How to cope with the long wait until Matilda opens
Published on Wednesday 25th May, 9.44am, Written by Jonathan Dudley
Matilda The Musical is finally coming to the West End, but previews aren’t even starting until October 18!
October is ever such a long time away, even longer if you’re a child or never really grew up properly. Remember how not so very long ago Christmases seemed a lifetime apart and waiting for a treat made you feel like time had turned to icky sticky treacle? Well that’s pretty much how time still works for me, and Matilda’s first preview is still126 days away!
No doubt I’m not the only one who’s counting down the days until they can get into the Cambridge Theatre to see Matilda. To keep you going, here are a few Matilda-themed things to do to keep you busy.
Read the book
It probably won’t fill all the time between now and Matilda’s first preview, but reading Matilda will make sure that the story is fresh in your mind when you see the musical. It’s not essential, the musical presents the story perfectly well without you having to do any background reading, but it’s a fun and easy read and it’ll whet your appetite for Dahl’s wackiness.
Watch the film
Nowhere near as good as the book or the musical, but the film has Matilda’s feel-good story at its core and features performances by Danny Devito and his lady wife, Rhea Perlman (neither play Matilda). Try your best to ignore the fact that the whole thing appears to be set in America and pretend that weird little subplot with the FBI agents (one of whom is played by Pee-wee Herman) never happens and it’s not a bad adaptation.
Visit YouTube
There are a few Matilda The Musical videos on YouTube, not many, but enough to keep your excitement levels good and high. Try to avoid the clips taken on mobiles from the back of the theatre: the quality’s dreadful and they’ll only spoil the show for you. There aren’t any full videos of the show’s songs, but there are enough snippets to allow you to at least get the impression that Tim Minchin did a ripping job.
Read reviews of the Stratford production
There are a fair few reviews out there on the internet tubes, I even wrote one myself. Since most of the adult cast will be reprising their roles, the reviews of the Stratford production are still somewhat relevant to the London one.
Book your ticket and hotel package
If you’re keen to see Matilda, it’s not too early to book your ticket and hotel package with us. Our Matilda The Musical ticket and hotel packages start from £110 per person and include top-quality tickets for the show and an overnight stay in one of our hand-picked city hotels.
Maybe once you’ve read the book, watched the film, watched all of YouTube’s best bits, read a few reviews and maybe even booked yourself a little theatre break, you’ll be able to explain why the show was Matilda, A Musical in Stratford and is known as Matilda The Musical in London. It’s a mystery, not a particularly exciting one, but a mystery nonetheless.
