“To capture the essence of what it is to feel different and how to find solace within – that is what we were all reaching for”: Andrea Riseborough, Matthew Warchus and Dennis Kelly on Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical

Roald Dahl’s much-loved classic Matilda gets a new lease of life in Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical, itself a film version of a stage musical arrangement of the 1988 book. The new movie has a lot to live up to, not only being a story adored the world over, but with Danny DeVito’s 1996 screen adaptation also setting the bar high, while the musical has its own vociferous fanbase alongside a catalogue of awards. Nonetheless, the film delivers, bringing an explosion of colour, joy and music, with no expense spared in terms of production scales, and a cast of famous faces conjuring new incarnations of the familiar characters – not least Emma Thompson as Miss Trunchbull, unrecognisable in costume and prosthetics, Bond star Lashana Lynch as Miss Honey, and newcomer Alisha Weir as the bookish protagonist. An old story told afresh for a new generation, Matilda the Musical is a fizzy spectacle to be enjoyed, with a splash of the darker undercurrents central to Dahl’s non-patronising storytelling.

The Upcoming had the pleasure of speaking with Andrea Riseborough about leaning into the humour and eccentricity of the role of Mrs Wormwood opposite Stephen Graham as Mr Wormwood, what she loves about Dahl’s books and her chameleonic acting abilities that have enabled a diverse and prolific career across stage and screen, both indie and blockbuster, from Birdman to The Death of Stalin, Amsterdam to forthcoming To Leslie.

We also chatted with the movie creators, director Matthew Warchus and screenwriter Dennis Kelly, about the process of turning the musical into a film, their incredible cast and what they think people will take away from the experience.

You can also catch highlights from the London Film Festival premiere below.

Sarah Bradbury

Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical is released in UK cinemas on 25^th November 2022.

Read our review here.

Watch the trailer for Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical here: