Meet Matilda’s Terrible Parents
Totally consumed by self-interest, Matilda’s parents are the tawdriest of characters. Marika Aubrey plays the ballroom dancer Mrs Wormwood, while Daniel Frederiksen is shonky used car salesman Mr Wormwood in the musical, Matilda, now on stage in Sydney, ahead of Melbourne next year. David Spicer spoke to them, along with the writer of the musical’s book, Dennis Kelly.
Online extras! Watch a performance by the Australian cast of Matilda. Scan the QR code or visit https://youtu.be/0yBTBSYEWZA 14 Stage Whispers September - October 2015
Marika Aubrey and Daniel Frederiksen as Mr and Mrs Wormwood in Matilda. Photo: Lightbox Photography.
Marika: We are the villains and the bad parents in the show. At the same time it is made clear I don’t think any children are truly scared by us. They are so silly and stupid. Daniel: You could not take them seriously; my father was a used car salesman. He’s coming to see it. He will be mortified, because they did put sawdust in gear-boxes and wind back the speedometers on cars. Marika: I have the best mother in the world. She is glorious, she is everything Mrs Wormwood isn’t. I had to think about all the opposite qualities and go there. In my life I love kids. I am a maternal person. Daniel: It is a weird thing, you just want to squish them but hug them straight after. I worked in childcare when I was much younger. Both of us love being around kids. It is a weird thing. Everyone one knows it is play-acting. Marika: All four of them (the girls playing Matilda) are so mature and handle it with such grace. Daniel: In the first week you are trying to be as nasty as you can. This feels terrible. It also feels kind of good.