MATILDA To Open Broadcast of BBC Children In Need!

The cast of the Royal Shakespeare Company's production of Roald Dahl's Matilda The Musical will kick off the annual BBC Children in Need 2013 Appeal Night broadcast on Friday 15th November from 7:30pm on BBC One.

As previously announced, Sir Terry Wogan, Tess Daly, Fearne Cotton, Zoe Ball and Nick Grimshaw will play host to some of the biggest names in music, comedy and entertainment including One Direction, Doctor Who, Harry Hill, and cast of Call The Midwife. British sporting legends Torvill & Dean will perform in the Strictly Come Dancing ballroom whilst the cast of EastEnders will put on a special performance featuring a plethora of dance styles from Bollywood to ballroom, live in Albert Square.

Since 1980 Children in Need, the BBC's UK charity, has raised over £600 million to change the lives of disadvantaged and young people across the UK. To donate visit www.bbc.co.uk/pudsey

Catherine Mallyon, RSC Executive Director, said: "We are very proud to have been invited to open the BBC One broadcast of Children in Need this year. The whole company of Matilda The Musical has worked hard to rehearse a performance that we hope will charm audiences in the studio and across the country. It is a privilege and a joy to be part of such a key TV event in every British household. The purpose, of course, is clear: when you've enjoyed our performance please pick up the phone and get this year's appeal off to a flying start by donating to this remarkable charity."

The night of entertainment will also include exclusive performances from the BBC Children in Need Rocks concert masterminded by Gary Barlow as well as other music guests across the evening including JLS, Wet Wet Wet, Tinie Tempah, and Ellie Goulding singing the official BBC Children in Need single, 'How Long Will I Love You'.

The Royal Shakespeare Company's production of Roald Dahl's Matilda The Musical has captured the imagination of young and old alike. Over one million people have seen the show since it opened at The Courtyard Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon in November 2010. 8,000 tickets have been sold at £5 as part of the Royal Shakespeare Company's day seats ticket scheme for 16-25 year olds. Now booking until 21 December 2014, the production continues to play to packed houses at the Cambridge Theatre in London.

Sweeping the board at the 2012 Laurence Olivier Awards, winning a record-breaking seven awards, Matilda The Musical has gone on to take Broadway by storm winning four Tony Awards and a Tony Honor for Excellence in the Theater for each of the four girls sharing the title role. The show has now received a total of 47 awards in Stratford-upon-Avon, London and New York.

Matilda The Musical was commissioned by the RSC and played to sold-out audiences at the RSC's The Courtyard Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon for twelve weeks from November 2010 to January 2011. It transferred to London's West End on Tuesday 25 October 2011.

The New York production of Matilda The Musical, produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company and The Dodgers, began previews on 4 March 2013 with opening night on 11 April 2013 at Broadway's Shubert Theatre.