The Resident takes a quick five with Amy Ellen Richardson who plays the wonderfully horrible Mrs Wormwood in Matilda the Musical now on at the Cambridge Theatre in the West End.
What do you enjoy most about performing Mrs Wormwood?
Mrs Wormwood is seen as one of the villains of the story- a love to hate character, so that’s always interesting and enjoyable to approach as an actor, as the ‘baddies’ never start out nasty; they too have their own back story as to why they became that way.
She has an incredibly opinionated, loud and spiky personality within the Wormwood household, with a specific taste in fashion all of which is so much fun to play around with!
I have wonderful one liners by the brilliant Dennis Kelly and also a rather outrageous number in the first act of the show that I highly relish every night! There’s so much to enjoy about her.
Is it a blessing or a curse to take on such a well-known character and why?
It’s absolutely a blessing to bring a well-known Roald Dahl character to life! It’s so exciting creatively as you get to give your own unique spin on them as well.
Having played the character since September 2022, how do you keep the performance fresh each night?
I adore the challenge of keeping my performance fresh every night. You’ll never see the same show twice, that’s the beauty of live theatre and I adore it.
The audience and variables around you are constantly changing even though your foundations are rock steady, so as a performer I am always learning and listening out there on stage.
Tell us about your most memorable Matilda on stage moment so far.
My most memorable moment in Matilda thus far has been our opening night back in September 2022.
The reaction to us and to this special show was overwhelming, the entire audience were on their feet cheering whilst wiping away tears of joy and it reminded me just how vital the arts truly are to people in this ever changing world we live in.
What's your favourite part of the show and why?
I have many favourite moments, but if I were to choose a couple right now I’d say one is a number called When I Grow Up.
The lyrics and melody that Tim Minchin has written plus the way it is staged is utterly beautiful. It’s immensely nostalgic and moves you to remember the innocence of youth.
The other moment is watching the standing ovation for the young actors taking their bow as the role of Matilda each night. The whole audience are in total awe and respect of our wonderfully talented young cast members, as am I, and rightly so.
Catch Amy as Mrs Wormwood in Matilda the Musical at Cambdrige Theatre in Covent Garden.
Address: Earlham Street, WC2H 9HU
Website: uk.matildathemusical.com
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