58 Student-Artists Join Company of 2024 Grand Theatre High School Project: MATILDA the Musical
Megan Watson and Neela Noble return to Spriet Stage with London Proud Company Announcement
May 30, 2024 – London ON – The next generation of theatre is looking tremendously bright, with a record number of young artists auditioning for the Grand Theatre High School Project. This year’s production of Roald Dahl’s MATILDA the Musical will feature the talents of a cast of 35 students, 19 students behind the scenes, as well as four student musicians.
The production will see the return of 20 students from previous Grand Theatre High School Project productions, and welcome 38 new students who will be making their Grand debut. Throughout the audition process, we were thrilled to welcome students heading into grades 9 through 13, from the Thames Valley District School Board, London District Catholic School Board, Waterloo Region District School Board, and Lambton Kent District School Board, as well as home school students.
This September’s production of MATILDA The Musical will truly be London Proud. Megan Watson, sought after nationally and living locally, will make her return to the Grand and helm the production as Director. Megan is well known as the Grand Theatre’s Artistic Associate (2015 – 2022) and as the director of several past productions at the Grand including A Christmas Carol (2018) and Mary Poppins on the Spriet Stage, The Glass Menagerie on the Auburn Stage, Shakespeare: The Mixtape and Julius Caesar as previous High School Project productions, Juno’s Reward as part of the 100 Schools initiative, and curator of the Re-Opening Festival in 2021.
H.B. Beal Secondary School student, Neela Noble, who made her Grand debut as Charlie Bucket in our 2023/24 holiday production, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, now makes her High School Project debut as Matilda! Neela is joined by Marissa Allen as Lavender, Charlie Burnett as Bruce, Theone Damue as Mrs. Phelps, Shakotshanunyatha Doxtator as Michael Wormwood, Piper Jesney as Mrs. Wormwood, Ethan Pickett as Rudolpho, Una Roulston as Miss Honey, Mackenna VanMassenhoven as Miss Agatha Trunchbull, and James Wright as Mr. Wormwood with Miraya Agrawal, Ava Alcaidinho, Sophia Belleth, Leland Chafee, Michael Dodge, Evan Doerr, Sawyer Eidt, Hosna Emami, Greta Fleet, Billie Gould, Abby Hall, Isabelle Hiltz, Aya Holzberg, Alexis Khanna, Jasmine Melo, Erica Mota, Danica Novo, Isabelle Parent, Erin Prouty, Leticia Rodrigues, Olivia Schiedel, Isaac Sellars, Alyssa Skiffington, Isaac Szoldatitis, and Desi vanBeek-Paterson.
Students making up the production team include Marlie Klompstra-White, Chloe Laporte, Aislynn Pinelli, Corinne Smeenk, and Kate Telfer (Props); Ayat Reza, Bea Snider (Scenic Art); Grace Tang, Quentin Vieira (Stage Management); Morrigan Beharriell, Reagan Berdan, Meyer Liston, Eris Marles, Virginia McCallum, Maggie McHardy (Wardrobe); Angelina Moses (Photography and Marketing); Luis Garcia, Joni Lau (Sound); and Adelaide Alcantara (Lighting).
The company further includes returning student-musicians Riley Hales on Woodwinds, Franz Marsolais Hernandez and Ryan Shaw on Keys, and introducing Emily Peacock in the role of Music Assistant.
The student company is mentored by professional guest artists and coaches, culminating in a production staged on the Grand’s 839-seat Spriet Stage. The creative team of guest artists for this year’s High School Project, MATILDA the Musical, includes Megan Watson as Director, Stephen Cota as Choreographer, Scott Penner as Set Design Consultant, Lisa Wright as Costume Designer, Jareth Li as Lighting Designer, Aaron Ouellette as Sound Designer, and Jess Gordon as Assistant Stage Manager. Additional members of the creative team will be announced in the near future.
The 2024 Grand Theatre High School Project, Roald Dahl’s MATILDA The Musical, plays on the Spriet Stage from September 17 to 28, 2024. Tickets are currently available to 2024/25 Grand Theatre season subscribers only. Subscribers save 15% when they add the Grand Theatre High School Project, MATILDA the Musical, to their season. Single tickets will be available to the general public as of June 17, 2024.
The Grand Theatre is grateful to offer Canada Life Pay-What-You-Can pricing, presented on Sunday, September 22 at 2:00 p.m.
The Grand Theatre gratefully acknowledges Season Sponsor BMO, Downtown Community Partner Old Oak Properties, Title Sponsor Western Fair District, and Grand Theatre High School Project Program Sponsors Thames Valley District School Board, London District Catholic School Board, and Westminster College Foundation.
To learn more about the 2024 Grand Theatre High School Project, Roald Dahl’s MATILDA The Musical, please visit: grandtheatre.com/event/matilda. Additional facts, photos and updates can also be found by following @thegrandlondon and #GrandMatilda on Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok.
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About the Grand Theatre – World Curious. London Proud.
The Grand Theatre is known for world-class theatre created and built in London, Ontario. As southwest Ontario’s premiere producing theatre and one of the most beautiful theatre spaces in Canada, the company has deep ties to the community and to its artists, artisans, and technicians.
As a vibrant cultural hub and not-for-profit professional theatre, the Grand serves to gather, inspire, and entertain audiences in London and beyond. At our home in downtown London, we create productions on two stages: the Spriet Stage (839 seats) and the Auburn Developments Stage (144 seats). The Grand season of theatrical offerings runs from September to May, and we collaborate with companies and artists across the country through our co-productions that see London-made artistic and creative work travel to audiences nation-wide. Through our successful COMPASS New Play Development Program, the Grand is committed to developing and premiering new, original works and supporting the growth and reach of theatre writers and creators. Our recently renovated venue offers a contemporary and welcoming environment that is also home to several successful music series’, community arts rentals, cultural, and special events.
A cornerstone of the organization is our place as a teaching theatre, exemplified in our many mentorship programs and highlighted in our annual Grand Theatre High School Project. As the only program of its kind in the country and currently in its twenty-sixth year, the High School Project involves as many as one hundred high school participants annually from schools across the region. These students participate at no cost and take on roles both on stage and off, in a fully realized mainstage production under the direction of a professional creative team.
For more information, visit: grandtheatre.com.
Follow us on Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, and TikTok.
The Grand Theatre is located on the traditional lands of the Anishinaabek, Haudenosaunee, Lūnaapéewak, and Attawandaron Peoples. We acknowledge with gratitude the significant historical and contemporary contributions of local and regional Indigenous Peoples and of all the Original Peoples of Turtle Island (also known as North America). We are honoured to live, work, and tell stories together on this land.
For more information please contact:
Melissa Mae Shipley, Communications and Public Relations Manager
mshipley [at] grandtheatre.com (mshipley[at]grandtheatre[dot]com)
office: 519-672-9030 ext. 266
cell: 519 280 4008
PHOTOGRAPHY
2024 High School Project
ROALD DAHL'S
MATILDA The Musical
Book by Dennis Kelly | Music & Lyrics by Tim Minchin
Orchestrations and Additional Music by Chris Nightingale
Directed by Megan Watson
September 17 to September 28, 2024 | Grand Theatre – Spriet Stage
CREATIVE TEAM
Director – Megan Watson
Choreographer – Stephen Cota
Set Design Consultant – Scott Penner
Costume Designer – Lisa Wright
Lighting Designer – Jareth Li
Sound Designer – Aaron Ouellette
Assistant Stage Manager – Jess Gordon
CAST
Miraya Agrawal – Ensemble
Ava Alcaidinho – Ensemble
Marissa Allen – Lavender
Sophia Belleth – Ensemble
Charlie Burnett – Bruce
Leland Chafee – Ensemble
Theone Damue – Mrs. Phelps
Michael Dodge – Ensemble
Evan Doerr – Ensemble
Shakotshanunyatha Doxtator – Michael Wormwood
Sawyer Eidt – Ensemble
Hosna Emami – Ensemble
Greta Fleet – Ensemble
Billie Gould – Ensemble
Abby Hall – Ensemble
Isabelle Hiltz – Ensemble
Aya Holzberg – Ensemble
Piper Jesney – Mrs. Wormwood
Alexis Khanna – Ensemble
Jasmine Melo – Ensemble
Erica Mota – Ensemble
Neela Noble – Matilda
Danica Novo – Ensemble
Isabelle Parent – Ensemble
Ethan Pickett – Rudolpho
Erin Prouty – Ensemble
Leticia Rodrigues – Ensemble
Una Roulston – Miss Honey
Isaac Sellars – Ensemble
Alyssa Skiffington – Ensemble
Isaac Szoldatitis – Ensemble
Desi vanBeek-Paterson – Ensemble
Mackenna VanMassenhoven – Miss Agatha Trunchbull
James Wright – Mr. Wormwood
Olivia Schiedel – Ensemble
MUSICIANS
Riley Hales – Woodwinds
Franz Marsolais Hernandez – Keys
Emily Peacock – Music Assistant
Ryan Shaw – Keys
PRODUCTION TEAM
Marlie Klompstra-White – Props
Chloe Laporte – Props
Aislynn Pinelli – Props
Corinne Smeenk – Props
Kate Telfer – Props
Ayat Reza – Scenic Art
Bea Snider – Scenic Arts
Grace Tang – Stage Management
Quentin Vieira – Stage Management
Morrigan Beharriell – Wardrobe
Reagan Berdan – Wardrobe
Meyer Liston – Wardrobe
Eris Marles – Wardrobe
Virginia McCallum – Wardrobe
Maggie McHardy – Wardrobe
Angelina Moses – Photography and Marketing
Luis Garcia – Sound
Joni Lau – Sound
Adelaide Alcantara – Lighting
Pictured: Neela Noble as Matilda Wormwood. Styled by Lisa Wright. Photography by Mai Tilson.
