Matilda Script
Matilda Script
THE MUSICAL
                            An abridged schools
                                 version of
                   ROALD DAHL’S MATILDA THE
                           MUSICAL
           Book by Dennis Kelly. Music and Lyrics by Tim
                            Minchin.
The sheet music to accompany the songs included in this script is published
by Wise Publications (part of The Music Sales Group) and is available to
purchase from Musicroom (www.musicroom.com / 01284 725 725).
                                  www.matildathem
                                    usical.com
                                  www.timminchin.c
                                        om
                                   www.rsc.org.uk
                                  www.musicsales.c
                                        om
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                          CAST LIST
Matilda -           The cleverest, smartest young girl you will ever meet! She
(Candy/Helen)       loves to read books and has a powerful imagination. Matilda
                    uses her special powers to change her sad situation into a
                    happy ending.
Miss Honey -        Matilda’s teacher is a sweet, quiet person. She sees that
(Yuri)              Matilda has a special gift and want to help her. She becomes
                    the mother Matilda always wanted.
Miss Trunchbull -   The most horrible headmistress teacher you will ever meet!
                    She hates children and loves to punish them. (She was also
                    the Olympic Chinese hammer-throwing champion of 1969!
                                                                                          3
                     MATILDA THE MUSICAL
Mr phipps:          Most parents think their own children are miracles and the brainiest
                    or prettiest people, the bravest soldiers, the best ballerinas, the most
                    special people on earth, don’t they?
Well, there was one family where this was definitely not the case.
Nigel:              Mrs. Wormwood is nine months pregnant. She wants more than
                    anything to perform in the annual ‘Dancing with the Stars’ competition
                    televised in front of a live studio audience. She does NOT want
                    another baby.
Rudolpho:           Her husband, Mr. Wormwood, doesn’t much care, but if there is
                    going to be another baby, it has to be a boy. The doctor who is
                    delivering the beautiful new girl, Matilda, can’t believe these parents!
                                                                                               4
SCENE 2 -        WORMWOOD HOUSE (1)
Rudolpho:        Five years later Mr. Wormwood, on the phone at home, is running
                 his dodgy business dressing up old rusty cars as luxury limousines.
                 Suddenly Mrs. Wormwood screams from the next room (MRS
                 WORMWOOD SCREAMS). When her husband rushes in she shouts
                 that their five year old daughter is ‘doing it again!’
Mrs. Wormwood:   Five years old and she’s reading. Books, if you don’t mind.
                 That’s not normal - the child is clearly an idiot.
Mr. Wormwood:    Who do you think you are? You are off to school in a few days’
                 time and I know the headmistress, her name is Trunchbull. I’ve
                 told her all about you. Imagine what she’s going to do to a
                 horrible squeaky little goblin-boy like you!
                 Matilda thinks up a plan to get back at her parents. When her mother
                 leaves the bathroom, Matilda sneaks in and mixes her mother’s
                 platinum hair dye with her father’s Oil of Violets Hair Tonic.
                 (MATILDA SNEAKS IN AND POURS BOTTLE, SHAKES IT AND
                 RUNS OUT BACK TO CROUCHED POSITION. MR WORMWOOD
                 ENTERS AND APPLIES BOTTLE’S CONTENTS)
                 Shortly afterward her father applies this lotion to the hair he’s so
                 proud of (MR WORMWOOD EXITS).
Matilda:         … just because you’re small doesn’t mean you have to put up            5
                 with injustice.
Mr. Wormwood:         (RUNNING BACK TO POSITION WITH GREEN WIG AND LOOKING
                     IN A MIRROR): My hair is green!
Mrs.Wormwood: What on earth did you do that for? Why do you want green hair?
** SONG: NAUGHTY **
Doctor&Rudolpho: Matilda, as you might imagine, loves to go to the library. Here she is,
                 sitting on the floor, looking through some books. Mr. Phipps, the
                 librarian, greets her happily and asks her to tell his a story
                 (remember, Matilda has a strong imagination).
Doctor: It’s the first day of school. The New Kids skip up to the gates, full of
                                                                                                6
                 hope and confidence. Just as they reach the main gate the Big
                 Kids rush out, terrifying them.
                 (FIERCELY)
                 WHAT. IS. THE SCHOOL.
                      MOTTO.
Mr Phipps:       The New Kids are in class. Miss Honey, gentle, kind and loving
                 Miss Honey, is their teacher. She starts with the two times tables
Miss Honey:      My name is Miss Honey. And today is a very special day:
                 your first day at school. Now, do any of you know any of
                 your two times tables? Wonderful! Matilda, isn’t it? Please
                 stand and do as much as you can…
Matilda: One times two is two, two times two is four, seven times two
Miss Honey:      Now this is much harder, so don’t worry if you don’t get it,
                 but two times four hundred and eighty seven . . .
Bruce: Miss Honey realizes that Matilda is a special child, a gifted child who
                                                                                           7
                 should go up into an older class. She stands trembling outside the
                 Headmistress’s office door. Several times she tries to knock but her
                 courage fails her. Finally she gives a timid knock and goes in.
Trunchbull: Well don’t stand there like a wet tissue. Get on with it.
Miss Honey:      Well, yes, there’s in, in, in my class there is a little girl called
                 Matilda Wormwood and, Miss Trunchbull, Matilda is a genius
                 and should be placed in the top form with the eleven year
                 olds…
Mrs. Wormwood:   She’s got no respect, that one. It’s all books
and
                 stories.
Mr. Wormwood: Here’s what I think of your book! (He rips it up.)
Bruce:           Mr. Wormwood goes into the hall, smashes his hat down on his head.
                 After a number of failed attempts to prize the hat off
Mr. Wormwood: A man with a jaunty hat will always get respect.
Nigle:           Meantime, Miss Honey, determined to do her best for Matilda, visits
                 her parents. Mrs.Wormwood is at home practising her dancing with
                 her rather greasy partner, Rudolpho. Rudolpho and Mrs. Wormwood
                 explain to Miss Honey why it’s stupid to be clever.
Miss Honey:      It’s Miss Honey. Well, Matilda is in the bottom class and children
                 in the bottom class aren’t expected to read –
Mrs. Wormwood: Well stop her reading then. Lord knows we’ve tried!
Rudolpho: I’m in the zone, lady! I can feel it in my hips. Don’t waste this.
Mrs. Wormwood:   I’m not in favour of girls getting all clever pants, Miss Funny. A
                 girl should think about make-up and hair dye. Looks are more
                 important than books. Now, look at you, look at me. You chose
                 books, I choose looks.
                                                                                         9
SCENE 10 -        LIBRARY/CIRCUS (2)
(Helen)
Trunchbull:       I say that criminals like you are not full until you have eaten the
                  entire cake!
Trunchbull: EAT!
                                                                                        10
** SONG: BRUCE **
Trunchbull:         Oh did I not mention? That was the first part of your
                    punishment. And the second part is . . . chokey!
Nigel:              In the library Mr Phipps waits anxiously for the end of Matilda’s
                    story.
Matilda:            The poor, pregnant acrobat hugged her husband and comforted
(Helen)             him before they performed the most dangerous act of all time.
                    The crowd held their breath as she flew over the sharks.
                    The circus performer reached out one huge, muscled arm to
                    catch his wife and . . .
Matilda:            The circus performer reached out his hand, as he had done
                    many times before. But, this time he missed . . . and she fell.
(Helen)             She broke every bone in her body, but lived long enough to
                    have their child. And then she died a few hours later.
Mrs. Wormwood: Fantastico! Now I’ll be able to afford Rudolpho all day long!
Matilda:          But you’ve cheated them! That’s not fair at all; they trusted you
                  and you’ve cheated them!
Mr. Wormwood:     Tomorrow I'm gonna go down to that library and tell that old bag
                  you’re never to be let in again!
Nigel&Rudolpho:   To comfort herself Matilda continues her story. She tells how the
                  acrobat’s wicked sister has thrown the little girl, now as old as Matilda,
                  into a dark cellar and locked the door. The little girl is scared; she
                  huddles in a corner and cries. Suddenly there’s a banging on the door
                  and the Circus Performer, bursts in. He puts his arms around the little
                  girl. And then makes a promise to his daughter:
Matilda:          The circus performer says; “What has she done to you my
 Helen            child? She is a demon, a monster! If bullying children is her
                  game, then let us see what she does when I stand before her!”
But that was the last the little girl ever saw of her father.
                                                                                           12
Trunchbull:        (TO MATILDA): I shall crush you! I shall pound you, I shall
                   dissect you. I shall feed you to the termites and then I shall
                   smash . . .
Bruce&Mr phipps:   Miss Honey invites Matilda to her very simple home, she does not
                   have any luxuries in her life. They have tea together and Miss Honey
                   tells Matilda her story - which will remind you of another one you’ve
                   heard:
Miss Honey:        Well, yes. My mother gave it to my father before she died. She
                   was -
Matilda: An acrobat.
Nigel: And the very same Miss Trunchbull is on the attack again,
                                                                                       13
                 threatening to punish children in the chokey. But this time the
                 children are fighting back.
Trunchbull: What are you doing? What’s going on? Stop this!
Trunchbull: I will punish you! I’ll put you all in chokey! Every one of you!
Nigel:           The chalk! Look, the chalk, it’s moving! It’s writing something!
                 (Reading) ‘Trunchbull, this is Magnus! Give my daughter Miss
                 Honey, her house back. And then leave. Or I will kill you like you
                 killed me!
Everyone
together:        RUN!!!
SCENE 18 - ENDING
Bruce&Doctor:    At long last and after a great deal of trouble, justice triumphs and we
                 have a happy ending to this story. The Police found out that Mr
                 Wormwood was trying to fool them, and so Mr and Mrs Wormwood
                 are forced to leave town. Miss Honey is now wealthy; as she has
                 the money back she was forced to give to Trunchbull and is living in a
                 big house. She has a special request to ask Mr and Mrs
                 Wormwood:
Miss Honey:      Let Matilda stay here with me! I would look after her with love
                 and respect and care and I’d pay for everything. Would you
                 like that, Matilda?
- THE END
                                                                                      14
Matilda
Song Lyrics
              15
Naughty Lyrics
Verse 1
Jack and Jill, went up the hill      Chorus
To fetch a pail of water, so they    Just because you find that life's
say                                  not fair it
Their subsequent fall was            Doesn't mean that you just have
inevitable                           to grin and bear it
They never stood a chance, they      If you always take it on the chin
were written that way                and wear it
Innocent victims of their story      Nothing will change.
                                     Even if you're little, you can do a
Verse 2                              lot, you
Like Romeo and Juliet                Mustn't let a little thing like, 'little'
T'was written in the stars before    stop you
they even met                        If you sit around and let them get
That love and fate, and a touch      on top,
of stupidity                         you might as well be saying
Would rob them of their hope of      You think that it's okay
living happily                       And that's not right!
The endings are often a little bit
gory                                 Outro
I wonder why they didn't just        But nobody else is gonna put it
change their story?                  right for me
                                     nobody but me is gonna change
Pre-Chorus                           my story
We're told we have to do what        sometimes you have to be a little
we're told but surely                bit naughty.
Sometimes you have to be a little
bit naughty.
                                                                     16
School Song Lyrics
                                     Back before my life had ended
VARIOUS YOUNG STUDENTS               (N-ded)
(scared)                             Before my happy days were over
- My Mummy says I'm a miracle!       (O-ver)
- My Daddy says I'm his special      Before I first heard the pealing of
little girl!                         the bell (P-ling)
- I am a Princess                    Like you I was curious (Q-rious)
 - And I am a Star                   So innocent I asked a thousand
- Mum says I'm an angel              questions (R-sked)
- Mum says I'm an angel              But unless you want to suffer
- Mum says I'm an angel              listen up (unl-S)
                                     And I will teach you, a thing or
OLDER STUDENTS                       two (T-ch)
So you think you're able (A-ble)     You listen here, my dear (U)
To survive this mess by being a      You'll be punished so severely
Prince or a Princess (B-ing)         (se-Vre-ly)
You will soon see (C)                If you step out of line, and if you
There's no escaping tragedy          cry,
(trage-D)                            it will be double, you should stay
And even (E-ven)                     out of trouble (W)
If you put in heaps of effort        And remember to be eX-treme-ly
(F-ort)                              care-ful
You're just wasting energy
(ener-G)                             YOUNG STUDENT
'Cause your life as you know it is   Why? Why? (Y)
ancient history (H-ent)
I, have suffered in this jail        OLDER STUDENT
(I and J-l)                          Why? Did you hear what he
I've been trapped inside this        said?
cage for ages (K-ge)
This living 'ell (L)                 OLDER STUDENTS
But if I try I can remember (rem-    Just you wait for Phys-ed (Phy-
M-ber)                               Z)                          17
YOUNG STUDENTS
What's Phys-ed?
OLDER STUDENTS
Physical Education!
ALL
A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H,I,J,K,L,M,N,O,
P,Q,R,S,T,U,V,W,X
Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y
                                 18
Bruce Lyrics
TRUNCHBULL             Chorus
Eat.                   (KIDS GROUP 1)         Verse 2
                       He can't!              I think in effect
KID                                           This must confirm,
He surely can't!       (KIDS GROUP 2)         Bruce,
                       He can! Bruce!         What we all
TRUNCHBULL                                    suspected -
Eat.                   (KIDS GROUP 1)         You have a worm,
                       He surely can't!       Bruce,
THREE KIDS                                    Or maybe your
He surely can’t!       (KIDS GROUP 2)         largeness
                       He surely can!         Is a bit like a
TRUNCHBULL                                    TARDIS,
Eat.                   (TOGETHER)             Considerably
                       You are the man,       roomier inside.
KID                    Bruce!
He might explode!                             Chorus
                       (KIDS GROUP 1)         (KIDS GROUP 1)
TRUNCHBULL             He might explode!      He can't!
E-E-E-AT!
                       (KIDS GROUP 2)         (KIDS GROUP 2)
Verse 1                He's quite elastic.    He can! Bruce!
A single slice
Or even two, Bruce,    (KIDS GROUP 1)         (KIDS GROUP 1)
Might've been nice     He's going to blow!    He surely can't!
But even you,          Make him stop!
Bruce,                                        (KIDS GROUP 2)
Have to admit          (KIDS GROUP 2)         He surely can!
Between you and it     He's fantastic! Look
There's not a lot of   at him go!             (KIDS GROUP 1)
difference in size.                           You are the man,
                       (KIDS GROUP 2)         Bruce!
                       I can't watch!                       19
(KIDS GROUP 2)
B-R-O-                   You'll never again
(KIDS GROUP1)            be subject to abuse
        O-C-E            For your immense
(TOGETHER)               caboose.
Bruce!                   She'll call a truce,
                         Bruce.
Verse 3                  Just one more bite
The time has come        and you'll have
to put that tumbly       Completely cooked
tum to use,              her goose.
No excuse, Bruce,        We never thought it
Let out your belt, I     was possible
think you'll want        But here it is coming
your trousers loose.     true:
                         We can have our
O-o-h, stuff it in!      cake and eat it...
You're almost            (TOGETHER)
finished!                ahh ahh ahh ahh...
You'll fit it in!
Whatever you do,         HONEY
just don't give in!      Go on, Brucey!
Don't let her win!
Come on Bruce, be
our hero,
Cover yourself in
choc - l-a-ate glor-r-
y!
MATILDA
Go on, Bruce. Do it!
KIDS
O-O-O-O-h Bruce!                                 20
Revolting Children Lyrics
Chorus                                       TOGETHER
We are revolting children                    R-E-V-O-L-T-I-N
Living in revolting times
We sing revolting songs                      KID 7
Using revolting rhymes.                      Come on!
We'll be revolting children,
'Til our revolting's done,                   TOGETHER
And we’ll have the trunchbull bolting        We’ll S-I-N-G
We’re revolting!                             U-S-I-N-G...
(repeat)                                     We'll be R-E-V-O-L-T-I-N-G.
                                             It is 2-L-8-4-U.
KID 1                                        We are revolting!
We will become a screaming horde!
                                             Chorus (Key Change)
KID 2                                        We are revolting children
Take out your hockey stick and use it as a   Living in revolting times
sword!                                       We sing revolting songs
                                             Using revolting rhymes.
KID 3                                        We'll be revolting children,
Never again will we be ignored!              'Til our revolting's done
                                             It's 2-L-8-4-U *
KID 4                                        We are revolting children
We’ll find out where the chalk is stored!    Living in revolting times
                                             We sing revolting songs
KID 5                                        Using revolting rhymes.
And draw rude pictures on the board          We'll be revolting children,
                                             'Til our revolting's done,
KID 6                                        It's 2-L-8-4-U
It’s not insulting!                          We are revolting!
TOGETHER
We’re revolting!
Verse 1
We can S-P-L how we like!
If enough of us are wrong,
Wrong is right!                                                     *too late for you 21
Every word N-O-R-T-Y...