Hundreds queue for Matilda tickets in Birmingham
'Much too good for children!' - hundreds of eager theatregoers have queued at Birmingham Hippodrome to get their hands on tickets to see Matilda the Musical.
Tickets for the upcoming production at the city venue went on sale on today at 11am.
Excited hopefuls lined the inside of the Hippodrome box office to try and bag themselves tickets to the musical, which is due to run from July 3 to September 8 next year.
There was also an anxious wait for people buying their tickets online. Parents reported an average wait of around 20 minutes, with more than 500 people in the online queue.
A statement on the Hippodrome's website said: "Our website and phone lines will be extremely busy today so please bear with us. Thank you for your patience."
The multi-award winning musical from the Royal Shakespeare Company is inspired by the beloved book by Roald Dahl.
With book by Dennis Kelly and original songs by Tim Minchin, Matilda The Musical is the story of an extraordinary little girl who, armed with a vivid imagination and a sharp mind, dares to take a stand and change her own destiny.
Winner of over 85 international awards, including 16 for Best Musical, Matilda hopes to delight its Birmingham audiences as it has done those in London, Australia and the USA.
Tweeting about the ticket sales, @brumhippodrome said: "Matilda The Musical goes on sale at 11am, so grab a cup of tea & please be patient as we're expecting high numbers of people buying tickets!."
A nearby cake firm also offered specially-made cupcakes to people that were stood in the queue.
@Cittyscakes, which is based at the Custard Factory, said: "Customers queuing for Matilda tickets this morning are getting a chocolatey treat made by us!"
Rebecca Chitty, owner of Chittys Cakes said: "We were asked to provide the cup cakes for the Hippodrome after we made them a special Bruce Bogtrotter chocolate cake when the tour of Matilda was announced.
"The feedback we've had has been amazing - the cakes have really helped people get in the mood for the production.
"I think the appetite for Matilda is massive. I've got friends who have seen the production in London and say it's absolutely fantastic, so I'm sure it will be brilliant in Birmingham too."
For more information on the production, visit www.birminghamhippodrome.com/calendar/matildathemusical/.
