MATILDA

SCRIPT PLAY
PART 1
Scene 1 (Matilda’s house. Matilda and her father)

It’s a strange thing about mothers and fathers. Even when their child is the dirtiest little
animal you have ever seen, they still think that he or she is wonderful. But there
are parents who are not interested in their children in any way, and these of
course are m u c h worse.
Mr and Mrs Worm w ood had an ordinary little boy, Michael, and a daughter, Matilda.
But they were so busy with their unimportant business that they did not realize
Matilda was clever. Very clever.

Matilda – Daddy, Could you buy me a book?

Mr. Wormwood – A book? What’s wrong with the TV? We’ve got a nice TV!

Scene 2 (library. Matilda and Mrs Phelps)

One afternoon Matilda walked to the library in the village. Mrs Phelps, the woman at the
library, was surprised to see this small girl. She helped Matilda to find the children’s books
section. After that, Matilda walked down to the library every afternoon and sat in a corner
reading.

Matilda What can I read next? I’ve finished all the children’s books.
Mrs Phelps (surprised) How old are you Matilda?
Matilda I’m four
Mrs Phelps What sort of book would you like?
Matilda A really good one. A famous one.
Mrs Phelps You can borrow books from the library and take them home, Matilda. Did you know?
Matilda Really? Can I?

After that she visited the library once every week to borrow new books and to return the old
ones.

Scene 3 (matilda’s house. The wormwoods)

Matilda’s father bought and sold cars. He seemed to make a lot of money from that. Sawdust
was his secret. He mixed it with the oil in the gearbox and made it work very well for a day or
two. He also used the electric drill to turn the miles clock backwards very fast.
(They watch TV and have supper with their plates on their knees in the living room)

Michael Very clever dad

Matilda That’s not honest daddy!
Mr Wormwood Nobody gets rich by being honest! You’re just a stupid girl!
Mrs Wormwood That’s right! Keep your mouth shut, Matilda! We want to watch the TV!
Matilda Mummy, Can I eat my supper in the dining room so that I can read my book?
Mr Wormwood (angry) Supper is a family meal! Nobody will leave the table until we’ve finished!
Matilda But daddy, we don’t eat at the table. We always eat with our plates on our knees while we
watch TV.
Mr Wormwood And what’s wrong with watching the TV?

Matilda didn’t answer. She was too angry. It was time to do something.

Scene 4

Song: Naughty- Matilda the Musical

(matilda’s house. Matilda, her father and mother)

The next morning Matilda secretly took his father’s hat and put strong glue round the inside.
Mr Wormwood didn’t notice anything and put his hat on.

Mrs Wormwood I can’t! Don’t move!

Mr Wormwood STOP! You’ll pull the skin off my head!
Matilda Did your head get bigger daddy?
Mr Wormwood Shut up!

(Matilda is reading in a corner of the living room. Mr Wormwood switches the TV on to the noisiest
programme)

Mr Wormwood Don’t you ever stop reading? What’s this stupid book? Go and find something useful
to do! (Pulls the pages out of the book)
Matilda That’s a library book! I have to return it!
Mr Wormwood (making fun of her) Thit’s a libriry bik. Then you’ll have to buy a new one!

Matilda did not cry. She was angry. She started to think of a plan. She borrowed Fred’s parrot
and hid it behind the cupboard. That evening while they were watching TV a voice came loud
and clear.

Scene 5 (matilda’s house. The wormwoods)

Parrot HELLO HELLO HELLO

Mrs Wormwood Harry! There’s someone in the house!
Parrot HELLO HELLO HELLO
Mrs Wormwood It’s robbers!
Parrot Dead’s man dinner! Dead’s man dinner!
Matilda It’s a ghost!
Mrs Wormwood Save us!
Mr wormwood (scared) I’m getting out of here!

Both mother and father were quite polite to their daughter for about a week.

Scene 6 (school classroom. Matilda, Miss Honey, students)

Most children begin school when they are five years old or less. But Matilda’s parents forgot to
send her. She was six when she went for the first time. Crunchem School had about two
hundred and fifty children and the head teacher was called Miss Trunchbull. She was a terrible
woman who frightened the children and the teachers. Matilda’s teacher was Miss Honey. She
never shouted and all children loved her.
Miss Honey I want to help you to learn quickly. By the end of this week, I want you all to be able to
multiply by two. Can any of you do that already?

(Matilda puts her hand up)

Miss Honey Wonderful! Please, show us

Matilda Two twos are four, two threes are six, two fours are eight, two fives are ten, two sixs are
twelve…
Miss Honey Stop! How far can you go?
Matilda I don’t know
Miss Honey Can you tell me what two twenty eights are?
Matilda Fifty six Miss Honey
Miss Honey What about something more difficult? Four hundred and eighty seven multiplied by two.
Matilda Nine hundred and seventy four
Miss Honey (confused and surprised) That’s really wonderful! Who taught you to do this? Was it your
mother?
Matilda No
Miss Honey your father?
Matilda No. I don’t know. I don’t find it difficult at all. I just do it in my head.
Miss Honey Can any of you read a book?
Matilda I can Miss Honey. I’ve read all the children’s books in the library.
Miss Honey And what are your reading now?
Matilda I like Charles Dickens’ books

A little later Miss Honey went to Miss Trunchbull’s office.

Scene 7 (miss trunchbull’s office. Miss Honey and Miss Trunchbull)

Miss Trunchbull What do you want? I’m busy

Miss Honey There is a little girl in my group called Matilda.
Miss Trunchbull What did she do?
Miss Honey Oh no she’s a very nice girl and very clever. We must put her in with the group of
eleven-year old children.
Miss Trunchbull Oh I see. She’s too difficult for you. Well the answer is no! Matilda stays with you
Miss Honey But Miss Trunchbull, please
Miss Trunchbull Don’t say another word!
Miss Honey goes out the office and says: I have to do something
Miss Honey During each lesson I’m going to give you one of these books to study. Then you can
come and ask me questions about it.
Matilda Thank you very much Miss Honey

Scene 8 (matilda’s house. Miss Honey, Mr and Mrs wormwood)

Miss Honey decided to go and have a secret talk with Matilda’s parents. She wanted Matilda’s
parents to understand that their daughter was very special. Miss Honey walked to the
Wormwood’s house and waited to be sure that Matilda was in bed. She knocked on the door.

Mr Wormwood If you’re selling something we don’t want any

Miss Honey I’m not. I’m Matilda’s teacher.
Mr Wormwood What did she do now?
Miss Honey No, I mean, I have good news. Can I come inside?
Mr Wormwood We’re watching our favourite TV programme on TV
Miss Honey Is a TV programme more important than your daughter? Then you aren’t very good
parents! Listen to me please!
Mr Wormwood All right. Be quick
Mrs Wormwood Who is it?
Mr Wormwood A school teacher
Miss Honey My name is Jennifer Honey. I just came to tell you that Matilda is very clever.
Mrs Wormwood I knew that she could read. But what’s the deal about it? A pretty face is more
important than books for a girl, Miss Hunky
Miss Honey It’s Honey. You don’t understand. I think that Matilda will be ready to go to university
in two years from now
Mrs Trunchbull University? That’s not necessary! Just marry a rich man and you’re done
Miss Honey Oh my! I can see that we’re not going to agree about this. Have a good day.

PART 2

Scene 9 (School. Matilda, Lavender, Miss Trunchbull, Amanda)

Among Matilda’s new friends was the girl called Lavender. She told Matilda some terrible
stories about Miss Trunchbull

Lavender She doesn’t like very small children. Have you heard about the Chokey?
Matilda What’s the Chokey?
Lavender It’s a very small cupboard in Trunchbull’s office. The walls and doors have bits of broken
glass.
Miss Trunchbull Amanda Thripp! Come here! Cut off some of that dirty long hair before you come
back to school tomorrow! Do you hear?
Amanda My mummy likes it long
Miss Trunchbull Mai mimmi likis it ling. Do as I tell you, you little rat! (Trunchbull throws her away)

Scene 10 (School. Bruce, Miss Trunchbull, Matilda, students)

Miss Trunchbull Bruce Bogtrotter! Come up here! This robber went into the school kitchen
yesterday and stole some of my special chocolate cake! It was not for kids, It was for me! Do you
like my chocolate cake, Bogtrotter?
Bruce It’s very good
Miss Trunchbull You’re right, it is very good. Cook! Come in here! Sit down Bogtrotter. It’s all for
you! Nobody will leave this room until you’ve finished eating all the cake
Lavender He’ll be sick!
Matilda Come on Bruce, you can do it!
All Bruce, bruce, bruce!
Trunchbull Quiet!!! (crashes plate on Bruce’s head) Get out of here! All of you!

Scene 11

Song: The Kids are coming

(school classroom. Miss Trunchbull, matilda, miss honey, students)

Miss Trunchbull used to give them a lesson once a month. Miss Honey warned the children not
to speak or ask questions. She asked them to put a large glass of water on the desk. Lavender
offered herself to do it. After school that day, she went down to the river. There was a family
of newts. She caught one and put it in her pencil box. The next day, she took it to school and
put it into Trunchbull’s glass of water.

Miss Trunchbull I don’t like small people. Why do children take so long to grow up? I think they do
it on purpose. (picks up the glass and drinks then screams) What is it? It’s a snake! Matilda! Stand
up you little rat!
Matilda I didn’t do it!
Miss Trunchbull Shut up and sit down!
(Matilda pushes the glass over)
Miss Trunchbull Who did it? Who pushed the glass? Matilda it was you! Speak you ugly little spider!
Matilda I swear I didn’t do it!
Miss Honey She didn’t do it. She was next to me.
(Miss Trunchbull walks out making unpleasant noises)

Matilda Miss Honey , the glass of water

Miss Honey What about it Matilda? I know you didn’t do it
Matilda But I did push it over. With my eyes. I was very angry, I looked at the glass and think “push
it over” and it did.
Miss Honey Can you do it again?
Matilda (pushes the glass) I did it much quicker last time
Miss Honey Will you come back and have tea at my house? I want to talk to you

Scene 12 (Miss Honey’s house. Miss Honey and matilda)

Miss Honey Sit down. We’ll have a nice cup of tea
Matilda Are all teachers very poor, Miss Honey?
Miss Honey No. Can I tell you a story?
Matilda Yes!

Miss Honey told Matilda all about her. She was twenty-three years old. Her father was a doctor
and they lived in a beautiful large house. Her mother died and her aunt went to live with
them. But her aunt was not a kind person. When Miss Honey was five, her father died
mysteriously. Her father’s house was suddenly her aunt’s.

Matilda Was your aunt nicer to you?

Miss Honey She was worse! It was terrible
Matilda Did you go to school?
Miss Honey Yes. I went to the same school you’re going now. When I grew up I got a job as a
teacher.

Miss Honey’s aunt asked Miss Honey to give her an amount of money each month. So Miss
Honey escaped from her father’s house and went to live to a very small farmer’s house.

Matilda That’s terrible! Who is she?

Miss Honey Miss Trunchbull
Matilda Miss Trunchbull? She’s your aunt
Miss Honey Yes
Matilda I’ve got an idea. How did they use to call you and each other?
Miss Honey She called him Magnus and my father called her Agatha. They called me Jenny.
Matilda Thank you
Scene 13

(Matilda practices using her powers) Song: Little Bitty Pretty One

(At school)

Miss Trunchbull Stand up! Give me an answer to this. I have seven apples, seven oranges and seven
bananas. How many pieces of fruit do I have? Quickly!
Wilfred That isn’t multiplying
Miss Trunchbull You stupid boy! You ugly little spider! (Catches his feet in her hands) Say after me!
Seven threes are twenty-one!
Lavender (points to the board) the chalk! It’s moving! It’s writing something!
All the children Agatha
Miss Trunchbull Who’s doing it?
All Agatha, this is Magnus
Miss Trunchbull No! It can’t be!
All Agatha, give my Jenny back her house. Give Jenny her money. Then go away or I will come and
get you! Like you got me! It’s a promise!
Wilfred Miss Trunchbull is on the floor!
Miss Honey Please go out into the playground until next lesson (gives Matilda a kiss)

Nobody ever saw Miss Trunchbull again after that day. She left the school and the village.

Scene 14 (Miss Honey’s house. Matilda and Miss Honey)

Miss Honey (reads the letter) “Dear Miss Honey, your father’s will has suddenly arrived at our office
today. It is a mystery. The will says that your father’s house is yours. His money is still safely in the
bank and that is yours. Could you please come to the office as soon as possible?”
Miss Honey Matilda I’ll never be able to thank you enough. You’ve done so much for me

Miss Honey went the same day. Two weeks later, she was living in her father’s beautiful house.
Matilda went there every evening after school. At school there was a new head teacher, and
Matilda was now with the older, cleverer group of children. One day Miss Honey walked with
Matilda to the girl’s house. When they arrived they saw a big car outside. Her mother and
father were putting suitcases into the car.

Scene 15 (matilda’s house. Matilda, Miss Honey, Mr and Mrs Wormwood, Michael)

Matilda What’s happening daddy?

Mr Wormwood We’re leaving. We’re going to Spain
Matilda I don’t want to go to Spain. I love it here!
Mr Wormwood well, we’re not coming back
Matilda What? Miss Honey I want to live here with you! Can I stay with you?
Miss Honey Well, yes but
Matilda Can I stay with her daddy? Please! Say yes, please!
Miss Honey I love her and I’ll look after her and I’ll pay for everything.
Mrs Wormwood Come on Harry! Say yes!
Mr wormwood All right. If she wants to stay she can stay

Song: When I Grow Up - Matilda the Musical