Awards triumph for the Matildas
Musical wins 7 Olivier awards (with a best actress gong for its four stars to share)
IT sounds like the sort of mathematical equation that Matilda herself would have thoroughly enjoyed.
Add four little girls together, multiply by a sell- out stage show – and they equal one award-winning actress.
Aged from ten to 12, the four schoolgirls who play Matilda jointly took the accolade for best actress in a musical at the prestigious Olivier Awards last night.
Eleanor Worthington Cox, ten, Cleo Demetriou, 11, Kerry Ingram, 12, and Sophia Kiely, also 12, beat veteran actresses such as Sarah Lancashire, 47, Kat Fleetwood, 39, and 29-year-old Scarlett Strallen.
The girls share the lead role in Matilda the Musical because of strict child protection laws which dictate that each child can only perform two shows a week. While Eleanor is the youngest, all four have beaten the record for the youngest recipient of an Olivier.
It was previously held by the boys from Billy Elliot, who were aged 13 to 15 when they scooped best actor in a musical in 2006.
The girls took it in their stride, with Eleanor saying the win was ‘pretty cool’ compared to her last prize – a ‘little silver plastic medal’ for athletics at school.
Kerry said she was ‘mind-blown’ by the success and Cleo said winning the award was ‘a million times bigger’ than the audience applause at the end of the show.
And their record-breaking night didn’t stop there, with Matilda the Musical dominating the glittering ceremony by taking seven awards, including best new musical.
It won more gongs at the prestigious theatre awards than any other show in history, beating Nicholas Nickleby, which took six in 1980.
The Royal Shakespeare Company production is based on Roald Dahl’s children’s book about an extremely intelligent little girl who has special powers.
It has drawn full houses to the Cambridge Theatre in the West End since transferring there from Stratford-upon-avon last year.
The four schoolgirls were the stars of the night, posing together on the red carpet. Despite her tender years, Kerry is a musicals veteran, having previously performed in Annie, The Wizard of Oz, Beauty and the Beast and Oliver! She attends Red roofs Theatre School in Maidenhead.
Co-star Sophia is a student at the Royal Academy of Dance. She has appeared in a touring version of Ballet Shoes, but Matilda marks her West End debut.
Cyprus-born Cleo, meanwhile, has been performing in the West End since the age of seven. She made her professional debut playing Gretl in The Sound of Music and has recently performed alongside Alfie Boe and Matt Lucas in Les Miserables. Eleanor has the least experience, having previously only appeared in a small role in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
Born in Merseyside, she trained at Formby School of Dance and Performing Arts, and Matilda is her first West End production.
The other accolades received by Matilda the Musical during the ceremony at the Royal Opera House included best actor in a musical, which went to Bertie Carvel for his role as the evil Miss Trunchbull.
Matthew Warchus also received the best director award for his work on the show.
Meanwhile, actor James Corden – who won plaudits for his slapstick comedy in One Man, Two Guvnors – was beaten to the best actor award by Benedict Cumberbatch.
The Sherlock star shared the award with Jonny Lee Miller for their roles in Frankenstein.
The Oliviers are the most prestigious awards ceremony in the theatrical calendar.