Marika Aubrey, Daniel Frederiksen, Elise McCann and James Millar to Star in MATILDA, Coming to Sydney This July!

The Royal Shakespeare Company, Louise Withers, Michael Coppel & Michael Watt today announced four of the principal cast for the Australian Premiere Season of Matilda the Musical, which commences performances from July 28 in Sydney.

They are (in alphabetical order), Marika Aubrey (Mrs Wormwood), Daniel Frederiksen (Mr Wormwood), Elise McCann (Miss Honey) and James Millar (Miss Trunchbull).

The Australian premiere season of Matilda the Musical is proudly supported by the NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency Destination NSW.

This production was originally developed with the support of the RSC Literary Department. The RSC Literary Department is generously supported by THE DRUE HEINZ TRUST.

The RSC Ensemble is generously supported by THE GATSBY CHARITABLE FOUNDATION and THE KOVNER FOUNDATION.

MATILDA THE MUSICAL will play the Sydney Lyric Theatre from 28 July 2015. Tickets now on sale for performances through to 25 October. Book at Ticketmaster 1300 795 267 www.ticketmaster.com.au. Groups 20+ call 02 8240 2290 or groups@ticketmaster.com.auIn person at the Lyric Box Office or any Ticketmaster outlet. Tickets: $50-$150. **Transaction fees may apply

BIOGRAPHIES (in alphabetical order):

Marika Aubrey - Mrs Wormwood - Graduate of Theatre Nepean Acting Program and BBM Drama Award recipient, Marika's credits span across television, film, cabaret and theatre. Screen credits include roles in Channel 7's All Saints, Southern Star's Spirited, and feature film Feed alongside Jack Thompson and Alex O'Loughlin. Cabaret credits and achievements include the Showcase Award in the annual Sydney Cabaret Showcase and being named Best Cabaret Performer by Aussie Theatre for her critically acclaimed solo show CAUTION: Aggressive Birds in 2009. Marika has toured her works to sold-out audiences at Adelaide Cabaret Festival, Slide Cabaret Festival and across Australia. Her performances in Redhead and The First Draft of Something New were nominated for GLUG Awards. Marika's musical theatre credits include The Last Five Years, nominated for Best Musical at the Sydney Theatre Awards, South Pacific, critically acclaimed Miracle City and most recently Aldonza in Squabbalogic's Man Of La Mancha. Marika can be heard on the original Australian cast recording of Miracle City, due for release April 2015, as well as the Generation Why? album (with Hayden Tee), has recorded 'Meadowlark' on the second Showqueen Sessions Live CD and her solo release Redhead.

Daniel Frederiksen - Mr Wormwood - Logie and AFI nominated Daniel Frederiksen has had an extensive career across film, television and theatre.After studying at NIDA, he first achieved recognition in the television series Blue Heelers, followed by a series regular role in Stingers, for which he was nominated for a Logie Award for Best New Talent. Other TV credits include roles in telemovie Underground, Underbelly 6 " Squizzy Taylor", Redfern Now, and most recently in the ABC's Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries. Daniel won an AFI nomination for Best Actor in a Television Drama for Bastard Boys. His feature film roles include a lead role in Ten Empty, Closed for Winter & the US telemovie Mermaids, as well as playing opposite Nicolas Cage in the action movie Ghost Rider. Other film credits include Summer Coda and Vessell. Some of his stage performances include After Miss Julie, The Pain & The Itch, Leaves of Glass, Fat Boy, Ruben Guthrie, Robot vs. Art and Julius Caesar (Bell Shakespeare Company), The Good Person of Szechuan (Malthouse and The National Theatre of China co-production) and in Melbourne Theatre Company productions of Cheech, Don Juan in Soho, Rockabye, Betty Shaw and Dead Man's Cell Phone. Daniel is a founding member of Red Stitch, Melbourne's top independent theatre company.

Elise McCann - Miss Honey - Elise studied Music Theatre at the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA), graduating in 2003. Her professional theatrical debut was in the Australian revival of Fiddler on the Roof alongside Topol. Other early theatrical credits include Camelot, My Fair Lady, Little Women and as Ali in the 10th Anniversary Australian Tour of MAMMA MIA! In 2010, Elise appeared in the World Premiere Production of Doctor Zhivago, followed by appearances in On the Twentieth Century, Side by Side by Sondheim, the new work 12 Songs to Save Your Life and the Australian tour of the Lincoln Center Theater production of South Pacific.
Recent credits include Cordelia in Falsettos, Florinda in the Victorian Opera's production of Into the Woods, It's A Bird, It's a Plane, It's Superman! and as Lucille Ball in her one-woman show, Everybody Loves Lucy, which has been touring Australia since its premiere season in early 2014. Elise is currently filming Peter Allen - Not The Boy Next Door and will appear as Allen's sister Lynne Woolnough in this miniseries, scheduled for broadcast later this year.

James Millar - Miss Trunchbull - James is a graduate of WAAPA. His performance credits include the Australian premiere of Grey Gardens for The Production Company, Noe?l and Gertie for Christine Dunstan Productions, Oklahoma! for The Production Company, Snugglepot and Cuddlepie for Company B Belvoir, Eureka for the Melbourne International Arts Festival, The Little Dog Laughed for the Ensemble Theatre, the Sydney and Melbourne seasons of Gutenberg! The Musical! for which he was nominated for both a Sydney Theatre Award and Green Room Award, Company, Jerry Springer: The Opera for the Sydney Opera House and Love Bites, which enjoyed two seasons in Sydney and in Perth. In 2006 James won the Green Room Award for Best Supporting Actor in the role of Jud Fry in Oklahoma! That same year he was selected to perform in Cardiff for BBC Radio 2's Voice of Musical Theatre. Also an accomplished writer, James penned the book and lyrics for The Hatpin, which played seasons in Sydney and New York in 2008 and London in 2014, and Lovebites: A Song Cycle, both of which were nominated for Sydney Theatre Awards in 2009. In 2011 he was commissioned to write the book and lyrics for A Little Touch of Chaos, which won The VCA New Works grant in 2014. In London, James performed in Chess, The Ring Cycle at The Royal Opera House and is a prolific audiobook narrator.

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