UK's MATILDA to Offer Second 'Relaxed Performance,' June 14

Following the sold-out success of the first relaxed performance of Matilda The Musical in 2014, the Royal Shakespeare Company will present a second relaxed performance at the Cambridge Theatre on Sunday 14th June at 3pm. This forthcoming performance of Matilda The Musical will be the fifth relaxed performance that the Royal Shakespeare Company has staged to date across their projects. The National Autistic Society and Mousetrap Theatre Projects will again work closely with the RSC offering full access to the theatre for people with autism and learning disabilities.

This performance of Matilda The Musical builds on the programme of relaxed performances that the RSC has been running in Stratford-upon-Avon since 2013, when it was amongst the first to adopt and promote the concept. The performance provides a relaxed environment, with elements of the production adapted to reduce anxiety or stress. Lighting and sound levels are adjusted to soften their impact and there is a different approach to noise and moving around the auditorium during the performance. Designated 'chill-out' areas are provided outside the auditorium with soft seating and activities for people to use if being in the auditorium becomes overwhelming for them.

The Royal Shakespeare Company is offering tickets for this performance at the reduced rate of £25 and £10 which can be booked through the RSC ticket hotline or in person at the box office. All bookers will be sent a visual story to help them familiarise themselves with the plot, characters and the setting before they arrive at the theatre. Detailed event and transport information will also be available from www.Matildathemusical.com.

Mark Lever, Chief Executive of the National Autistic Society said:
"We are delighted that the RSC has shown such commitment to improving access for people with autism to fantastic shows such as Matilda The Musical. Trips to the theatre can pose enormous challenges to those living with the condition, but productions like these which are tailored, particularly to their sensory needs, enable whole families to experience the thrill of live theatre together."

Catherine Mallyon, Executive Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company said:
"The last relaxed performance of Matilda The Musical was incredibly successful and received such positive feedback, that we are now planning to present more of these performances across as many of our productions as possible. As we have found with Matilda The Musical and our other shows in Stratford upon Avon, these specially tailored performances are a welcome addition for those audience members who have autism or other disabilities and who find it hard to attend live theatre. The inclusive welcome and relaxed atmosphere give everyone the chance to come and experience our work, and this is very important to us. This was illustrated recently at our relaxed performance of The Christmas Truce which was a hugely enjoyable experience for audiences and everyone involved. Our actors and staff who work on the show found the experience profoundly rewarding. We hope to continue, along with other UK theatres, to make this a standard feature of our artistic programming, along with our captioned and audio described performances."

Susan Whiddington, Director of Mousetrap Theatre Projects said:
"We are delighted to be working collaboratively once again with Matilda The Musical in staging its second relaxed performance. Mousetrap Theatre Projects is committed to making theatre accessible for all and we are pleased to be working in conjunction with the Royal Shakespeare Company which has been a leader in staging exemplary relaxed performances."

Capturing the imagination of young and old alike, the Royal Shakespeare Company's production of Roald Dahl's Matilda The Musical continues to play to packed houses at the Cambridge Theatre in London. Seen by over 1.5million people since it transferred to the West End in October 2011, the production 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. In 2014 Matilda The Musicalcelebrated its 1000th performance in London and tickets are now on sale until 20 December 2015.

Inspired by the beloved book by the incomparable Roald Dahl, Matilda The Musical is the story of an extraordinary little girl who, armed with a vivid imagination and a sharp mind, dares to take a stand and change her own destiny. Matilda The Musical is written by playwright Dennis Kelly, with music and lyrics by comedian, musician and composer Tim Minchin, and direction by Matthew Warchus.

Matilda The Musical has now received a total of 50 awards in Stratford-upon-Avon, London and New York.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 New York production of Matilda The Musical, produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company and The Dodgers opened in March 2013 at Broadway's Shubert Theatre. During 2015, the London and Broadway productions of Matilda The Musical will be joined by the US tour opening in Los Angeles at the end of May and the Australian premiere in Sydney this August.

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