Matilda: Home Outfit
Act 1: Scenes #1-3
When she is at home, Matilda wears regular, casual clothes appropriate for her age. Throughout her scenes in this outfit, her parents berate her for her boring and bland personality compared to theirs. While the Wormwoods are dressed in vibrant 1980s attire, Matilda wears a plain dress to reflect the way they view their daughter they do not understand.
Matilda & School Kids: School Uniforms
Act 1 & 2: Scenes #3 - End of Show
Matilda and her fellow students, both big and little kids, must wear school uniforms when attending Crunchem Hall in this musical. The gray, black, and navy blue school uniforms represent the drab and conforming nature of the school for the children. The younger boys are dressed in shorts while the older boys wear pants, showing a difference in age and maturity between the two, also seen in the older boys rolling up the sleeves of their button ups and cardigans.
Matilda, Agatha Trunchbull, & School Kids: Gym Outfits
Act 2: Scenes #17a-19a
During the gym scene with Miss Trunchbull, the school kids are required to dress out of their school uniforms and step into gym attire to endure the punishment of physical education for their rebellious ways. The clothes are simple breathable clothes for the children to sweat in, all uniform once again to show not only their oppression within the school's walls, but to show the group of kids as one against Trunchbull. Miss Trunchbull adorns old-fashioned gym wear with a whistle to condition the children throughout "The Smell of Rebellion."
Acrobat & Escapologist: Shiny White Scarf
Act 1 & 2: Scenes #3-20
The Acrobat and Escapologist in Matilda's story are incredibly passionate, talented individuals looking to devote the love they have for each other and their career to their future child, but have trouble achieving their dream of a family. The Escapologist gives the Acrobat the scarf as a sign of good luck and his love for her showcasing their care for another to their many audiences. The white, bedazzled, and embellished scarf catches the eyes of the audience and later represents the love Miss Honey still feels from her parents, unfortunately both deceased from the wrongdoings of Principal Trunchbull.
Mr. Wormwood: Hat and Green Hair
Hat - Act 1 & 2: All Scenes
Green Hair - Act 1 & 2: Scene #2a - End of Show
Matilda's prank on her father turns into a catastrophic hair disaster for Mr. Wormwood, mixing together hair products that dye her father's hair green. The neon green hair represents Matilda getting back at her parents little by little and ties into the show's bright 1980's color palette. This reveal is done through a slide of hand wig removal with a towel and already applied green hair dye gel during Scene #2a.
Mrs. Wormwood: Platinum Blonde Hair and Pregnancy Belly
Act 1 & 2: All Scenes
During "Naughty," Matilda acknowledges her mother's blonde hair that Mrs. Wormwood takes much pride in. Throughout the show her hair is addressed a few times, another notable time being when she leaves to go bleach her roots. The blonde hair reflects the style for the time and her eccentric personality, as well as her efforts in keeping up appearances in her salsa and ballroom dance career. The script also requires Mrs. Wormwood to show signs of pregnancy at the beginning of the show as a shock factor for the audience. To show how far along she was in her pregnancy, we chose a third trimester sized belly for her to wear under her hospital gown, a piece also required by the script.