Taking 3yo DD to Matilda theatre performance

[RedRobyn2021]

The site recommends 6+ but I don't believe it's enforced, just recommended

My daughter has a fantastic attention span (she will sit and do puzzles aimed at 5yo) and I have taken her to the cinema before where she has been enamoured for 2 hours. So I have absolutely no concerns about her being well behaved and enjoying the show.

I just want to know if it's too scary?

I went to see it in NY years ago myself but I can't really remember it except I thought it was fantastic

3 is too young.

Matilda is quite dark in places. There is a whole sub plot (acrobat and escapologist) not in the book that runs through the show and is quite creepy and scary and ends badly. It would also be quite hard to follow for such a young child.

Not to overegg the pudding but the musical is very loud in many parts. I wouldn't even take a 6 year old tbh. 7 plus, probably (if they were very good at sitting still and not talking)

Think about others who’ve spent a lot of money to be there and wait until she’s 6.

I wouldn’t take her - it wouldn’t be worth the money.

I’d also be worried that the school scenes would scare her off school.

Very good point Pinkfrogss. Not a good idea to take someone who hasn;t started school yet.

OMG yes this!!

I know a 6/7 year old who went and found it too scary. Although most that age would be fine I wouldn't take a 3 year old.

Part of me thinks the same, but I'm pregnant and it really will be years before I can go to London again, then we're going to need to wait until this baby is old enough (and there's always the possibility the next one will be a totally different character and not happy to sit) so it really will be years.

We went to a musical locally of beauty and the beast that was 2 hours (and an intermission) she was definitely the youngest there, but she absolutely loved it.

Ok, I think maybe I will look again at the enormous crocodile I saw that was on. It's just open air so we would prefer dry weather, we're going next week

This is so kind of you, thank you I will look at these

The rules are there for a reason, to protect children and other theatre goers. There is no point in wasting your money on a ticket to be turned away at the door, or to have to take her out when she gets scared/restless.

There is nothing worse than a small child ruining it for everyone else, especially with the price of theatre tickets.

Matilda does have some scary moments.

DD was 6 when I took her to see The Lion King on tour. She was scared by the hyenas and Mufasa's death, and wanted to go home. I had to comfort her, she ended up sat on my lap. I had paid £60 a ticket and wasn't going to go home. I thought she would enjoy it! She didn't create a huge fuss but some children might. I explained during half time that it was like the cartoon but actors and that she would see Mufasa again at the end.

However, it is the only show that she remembers, she doesn't remember Annie or Mary Poppins that she also saw at that age. She only remembers The Lion King because she remembers being scared. She wouldn't see it again until she was 14 but has now seen it 3 times.

We saw Ghostbusters Frozen Empire at the cinema recently. There was one family who had a toddler with them. The child screamed and cried throughout half the film crying out that they were scared and it was too loud, before falling asleep. They were too young to be there and ruined the film for everyone.

Ok 👍 thank you for this

We have been to theatre before locally (we are in the north) and she loved it. But I did notice she was the youngest child I could see there.

I am going to pass on Matilda after reading some of the comments because it sounds like it could be too scary

I haven't read it for years! But I have seen the film in recent years. We have just started reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory though and I had forgotten about some of the commentary about the way the children look, some of it is quite horrible actually

I mentioned in another comment but I'm pregnant so I don't think we will be able to go for a really long time now, we don't live near London and I wouldn't leave the younger one behind. This is just a special trip for us and my mum.

Thank you

Matilda will probably go on tour at some point.

I understand what you’re saying about being in London etc but I don’t know why you’re so desperate for her to see it, especially when she’s too young to remember or understand it.

Maybe when she’s older, and your youngest is old enough for you to leave for a night, you could do a special overnight West End trip with older DD and make a weekend of it.

I've seen and taken my children when they were young to Lion King, Matilda, Charlie & Choc etc and I have seen Frozen as an adult (dd also used to work at Lion King) and out of them all I would say Matilda is the least suitable for a young child.

Too scary

She won't be let in. Don't' waste your money and potentially ruin it for others who've spent £££ on tickets. Just watch the film version.

We went last year, there were a LOT of very bored younger kids who couldn’t stay in their seats, super annoying for all those wanting to watch it, save it for when she can really appreciate it!

I don't think it's that scary, but what I did find is that a lot of the detail and story is sung quite fast and very young children don't really pick up on alternative ways of phrasing things, especially when sung. So it's harder to hold their interest when they don't really understand what's going on.

My daughter was a bit older at 6 but still found it a bit harder to sit through the whole thing peacefully.

I'd wait and go to something more age specific. Can thoroughly recommend the tiger who came to tea which I know is touring again this year.

Has she watched the film? I've not seen it at the theatre so don't know how it compares to the film. But my 5 year old watched the film and was scared through most of it. We even had to fast forwarded through some of it.

Please save reading the Ronald Dahl stories for when she is a bit older, she will enjoy them far more, and you can talk through the scarey, unpleasant bits with her so that she understands them and can deal with them. There are so many age appropriate books for her to enjoy , if you aren’t sure , and I am guessing it’s a long time since you were three 🙂, than ask at her nursery, or your local library childrens department.

Roald.