Dates for tour of Matilda the Musical announced

The RSC has confirmed that its UK and Ireland tour of Matilda will begin in March 2018.

The show will launch at Curve, Leicester on 5 March and run for three weeks. It will then visit Dublin Bord Gais Energy Theatre (4 to 28 April), Sunderland (8 May to 2 June), Milton Keynes (5 to 30 June), Birmingham (3 July to 8 September), Manchester (18 September to 24 November) and Cardiff (4 December to 12 January 2019), with further dates and locations to be announced.

Tickets for the tour will go on sale to the public on 26 April. The West End production continues at the Cambridge Theatre and is currently booking until 17 December 2017.

Writer Dennis Kelly said: "I’m delighted that we get to take Matilda around the UK and to Ireland. We have some fantastic theatres in this country and in Ireland, supported by smart, engaged audiences and we can’t wait to bring this crazy, messy, anarchic explosion of a show to them."

Tim Minchin, who wrote the book and lyrics said: "I’m utterly thrilled that audiences in cities all across the UK and Ireland will now share and be part of Matilda’s story."

The show is currently in its sixth year in the West End. Directed by Matthew Warchus, Matilda is an adaptation of Roald Dahl's classic book which tells of a little schoolgirl with extraordinary powers.

Click here for tickets for the UK and Ireland tour of Matilda

Matilda the Musical is currently booking at the Cambridge Theatre until December 2017. The UK tour opens on 5 March at Curve, Leicester.