Basically, if you walk into the Cambridge Theatre in London or if you caught the show during its massive Broadway run, you aren't just looking for one name on the marquee. Finding out who plays Matilda in the musical is kinda like tracking a small army of incredibly talented kids. Because the role is so demanding—we're talking two and a half hours of singing, high-energy choreography, and huge blocks of dialogue—no single child actor does it alone.
Usually, four girls rotate the role. They split the eight shows a week to keep their voices from giving out and to make sure they actually have time to, you know, be kids and do schoolwork.
The Current Stars Holding the Chalk
Right now, as of early 2026, the West End production is still going strong. The "Matilda" cycle is constant; every six months or so, a new "crop" of kids graduates and a new set of revolting children moves in.
Currently, the rotation in London features a mix of newcomers and rising stage stars. If you check the cast board in the lobby today, you're likely to see names like Angelica Scott, Anna Deikalo, or Sophia Saravanan. These girls are following in the footsteps of dozens of performers who have played the telekinetic bookworm since the show premiered in Stratford-upon-Avon back in 2010.
Honestly, the casting process for this is legendary. It’s not just about who can sing "Quiet" without cracking. The casting directors look for a specific "Matilda-ness"—a mixture of resilience, intelligence, and a bit of a rebellious streak.
Why the "Original Four" Still Matter
You can’t talk about who plays Matilda without mentioning the girls who started it all. When the show moved to the West End in 2011, it was a massive gamble.
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The original London quartet—Cleo Demetriou, Eleanor Worthington Cox, Kerry Ingram, and Sophia Kiely—did something that had never been done before. They collectively won the Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical. All four of them. One trophy for the team.
- Eleanor Worthington Cox actually became the youngest person ever to win an Olivier at age 10.
- Kerry Ingram went on to have a pretty brutal (and famous) exit on Game of Thrones as Shireen Baratheon.
When the show hopped across the pond to Broadway in 2013, they repeated the "four-girl" strategy. The original Broadway Matildas—Sophia Gennusa, Oona Laurence, Bailey Ryon, and Milly Shapiro—even received Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre. You might recognize Milly Shapiro from the terrifying A24 horror flick Hereditary, which is a pretty big jump from Crunchem Hall.
The Alisha Weir Factor
Then there's the movie. Sorta.
In 2022, Netflix released the film adaptation of the musical. Since it was a movie and not a live stage show, they only needed one Matilda. Alisha Weir took the lead and basically became the face of the character for a whole new generation.
She wasn't just some random kid. Alisha had to beat out thousands of others. She’s Irish, she’s got a powerhouse voice, and she managed to hold her own against Emma Thompson’s Miss Trunchbull. If you're wondering who plays Matilda in the musical on your TV screen, it's her. She recently starred in the horror movie Abigail too, showing that the "Matilda to horror movie" pipeline is apparently a very real thing.
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What It's Actually Like to Be Matilda
It’s not all ribbons and books. Playing this role is probably one of the toughest "jobs" a child can have in the arts.
- The Training: Most Matildas go through months of "Matilda School" before they ever step on stage. They learn how to speak in a specific RP (Received Pronunciation) accent, how to do the illusions (like the glass of water), and how to handle the "Scary" Miss Trunchbull.
- The "Quiet" Moment: Every actress who plays Matilda says the hardest part isn't the big dance numbers like "Revolting Children." It’s the song "Quiet." You have to stand perfectly still and pin the audience’s attention for several minutes while singing a very complex, emotional song.
- The Graduation: Because kids grow (annoyingly fast for producers), most Matildas only stay in the role for about six to nine months. Once they hit a certain height or their voice changes, they "graduate."
How to see who is performing
If you are heading to the theater tonight, don't look at the program for the definitive answer. Programs are printed in bulk. Instead, look for the cast board near the entrance or the snack bar. It’s usually a wooden frame with "Matilda" spelled out in Scrabble-style letters. There will be a little slip of paper with the name of the girl performing at that specific matinee or evening show.
Beyond the Lead: The Adult Cast
While we focus on the kids, the adults who play against Matilda are just as vital. In the current West End run, Kieran Hill has been terrorizing the children as Miss Trunchbull. On Broadway, the role was famously originated by Bertie Carvel, who set the standard for the character's bizarre, Olympic-hammer-throwing athleticism.
Miss Honey is usually played by someone who can balance the sweetness with a lot of repressed trauma. Lydia White and Eve Norris are the names you'll see in recent London rotations. They provide the "light" to Matilda's "dark," and the chemistry between whoever is playing Matilda and whoever is playing Miss Honey is what usually makes or breaks the show.
What to Check Next
If you’re obsessed with the cast, the best way to keep up is to follow the official Matilda The Musical social media accounts. They usually announce the "new class" of Matildas every March and September.
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You can also check the official Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) website. They keep a running archive of everyone who has ever stepped into those oversized shoes and stood up to the Trunchbull.
If you're planning to audition or just want to see the sheer level of talent required, watching the "Making of" specials for the Netflix movie or the "Matilda School" clips on YouTube gives a pretty raw look at what these kids go through. It's a lot more than just memorizing lines; it's a full-blown athletic event.
To keep your theater knowledge sharp, you should look up the current cast board for the specific city you're visiting. Casts for the UK tour, the West End, and international productions vary wildly, but the quality stays remarkably high because the RSC is notoriously picky about their lead girl.
Check the lobby board the moment you walk in—that's the only way to be 100% sure who you're watching.