the writers challenge (matilda the musical)

8/12/2019 The Writers Challenge (Matilda the Musical)

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The Writers Challenge


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Write Here, Write Now with Matilda: The Writers Challenge

Introduction

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The Writers ChallengeThis website will give you an insight into the creative challenges

faced by Dennis Kelly as writer and Tim Minchin as composer and

lyricist when adapting Roald Dahls novelMatildainto a musical.

The RSC is setting students a similar task, by asking them to createeither a scene or song or a scene with a song in it for a new character

who is introduced to us on the first day of term at Crunchem Hall. The

scene should contain no more than four speaking characters.

We have created a web page for each of the steps that we feel

are essential in creating a good scene or song, they are:

Create a believable Character

Plan a strongPlot including an Inspiration Gallery

DevelopMusic and Lyrics

Write the Dialogue

Rewritingwhat has been written and thenRehearsing it

To make the most of this resource, we suggest that you work

through these pages in this order with your students.

By watching the The Writers Challengefilms in class, your students will

have heard how Dennis and Tim started to createMatilda The Musical. They

talk about what was exciting for them and their concerns about adapting

such a well-known book for the stage. Dennis talks about how the script hadto be condensed, order changed, new characters created and songs added

whilst all the time they staying true to the essence of Roald Dahls novel.

Before students can start creating the characters and plots for their scripts

they will need to understand the different narratives ofMatildathe novel

andMatilda The Musical. For those students who know the story ofMatilda

and have read the book or (seen the film) you could start by showing and

playing with the plot structure application on the The Writers Challenge

page of the site. Students can see for themselves the changes that have

been made and then move onto trying out the exercises in this pack.

For students who dont know the story, we suggest you try out

some of these exercises first so students have a good understand

of the characters and plots in both the novel and musical.

These resources have been designed to work alongside the website

but can also act as stand-alone activities that can be adapted to other

forms of introducing stories and writing in your school curriculum.


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Introduction

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Before you start : knowing the story1. Meet the CharactersMaking the Characters Come Alive

Through this exercise students will very quickly meet and build up

physical images of the characters as described in the novel

2. Telling the StoriesMatilda in 20 minutes

These mini performance exercises will give students an understanding

of the two different plot structures of the novel and the musical


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Making The Characters Come AlivePurpose of the activity:Through basic drama exercises, students will start to understand

how different characters move, walk and talk. They will also

become aware of the three-dimensional quality of Dahls characters

and the level of detailed description used in his novel.

You will need: A hall or classroom with chairs and tables to one side

6 copies of the character descriptions (see next page),

cut up into individual character sections

How it works:Ask students to walk around the room, walking into and filling any spaces

that appear. Explain that as they are walking you will call out different

parts of the body (nose, head, tummy, feet etc) and when you do, theywill have to lead with that part of their body. If they are walking with

their head leading them, how does it make them move quickly? Is their

body jerky or smooth? Are they leaning forward? How do their eyes

move? Ask what type of person might move like this are they nervous?

Confident? Friendly? Suspicious? What do they do for a living?

Ask students to think of a short line of a nursery rhyme that they know and

repeat the line out loud as they continue to move in a voice that their character

might use. Is it a high voice? Or deep? Do they speak fast? Slow? etc.

Repeat for each body part you call out so students haveexperienced creating and walking as different characters.

Now ask students to find a space on their own in the room and listen as you

read a description for a character fromMatilda. As they are listening, ask

students to move their bodies so they physically start to become that character,

thinking about how that character walks, which body part they will lead

with and so on. As this character, ask students to start moving around the

room. At any time you can call out freeze, walk up to an individual and ask

them to tell you what they are thinking or what theyre wearing, and so on.

Split students into groups of five and give each group a description of one ofthe characters from the character sheet below. They have four minutes to make

a still image of this character using all the members of the group and adding

in their spoken line of dialogue which can be said together or as individuals.


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RSC Roald Dahl Nominee Limited, 198

Character SheetTaken from Matilda by Roald Dahl [pub. Puffin 2001]

Matilda You mustnt let a little thing like little stop youExtra-ordinary, sensitive and brilliant her mind was so nimble and she

was so quick to learn. By the time she was three, she had taught herself to

read by studying newspapers and magazines that lay around the house.

Mr Wormwood If you knew the deal Impulling off at work, youd soon see cleverA small ratty-looking man whose front teeth stuck out underneath a thin

ratty moustache. He liked to wear jackets with large brightly coloured

checks and he sported ties that were usually yellow or pale green. Gormless

and wrapped up in his own silly little life; he is a dealer in second-hand cars

who does pretty well at it although he has some very dishonest tactics.

Mrs Wormwood Looks is more important than booksA large woman whose hair was dyed platinum blonde except where you

could see the mousy-brown bits growing out from the roots. She wore heavy

make-up and she had one of those unfortunate bulging figures where the flesh

appears to be strapped in all around the body to prevent it from falling out.

She is glued to the TV screen most of the time which leaves her so exhausted

both physically and emotionally that she never has enough energy to cook an

evening meal so she usually gave her family TV dinners or fish and chips.

Miss Honey Bad times dont last foreverNot more than twenty-three or twenty-four. She had a lovely pale oval

Madonna face with blue eyes and her hair was light-brown. Her body was

so slim and fragile one got the feeling that if she fell over she would smash

into a thousand pieces, like a porcelain figure. A mild and quiet person who

never raised her voice and was seldom seen to smile, but there is no doubt she

possessed that rare gift for being adored by every small child under her care.

Some curious warmth that was almost tangible shone out of Miss Honeys

face when she spoke to a confused and homesick newcomer to the class.

Miss Trunchbull Children are maggots!A formidable middle-aged lady. A gigantic holy terror, a fierce tyrannical

monster who frightened the life out of pupils and teachers alike. She

had an obstinate chin, a cruel mouth and small arrogant eyes. When

she marched Miss Trunchbull never walked, she always marched

like a storm-trooper with long strides and arms aswinging when she

marched along a corridor you could actually hear her snorting as she

went. She had once been a famous athlete, and even now the muscles

were still clearly in evidence. There was an aura of menace about her

even at a distance, and when she came up close you could almost feel the

dangerous heat radiating from her as from a red-hot rod of metal.


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Telling the StoriesThere are three 20 minutes versions of the Matildastory in this pack.

One for the novel and two for the musical. The shorter musical version

can be used quickly in class while the longer one can be developed

with your group if you want to perform it in front of other students.

Purpose of the activity:Creating a condensed version of any text is a quick and memorable way for

students to get to know the plot. By performing the contrasting versions of the

novel and musical, students will be able understand clearly the different plot

structures, where the songs are and what has been changed for performance.

What you will need: A hall or classroom with chairs and tables to one side

Copies of the 20 minute plays

How it worksAsk the whole group stand in a circle and split them into groups of four/five,

telling each group they will be given one or more scenes to perform. Assign

the numbered scenes around the groups until all have been allocated.

Explain that you will be speaking the narration for all the scenes, but

they must act out all the narration for their assigned scenes as well

as speak and act out the dialogue (in bold). Tell them that the first

word of narration that you speak for their scene(s) is the cue for their

entrance into the centre of the circle which forms the playing area.

Give the groups 10 to 15 minutes to rehearse and then call the group

into the circle, arranging them in the order in which they will perform.

When students become more confident, you can hand the narration

over to the groups to either speak together or as individuals.


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Matilda the Novel in 20 Minutes

1.Most parents think their children are wonderful, even when theyre quite

ordinary. The Wormwoods are just the opposite. Their daughter, Matilda, is

extraordinary but her parents are so silly, so gormless, they dont evennotice how special she is. Theyre just annoyed by her READING!

Matilda:Daddy, do you think you could buy me a book?

Mr. Wormwood:A book? What dyou want a flaming book for? Whats wrong with the telly?

2.While Mrs. Wormwood goes to play bingo every afternoon Matilda

takes herself off to the Public Library where Mrs. Phelps, the

Librarian, helps her to choose some grown-up books to read.

Matilda:I loved Great Expectations. Has Mr. Dickens written any others?

Mrs. Phelps:A great number. Did you know that public libraries allow

you to borrow books and take them home?

And so Matilda borrows piles of books and as she reads them in her

bedroom she travels the world in her powerful imagination.

3.Aside from her books Matilda finds her home life very difficult. Her father runs

a dodgy car business and she hates his cheating. Her parents watch telly, even

during dinner, and wont let her read instead. That call her names and she

gets really angry about all these injustices and, to help herself feel better, she

sneaks into the hallway, reaches on tiptoe to lift her fathers hat off the rack,

and puts superglue all around the inside rim. The trick works wonderfully

Mr. Wormwood tries all day to get his hat off. By nighttime he still cant.

Mrs. Wormwood:Come here, Ill take it off for you.(She gives the hat a sharp yank.)

Mr. Wormwood:

Ow-w-w! Dont do that! Let go! Youll take half the skin off my forehead.


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6.Matilda has a new best friend, called Lavender. At breaktime they meet

Hortensia, one of the older students. She tells them about Miss Trunchbulls

worst punishment, The Chokey. She shows them how high and how narrow it

is and that it has thousands of sharp spiky nails sticking out of it. Hortensia

has spent two whole days in the Chokey, once for putting itching powder

in Miss Trunchbulls gym shorts. Suddenly Miss Trunchbull enters the

playground and marches up to a tiny girl in pigtails called Amanda (Miss

Trunchbull hates pigtails). She lifts Amanda up by her pigtails and, swinging

her round and round several times, hurls her into the great beyond.

Miss Trunchbull:Not bad, considering Im not in strict training.

Hortensia:Shes mad.

Matilda:But dont the parents complain?

Hortensia:Theyre all scared to death of her, too.

7.The very next day a boy called Bruce Bogtrotter falls victim to Miss Trunchbulls

bullying madness. He has eaten a slice of Miss Trunchbulls private, personalchocolate cake and she KNOWS he has. Cook is ordered to bring in the

most enormous chocolate cake youve ever seen and Bruce is made to eat

every scrap of it while Miss Trunchbull stands over him. Shes so angry hes

managed to do it that she brings the cake platter down on his head afterwards.

The Children (cheering and clapping):Well done, Brucie! Good for you, Brucie!

Miss Trunchbull

(screaming and bringing the cake platter down on Bruces head):GO TO BLAZES!

8.Lavender wants to be noticed, the way Matilda and Bruce have been and she

also wants to pay Miss Trunchbull back for all her bullying. She goes to a pond

and finds a newt. She puts the newt in her pencil case and brings it to school.

She puts the newt in the water pitcher Miss Trunchbull will use when she teaches

Miss Honeys class for one lesson on Thursday. Meantime, Miss Trunchbull hasfound her next victim little Nigel. Because he has dirty hands, Nigel has to

stand on one leg facing the corner and spell long words and do his times tables.


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Matilda:What happened when you were left all alone with

the aunt? Wasnt she nice to you?

Miss Honey:Nice? She was a demon. My life was a nightmare. When I finally got my

teachers job, my aunt told me I owed her a lot of money for feeding me all

those years. She gives me one pound a week pocket money and keeps the rest.

11.Matilda thinks hard about Miss Honeys story and makes a plan. She knows

now that Miss Honeys father was called Magnus and that Miss Trunchbull is

called Agatha. At home she practices making her fathers cigar move by magic.

Matilda:

I can really do it! I can pick the cigar up just with my eye-power and push it and pull it in the air any way I want!

12.The next day Miss Trunchbull takes Miss Honeys class again. She

begins by tormenting Wilfred by telling him to do his three times

table backwards! Then something amazing happens.

Wilfred:Backwards? But I havent learnt it backwards.

Miss Trunchbull:You blithering idiot! You festering gumboil! You fleabitten fungus!

Nigel (leaping to his feet and shouting):The chalk! Look at the chalk! its moving all on its own! (Reading as

the chalk writes)Its saying, Agatha, this is Magnus. It is Magnus

and youd better believe it. Agatha, give my Jenny back her house,

then get out of here or I will come and get you like you got me.

13.Well, Miss Truchbull faints dead away. All the children stand and stare

at her with their mouths open. Kind Miss Honey rushes to help her,

and Nigel grabs the jug of water and pours it over her head. Everyone

smiles. Other teachers rush in and carry Miss Trunchbull out.

Miss Honey (to the children):I think youd all better go out to the playground. (She wipes thewriting from the blackboard and all the children but Matilda

leave. Then she walks over to Matilda and hugs her.)


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14.And that is the last that anyone hears of Miss Trunchbull. She completely

disappears. The solicitors phone Miss Honey and tell her that her

fathers proper will has been found and he has left his house and all

his money to her. Mr Trilby (old deputy head) becomes Head Teacher

and Matilda is moved into the top form, Miss Plimsolls class. Matildas

special powers stop happening and every afternoon Matilda goes to

Miss Honeys for tea and they talk and talk about everything.

Matilda:Did you know that the heart of a mouse beats at the

rate of six hundred and fifty times a minute?

Miss Honey:I did not. How absolutely fascinating. Where did you read that?

15.One day Matilda goes home from Miss Honeys and finds her parents

packing frantically. They are going to Spain, never to return, because

Mr. Wormwood is in trouble with the law over his dodgy car business.

They order Matilda to pack her things. Matilda runs at full speed to Miss

Honeys and brings her back to her house with her. Matilda has a better

plan for herself, which shes almost got Miss Honey to agree to.

Miss Honey:

I would love to have Matilda. I would look after her with lovingcare, Mr. Wormwood, and I would pay for everything. But I will

not agree to take her without your full and willing consent.

Mr. Wormwood:Im in a hurry. If she wants to stay, let her stay.

(The Wormwoods rush off, forgetting even to wave goodbye to

their daughter while Miss Honey and Matilda hug each other.)

THE END


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Matilda The Musical in 20 minutes

1.Most parents think their own children are miracles, the most wonderful

creatures ever put on earth. Well, there was one family where this was

definitely not the case. Mrs. Wormwood, nine months pregnant, wantsmore than anything to dance in a certain competition. She does NOT want

another baby. Her husband, Mr. Wormwood, doesnt 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, cant believe these parents!

Doctor:This is one of the most beautiful children that Ive ever seen!

Mr. Wormwood:

Looks like a prune. You need glasses!

Mrs. Wormwood:This is the worst day of my life.

2.Five years later the Wormwoods are horrified

that Matilda loves, of all things, books!

Mrs. Wormwood:Five years old and shes reading. Thats not normal the child is clearly an idiot.

Matilda:Listen to this It was the best of times, it was the

worst of times, it was an age of wisdom

3.

Matilda, as you might imagine, loves to go to the library. Hereshe is, sitting on the floor, looking through some books. Mrs.

Phelps, the librarian, greets her happily and asks her to tell her a

story. Matilda has a powerful imagination, as you will see.

Matilda:Once upon a time

Mrs. Phelps squeals with delight and puts a Closed sign up on the library door.

Matilda:Once upon a time the two greatest circus performers in the


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world fell in love and got married. But though they loved each

other, they were sad. We do not have a child, they said.

To fill their loneliness they decided to perform a very daring act. It was called:

the Burning Woman Hurling Through The Air With Dynamite In Her Hair

Over Sharks And Spiky Objects, Caught By The Man Locked In The Safe.

4.Its the first day of school. The New Kids skip up to the

gates, full of hope and confidence. Just as they reach the

main gate the Big Kids rush out, terrifying them.

Big Kids: (singing or chanting):

You listen here, my dear, youll be punished so severely if you

Step out of line and if you cry it will be double,

You should stay out of trouble,

And remember to be extremely careful.

Nigel:Why?

5.

Why becomes clear very soon. A loud hurump is heard throughthe school speaker system. The Big Kids freeze and then so do the

New Kids. Agatha Trunchbull, the headmistress, speaks:

Trunchbull (fiercely):WHAT. IS. THE SCHOOL. MOTTO.

Big Kids:Bambinatum est Maggitum, Miss Trunchbull.

Trunchbull:Bambinatum est Maggitum. Children are maggots. Back to work,maggots.

6.The New Kids are in class. Miss Honey, gentle, kind and loving

Miss Honey, is their teacher. On the first day she discovers that

Matilda, five years old, is a very special child, a kind of genius:

Matilda:One times two is two, two times two is four, seven timestwo is fourteen, twelve times two is twenty-four.


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Miss Honey (amazed):Now this is much harder, so dont worry if you dont get

it, but two times four hundred and eighty seven

Matilda (immediately):Nine hundred and seventy-four.

7.Back at the Wormwoods house, Mr. Wormwood is in a very bad mood. He

makes his living selling dodgy cars. The Russians who were supposed to be

buying a whole load of dodgy cars and making him rich have caught him at it.

In a fit of temper he blames it all on Matilda, who is reading as usual. Matilda

is a brave person who doesnt like injustice. She plays a trick on her father.

Mr. Wormwood:

Heres what I think of your book! (He rips it up.)

Matilda silently gathers up the pieces of the torn book, then goes into the hall

and puts superglue inside her fathers hat. To the audience she sings or chants :

Matilda:Just because you find that lifes not fair, it

Doesnt mean that you just have to grin and bear it.

8.Back at school Matilda hears about the worst punishment of all the

terrible CHOKEY! The Big Kids tell the New Kids all about it:

Big Kids (singing the chokey chant):Theres a place you are sent

If you havent been good

And its made of spikes and wood.

9.Matilda escapes her school and home troubles by going to the library.

She is telling Mrs. Phelps the next part of her story about the Acrobat

and her husband, the Escapologist. Matilda acts out all the parts.

Escapologist:Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls, The Burning

Woman Hurling through the Air with Dynamite has been

cancelled cancelled because my wife is pregnant.

The Acrobats Wicked Sister (producing a paper contract):A contract you have signed to perform this feat, and perform you shall!


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Mrs. Phelps:No, no! What happened next?

Matilda:I dont know yet. Ill tell you tomorrow.

10.Back at school theres more trouble. The Trunchbull (as she is called) is viciously

punishing Bruce Bogtrotter for stealing a slice of her personal chocolate

cake. As his first punishment Bruce is forced to eat the biggest chocolate cake

imaginable all of it, all by himself. Then she drags him off to the Chokey!

Trunchbull (to Bruce):EAT!

Matilda:Go on Bruce!

(Bruce, with great difficulty, manages to eat the cake).

Trunchbull:That was the first part of your punishment. And the second part isChokey!

11.

In the library Mrs. Phelps waits anxiously for the end of Matildasstory. The acrobat hugs her husband and comforts him before

they perform the most dangerous act of all time.

Matilda: (acting out the story herself as far as possible):The crowd held their breath as she hurled over the sharks and spiky objects.

Mrs. Phelps:Oh, I cant look!

Matilda:The Escapologist reached out one huge, muscled arm to catch his wife.But

suddenly their hands became slippy and she fell. She broke every bone

in her body, but lived long enough to have their child. And then she died.

3.When Mr. Wormwood tells Matilda she is forbidden to go to the library

any more, shes terribly upset. To comfort herself she tells herself the

next part of her story. Its so real to her that the characters actually

appear. The wicked aunt has thrown the Escapologists little girl, nowabout Matildas age, into a dark cellar and locked the door. Suddenly

theres a banging on the door and the Escapologist bursts in. He puts


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his arms around both girls and they fall asleep from exhaustion. Then

the Escapologist makes a promise to his sleeping daughter:

Escapologist:This demon, this villain, this monster. Bullying children is her

game, is it? Then let us see what this creature thinks she can

do when the wrath of a grown man stands before her!

Matilda:And that was the last the little girl ever saw of her father.

Because he never ever came home. Ever again.

13.Miss Honey invites Matilda to her very simple home. They sit on the floor and

have tea and then Miss Honey tells Matilda her story which will remind you

of another one youve heard. By some special magic, Matildas story is MissHoneys story and the Acrobat and the Escapologist were Miss Honeys parents!

Miss Honey:My father was a wonderful man called Magnus. But unfortunately

he died when I was very young in suspicious circumstances.

And I was left with my aunt; she was a terror!

Matilda:Who is your aunt?

Miss Honey:You know her, Matilda. My aunt is

Both together:Miss Trunchbull.

14.And the very same Miss Trunchbull is on the attack again, threatening

to put children in the Chokey. But this time the children are fighting

back, with the help of a little more of Matildas magic.

Kids (singing or chanting):We are revolting children.

We sing revolting songs.

And well have the Trunchbull bolting.

We are revolting!

Trunchbull:Ive been busy! A whole array of Chokeys! One for each and every one of you!


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Nigel:The chalk! Look, the chalk, its moving! Its writing something! (Reading)

Agatha, this is Magnus! Give my Jenny back her house. And then leave.

Or I will get you like you got me! Run!

Everyone to Miss Trunchbull:RUN!!!

15.At long last and after a great deal of trouble, justice triumphs and we have a

happy ending to this story. Mr. Wormwood has been found out by the Russian

Mafia he was trying to fool and the Wormwoods are forced to leave town. Miss

Honey, now comfortably off and living in a big house, has a special request.

Miss Honey:

Let Matilda stay here with me! I would look after her with love and respectand care and Id pay for everything. Would you like that, Matilda?

Matilda:Yes! Yes I would!

THE END


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3.Now Matilda is no push-over. Shes got a powerful imagination and a very

strong sense of whats right and whats wrong. While her mother is brushing

her teeth, Matilda thinks up a plan to get back at her parents. When her mother

leaves the bathroom, Matilda sneaks in and mixes her mothers platinum hair

dye with her fathers Oil of Violets Hair Tonic. Shortly afterward her father

applies this lotion to the hair hes so proud of. Matilda tells her audience that

just because youre small doesnt mean you have to put up with injustice.

Mrs. Wormwood:Your hair! Its . green!

Mr. Wormwood (looking in a mirror):My hairs green!



Sometimes you have to be a little bit naughty.

4.Matilda, as you might imagine, loves to go to the library. Here

she is, sitting on the floor, looking through some books. Mrs.

Phelps, the librarian, greets her happily and asks her to tell her

a story (remember, Matilda has a strong imagination).

Matilda:Once upon a time . . .

Mrs. Phelps squeals with delight and puts a Closed sign up on the library door.

Matilda:Once upon a time the two greatest circus performers in the world fell in love and

got married. People would come from miles around to see their skill and their

love for each other. But though they loved each other, though they were famous

and everyone loved them, they were sad. We do not have a child, they said.

Their sadness drew them to ever more dangerous feats and they decided

to perform the most dangerous feat ever known to man. It was called: the

Burning Woman Hurling Through The Air With Dynamite In Her Hair

Over Sharks And Spiky Objects, Caught By The Man Locked In The Safe.


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5.Its the first day of school. The New Kids skip up to the

gates, full of hope and confidence. Just as they reach the

main gate the Big Kids rush out, terrifying them.

Big Kids (singing):You listen here, my dear, youll be punished so severely if you

Step out of line and if you cry it will be double,

You should stay out of trouble,

And remember to be extremely careful.

Nigel:Why?

Girl 1:My mummy says Im a miracle.

Big Kids:And so you think youre

Able to survive this mess by

Being a prince or princess, you will soon

See theres no escaping tragedy.

6.Suddenly theres a testing, testing sound coming through a

speaker system. The Big Kids freeze and then so do the NewKids. Agatha Trunchbull, the headmistress, speaks:

Trunchbull:Prisoners Letchworth, Rottwinkle, Finglebottom and Gubbinsworth:

report to my study immediately for re-education.

(fiercely)WHAT. IS. THE SCHOOL. MOTTO.

Big Kids:Bambinatum est Maggitum, Miss Trunchbull.

Trunchbull:Bambinatum est Maggitum. Children are maggots. Back to work, maggots.

7.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 firstday at school. Now, do any of you know any of your two times tables?

Wonderful! Matilda, isnt it? Please stand and do as much as you can


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Matilda:One times two is two, two times two is four, seven times

two is fourteen, twelve times two is twenty-four.

Miss Honey(amazed):Now this is much harder, so dont worry if you dont get

it, but two times four hundred and eighty seven

Matilda (immediately):Nine hundred and seventy-four.

8.Miss Honey realizes that Matilda is a special child, a gifted child who

should go up into an older class. She stands trembling outside the

Headmistresss office door. Several times she tries to knock but her

courage fails her. Finally she gives a timid knock and goes in.

Trunchbull:Well dont stand there like a wet tissue. Get on with it.

Miss Honey:Well, yes, theres 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.

Trunchbull:What? But she is a squib, a shrimp, an un-hatched tadpole. We

cannot just place her in the top form. What about rules, Honey,

rules? How do you think I became the English hammer-throwing

champion of 1969? By keeping to the rules. If you want to teach

success, you have to force the little squits to toe the line.

9.Back at the Wormwoods house, Mr. Wormwood is in a very bad

mood. The Russians who were supposed to be buying his dodgy cars

and making him rich have caught him at it. His green hair didnt help. In

a fit of temper he blames it all on Matilda, who is reading as usual.

Mr. Wormwood:And whats this? Another flaming book? Whats wrong with the telly?

Mrs. Wormwood:Shes got no respect, that one. Its all books and stories.

Mr. Wormwood:Heres what I think of your book! (He rips it up.)


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Matilda silently gathers up the pieces of the torn book, then goes into the

hall and puts superglue inside her fathers hat. To the audience she sings:



Mr. Wormwood goes into the hall, smashes his hat downon his head, looks in the mirror and says:

Mr Wormwood:A man with a jaunty hat will always get respect.

10.Back at school Matilda witnesses a terrible piece of injustice when

Headmistress Trunchbull blames Nigel for pouring treacle on her chair. The

Older Kids tell Matilda about the worst punishment of all the dreaded

CHOKEY! Despite her terror Matilda rescues Nigel from this terrible fate

by pretending hes been sleeping for ages under a pile of coats.

Big Kids (singing the Chokey Chant):Theres a place you are sent

If you havent been good

And its made of spikes and wood.

And when you scream

you dunno if the sound came out

Of if the scream in your head

Never reached your mouth.

Matilda (to the Trunchbull):Hes over there under those coats. He suffers from a sleep disorder and feel

asleep and we put him in the coats for safety. Didnt we? Didnt we?

Big Kids:Yes!

Nigel (coming out from under the coats and yawning):Is it time for school yet, mum?

11.Meantime, Miss Honey, determined to do her best for Matilda, visits her parents. Mrs.

Wormwood is at home practicing her dancing with her rather greasy partner, Rudolpho.

Rudolpho and Mrs Wormwood explain to Miss Honey why its stupid to be clever.

Mrs. Wormwood & Rudolpho(singing or chanting together as they dance):

You seem to think that people like people who are clever,


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Its very quaint, its very sweet, but WRONG.

What you know matters less

Than the volume with which what you dont knows expressed.

You gotta be, you gotta be

LOUD, LOUD, LOUD!

Miss Honey (storming out):If you think some stupid dance lesson is more important than your daughter!

12.While Miss Honey is at the Wormwoods, Matilda is in the library

telling Mrs. Phelps the next part of her story about the Acrobat and

her husband, the Escapologist. Matilda acts out all the parts.

Escapologist:

Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls, The BurningWoman Hurling through the Air with Dynamite has been

cancelled cancelled because my wife is pregnant.

The Acrobats Wicked Sister (producing a paper contract):A contract you have signed to perform this feat, and perform you shall!

Mrs. Phelps:No, no! What happened next?

Matilda:I dont know yet. Ill tell you tomorrow.

13.Back at school theres more trouble. The Trunchbull accuses Matilda of

eating a slice of her chocolate cake. Suddenly, Bruce Bogtrotter gives

the most enormous burp youve ever heard and Trunchbull realises

that Bruce ate the cake. As his first punishment Bruce is forced to eat

the biggest chocolate cake imaginable, brought in by the cook all

of it, all by himself. Then she drags him off to the Chokey!

Trunchbull:Eat!

Bruce:But I cant eat it all!

Trunchbull:

Eat!


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Matilda:Go on Bruce!

Trunchbull:That was the first part of your punishment. And the second part is chokey!

Matilda (as Bruce is dragged off by Miss Trunchbull)Thats not right!

14.In the library Mrs. Phelps waits anxiously for the end of Matildas

story. The acrobat hugs her husband and comforts him before

they perform the most dangerous act of all time.

Matilda (acting out the story herself as far as possible):

The crowd held their breath as she hurled over the sharks andspiky objects. They watched as the flames crept up the dress. The

door of the safe flung open and the escapologist reached out

one huge, muscled arm to catch his wife and child and

Mrs. Phelps:Oh, I cant look!

Matilda:The Escapologist used just a touch too much foam to kill the flames and

suddenly their hands became slippy and she fell. She broke every bonein her body, but lived long enough to have their child. And then she died.

15.Shortly afterward, at the Wormwood house, Mr. Wormwood is jumping

about, shouting about his own cleverness in tricking the Russians into

buying 150 old banger cars. Mrs. Wormwood and Matilda react very

differently to the news and Matildas father delivers a terrible blow:

Mrs. Wormwood:Fantastico! Now Ill be able to afford Rudolpho all day long!

Matilda:But youve cheated them! Thats not fair at all; they

trusted you and youve cheated them!

Mr. Wormwood:Working my fingers to the bone! Tomorrow Im gonna go down to

that library and tell that old bag youre never to be let in again!


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16.To comfort herself Matilda continues her story. Its so real to her that the

characters actually appear. The wicked aunt has thrown the Escapologists

little girl, now about Matildas age, into a dark cellar and locked the

door. The little girl huddles in a corner, shivering and crying. Matilda tries

to comfort her but the girl doesnt notice. Suddenly theres a banging on

the door and the Escapologist, home early, bursts in and both girls run to

him. He puts his arms around both of them and the girls fall asleep from

exhaustion. Then the Escapologist makes a promise to his sleeping daughter:

Escapologist:This demon, this villain, this monster. Bullying children is her

game, is it? Then let us see what this creature thinks she can

do when the wrath of a grown man stands before her!

Matilda:And that was the last the little girl ever saw of her father.

Because he never ever came home. Ever again.

17.At school the Trunchbull is once more on the rampage. Lavender has

put a newt in Trunchbulls drinking glass. The Trunchbull screams

and stands on a chair. And then she lowers her head and makes for

Eric, grabbing him by the ears. Matilda cant take any more:

Matilda:Leave him alone, you BIG FAT BULLY!!!

(Everyone gasps.)

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

Matilda (whispering to herself):Tip it tip it over!

(Magically the glass tips over and the newt/toad leaps onto

the Trunchbull who screams and screams and then runs out.

Everyone looks at each other and then at Matilda.)


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18.Miss Honey invites Matilda to her very simple home, with a box for a table and a

mattress made of straw. They sit on the floor and have tea and then Miss Honey

tells Matilda her story which will remind you of another one youve heard:

Miss Honey:My father was a wonderful man called Magnus. But unfortunately he

died when I was very young in suspicious circumstances. And I was

left with my aunt; she was a terror and when I got my job as a teacher, she

suddenly presented me with a bill for looking after me all those years.

Matilda:Miss Honey is this your fathers scarf?

Miss Honey:Well, yes. My mother gave it to my father before she died. She was

Matilda:An acrobat.

Miss Honey:How did you And my father was

Matilda:An escapologist. Who is your aunt?

Miss Honey:You know her, Matilda. My aunt is

Both together:Miss Trunchbull.

19.And the very same Miss Trunchbull is on the attack again, threatening to

put children in the chokey. But this time the children are fighting back.

Trunchbull:What are you doing? Whats going on? Stop this!

Kids singing:We are revolting children.

We sing revolting songs.

Well be revolting children

Til our revoltings done,

And well have the Trunchbull bolting.

We are revolting!


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Trunchbull:Ive been busy! A whole array of chokeys! One for each and every one of you!

Nigel:The chalk! Look, the chalk, its moving! Its writing something! (Reading)

Agatha, this is Magnus! Give my Jenny back her house. And then leave.

Or I will get you like you got me! Run!

Everyone to Miss Trunchbull:RUN!!!

They all look at Matilda.

20.At long last and after a great deal of trouble, justice triumphs and we have a

happy ending to this story. Mr. Wormwood has been found out by the Russian

Mafia he was trying to fool and the Wormwoods are forced to leave town. Miss

Honey, now comfortably off and living in a big house, has a special request.

Miss Honey:Let Matilda stay here with me! I would look after her with love and respect

and care and Id pay for everything. Would you like that, Matilda?

Matilda:Yes! Yes I would!

Mr. Wormwood:Well, were a bit short of room

Matilda and Miss Honey hug each other.

Together:They had found each other.

The End

the writers challenge (matilda the musical)

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