Wireless Mics and Projection for Roald Dahl's Matilda The Musical
Show guide · Full-length · 18 principals, many of them children · Reviewed by Stage Gear staff, October 2026
Short answer: plan on 20 channels. 18 body mics for the principals and featured school children plus 2 spares. Cover the parents and full-class numbers with 2–4 area mics at the stage edge.
Stage Gear supplies wireless mics, rentals and projection to school and community theatres across the U.S. Our staff work in theatre; this guide is how we'd mic Roald Dahl's Matilda The Musical.
Who gets a mic
We counted every role that sings a solo or carries dialogue over music: Matilda, Miss Honey, Miss Trunchbull, Mr. and Mrs. Wormwood, Michael, Bruce, Lavender, Mrs. Phelps, Rudolpho, the Escapologist and the Acrobat, plus the six named classmates (Hortensia, Amanda, Nigel, Eric, Alice and Tommy), who all trade solo lines in "Miracle", "School Song" and "Revolting Children". That is 18 body mics plus 2 spares, for 20 channels.
Borderline roles: Michael has few lines and can move to an area mic on a tighter budget. The Doctor and the Children's Entertainer appear mainly in the opening "Miracle" sequence; area mics usually cover them, or they can borrow packs from performers who are offstage then, if your blocking allows a clean handoff. On a 16-channel budget, move Michael and three classmates whose solo lines you can stage downstage to the area mics.
Bigger budget: give every named classmate and the Doctor their own channel, and add one for the Cook or a Henchman. That reaches about 22–24 channels, which needs careful frequency coordination; talk to us before you go past 20.
Mic plot
| Ch | Role | Mic | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Channel 1 | Matilda Wormwood | Hairline (3 mm), brown | Child lead; tiny element hides in hair at the temple. |
| Channel 2 | Miss Honey | Hairline, brown | Gentle ballads like "My House" need clean pickup. |
| Channel 3 | Miss Agatha Trunchbull | Hairline, brown | Hides in the wig; keep gain modest for shouting. |
| Channel 4 | Mr. Wormwood | Hairline, brown | Comic patter over music; hide in wig or combover. |
| Channel 5 | Mrs. Wormwood | Hairline, black | Belts "Loud" while dancing; mount in the big wig. |
| Channel 6 | Bruce | Hairline (3 mm), brown | Young soloist; place high to stay clear of cake. |
| Channel 7 | Lavender | Hairline (3 mm), brown | Young performer with lots of dialogue to the audience. |
| Channel 8 | Hortensia | Hairline (3 mm), brown | Leads "School Song" taunts; small head. |
| Channel 9 | Amanda | Hairline (3 mm), beige | Solo lines; route cable clear of the pigtails. |
| Channel 10 | Nigel | Hairline (3 mm), brown | Classmate with solo lines in "Revolting Children". |
| Channel 11 | Eric | Hairline (3 mm), brown | Classmate with solo lines over full band. |
| Channel 12 | Alice | Hairline (3 mm), brown | Classmate with solo lines over full band. |
| Channel 13 | Tommy | Hairline (3 mm), brown | Classmate with solo lines over full band. |
| Channel 14 | Michael Wormwood | Hairline (3 mm), brown | Few lines but in loud family scenes. |
| Channel 15 | Mrs. Phelps | Hairline, black | Listens and reacts through the long story scenes. |
| Channel 16 | Rudolpho | Hairline, black | Ballroom spins in "Loud"; gel holds the element. |
| Channel 17 | The Escapologist | Hairline, brown | Sings in Matilda's story; often staged upstage. |
| Channel 18 | The Acrobat | Hairline, brown | Sings in the story; secure for physical staging. |
| Channel 19 | Spare | Hairline (3 mm), brown | Hot spare for any child performer; pre-tested. |
| Channel 20 | Spare | Hairline, beige | Hot spare for any adult principal. |
Every Bodymic is wired for one transmitter family: Shure, Sennheiser, Audio-Technica, AKG, MiPro or Creative Audio. Build your Bodymics to match the packs you own. Cast Pack: every 4 Bodymics of the same style and capsule size earn a 5th free. This plot is a starting point; change any row to suit your cast.
The ensemble
Matilda's group numbers are loud and full of movement, so place 2–4 area or choir mics along the stage edge for the parents in "Miracle" and the full class in "Revolting Children" and "When I Grow Up". Children's voices are lighter than adults', so coach the ensemble to sing out and keep area mics close to where the kids actually stand. A featured child gets a body mic only when they have solo lines over music.
Show notes from our team
- Amanda's pigtails. Amanda is famously swung by her pigtails. Run her mic cable away from the pigtails and wig clips, tape it firmly behind the ear, and rehearse the move with the mic on.
- Swings and desks. "When I Grow Up" often uses swings, and "Revolting Children" puts kids on desks. Use snug mic belts at the hip, and check packs and connectors after every run.
- Bruce and the cake. The cake scene is messy. Place Bruce's element high on the hairline, keep a spare element ready, and wipe or swap the mic before his next number.
- Small voices, loud band. Children's mics need more gain, which invites feedback. Set the band lower under kids' solos, keep monitors modest, and ring out the room with the kids' mics, not adults'.
Projection
Matilda moves between the Wormwood living room, the library, the school gates and classroom, Miss Honey's cottage and the Escapologist's story, and projected scenery handles those quick changes well, including letters and words for "School Song". Most school auditoriums need 7,000–10,000 lumens with the right lens; smaller black boxes need less.
Our sister company Broadway Media makes Scenic Projections for Roald Dahl's Matilda The Musical. Not sure which projector? Read Stage Projectors for Digital Scenery.
Rent it for the run, or own it
| What you get | Next step | |
|---|---|---|
| Rent for the show | A 20-channel wireless rental, Monday to Monday around tech week. Tested before it ships, return labels in every case. | See rental systems |
| Own it | Creative Audio Show-Ready, 24 channels: receivers, bodypacks and antennas racked, programmed and tested. $ 16,785.57. | See the system |
| Mics for the packs you have | Bodymics for the whole cast: hairline from $79, earsets and headsets from $99. | Build your Bodymics |
Buying for a school? U.S. public schools can pay by purchase order. How school ordering works.
Common questions
- How many wireless mics does Matilda need?
- Plan on about 20 channels: 18 body mics for Matilda, Miss Honey, Trunchbull, the Wormwoods, Bruce, Lavender, Mrs. Phelps, the story characters and six named classmates, plus 2 spares. A 16-channel budget works if Michael and three classmates move to area mics.
- How do we mic the kids' ensemble in Matilda?
- Use 2–4 area or choir mics along the stage edge for full-class numbers like "Revolting Children". Children sing lighter than adults, so place area mics close to where they stand, and give body mics to the named classmates with solo lines.
- What mic works best on young Matilda performers?
- A small 3 mm hairline mic. It hides at the temple on small heads, sits clear of the mouth for clean sound, and stays put through jumping and dancing. Tape it to skin and use a snug mic belt for the pack.
- Can we rent mics just for our show week?
- Yes. Stage Gear rentals run Monday to Monday around tech week, so you have mics for rehearsals and every performance. Systems arrive tested with return labels, and school purchase orders are welcome.
Doing Roald Dahl's Matilda The Musical this year?
Get mic tips for your show and a reminder before rental season books up.
Stage Gear is not a show licensor. Roald Dahl's Matilda The Musical is licensed through Music Theatre International (MTI); production rights come from them. Stage Gear sells and rents the equipment. See you on stage!
