Following previous sell-out successes, the Royal Shakespeare Company has announced it will present its fifth relaxed performance of Matilda The Musical.
The performance will take place at the West End’s Cambridge Theatre at 3pm on Sunday 10 June, and builds on the RSC’s years of pioneering of relaxed performance programmes. The National Autistic Society and Mousetrap Theatre Projects will again work closely with the RSC, offering full access to the theatre for people with autism and learning disabilities and their families.
Matilda The Musical has music and lyrics by comedian Tim Minchin, book by Dennis Kelly, and direction by Matthew Warchus. The show spectacularly tells Roald Dahl’s story of a gifted girl who teaches the tyrannical adults in her life a lesson: that sometimes, in a world of striking colour and hilarious michief, you have to be naughty to be good.
The UK and Ireland tour of Matilda The Musical, which began earlier this month, will also host a relaxed performance at the Birmingham Hippodrome on Thursday 19 July.
Matilda The Musical at the Cambridge Theatre (Photo: Manuel Harlan)
The relaxed performance will provide a relaxed environment for everyone, with elements of the production adapted to reduce anxiety or stress, and with lighting and sound levels adjusted to soften their impact. Audience etiquette throughout the whole theatre is also relaxed, with all audience members given the freedom to make noise and move about the auditorium according to their needs, without restriction.
Designated ‘chill-out’ areas are provided outside the auditorium, with soft seating and activities available for people to use if they want to take a break. All theatre staff, crew and company members also receive specialist training in advance to anticipate a wider range of different audience needs.
Specially trained staff will be able to help bookers by speaking to them directly and ensuring that all their specific needs and requirements are taken into consideration when assigning their seat allocation. All bookers will also be sent a visual story to help them familiarise themselves with the plot, characters and the setting before they arrive at the theatre.
In London, the Royal Shakespeare Company is offering tickets to the relaxed performance at a reduced rate, which can be booked through the RSC Ticket Hotline or in person at the Cambridge Theatre box office.
You can find out more about Matilda The Musical in London here.