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theatre · Tuesday 15 September 2026 · 7:30pm 
Matilda The Musical
At Bord Gais Energy Theatre · Grand Canal Square, Dublin 2
At Bord Gais Energy Theatre · Grand Canal Square, Dublin 2
The Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of Matilda The Musical arrives at Bord Gáis Energy Theatre for a five-week run from 15 September to 18 October 2026. Based on Roald Dahl’s much-loved story, with music and lyrics by Tim Minchin and book by Dennis Kelly, this is one of the most awarded musicals of its generation - over 100 prizes and counting, including 24 for Best Musical alone. It has played to more than 12 million people across 100 cities in 17 countries. If you have never seen it on stage, this Dublin run is the right moment. If you have, you already know why people book twice.
Matilda Wormwood is a girl who reads voraciously, thinks fast, and lives with parents who regard her as an inconvenience. At school she faces the fearsome Miss Trunchbull, a headmistress of genuinely alarming proportions. The one adult who sees her clearly is the gentle Miss Honey. What unfolds is funny, fierce, and unexpectedly moving - the kind of show that works on children and adults in entirely different ways simultaneously.
Tim Minchin’s songs are the thing: they are clever without being cold, and they stick around in your head long after the curtain comes down. The staging is inventive and kinetic, with a design that feels both playful and polished. Runtime is 2 hours 35 minutes including one interval.
The production includes strobe lighting, flashing lights, smoke and haze - worth knowing if anyone in your group is sensitive. Age guidance is 6 and over; under-16s must be accompanied by an adult aged 18 or older, and under-3s are not admitted to the auditorium.
Several accessible performances run through the season. An Irish Sign Language performance takes place on Friday 3 October at 7:30pm. An audio-described performance with touch tour runs on Saturday 4 October at 2:30pm. A captioned performance is on Saturday 17 October at 2:30pm. A chilled performance - a relaxed environment designed for those who benefit from it - closes the run on Sunday 18 October at 2:30pm.
Bord Gáis Energy Theatre sits on Grand Canal Square in Dublin’s Docklands, a short walk from the water. The easiest public transport option is the Luas Red Line to Mayor Square (NCI), then a ten-minute walk across the Samuel Beckett Bridge. The DART also stops at Grand Canal Dock station, roughly ten minutes on foot from the theatre. From Connolly or Heuston by train, allow around 20 minutes on foot or combine with the Luas.
By car, the theatre has no dedicated car park. The nearest option is Q-Park Grand Canal Square on Chimney View. Traffic restrictions are common on show evenings, so arriving by public transport is the straightforward call.
Grand Canal Square is well placed for a meal before the show - the Docklands has a good spread of restaurants within easy walking distance of the theatre. The city centre is a short Luas ride away if you want to make a full evening of it. There is more to see in Dublin and across Co. Dublin.
Heading to Bord Gais Energy Theatre in Dublin? Dublin has plenty more to see. Read the Dublin area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.