MATILDA: A Five-Person Adaptation
*A full-length adaptation based on the 1996 movie*
CAST BREAKDOWN (Doubling Roles)
1. Matilda / Narrator
2. Miss Honey / Michael Wormwood / Bruce Bogtrotter
3. Miss Trunchbull / Mrs. Phelps (librarian) / Amanda Thripp
4. Mr. Wormwood / Lavender / Nigel
5. Mrs. Wormwood / Schoolchildren / Acrobat / Escape Artist
SCENE 1: MATILDA’S BIRTH
NARRATOR: Everyone is born, but not everyone is born into the right family. Take Matilda
Wormwood, for example. She was a very special little girl… but her parents? Not so much.
MR. WORMWOOD: A boy, right? Tell me it's a boy.
MRS. WORMWOOD: (Shrugs.) *It’s* a baby.
MR. WORMWOOD: (Aghast.) What do you mean, *it’s* a baby?!
MRS. WORMWOOD: I mean, it's small, wrinkly, and screams when it’s hungry. Oh, and it's a
girl.
MR. WORMWOOD: Ugh. Can we exchange it?
SCENE 2: MATILDA LOVES TO READ
MRS. WORMWOOD: What is *that*?
MATILDA: A book.
MRS. WORMWOOD: Ugh, that’s disgusting. Where’s the remote? Go watch some telly like a
normal person.
MATILDA: I like reading. It’s full of stories!
MRS. WORMWOOD: *Real* stories are on TV, Matilda. You can learn everything from reality
shows.
MRS. PHELPS: You again! You’ve read half the library!
MATILDA: I love stories. Do you have any about people who escape bad places?
MRS. PHELPS: Oh, *plenty*.
SCENE 3: MATILDA GETS REVENGE
MR. WORMWOOD: I’m a *brilliant* businessman, Matilda! Just sold a lemon to some sucker
for double the price!
MATILDA: (Aghast.) But… isn’t that cheating?
MR. WORMWOOD: Cheating is just winning with style, kid.
(*Matilda swaps hair products. Next morning, Mr. Wormwood enters with bright green
hair.*)
MRS. WORMWOOD: HARRY! YOUR HEAD LOOKS LIKE A TOXIC WASTE DUMP!
(*Mr. Wormwood sprints off in horror. Matilda grins at the audience.*)
MATILDA: Guess he should’ve read the fine print.
SCENE 4: FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL
TRUNCHBULL: (Booming.) WELCOME TO CRUNCHUM HALL. I RUN A *TIGHT* SHIP. IF YOU
BREAK THE RULES— (*Pauses, evil grin*)— I BREAK YOU.
(*Silence. A child sneezes.*)
TRUNCHBULL: WHO DID THAT?!
(*Nobody answers. Trunchbull points at Amanda Thripp, who wears pigtails.*)
TRUNCHBULL: YOU! PIGTAILS ARE AGAINST THE RULES.
AMANDA: B-but, my mum says they’re cute…
(*Trunchbull grabs Amanda by the pigtails and spins her in circles before throwing her
offstage.*)
(*Miss Honey rushes in as students gasp.*)
MISS HONEY: Miss Trunchbull! That’s… that’s—
TRUNCHBULL: (*Darkly.*) *That’s* how we teach discipline.
(*Trunchbull stomps off. Miss Honey kneels beside Matilda.*)
MISS HONEY: You must be Matilda. I hear you’re quite the reader.
MATILDA: I love books!
MISS HONEY: I think you and I will get along just fine.
SCENE 5: BRUCE BOGTROTTER’S CAKE INCIDENT
TRUNCHBULL: This… is a *criminal*! He stole my chocolate cake!
BRUCE: I only took a tiny bite—
TRUNCHBULL: You shall eat… THE WHOLE CAKE!
(*Bruce is forced to eat an entire cake while students chant his name. He triumphantly
finishes it.*)
TRUNCHBULL: GET OUT OF MY SIGHT!
SCENE 6: MATILDA DISCOVERS HER POWERS
(*Matilda concentrates and a glass of water tips over.*)
MATILDA: I did that… with my *mind*?!
SCENE 7: MISS HONEY’S PAST
MISS HONEY: Trunchbull was my aunt. She took everything from me.
MATILDA: We’ll get it back.
SCENE 8: MATILDA VS. TRUNCHBULL
(*Matilda uses her powers to make Trunchbull think she is haunted by Miss Honey’s father.
Trunchbull flees in terror.*)
STUDENTS: SHE’S GONE!
SCENE 9: MATILDA’S HAPPY ENDING
MISS HONEY: Matilda… would you like to stay with me?
MATILDA: More than anything.
(*Matilda is adopted by Miss Honey. They hug as lights fade.*)
NARRATOR: And so, Matilda got the happy ending she always deserved.
SCENE 2: MATILDA LOVES TO READ
NARRATOR: Matilda was different. While other kids watched TV, she found solace in books.
MRS. WORMWOOD: What is *that*?
MATILDA: A book.
MRS. WORMWOOD: Ugh, that’s disgusting. Go watch some telly like a normal person.
MATILDA: But I love reading!
MRS. PHELPS: You again! You’ve read half the library!
MATILDA: I love stories. Do you have any about people who escape bad places?
MRS. PHELPS: Oh, *plenty*. Let’s start with this one…
SCENE 3: THE WORMWOOD SCAM
MR. WORMWOOD: I’m a *brilliant* businessman! Just sold a lemon to some sucker for
double the price!
MATILDA: (Shocked.) But… isn’t that cheating?
MR. WORMWOOD: Cheating is just winning with style, kid.
(*Matilda swaps his hair products. The next morning, Mr. Wormwood walks in with bright
green hair.*)
MRS. WORMWOOD: HARRY! YOUR HEAD LOOKS LIKE A TOXIC WASTE DUMP!
MATILDA: (To audience, smirking.) Guess he should’ve read the fine print.
SCENE 4: CRUNCHUM HALL
TRUNCHBULL: WELCOME TO CRUNCHUM HALL. I RUN A *TIGHT* SHIP. BREAK THE
RULES— (*pauses*)— AND I BREAK YOU.
(*Silence. A child sneezes.*)
TRUNCHBULL: WHO DID THAT?!
(*No one answers. She points at Amanda Thripp, who wears pigtails.*)
TRUNCHBULL: YOU! PIGTAILS ARE AGAINST THE RULES.
AMANDA: B-but, my mum says they’re cute…
(*Trunchbull grabs Amanda’s pigtails, spins her, and hurls her.*)
MISS HONEY: Miss Trunchbull! That’s— that’s—
TRUNCHBULL: *That’s* how we teach discipline.
SCENE 5: BRUCE BOGTROTTER'S PUNISHMENT
TRUNCHBULL: THIS BOY STOLE MY CHOCOLATE CAKE!
BRUCE: I only took a tiny bite—
TRUNCHBULL: YOU SHALL EAT… THE WHOLE CAKE!
(*Bruce eats the entire cake while the kids chant. He finishes triumphantly.*)
TRUNCHBULL: GET OUT OF MY SIGHT!
SCENE 6: MATILDA DISCOVERS HER POWERS
(*Matilda stares at a glass of water. It wobbles, then tips over.*)
MATILDA: I did that… with my *mind*?!
SCENE 7: MISS HONEY’S PAST
MISS HONEY: Trunchbull was my aunt. She took everything from me.
MATILDA: We’ll get it back.
SCENE 8: MATILDA VS. TRUNCHBULL
(*Matilda uses her powers to make Trunchbull believe she’s haunted. The chalk writes on
its own.*)
CHALK (WRITING): 'Agatha, give Jenny her home back.'
TRUNCHBULL: NO! NO! THIS CAN’T BE!
(*She flees in terror. The students cheer!*)
SCENE 9: MATILDA’S HAPPY ENDING
MISS HONEY: Matilda… would you like to stay with me?
MATILDA: More than anything.
(*They hug as lights fade.*)
NARRATOR: And so, Matilda got the happy ending she always deserved.
