With the final curtain now fallen on Shelford Girls' Grammar’s production of Matilda Jr., I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt thanks to everyone who made this amazing show possible. Bringing a production like this to life requires a lot of hard work behind the scenes, and it truly was a team effort.

Firstly, thank you to the parents for their early drop-offs and for supporting their children during the rehearsals and performances.

Next, a special thanks to Stephanie Veber and the wonderful Junior School teachers who provided invaluable support throughout the process and during the performances.

Thank you to SPA for their generous contributions to the cast T-Shirts and for organising the bar at each performance.

Thank you to Andrew Zhang for his outstanding work on the projections and filming, and to Jenny Collins for creating our beautiful T-Shirt designs, posters, photos, and the stunning program.

I’d like to acknowledge our incredible maintenance team, Kaine and Sirus, for building our wonderful set.

An enormous thank you to Anya McLeod. Not only did she do a wonderful job as our music director, but her tireless work painting sets, assisting with costume shopping, and helping backstage was truly invaluable.

Most importantly, thank you to our incredible cast. I feel so fortunate to have worked with such talented and passionate students. It has been a true joy and privilege to experience this journey with them. I believe that being involved in a musical provides an invaluable learning experience for children. It fosters confidence, enhances communication skills, and teaches teamwork, discipline, and resilience. The growth and development I’ve seen in our students throughout this production have been truly inspiring. I hope they carry the memories and lessons from this experience with them on their next adventure.

Below are some reflections from our students about the show.

Matilda Junior was an amazing performance! I feel like it has taught us how to be more confident and work in a show. What I enjoyed the most about the show was how caring and supportive the teachers were and learning the scenes/songs. I loved how the show became better by each show, it felt like all the rehearsals were worth it. I found that the most challenging thing about it was how the show ran, because I never had done a school musical, it was such a great experience! I also found very exciting was getting mics, I had never got a mic before and it made it feel very professional. I believe that it was an amazing show and the audience enjoyed it, they were laughing which gave me a sense of achievement. I would do it all again in a heartbeat! - Alicia Ngyuen, 6A

My experience in Matilda was AMAZING and I really enjoyed the performance. It was like Broadway, and I loved costumes, sets and the mics but also having to spend time with Year 6, because being in the dressing rooms created a stronger bond with friends. Although we had to wake up early and have days of just rehearsing, I think all that work paid off and I thought the performance was impeccable. – Clemence D, 6A

“My Mummy says I’m a miracle”…I had butterflies in my tummy. I stepped onto the stage and sang my heart out! My Mum smiled at me. The first song was done. Next, it was “When I Grow up”. I had fun with my partner. Finally, it was the bows. I had done it! The highlight of the show was when Miss Trunchbull came out on the scooter and said, “MAGGOTS!” I felt excited, relieved, happy and calm when the show was over.” – Clemmie B, Year 2

Matilda was such a great experience. I loved having the opportunity to do it! When I was onstage, I was having so much fun. Before the show when I was in my dressing room, I was really nervous, but I got into the zone by reading the Matilda book that I used as a prop onstage! After the performances I felt so happy because the show was so fun! Matilda has helped me to create so many amazing memories and I will remember this musical forever. – Emily B-F, 6A

I really enjoyed the choreography and being backstage with my friends. This will be in my memories forever. The audience reacted really well and were very supportive.
The thing I found challenging was remembering all the lyrics for the songs I was in. I learnt about not giving up even when it is challenging. During the performance, my emotions changed so often. At the start, I was feeling scared, in the middle I was feeling happy and at the end I was sad it was over. I really enjoyed this musical and I hope I can get another experience again soon. - Jaylene H, Year 5

Kelsey Holden

Drama Teacher

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