News Archive

Tomorrow evening, Saturday 10th September 2016, Tim will be performing at the celebrations for the Last Night of the Proms in Hyde Park, London.
Proms in the Park is an open-air concert, presented by Michael Ball and featuring a host of musical stars along with the BBC Concert Orchestra, conducted by Richard Balcombe.

Tim will be performing several songs from Matilda The Musical with two of the Matildas, Zaris-Angel Hator and Clara Read (pictured L-R) and the BBC Concert Orchestra (no room for them in the picture). He’ll also perform a song from his new musical Groundhog Day.

There are various ways to watch and catch up on Proms events including online video coverage from the Last Night of the Proms in the Royal Albert Hall and the Proms in the Park events around the country at bbc.co.uk/proms. We’re unable to give a time that Tim and the Matildas will hit the stage in Hyde Park but there will be a live blog at the above link and social media coverage which may give some indication on the day.

Please check here for all the ways to watch and listen, along with timings and what you can access if you are not UK based, but in summary:

The Royal Albert Hall event will be streamed live, whilst the Park events will be shown via BBC Red Button coverage.

Live coverage will also be available via BBC iPlayer.

After the events, on-demand audio and video content will be available at bbc.co.uk/proms.

It is still possible to book tickets for the Proms in the Park event! For more information about tickets, including day tickets please take a look at the BBC Proms website, where you’ll also find details about the full line-up.

Today’s rehearsal photos all courtesy of Matilda The Musical which is currently playing to enthusiastic audiences at the Cambridge Theatre, London, as well as in the US, Canada and Australia.

Matilda and Me airs in the UK on Tuesday 13th September at 9pm on Sky Arts.

(Repeat schedule, Now TV details and trailers below)

Narrated by Tim’s sister Nel, who co-directed with Rhian Skirving, Matilda and Me is a family documentary telling the story of Matilda The Musical‘s journey to the Sydney Lyric Theatre, where the Australian production of the global smash hit opened last year.

Through a mix of footage (including some rare family moments), interviews, musical performance and Australian Matilda The Musical rehearsals, Matilda and Me charts Tim’s long-term fascination with Roald Dahl and the intimate relationship that developed between him and the multi-award-winning musical, for which he is now internationally known. Specially shot footage of Tim globetrotting between LA, London and Sydney, culminates with his return home for the triumphant opening night of Matilda The Musical in Australia.

Nel Minchin: “Anyone who has a brother or sister knows what it’s like to grow up so close to someone, and yet still be surprised at who they turn out to be. It was a chance for me to go back in time and piece together how my brother Tim became ‘Tim Minchin’ right before my eyes.”

Tim: “When Nel approached me about being involved in a Matilda doco, I was mostly just excited that she (and her co-director, Rhian, who is one of my best mates) had an excuse to come to LA to hang out. But what they’ve created is really lovely and surprising. They have explored my (unremarkable) origin story, and woven it beautifully into the (remarkable) origin story of this musical… celebrating the world-class Aussie theatre industry on the way. Clever sis.”

Image courtesy of Madman & In Films

Matilda and Me is an IN FILMS production for the ABC.

Matilda and Me will be repeated on Sky Arts:
Thursday 15th September at 11:30pm
Sunday 18th September at 10pm

UPDATE:
Matilda & Me will be available on Now TV for 30 days, on Catch Up, with an Entertainment Pass. Now TV is a no contract, pay month-by-month service, watchable on many devices (laptop, tablets, smartphones etc) even if you don’t have a Now TV Smartbox. If you have an active monthly Entertainment Pass, simply search for ‘Matilda and Me’.

Andy Karl (Phil Connors) Photo © Manuel Harlan

Last night Tim attended the official opening night of his new musical Groundhog Day at The Old Vic Theatre in London.

The show received a full standing ovation from a delighted audience and enthusiastic reviews are rolling in:

The Telegraph *****

“Groundhog Day: the Musical is an instant classic – and could be better than the movie”

The Times *****

“so much fun that it should be illegal.”

“manages to couple laugh-out-loud British humour with American razzmatazz.”

The Independent *****

“Such a tonic that it’s a pity you can’t get a repeat prescription for it.”

The Stage *****

“An absolute triumph”

“…tone is finely established in composer Tim Minchin’s evocative and exhilarating score… It is at once supremely melodic, magical, haunting and hilarious.”

WhatsOnStage *****

“[Andy Karl’s] is an outstanding performance at the centre of a magnificent work that sends everyone out into the night cheering – and just a little wiser.”

The Guardian ****

“fantastically smart, clever and witty”

Evening Standard *****

“…relentlessly amusing, Groundhog Day is a treat.”

Andy Karl (Phil Connors) Photo © Manuel Harlan

Andy Karl plays Phil Connors, a cynical Pittsburgh TV weatherman sent to cover the annual Groundhog Day event in the small town of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. Caught in a time loop, he’s forced to relive the same day again and again…and again. As Phil becomes increasingly despondent, is there a lesson being learned and will he ever figure out the secret to break the cycle?

Carlyss Peer plays Rita Hanson, his kindly producer, alongside an ensemble cast.

Four of the Matilda creative team: Tim, composer and lyricist, director Matthew Warchus, choreographer Peter Darling and designer Rob Howell reunited and joined forces with writer Danny Rubin to collaborate on this new musical based on his 1993 hit film.

Andy Karl (Phil Connors) and Carlyss Peer (Rita Hanson)
Photo © Manuel Harlan

Groundhog Day will be on until Saturday 17th September, 2016.

More information, full cast details and Tickets can be found on The Old Vic website. You can also book over the phone: 0844 871 7628 or in person at The Old Vic.

UPDATE: You’ll find a selection of photos, by Dan Wooller, taken at Groundhog Day‘s Press Night in WhatsOnStage here.

Tim Minchin: The Live Collection is now available from JB HiFi here for $19.98.

This new box set provides the opportunity to watch all of the live shows Tim’s recorded in the UK so far – in one epic marathon if you wish!

You can track how the rock ‘n’ roll nerd developed his satirical lyrical trickery, piano thrashing wizardry, iconic dance moves and that ‘look’, as he plays at the Bloomsbury Theatre, then the HMV Hammersmith Apollo and finally the Royal Albert Hall with the Heritage Orchestra.

Comprising three discs, the DVD collection is region code 4, so it’s mainly for Australia and New Zealand.

These two hour+ shows are packed with songs and talky-bits. The individual DVDs will give you a full track-list but here’s an idea of the content:

So F**king Rock

Superstar musician, comedian, writer and actor Tim brings you So F**king Rock, Live. Filmed at London’s Bloomsbury Theatre in May 2008, this massive two-hour show includes all the best bits from the critically acclaimed shows Dark Side and So Rock.

On So F**king Rock you’ll find: Canvas Bags, Inflatable You, Mitsubishi Colt, F Sharp, Not Perfect, If You Really Loved Me, Angry (Feet), You Grew On Me, Dark Side and many more.

Ready For This?

In this spectacular show, recorded at London’s legendary HMV Hammersmith Apollo in October 2009, Tim confronts the pressing issues of the day: environmentalism, rationalism, prejudice(ism) and his amour de boobs(ism).

The piano-bashing, icon-trashing, nerd-brained, rock-voiced, hedgehog-haired, hyphen-abusing, tight-trousered philosopher-comedian is a brilliant and unique live performer but can he goad a bear into dancing?

Featuring The Good Book, If I Didn’t Have You, Confessions, Bears Don’t Dig On Dancing, If You Really Loved Me, Storm, White Wine In The Sun and many more.

Tim Minchin And The Heritage Orchestra (Live At The Royal Albert Hall)

Filmed at the stunning Royal Albert Hall, London, in April 2011, this show finds the world’s best-loved big-haired, piano-abusing, satirical singer-songwriter sharing the (big) stage with conductor Jules Buckley & the 55-piece Heritage Orchestra to create the most epic musical comedy show ever.

The concert features orchestrations of firm favourites including Not Perfect, Prejudice and Rock ‘n’ Roll Nerd, as well as new classics: Thank You God, Lullaby, The Fence, Cheese, The Pope Song and many more.

It’s a heady mix of soaring music in a beautiful, wonderfully lit setting with Tim’s sharp satirical comedy and iconic dance moves.

As a taster, here’s the original trailer for the orchestra show when it was first released in the UK:

Tim’ll be polishing his piano and tousling his mane into ‘rock mode’ to perform at the Beacon Theatre in New York, as part of the New York Comedy Festival, this Autumn.

Tim Minchin – Live and Solo
Thursday, November 3rd at 9:45pm
Beacon Theatre, NYC

There’s a PRESALE here from Wednesday, August 10th, at 10am ET through to Sunday, August 14th at 10pm ET. Use the presale code: FNYCF.

Tickets will go on general sale Monday, August 15th at 10:00am ET from www.nycomedyfestival.com.

Hello
So yep/yay, Groundhog Day is now previewing in London – there’s been lots of fun chat about it – the Old Vic have made this video to look at:

For the next six weeks until 17 September, we’re putting a bunch of super talented actors and musicians (led by the remarkable Andy Karl as Phil Connors) through their very own Groundhog Day. Every. Single. Day. With no exceptions. Except Sundays.

We’d love you to come and see it before the really quite limited run ends in September. You may not get another chance to see it for a long time. (Or you may, but let’s not bank on that).

So grab a ticket before it gets harder to get one after our official premiere on 16 August.

Get tickets from the Old Vic here

xx
Tim

“Late one night, for no particular reason, something stirred in the black mud at the bottom of Berkeley’s Creek…”

Last month, ABC KIDS presented a series of Play School Celebrity Covers in celebration of 50 years on air for the adored children’s series. In Tim’s mini-episode, The Bunyip of Berkeley’s Creek, he reads the inspiring story of an existentialist Bunyip seeking identity.

The star-studded PLAY SCHOOL: FAMOUS FRIENDS is now available on CD & DVD from the ABC Shop.

Also available from Google Play in Australia.

Last night, the glittering 2016 Helpmann Awards ceremony was held at Sydney’s Lyric theatre.

Photo by James Morgan

It was an extraordinary evening for an extraordinary show. Having been nominated for 13 Helpmann Awards, the Australian production of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Matilda The Musical converted them into a record breaking 13 wins, including Best Musical!

Tim won Best Original Score in a Musical for his music and lyrics, while Best Female Actor in a Musical went to the eight Australian Matildas who have shared the role of the eponymous hero in Sydney and Melbourne: Molly Barwick, Dusty Bursill, Tiana Mirra, Alannah Parfett, Sasha Rose, Georgia Taplin, Bella Thomas and Ingrid Torelli.

James Millar scooped Best Male Actor in a Musical with Matthew Warchus winning Best Direction of a Musical.

The rest of the wins, across the other categories, are as follows:
Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical – Daniel Frederiksen
Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical – Elise McCann
Best Costume Design in a Musical – Rob Howell
Best Scenic Design in a Musical – Rob Howell
Best Sound Design in a Musical – Simon Baker
Best Lighting Design – Hugh Vanstone
Best Music Direction in a Musical – Stephen Amos
Best Choreography in a Musical – Peter Darling

Tim and the 8 Australian Matildas. Photo by James Morgan

Congratulations to all at Matilda The Musical Australia!

Here’s Tim making his acceptance speech:

On Thursday, the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Canadian production of Matilda The Musical had its official Opening Night at the Ed Mirvish Theatre in Toronto!

Three young actresses alternate playing Matilda, with Hannah Levinson swinging gloriously into action in the title role for the premiere. Jaime MacLean and Jenna Weir make up the rest of the Toronto Matilda trio.

They are joined by the principals (in alphabetical order) Paula Brancati (Miss Honey), Dan Chameroy (Miss Trunchbull), Keisha T. Fraser (Mrs Phelps), Brandon McGibbon (Mr Wormwood) and Darcy Stewart (Mrs Wormwood).

The Toronto Matildas: Jenna Weir, Jaime MacLean and Hannah Levinson. Photo ©2016, Joan Marcus

Tickets are on sale for performances up until 16th October, 2016, from www.mirvish.com or by phone at TicketKing at 416-872-1212 or 1-800-461-3333.

Toronto cast on the red carpet for Opening Night

Toronto will be the only production of Matilda The Musical in Canada

More information, including full cast details, can be found on the Matilda The Musical website and if you’d like to see the story of Matilda’s adventures internationally, including many reviews, photos and videos then take a look here.

Ten days to go! In case you missed them, here are a selection of photos of Tim, some of the cast, musicians and creatives in rehearsals for Groundhog Day.

All Photos © Manuel Harlan.

Danny Rubin and Tim

The Groundhog Day company in rehearsals

Andy Karl and Carlyss Peer

Laurie Perkins and Tim

The Groundhog Day company in rehearsals

Danny Rubin and Matthew Warchus

There are more rehearsal photos here on the Old Vic’s Facebook Page. You can follow @oldvictheatre on Twitter too for the latest updates.

Groundhog Day will begin with previews from July 15th, with the official opening on August 16th. It will be a strictly limited 10-week season until Saturday 17th September, 2016.

More information and Tickets can be found on The Old Vic website. You can also book over the phone: 0844 871 7628 or in person at The Old Vic.