary, 2018. Vers. 10.0.12.159. Apple App Store.

Playwrights Encyclopaedia. Google Sites. https://sites.google.com/site/playwrightencyclopedia/Study

Guide Creator Bios

Study Guide Creator Bio

Morgan Gregory teaches English, I.B. English, and Theory of Knowledge at Kelvin High School. Though
originally intent on pursuing Mathematics and Actuarial studies, the ambiguities of Literature became
more interesting to him than the ambiguities of statistics, not all that strange according to Northrop
Frye who argues that imagination lies at the centre of each discipline. Outside of finding delight in
Mathematics, Literature and teaching, he enjoys getting behind the wheel to explore a well-known or an
unknown road.

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Theatre Etiquette at Royal MTC

Arrive Early: Latecomers may not be admitted to a performance. Please ensure you arrive with enough
time to find your seat before the performance starts.

Cell Phones and Other Electronic Devices: Please TURN OFF your cell phones/iPods/gaming
systems/cameras. We have seen an increase in texting, surfing, and gaming during performances, which
is very distracting for the performers and other audience members. The use of cameras and recording
devices is strictly prohibited.

Talking During the Performance: You can be heard (even when whispering!) by the actors onstage and
the audience around you. Disruptive patrons will be removed from the theatre. Please wait to share
your thoughts and opinions with others until after the performance.

Food/Drinks: Food and outside drinks are not allowed in the theatre. Where there is an intermission,
concessions may be open for purchase of snacks and drinks. There is complimentary water in the lobby.

Dress: There is no dress code at the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre, but we respectfully request that
patrons refrain from wearing hats in the theatre. We also strive to be a scent-free environment, and
thank all patrons for their cooperation.

Leaving During the Performance: If an audience member leaves the theatre during a performance, they
will be readmitted at the discretion of our Front of House staff. Should they be readmitted, they will not
be ushered back to their original seat, but placed in a vacant seat at the back of the auditorium.

Being Asked to Leave: The theatre staff has, and will exercise, the right to ask any member of the
audience to leave the performance if that person is being disruptive. Inappropriate and disruptive
behaviour includes, but is not limited to: talking, using electronic devices, cameras, laser pointers, or
other light- or sound-emitting devices, and deliberately interfering with an actor or the performance
(tripping, throwing items on or near the stage, etc.).

Talkbacks: All Tuesday evening performances, student matinees and final matinees at Royal MTC
feature a talkback with members of the cast following the show. While watching the performance, make
a mental note of questions to ask the actors. Questions can be about the story, the interpretation, life
in the theatre, etc.

Enjoy the show: Laugh, applaud, cheer and respond to the performance appropriately. Make sure to
thank all the artists for their hard work with applause during the curtain call.

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