Artistic Director’s Note
We are beyond excited to invite you to audition for our upcoming production of Matilda the Musical! This enchanting show, based on Roald Dahl’s beloved tale, brings to life the story of a brilliant young girl who defies the odds with her extraordinary intelligence and courage. Matilda Wormwood, despite her challenging circumstances, discovers her own strength and the power of standing up for what is right.
We warmly welcome performers of all ages and experience levels to join us. Whether you’re a seasoned actor or new to the stage, we are here to support you and help you showcase your best self. Our team is dedicated to creating an encouraging and nurturing environment where you can explore your creativity and shine in your role.
This is more than just an audition; it’s an opportunity to be part of a magical journey that celebrates the joy of storytelling and the power of imagination. We can’t wait to see how you’ll bring Matilda’s world to life and contribute to this extraordinary production.
So, come with your enthusiasm and passion. We look forward to discovering the incredible talent within our community and sharing this unforgettable experience with you.
Brooke Gamble
Artistic Director
Director’s Note
Matilda the Musical is a story of love, deception, bravery, overcoming and magic. Matilda is a cunning girl who consistently stands up for what is right, and on her journey, finds friends and family who love her for who she is. This classic Roald Dahl story is one that you will fall in love with again, and again, and never loses its magic or truth as the years go by.
All are welcome to audition, so please – come as you are, show us your magic, and be a bit revolting!
I am honoured to be making my directorial debut with this beautiful show, and I’m excited to meet all of you.
Hannah Davidson
Director
Audition Panel
Artistic Director – Brooke Gamble
Director – Hannah Davidson
Assistant Director (mentorship program) – Simon Anthony
Choreographer – Kalene Ticknor- Malto
Assistant Choreographer (mentorship program) – Ella Cumberland – Clark
Music Director – Paige Corriveau
Assistant Music Director (will be attending callbacks) – Jill Prince
Show Dates and Performance Venue
Wednesday, May 7th, 2025 7 pm (invited dress rehearsal)
Thursday, May 8th, 2025 7 pm
Friday, May 9th, 2025 10 am (school matinee) & 7 pm
Saturday, May 10th, 2025 2 pm & 7 pm
Sunday, May 11th, 2025 2 pm
Matilda will be performed at the Trinity Theatre at the New Hamburg Community Centre, 251 Jacob Street, New Hamburg
Schedule
Rehearsals for Matilda will begin on SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2nd. Rehearsals will be at the New Hamburg Community Centre at 251 Jacob Street in New Hamburg.
Script Pick-up + Headshots
Script pickup and headshots will be on THURSDAY, JANUARY 30th, from 6:30pm – 10:00pm at the TCP Office. Please come with your participation fee, music book fee, and wearing a black t-shirt (hair and makeup can be however you wish).
Rehearsals
Rehearsals will take place during the following scheduled times. With that in mind, we ask that everyone auditioning for this production commit to our FULL rehearsal schedule. Attendance at rehearsals is critical to the success of this production.
Please identify all potential conflicts including travel, vacation, etc on your audition form. Any conflicts with the posted schedule must be discussed with the Production Manager or Stage Manager and agreed to by the Director before casting can be confirmed.
Key Dates
In the week leading up to the show, the following special rehearsal schedule will apply:
Thursday, May 1st – Dress Rehearsal
Saturday, May 3rd – Cue to Cue
Sunday, May 4th – Technical Rehearsal
Monday, May 5th – Dress Rehearsal
Tuesday, May 6th – Dark Day (No Rehearsal)
Sunday, May 11th – Tear down (Mandatory)
*Please note there will be mandatory workdays and one mandatory load in day – dates and time to be confirmed*
General Expectations
- Everyone who performs on stage must pay a $20 participation fee and $15 script deposit (this will be returned at the end of the run when cast return their script and score)
- Cast are expected to provide appropriate shoes for the performance (i.e., character, jazz)
- All cast members should be available 2 hours prior to performance for make-up and hair styling.
- All company members will receive their script at the first rehearsal and should be familiar with their role, working towards full memorization.
- Every cast member will be emailed a “TCP Spring Show Information Kit”. It will include everything you need to know about being part of a TCP show including how to check rehearsal schedules, important email addresses and more. You should carefully read and fully understand that document BEFORE you come to your first rehearsal.
- As a member of the company you are required to spend a minimum of 10 hours in pre-production activities in addition to performing on stage and rehearsing. Sometimes this is work that can be done at home (sewing/prop construction) or it may mean a Saturday work day doing painting or stage construction. As we get closer to our production dates we always require lots of help to transform the community centre into the Trinity Theatre – a great time to fulfil some of those hours.
- Have fun! Becoming part of the “TCP Family” is a wonderful experience! You will meet many new friends, be challenged and be rewarded with the applause of an audience and being part of something very special … of Community Theatre at its Very Best!
The Characters
Character | Role | Age | Vocal Range | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Matilda Wormwood
| Lead | Ages 8-10, Female | A3-D5
| An imaginative girl who is clever and wise far beyond her years. She has a thirst for learning that cannot be quenched.
|
Miss Agatha Trunchbull
| Lead | Ages 30 – 50, Any Gender | A2 – G4
| The tyrannical headmistress at Matilda’s school who despises children.
|
Miss Honey
| Lead | Ages 25-45, Female | F3 – D5
| Matilda’s kindhearted teacher. She is tired of living in fear under Miss Trunchbull. |
Mr. Wormwood | Lead | Ages 30 -50, Male | D3 – A4
| Matilda’s uncaring father. A slimy, greedy used-car salesman.
|
Mrs. Wormwood
| Lead | Ages 30 – 50, Female
| A3 – F5
| Matilda’s self-absorbed, negligent mother and an amateur ballroom dancer.
|
Michael Wormwood | Lead | Ages 10 – 20, Male | NA
| Matilda’s older brother. He is not very bright and favoured by their parents.
|
Bruce | Lead | Ages 10 – 16, Male | C4- E5
| Matilda’s classmate. He is subject to extreme punishment by Miss Trunchbull.
|
Lavender | Lead | Ages 8-13, Female | NA
| Matilda’s classmate and friend.
|
Mrs. Phelps | Lead | Ages 20 -60, Female | NA
| A Nice Librarian who loves to listen to Matilda’s stories.
|
The Escapologist Supporting C3-E4 | The Acrobat Supporting D4 – A4 | Rudolpho Supporting Ages 20 – 40, Male D3 – A4 | Doctor Supporting Ages 20 – 50, Any Gender C3 – A4 |
Childrens Entertainer Supporting Ages 20 -50, Any Gender F3 – A4 | Amanda Supporting Ages 8-15 , Female
| Nigel Supporting Ages 8-16, Male
| Eric Male Ages 8-16 |
Alice Supporting
| Hortensia Supporting Ages 8-15 , Female
| Sergei, Henchmen Supporting Ages 20 – 70, Male
| Various Ensemble Roles Supporting Ages 13+ Big kids, Parents, Cook etc. |
Youth Auditions – What to Prepare
Please prepare the children’s cut, we will email this when we confrim your audition, and one of the following sides:
SIDE 1: Once upon a time the two greatest circus performers in the world – an escapologist, who could escape from any lock that was ever invented, and an acrobat, who was so skilled it seemed as if she could actually fly – fell in love and got married. They performed some of the most incredible feats together anyone has ever seen and people would come from miles around: Kings, Queens, Celebrities and Astronauts. And not just to see their skills, but also to see their love for each other, which was so deep that it was said that cats would purr as they passed them and dogs would weep with joy. They moved into a beautiful, old house on the edge of town and in the evenings they would walk and take the air. And each night the children of the town would wait in anticipation, hoping for a glimpse of the shiny white scarf that the acrobat always wore…
SIDE 2: Okay, look, alright, I stole the cake. And honestly I was really, definitely, sort of almost thinking about owning up… maybe? But the thing was I was having a lot of trouble with my belly. You see, the Trunchbull’s cake was so good that I’d scoffed it down too quick and now it was beginning to fight back. Ooops. See?… It was the biggest burp I had ever done. It was the biggest burp I had ever heard, the biggest burp I had ever heard about. It was as if the entire world went silent for that burp to exist, as a huge cloud of chocolaty gas wafted from my mouth and drifted… across the class… Past Lavender… Past Alice… Past Matilda…. And then, my great big beautiful chocolaty burp, which now seemed to have a mind of its own, wafted full into the face of the Trunchbull.
Adult Auditions – What to Prepare
Please prepare a 32 bar cut of a song (provided on sheet music) and prepare 2 of the slides from below:
MR. WORMWOOD: I would like to offer an apology for some of the things that have been going on here tonight ,They are not nice things and they are not right things and I would like to state garrantorically that we do not want any children that might be here tonight watching this to go home and try these things out for themselves. I am of course talking about… reading books. It is normal for kids to behave in this fashion, it stunts the brain, wears out the eyes, makes kids ugly, stinky, fatty, sweaty, betty, borning, gaseous and crucially, it gives them varrucas… of the mind. Under no circumstances do we condone such activities and we do so utterly without reservoirs.
TRUNCHBULL: How dare you! You are not fit to be in this school! You ought to be in prison, in the deepest, dankest, darkest prison! I shall have you wheeled out, strapped to a trolley with a muzzle over your mouth! I shall crush you! I shall pound you, I shall dissect, you madam! I shall strap you to a table and perform experiments on you. All of those disgusting little slugs shall suffer the most appalling indignities because of you – yes, you… miserable collection of excuses for children, and you, madam, standing there like the squit of squits, are its beating heart. But I am a match for you and I tell you that there is nothing that I shall not do, not length to which I shall not og, no punishment I shall not inflict, no ear I shall not stretch back, no finger I shall not… what is it?… what is it? Get it off me. Get it off me… it’s heading north… I’ve got a newt in my knickers.
MISS HONEY: I’m not strong like you, Matilda. You see, my father died when I was young. Magnus was his name. He was very kind. But when he was gone my aunt became my legal guardian. She was mean and cruel like you can hardly imagine. And then, when I got my job as a teacher, she presented me with a bill for looking after me all those years. She’d written everything down: every tea bag, every electricity bill, every tin of beans. And she made me sign a contract to pay her back every penny. She even produced a document that said my father had given her his entire house… I don’t know. But I find it hard to believe. Just like I cannot believe that he would have… killed himself, which is what she said happened… All I know is that years of being bullied by that woman made me… well, pathetic; I was trapped.
Get Involved With TCP – Community Theatre with a difference.
Be part of our theatrical journey. Volunteer with The Community Players of New Hamburg. Every year TCP’s productions are made possible by the dedication and energy of hundreds of volunteers and supporters. It takes a huge team to create the magic of a TCP production, and encouraging members of the community to get involved is what TCP loves to do. Whether it’s onstage, acting, singing and dancing, or behind the scenes, sewing, painting or building our theaters, we have a place for you.
TCP is all about community. Since 1984, we have proudly given more than $65,000 back to our community. Whether supporting the local food bank or counseling centers, investing in local projects, such as the new Wilmot Recreation Complex or Splash Pad, or simply helping out other community groups like itself, TCP remains committed to helping those around us and making our community a better one.
The Community Players firmly believe in the possibilities that await us all. It’s part of how we continue to provide “community theater at its very best”. Performing with passion. Giving with compassion. Investing with hope. Come be part of our future! To learn more about volunteering with The Community Players of New Hamburg, please email us at info@thecommunityplayers.com, or call us at 1-800-827-7524.
